Have you ever driven to Pigeon Forge or Gatlinburg and stared in awe at the big orange funnel attached to the Wilderness in The Smokies? I sure have! Every time we see that monstrosity of a waterslide, my children ask when we will visit the resort. I kindly remind them that a place like that is not in our budget, but one day we might go.
Well, that day has finally come! As fall brought in the cooler, the outdoor water parks were forced to close and the tourists went back home, but this is the perfect time for locals to enjoy the fun of our own backyard without the crowds. While flurries were making their first appearance for the season, Wilderness at the Smokies was dropping their prices to an all-time low. So, I packed up my children and we embarked on our affordable family vacation ahead of Christmas break.
For $95 a night (plus tax and fees), we had the option of staying at the Stone Hill Lodge across the street from the main resort. For $130 a night (plus tax and fees), we could stay inside the River Lodge, with all of the amenities on site. The River Lodge offers an indoor waterpark, complete with water slides, a wave pool, a wave rider, a park with a waterslide, and a sectioned off splash pad for little ones.
Passes to the indoor waterpark are included with your stay up to the number of guests allowed per room. Additional passes can be purchased at the front desk. If you can pull the kids away from the waterpark, there is an arcade across the hall from the entrance to the waterpark.
Inside the arcade you will find an entire buzz worthy attraction that will keep the kids entertained for hours. There are arcade games, a rope course, rock climbing, glow in the dark mini-golfing, laser tag, a laser maze, and mini bowling. If you have never heard of mini bowling, don’t worry, neither had I but I took to it quickly and was easily able to beat my five-year-old. I had an unfair advantage over him, since I could hold the tiny bowling ball in one hand and have a love for Skee-Ball. So, while my kindergartner was throwing gutter balls, I was raking in the strikes.
My little one was able to brush himself off after the defeat to take on the rope course. Once he was buckled into his harness, he took off, galivanting along the ceiling as he made his way across tight ropes and balance beams. The arcade offers an all-day pass starting at $25 with unlimited access to the main attractions with the option to add tokens for the video games. They also offer “stay-cation” passes starting at $35 that grant access to the main attractions in the arcade for entire duration of your stay at the resort.
If all this isn’t enough to keep the kids busy...the ice rink will be opening in November! Families will have the option of enjoying the heated, indoor water park, the arcade, and an ice rink. You can also find a Candy Cabin, soft serve ice cream and Dippin’ Dots, a snack shack in the arcade and one waterside, two restaurants, two full-service bars (one waterside), a gift shop, and a pottery decorating shop.
Rooms include a mini fridge and a microwave, so we brought our own food and snacks to save a little cash for the arcade and Dollywood, which happens to be less than 20 minutes away. If you happened to purchase a season pass and still have some “bring-a-friend" tickets left, like we did, you are able to use them until Nov 26th. The front desk informed me that Sunday through Thursday offer lower rates than Friday and Saturday. They also offer a military discount, but you need to ask, so book over the phone to use your discount. You can expect a spike in prices over Thanksgiving break and for Christmas, but prices fluctuate, so check back often to snag a great deal like I did!
For more information, visit their website at www.WildnernessAtTheSmokies.com