Two Days in Pigeon Forge: Totally Worth the Hype

Orlando, New York City, San Francisco, Branson, Charleston... These are all cities that are hyped up to be some of the best for tourists. With plenty of attractions, history, restaurants, and more, visitors flock to these cities every single year. But are they worth the hype?

Many consider Pigeon Forge, Tennessee to be an area that is ideal for tourists. If you drive down the main road through town, you'll quickly see why. There are mountain coasters, restaurants, souvenir shops, zip lines, museums, and the list goes on and on. It's also situated on the edge of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We love this area; it's only four hours from our home and there really is so much to do. But on this particular trip in November, just before Thanksgiving, we decided to check out three of the most popular attractions in Pigeon Forge: Dollywood, the Titanic Museum, and Pirates Voyage, a dinner show.

We knew we would be entertained, but what we didn't realize was how much each of these destinations lives up to the hype. Come along with me as we spend two very full and very fun days in the heart of Pigeon Forge.

We started our two-day Pigeon Forge adventure at Dollywood. The park was decked out for a Smoky Mountain Christmas and we spent over 10 hours riding, playing, eating, and admiring this beautiful destination.

We arrived when the park opened, just before 11am. We knew to expect a crowd the week of Thanksgiving and it was definitely packed. It was a Monday, many schools were out for the holiday, and the weather was perfect. Despite the crowd, we were able to do and see everything we wanted. If you want to avoid the most crowded days of the year, try for weekdays that are not adjacent to any holidays. And Dollywood is open March through early January, so there are plenty of opportunities to visit!

If you do plan to visit on a day that will likely be crowded, look into adding the TimeSaver pass to your ticket. This is an extra cost, but on those packed days it is WELL worth it. We had the TimeSaver Premium Pass and our wait times were cut in half. We also enjoyed reserved seating at the shows, which are super popular!

We've been to several theme parks, but Dollywood was one of my favorites. It's literally built on the side of a mountain, so you feel like you're hiking through the woods, amongst roller coasters and beautiful little villages. One way to get a great view of the park is to ride the Dollywood Express, a steam engine that takes you on a 5-mile route up the mountain and around the park. Our TimeSaver Pass didn't work for this line, but it was well worth the wait!

The newest attraction inside the park is the Dolly Parton Experience. This section is dedicated to Dolly, herself, and it quite literally sparkles and shines. You can catch a show, hop on her tour bus, see some of her most famous outfits, and walk through her life and iconic career. If you visit this area during the day, be sure to come back at night. It's stunning!

Speaking of stunning, the scenery at Dollywood is magical any time of year, but it was especially enchanting for the holidays. There were little scenes everywhere you looked and I just loved this view of a choir singing Christmas carols on the stairs of a little church.

We enjoyed our burgers and fries for lunch at Red's Drive-In, but we were all looking forward to Dollywood's famous Cinnamon Bread. You catch the scent of this treat all over the park and it's pretty much impossible to leave without trying it. We waited in the long line (which went pretty fast) and ordered one for dessert and one for breakfast the next morning. I wish we would've gotten more!

If Dollywood has been on your list but you have been hesitant to go, I can't recommend it enough. If crowds are not your thing, there are ways to work around that, but even on one of the most crowded days of the year, this Pigeon Forge destination was definitely worth the hype.

The next morning we had a 9am boarding time for the Titanic! The Titanic Museum is located in the center of everything in Pigeon Forge and has been on my list of places to visit for years! I am not embarrassed to admit that I saw Titanic, the movie 19 times in the theater back in 1997. I was obsessed. And who isn't fascinated by the story of this "unsinkable" ship?

The first thing you need to know when visiting the Titanic is that you should reserve your tickets ahead of time. Days and time slots do sell out, so a reservation is key! I loved having an early boarding time as we were some of the first visitors of the day.

When we arrived, we were greeted by staff who were totally in character as if they were on that ship in 1912. We received boarding passes that each had information about a person who had sailed on the Titanic. As we walked through the museum, we were able to learn about our character and at the end we discovered whether the person survived or went down with the ship.

We were lucky enough to walk around with Jodi, a member of the museum's staff since before it even opened! I have never met someone who knew so much about the Titanic. She was incredibly informed, great with my kids, and so entertaining! In fact, all of the "cast" was friendly and made the experience that much more endearing.

Full disclosure - this is where my heart skipped a beat. The museum has a life-sized replica of the grand staircase from the ship, which of course looks just like the movie set. "Meet me at the clock." If you know, you know.

You were allowed to take photos in here (much of the museum has artifacts that are owned by others, so no photos allowed) and let's just say I took a few.

One of the many pleasant surprises of the museum was its interactive features. This room was especially cool, literally. You walked in and it was cold! And then you could dip your fingers in the 28-degree water, the same temperature of the water on that fateful night. There was also a replica of a lifeboat and a section of the ship at different angles as it went down. Visitors can attempt to climb and hang on and then sit in the boats to see how many people they could have actually fit.

Toward the end of the museum is a section dedicated to the movie. This multi-million dollar exhibit includes props from the set, such as Rose's dress she had on while the ship sank and her life jacket. The jacket was later signed by Kate Winslet!

Do you recognize the prop at the bottom of the photo below? I'll give you a hint: Jack would have fit.

My entire family loved this museum. We talked about it all day long and agreed that we were blown away by this high quality experience. This is not a tourist trap. It is a true museum with unbelievable artifacts, interactive exhibits, and staff who will make a visit an unforgettable experience.

After we safely made it off the Titanic, we had one more stop. Pirates Voyage is a dinner and show just a few minutes from the museum. It's hard to miss this massive building when you drive by and if you've ever wondered about this attraction, I can assure you that it was worth adding to our two-day itinerary.

After a long day at Dollywood and our time at Titanic, we were ready to relax and enjoy some good food and entertainment. Pirates Voyage was the perfect answer. Photos and video are not allowed during the show, which is probably for the better because you are going to want to experience this for yourself!

My 11 and 10-year-olds absolutely loved this performance. The actors are extremely talented and true athletes and there were also a few animals who stole the show. And on top of that, you get a delicious meal! We had fried chicken, mac and cheese, ham, biscuits, soup, and dessert. We did not leave hungry. They also offer a variety of supplemental menus that are Vegan, gluten-free, and vegetarian.

If you've already experienced Pirates Voyage or are looking for something a little different, check out Dolly Parton's Stampede, Hatfield & McCoy Dinner Feud, or the Comedy Barn Theater.

There are definitely attractions, events, and even entire cities out there that may not live up to the hype as a place for a dedicated vacation. I've been to some of those, but I've also been to Pigeon Forge. There are countless activities available, but if you're looking to narrow it down to two days of fun, follow our itinerary and head to Dollywood, the Titanic Museum, and Pirates Voyage. We genuinely enjoyed all three and look forward to future adventures in Pigeon Forge.

Per journalistic integrity, we disclose that the creator of this content was invited to this location by Dollywood, Titanic, and Pirates Voyage and some expenses were covered. However, all opinions and thoughts expressed in this content are their own.