The Island in Pigeon Forge

Hey there, traveler! My name is Amanda, and today I’m writing a guest post for Peaceful Cabin Rentals.
 
As you may know, my parents recently purchased their third rental cabin in the Smoky Mountains near Pigeon Forge. Before renting to guests, we like to ensure our cabins are in tip-top shape. So, when my parents traveled to Tennessee at the end of July to make some epic upgrades to Mountains on My Mind, I tagged along.
 
I distinctly remember them describing the trip as a vacation, but I had a slight suspicion they really wanted me along to help clean the place! But hey, I can’t complain; I got to spend two weeks in an amazing cabin with an amazing view, and all I had to do were some house chores? Not a bad deal. Plus, I knew we could convince them to let us visit some attractions in town once the chores were done.
 
And truly, the cabin is AMAZING! I enjoyed the sunrise from the East porch, soaked in the hot tub at night with a view of fireworks across the valley, and visited several attractions on the nearby Parkway.
 
Although my family has visited the Pigeon Forge area for years, I did visit several new-for-me attractions. One of these was The Island at Pigeon Forge.
 
After working and playing hard all week, my two sisters and I decided we needed to end the trip on a high note. We meant high quite literally… on top of the Great Smoky Mountain Wheel!
 
If you travel down the Parkway during the day, you can spot this giant Ferris wheel giving travelers a bird’s eye view of the Parkway. At night, it’s impossible to miss the colorful lights slowly twirling around.  
 
Although I’m terrified of heights, I wanted to finally ride this attraction. So, we hopped in the car, drove down the mountain, and hyped ourselves up for the ride. We knew the Great Smoky Mountain Wheel was located at The Island at Pigeon Forge, but we had never visited. In our minds, it was a small area with maybe a couple of shops, a restaurant, and the Ferris wheel. Boy were we wrong!

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The Island in Pigeon Forge is actually a fully decked out amusement park. For starters, there’s the Margaritaville Hotel so you can stay right in the middle of the action. Then, there’s dining, like Mellow Mushroom and the highly-famed Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen. Waltz down Market Street for dozens of shops of every variety. There are gift stores, souvenir shops, and even one with live parrots inside!
 
Last but certainly not least, there are the rides.
 
From outside the Island, you really only notice the Ferris wheel. However, that is only the start of the attractions! For example, you can feel like an American Ninja Warrior on the Island Ropes Course, a three-level structure with dozens of elements, two ziplines, and a simulated free fall.
 
Then, there’s a handful of kid-oriented thrill rides. Don’t worry, parents can join in on the fun too. These are the types of rides I would have loved when I was 8, but as an adult who very much enjoys not feeling dizzy and nauseous, I would be terrified to ride! Take Twist’N’Shout, a tower that goes up, up, up, aaaaaand suddenly-you-are-falling-no-wait up, up, up… falling again! The kids riding it loved it. I enjoyed just watching.
 
If unexpected falling isn’t your style, ride the Happy Swing, a jumbo swing that I could probably just manage to stomach, Crazy Cars, a dizzying spinning ride, or ThunderDome, a Bungee Trampoline attraction. 

Then, pick one (or several!) of the family-themed attractions. Take it old school at Arcade City, a spacious, indoor facility featuring both your favorite classic games and new adventures. If you head back down Market Street, let the family bond while competing against each other in laser tag at Battleground: Tactical Laser Tag or while competing together against the clock to break out of The Escape Game. Right now, the Island website lists five immersive missions that can be completed in 60 minutes. Wind down from the excitement by riding the Flying Horse Carousel, featuring 22 beautifully-designed horses and chariots. If I’m being honest, my one regret of visiting the Island was that I didn’t ride the Flying Horse Carousel. You’re never too old for carousels, right?
 
And finally, you have to ride the Great Smoky Mountain Wheel. It. Was. So. EPIC! We rode at night, so we got a great view of the city lights along the Parkway, a bird’s-eye view of Island attractions like the rooftop pool and the Island Show Fountain, and even a hazy glimpse at one of our other cabins hosted by Peaceful Cabin Rentals-- Cinematic Splash!
 
While I am terrified of heights, I enjoy Ferris wheels because they give me a small thrill without completely petrifying me. You know, I get to feel brave and like I’m overcoming my fears while still absolutely freaking out on the way up. Prior to this trip, I had only ridden two Ferris wheels: the 60ft tall Wonder Wheel Ferris wheel in Dollywood, and a smaller one at my college campus. When I rode those, I was scared out of my wits when we first started moving because the cars tended to sway easily on the small curve. Usually, I sat scared silly, screaming my head off for the first time going up, and then calmed down enough to enjoy the subsequent revolutions. Once I went around the first time, I knew what to expect.
 
However, the Great Smoky Mountain Wheel is 200ft tall, a magnitude for a Ferris wheel I could not comprehend until I was at the very top. I was actually really concerned I was going to freak out partway through the ride and be stuck in the gondola crying in terror.
 
And for a moment, it did seem like the terror was going to set in. We boarded our car and then rotated about an 8th of the way up before stopping for more passengers to board. As we sat there, slowly comprehending just how high up we already were, it slowly dawned on me how much higher we had to go.
 
My older sister, although not a fan of thrill rides, isn’t bothered by heights and stayed calm. This was the first Ferris wheel my younger sister had ever been on, though. At that moment, we locked eyes and saw a reflection of our own fears in the other person’s face. Of course, it was too late to disembark, and even pressing the emergency button would require a full rotation before we could get off. So, we grabbed each other’s hands, squeezed until we lost feeling, and sat waiting for the next bit of motion.
 
But as we sat there waiting, it was hard to stay scared. The air-conditioned car was quite comfortable, and we didn’t sway at every slight movement like on every other Ferris wheel I’d ridden. In fact, when we finally did start moving, it was so smooth I barely noticed.
 
And that was the moment I realized we were going to be okay. This ride was destined to be an epic experience we would never forget. The first 8th of a revolution was the scariest part of the ride because that is when you don’t know what to expect. After that moment, though, you realize this is a smooth, comfortable, and relaxing ride, and the incredible view removes any thoughts of fear from your mind.
 
The height and view were almost surreal. We were really lucky in the car that we rode (number 25 in case you were wondering) because all the onboarding happened during our first revolution. Our car was ideal for a few reasons. First, we got to stop at the very top. It was incredible. (Also, can you tell I’m running out of adjectives that properly encapsulate this experience?) We didn’t mind waiting on passengers to board because the staff load passengers quite efficiently and sitting at the top was really fun.
 
Secondly, we were part of the first group to disembark. The ride lasts 8-10 minutes and consists of 4 complete revolutions. The onboarding and offboarding are included in these four revolutions. Since all the onboarding happened during our first revolution, we got the pauses out of the way the first time around and went around three more times without interruption. When we reached the bottom for the last time, I definitely felt like the experience was worth the costs.
 
Oh, and remember how I mentioned the trip was half-vacation, half-work? My parents surprised us kids by buying our tickets to ride the Great Smoky Mountain Wheel. Thanks, Mom and Dad!
 
Now, I know not everyone has the opportunity to renovate a cabin in exchange for a ride on a Ferris wheel. Is a trip to The Island at Pigeon Forge budget friendly? While the multitude of attractions might sound expensive once you add them all up, The Island has several affordable options for hours of family fun. In addition, there are enough free things to entertain your crew once you are done spending money.
 
For example, many of the amusement attractions are included on the current Unlimited Rides Pass. For $30, you can purchase a ticket that lets you ride the majority of rides, as many times as you want, for the next 48 hours. As awesome as more-expensive options like Dollywood may be, $30 for 48 hours of fun is a pretty sweet deal. Plus, between rides, there are always shops to visit, frequent live music, and the fun choreographed Show Light Fountain.
 
While I only experienced a fraction of what The Island at Pigeon Forge has to offer, I can see why Trip Advisor named it the 6th Best Amusement Park in the US and the 9th Best Amusement Park in the world. Between free parking, great dining, a well-rounded selection of shops, and the unforgettable rides, The Island in Pigeon Forge is a place any traveler to Pigeon Forge must visit.
 
Maybe the next time my family is up in Tennessee, I can convince everyone to spend a day exploring all that The Island in Pigeon Forge has to offer…
 
-Amanda