Visiting Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge with Kids, 5 Under 5!

We’re now back in KY after seven days visiting Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge with kids. Yep, 5 kids under 5. In one house, for a whole week. Are we crazy? I guess so. But this trip was SO MUCH FUN!

Keep reading to find out what we did, where we stayed, and how we maintained our sanity through the chaos.

Knoxville Zoo

The drive from Kentucky began Saturday morning around 7am. The kids were all buckled in their car seats and already asking, “are we there yet?”. We arrived in Knoxville, TN at lunchtime and it was only about an hour and a half from our cabin in Pigeon Forge. We stopped and ate fast food before visiting the Knoxville Zoo to let the littles stretch their legs.

My two kids (ages 2 and 1) rode in our little red collapsible cart wagon off and on throughout the zoo. By the end of our quick visit, two of my nephews (ages 2 and almost 5) had hopped aboard as well! I’d say a wagon like this with large all-terrain wheels is a good item to bring if you’re considering a trip like this, because toddler legs get tired pretty easily. And it’s more fun to pile in a wagon with all your cousins than it is to get strapped down in a stroller! My sister-in-law had her stroller though, and it was very handy for the youngest (6 months) who needed to nap while we were there. Also, bring lots of bottled water for yourself and use it to refill sippy cups… especially if you’ll be there in the heat of July or August like we were!

Arriving At The Cabin

After our short trip to the zoo, we finished the drive to Pigeon Forge and checked into our home for the week. We stayed at the most beautiful cabin, called Entertaining Angels, and it was in such a fantastic location! We were a short drive from everything we wanted to visit, but far enough off the beaten track to soak in some nature. There were even some really fun nature trails, a camp-out room with tents for the kids, a playground, and a community pool just a stone’s throw from our cabin.

The house was a generous 4,800 square feet, and honestly, every bit of that space was appreciated when you could get a chance to slip away from the madness. Our family has outgrown condo-style vacations… we found that out last year on vacation, haha! With 5 little kids and 8 adults, we need some breathing room. Multiple living areas, quiet spots for napping babies, and a yard suited for mini adventures. This place checked all of our boxes!

You can check out the features and book it here on VRBO.

Matching Pajamas, Movie Night

Our cabin had a theater room with built-in reclining movie theater seats. So of course we had to do a movie night with popcorn, complete with matching jammies for all the kids! We watched Madagascar 2, though we started it a bit late and all the kids fell asleep about half way through.

The kids all looked so stinking cute in their pjs while they were awake though! These are Burt’s Bees brand, my fave! We bought them the week before we left, so I’m absolutely shocked that this print is already unavailable. I swear Burt’s Bees makes the cutest and best quality pjs, but if you have your eye on a specific print you better snag it when you see it! On another note, it’s really exhausting to get decent picture of a bunch of toddlers… and nearly impossible after 9pm. We’ll plan that out better next time.

Check out some of the available Burt’s Bees pajama prints here.

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Dollywood Theme Park

I’d say Dollywood was the favorite day for me, Jordan, and our two kids. They were so excited about the rides, and the amusement park atmosphere is just so magical to a little kid. They adored the kiddy ride area called Country Fair, and Heidi (my 2 year old) was actually tall enough for a few of the bigger rides as well. I’ll never forget her smile and belly-laughter on the Scrambler (we rode it twice in a row, and she would have done it 12 more times if it weren’t for the line!) The train ride was fun for both of them, but Heidi fell asleep on it near the end. She certainly had a big day!

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More Of Our Vacation Adventures!

• WonderWorks Museum Pigeon Forge
• Dixie Stampede
• The Track Go-Carts, Rides, and Put-Put
• Cedar Falls Nature Walk
• Tanger Outlet Mall
• The Island

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In Hindsight

We seriously did have the best time! It was one of the first family vacations that I truly did not want to end. All of the kids were sad leaving our “new house” and having continuous sleepovers with their cousins. Yes, taking trips with kids is far from relaxing, but it is so worth it! The memories that we make now as parents are some that I know I’ll cherish forever.

We ate at the cabin for most of the meals, and the kids were filthy at the end of every day. I’m tired. They’re tired. We’re all tired. But even now looking back at these pictures I can’t help but smile. I still remember so many things from childhood vacations, and I’d say it’s a safe bet that the kids will reminisce on these times when they’re older. And I love that most of all.

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xoxo – Haley