Disney Trip Jan 2022: Planning Our Trip

It's been a while since I've posted here but thought I'd get back into it for this trip!

Here's a little update on my life since my last post since it's changed drastically, in a good way!  I got married last year to an Army Veteran and have three great step-sons.  We also have three dogs and a house in the suburbs.  Crazy, I know.  But life is great and we like to go on adventures when we can.  Covid put a little damper on travel plans, but we are making the most of it.

Me and the Hubby 

PLANNING

So back to planning!  My husband and I are going to Disney World mid-January 2022.  So we planned this trip because his ex-wife asked if we wanted to take the boys to Disney World for 4 days and she'd take them 1 day if she paid for their tickets.  This was a no brainer for us and said yes almost immediately because we had so much fun when we went on our own and we knew the boys would have fun too!  BUT plans unfortunately changed last minute, due to circumstances outside of our control, she cancelled her and the boys going on the trip due to worries about Covid and her grandmother's health issues.  We already bought our tickets and made theme park reservations and my parents are meeting us down there so we are still going on the trip.  While we understand her reasoning, we are super bummed the boys won't be able to join us this time and I'm sure the boys are bummed too.  We will just have to plan to go later this year or next year with them.

TRAVELING TO ORLANDO FROM HOUSTON

So we knew from the beginning that we would be driving to Disney World from Houston.  

We drive instead of fly for a lot of reasons:

* No buying expensive plane tickets

* No rental cars.  I have a 2019 Honda Pilot so plenty of space and cruise control assist.

* We can take more stuff - clothes, food, shoes, etc.

* Less possible exposure to Covid.  We are going to Disney and don't need to add to the possible exposure.

* Easier to make changes to our travel plans if necessary.

* And we like road trips!  You get to see much more of the country this way.

The trip from Houston to Orlando is about 15 hours of driving so we break it up into 2 days.  This time, we are stopping in Mobile for the night.  We stop often since we aren't in a huge rush to stretch our legs, get a bite to eat, see something interesting and it makes the road trip more enjoyable.

STAYING IN ORLANDO

We are staying at our timeshare, Holiday Inn Club Vacations Orange Lake, that's relatively close to Disney World, about 20 minutes.   While having a timeshare isn't for everyone, we feel like it encourages us to go on more trips.  And making memories is what makes us happy.  Holiday Inn Club Vacations has resorts all over the US and they are partnered with RCI and IHG so we can transfer points to go elsewhere and we can save points through IHG.  Paying the maintenance fees sucks, but that amount is much lower than what some of our vacations would have cost if we had to pay for hotels.

Another plus about staying at the timeshare is that all units have a fullsize kitchen, dining room and living room so you won't feel cramped if you are going with a bigger group.

On our off days, the resort has activities and restaurants if we don't want to travel far.  Orange Lake Resort has many pools, lake activities, golf courses, mini-golf, shops, kids activities, rentals, etc.  We aren't sure if the pools are heating and the weather may or may not be nice enough to get in the water anyway.

JANUARY WEATHER IN ORLANDO

From what I've researched, the average daily weather is as follows:

Partly Cloudy.  Lows 55 degrees.  Highs 75 degrees.

But they have seen temperatures as low as the 30s and as high as the 80s in January.  So wear layers!  Luckily we are use to this type of weather, being from Houston.  

It doesn't seem like it rains often in January in Orlando (about 2.5 inches in January), but we are packing ponchos just in case.  And we are bringing bathing suits in hopes that it's warm enough during the day to get in the water or if our pools are heated.

COVID CONCERNS

Disney World still has a reservation system, although it's unknown if they are limiting guests from coming in or not.  They still have a mask policy for indoors.  Wearing a mask outdoors is optional.  And it does make us feel a little better that they are one of the cleanest theme parks we've ever been too.

With the Omicron Covid wave going on in the US, we are slightly more concerned that normal about Covid but it's not stopping us from going.  I'm vaccinated, but actually tested positive for Covid in early December.  I did have symptoms and I'm still feeling the after affects of having it.  I got the monoclonal antibody infusion on day 5, which stays in your system for about 90 days, and immediately helped with me have more energy but the congestion and cough lingered on.  I'm pretty sure I got Covid from the office, but I'm not positive.  I am more cautious now because of it.  But we played it safe and luckily my husband and step kids never tested positive after getting exposed to me.

Our plan of attack:

* Wear mask indoors.

* Wear masks outdoors if large crowds.

* Wash hands/hand sanitize often.  Before and after meals, after rides and after shopping.

* Limit eating indoors.  Try to eat outside as much as possible.

* We have a 3rd bedroom in our timeshare that will be empty since the boys are no longer going, so if anyone feels sick, they can isolate there.

* Bring a thermometer.

* Take immunity gummy vitamins and/or Airborne.

AA^3: The Great Smokies Awesome Adventure

So we are back home after visiting the Smoky Mountains.  I think I need a vacation from my vacation.  I'm so tired.  The trip was great, although the last few days felt a little redunant.  Chivo said 4 days in the Smokies could have been enough for him and the 14 hour drive was rough!  He did give me props for driving 24 hours home from Maryland in 2 days all by myself.  Right now, I'm not even sure how I managed that.  I guess lots of energy drinks.

Chivo graduated from college then night before we left on our trip, so we had to go out for dinner and dancing afterwards.  I'm so proud of him and all his accomplishments.  He impresses me all the time.  Staying out late (until 2am) to celebrate was worth it but it killed us the next day.

Day 1. 
We left Houston at 6:30am.  Needless to say, we were tired but we had 14 hours of driving ahead of us. 
We stopped at the Atchafalaya Louisiana Visitor Center.  This is a cool visitor center, it has a little movie and exhibits for you to check out about the surrounding swamp.
Around noon we stopped at Louie & the Redheaded Lady for lunch.  We had fried green tomatoes, fried oysters and banana fosters pancakes.  It was delish!
We made a few other stops for gas, restroom breaks and food. We got to our timeshare around 12:30am. Such a LONG day.
States: Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee.

Day 2.
Rise and Shine!  Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge have so many pancake places, it's really unbelieveable.  Needless to say, I had my fix of pancakes on this trip to last me a good while!
FYI: Take the trolley to Gatlinburg or try to find parking on the back streets.  The cheapest we found was $5/day but you have to pay each time you drive in or out.  After breakfast we decided to walk around Gatlinburg, it reminds me of a boardwalk town but you are in the mountains.  We tried a bunch of different types of moonshine.  My favorite was the Apple Pie Moonshine.  I tried the Cherries soaked in moonshine....OMG, they were strong!!!  Not a fan.  Then to get a nice view of the area, we took a ride on the Sky Lift.  It was pretty cool and we got some great views but when you get to the top, there isn't much to do. Smokin Joes BBQ in Townsend, Hike in Cades Cove, Cades Cove loop, grocery store, dinner?

Day 3.
Make breakfast.  Head to Asheville, NC to see Biltmore.  Tired!  Hungry Bear BBQ.

Day 4.
Old Town Pigeon Forge - the Dilley's rock.  Rafting.  Mellow Mushroom.  Knoxville airport.

Day 5.
Pancakes. Gatlinburg. Whiskey.  Moonshine. Tramway.  Hungry Bear BBQ.  Foothills Parkway.  Dixie Stampede.  Go Karts.  Juice.

Day 6.
Chivo - timeshare talk.  Bfast at Westgate.  Hike.  Gatlinburg.  No way Jose.

Day 7.  Drive to NOLA.  Oceans. Bourbon.

Day 8.  Houston by 3pm. Home by 4pm.  Relax.

NOT FINISHED, STILL UPDATING.

AA^3: Almost Go Time!

I can't believe it's almost time for this awesome vacation!!!  I'm in the middle of finals right now and so ready to be done with the semester.  Chivo is already finished with finals and prepping himself for the trip - i.e. buying a flannel mountain man like shirt and overloading on crossfit. 
He's gonna be in way better shape for all the hiking, but I'll manage.....somehow.  He may just have to let me take some breathers!






We've made our list of what we need to bring on the trip:

Clothes - casual clothes, one nice outfit, 2 workout type clothes
Shoes - flip flops, 2 pairs of sneakers (1 pair will get wet whitewater rafting), slip-ons
Unmentionables, toiletries, PJ's
Bathing suit, beach towel
Raincoat, sweatshirt
Backpack (for hiking) - survival kit, sunscreen, poison ivy stuff, bug spray, bear spray
Snacks - some paleo, some for fuel
Tech stuff - chargers, ipad, cameras

We've also kinda made a plan of what we are hoping to do each day:
Don't wanna jam pack it full in case we run into something cool!
Day 1: Drive, drive, drive.  Lunch at 'Louie and the Redheaded Lady' for some Cajun cooking.  Drive some more.  Eat dinner somewhere cool.  Drive until we get to the Smokies.  About 14.5 hours of driving....




















Day 2:  Explore and find a good hiking trail, maybe to one of the waterfalls near Cades Cove.

Day 3: Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC.  Largest house in US.  Chivo heard it's a must see.  Probably an all day thing so I don't wanna plan anything else.  1.5 hours from our hotel.

Day 4: Whitewater rafting!!!!  Knoxville for dinner then pick up his friend from the Knoxville airport.  Maybe we can eat at Sweet P's BBQ in Knoxville - they have a 4 lb. bbq burrito, and bacon chocolate chip cookies.

Day 5: Moonshine Tour, Gatlinburg, Dixie Stampede show.  Chivo's 2nd friend arrives, I think probably super late.

Day 6: Chimney Top hiking.  Ober Gatlinburg Tramway, sightseeing.

Day 7: Leave the Smokies.  :(  Jam everyone into my car.  Head to Lynchburg to see the Jack Daniels distillery.  Stay in Birmingham, AL.

Day 8:  Head back home.  Drive, drive, drive. Sleep.

This will be the first of many trips with Chivo, and I think it's gonna be an awesome one.  Can't wait!

After this trip, I'm going on a strict paleo diet, except for my 30th birthday, for at least a month.  I have a river weekend coming up in mid-June and I'm in a friends wedding in Florida in Sept.  Get tight get tight!

AA^3: What's the Weather like in the Smokies?

What's the weather like out there Chivo?

From Great Smoky Mountains National Park Service
Spring
March through May: Spring brings with it unpredictable weather. Changes occur rapidly - sunny skies can yield to snow flurries in a few hours. March is the month with the most radical changes; snow can fall at any time during the month, particularly in the higher elevations. Temperatures in the lower elevations have a mean high of 61ºF. Low temperatures, which are often below freezing, have a mean of 42ºF. By mid-April the weather is usually milder. Daytime temperatures often reach the 70s and occasionally the 80s. Below freezing temperatures at night are uncommon in the lower elevations but still occur higher up. April averages over four inches of rain, usually in the form of afternoon showers. May is warmer, with daytime highs in the 70s and 80s and lows in the 40s and 50s. May rainfall averages about 4.5 inches.

So how do we prep for this unpredictable weather?

We come prepared!  I think we'll be able to avoid any flurries since we will be there in May.  I don't think it's bathing suit weather yet, but we can atleast wear shorts.  It might be smart for us to bring light weight jackets or sweatshirts cuz it looks like it can get kinda chilly at night.  We may also want to pack an emergency poncho in our bags if we go hiking or an umbrella.  If it's anything like my last roadtrip, it rained like everyday around 5ish.  We also need to remember that when we are hiking, the higher we go, the cooler it gets.  At Clingman's Dome, a high elevation area, the high in May is 57 degrees.  brrr.  Although, I think I just found a new place I wanna check out when I go.  Clingman's Dome looks pretty cool and it's the highest point in the Smokies.  Wow.

Clingman's Dome

Did You Know?

There are at least 30 different species of salamanders in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This gives the Smokies the distinction of having the most diverse salamander population anywhere in the world and has earned the park the nickname “Salamander Capital of the World.”

AA^3: Be Water My Friend

Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless—like water. Now you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup, you put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle, you put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.
~ Bruce Lee

There's more to the Smokies than just the Mountains.

So what else can we get into?  Since we are going in May, we can take advantage of the warmer weather and enjoy some water activities like white water rafting, floating the river, resort water park, fishing, splash country and ripley's aquarium.  Not sure if we will actually do all that stuff but at least we have option.  All I know is that I REALLY want to go white water rafting.

Wild Bear Falls Water Park
As you know already, we are staying at the Westgate Timeshare resort in Gatlinburg, TN.  They have an indoor water park at the resort.  It's a mountain themed water park that includes a lazy river, a pool and some other kid friendly stuff.  It's an additional $18.95/day per person.  Having an indoor water park sounds fun, but for $20 a day on top of what you are already paying for the room seems a bit high especially when we have a bunch of outdoor activities that we could be doing.  I think I'll pass on the water park.

Floating the River
We could always float the river in Gatlinburg, although I'm wondering how cool the water will be since it's not quite summer yet.  Tubes range from $9 to $16 depending on where you rent your tube from. 
Some tubing rental locations:
River Rage in Townsend, TN   $9/all day.  or $14/all day incl BBQ dinner.
Smoky Mountain River Rat $13/person tub rental.  Kayak rental $15/person.
I could take or leave floating on the river.  We have floating river trips here in Texas.

Fishing
Fun fact about me.  When I was younger, my parents sent me to a fishing day camp for a week.  This chick knows how to fish and isn't squimish about putting bait on a hook.  My fav type of fishing is deep sea fishing.  You can try fly fishing in the Smokies.  Smoky Mountain Angler  $175/half day wade trip, $250/full day wade trip.  3 people per guide.  They will provide you with fishing equipment if you don't have any. 

While fishing can be fun, I think we can fill out vacation with some more exciting stuff.  I think fishing would be more of an option if we were camping out and were actually gonna eat the fish.

Whitewater Rafting
I love whitewater rafting, I've only been once but it was so much fun and I'm not too bad at it.  Whitewater rafting is the one thing that I feel like is a must for me in the Smokies.  I'll do whatever the others want to do to as long as I get to go rafting.

Smoky Mountain Rafting
http://www.smokymountainrafting.com/
It's located about 45 mins north of Gatlinburg. 
I think we'd probably have to stick to the mild course, but I'm sure that's a bunch of fun.  They said 50 rapids along 5.5 miles on Pigeon River.  It's about $26 plus tax after discount.

They also have combos.  We could do the 2 hours hike, then rapids after.  Hike and raft is $62.  OR Zipline  then raft.  Not sure how much that package is.  Is that too much for one day?

They also have inflatable Kayaks.  One and 2 seaters.  Stella and I saw a bunch of those when we went whitewater rafting in New Mexico.  They look liked a lot of fun.  They had a guide that would tell them what to do and where to go, although it was a bunch of teenage boys so they were all over the place.  We even had to rescue one that got stuck in some rapids.  I'm up for the challenge though.  Chivo and I will have to talk to his friends to see what they are up for. 

Rafting in the Smokies
http://www.raftinginthesmokies.com/
45 mins from Gatlinburg

Prices:
Raft & Zip $60/person
Saddle & Paddle $61/person  I'd love to go horseback riding but Chivo isn't into that.  I'll save it for a trip with Stella.
Ultimate Raft Trip $88/person.  Raft, rope course, zipline.
Lower Pigeon Raft Trip $37/person.  6 miles long, easy rapids.
Upper Pigeon Raft Trip $44/person.  5 miles long, thrilling rapids. 

Like Water but don't wanna get wet?  Check out Ripley's Aquarium in Gatlinburg

Ripley's Aquarium in Gatlinburg was voted #1 by US visitors on TripAdvisor.  I've loved aquariums for as long as I can remember.  I'm not sure if it's just because of my love for water, or the interesting creatures that you may find in water.  I love Seaworld and the Baltimore Aquarium.  I've been trying to go to the Houston Aquarium with Chivo, although I think it's more of a restaurant than an aquarium and I heard the food isn't that great.  They say you go there for the ambiance.  Chivo tried to take me there once for a nice dinner, but that was a fail.  The wait was 2 hours long and I was starving!  Maybe another time.  hint hint.

Ripley's Aquarium
Prices:  Adults $24.99  Children $14.99
Hours: M-Th 9am-9pm, Fri-Sun 9am-10pm

10,000+ exotic sea creatures, 12-ft sharks, giant sea turtle, penguins, coral reefs, stingrays and more.  Sounds like a fun time!

There are other Ripley's attractions in the Smokies so we should probably purchase a combo ticket to save some money.  The other attractions are:  Ripley's Believe It or Not (maybe), Ripley's Haunted Adventures (maybe), Ripley's Mirror Maze (not interested), Ripley's Moving Theater (curious), Ripley's Davy Crockitt Mini Golf (not interested), Ripley's Old MacDonald Mini Golf (not interested), Guiness Museum (not interested), Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede Dinner Attraction (curious) and Titanic Pigeon Forge (I kinda wanna check this out, it's life size!)

Ripley's Moving Theater $13.99/person  10am-11pm daily
It's a 3D experience with moving seats.  If we don't check it out in the Smokies, it's okay because they have a theater in San Antonio, TX and Panama City, FL.  San Antonio is only a few hours away and we will be going to a friend's wedding near Panama City, FL.

Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede Dinner Attraction
It reminds me of Mideavil Times dinner experience, maybe not quite so messy.  You see an opening act, then you are served a full course meal.  The show looks like people doing tricks and such on horses.  Not sure sure I feel like seeing that.

Ripley's Haunted Adventure $13.99/person  10am-11pm daily 
"Ripley’s Haunted Adventure is a world-class Haunted Attraction & Gatlinburg’s #1 Haunted House! Frights, Fun and Screams for Everyone! Bring all your family and friends…there’s safety in numbers! Multi-Million, State-of-the-Art Haunted Attraction with Live Actors" - Ripley's Haunted Adventure.
I'm kind of a chicken when it comes to haunted/scary stuff.  I'll go if the others wanna do it, but not my first choice.

Titanic Pigeon Forge  Advance Reservation $21.38 plus tax  9am-10pm
This Titanic replica is half the size of the original Titanic.  I can't decide what you actually do at the Titanic.  Is it a show, do you walk around the ship exploring?  I'm thinking maybe it's a gigantic museum.  If you are Titanic fanatics, you can get married on this Titanic.....although I'm not so sure that's something that I'd want to do, knowing that it sank to the bottom of the ocean.  Bad omen for a marraige?  But to each his own.
So if we decided to do Ripley's Aquarium and the Titanic, our combo price per person would be $41.99.

Other attractions to check out:

WonderWorks Pigeon Forge  Adults: $22.99  This can also be included in combos with the Titanic or Dixie Stampede. 
Stella and I drove by this and it's pretty wild looking.  The building looks like it's upside down!  Once inside, they have 100 hands on exhibits - feel hurricane winds, an earthquake, space exploration, put yourself in a bubble, a rope climbing course and more.  This place seems pretty cool and I'm hoping that since we are going to the Smokie's in May that it won't be quite as busy as summer when school is out.

There's so much to do around the Smokies, so it's good that we are doing our research so we can pick and choose what we really want to do and what can wait for another visit.  Perhaps we can visit the Smokies with Stella and her man in the future.

I can't wait for this trip!!  It's a little over a month away.  We gotta start booking some stuff - like rafting or ziplining.

AA^3: Black Bears

BEARS?!

Stella and I passed through the Smoky Mountains in December of 2012, and we saw a million signs for bears!  I've seriously never seen so many signs warning about bears. You also see signs for no food in camping areas, and picnics areas with bear proof trash cans.  We didn't really hike around too much because we had limited time so we didn't worry too much about the bears except when we were in the KOA cabin and it was pitch black outside, we were kinda worried about bears roaming around. We asked a lady at the near by grocery store about the bears, she said they don't hibernate around there but they usually aren't out and about at night because it gets cooler.  I wonder if this is still true for Spring?


Bear Proof trash cans

We aren't hunters but bear spray really works!

Chivo and I are prepping for a possible encounter with a bear.  We'd really like to come back in one piece!  I remember watching some reality tv a while ago that was in Alaska or something and those guys carried around pepper spray to ward of bears.  The bears are much larger in Alaska - lots of grizzlies - so if this pepper spray wards of grizzlies, I'm game to have it with us in case we run into a black bear.  I did some research about the pepper spray and I found that they have an actual Bear Spray in a pretty large spray can, you can even get a holster for it too.  It's kinda pricey, $45, but I purchased a lifetime REI membership for only $20, so I can return the bear spray if we don't use it.  I'm really hoping that we don't have to use it, because you should be about 20 to 25 feet from the bear, not thrilled about that but I'd rather having some sort of defense than nothing at all.  The guy at the register reminded us to make sure we are downwind from the spray if we have to use it, although I'm not sure I'll remember that if we encounter a bear that's coming at us. 

About $35 to $50

Only a $4 investment

We also bought a little bear bell.  Sites have said that if you make noise, or let the bear bell make noise, you probably won't encounter a bear because the noise let's them know that something is coming and the way away.  If you don't have a bear bell, just make sure you make some noise as you walk along, talk to your friends, say 'hey bear'.  This isn't the time to be sneaky.  Most attacks happen because the bear is spooked or because you are near it's young.  So steer clear of those cute little bear cubs!

Mama bear and her babies

Chivo and I went to the zoo a few weeks ago to check out the wildlife and see how big bears are in person.  We didn't see any black bears but we saw a grizzly bear.  They look so harmless at the zoo but I know from those "I survived an animal attack" shows, that they aren't always so harmless.  I'd rather be safe than sorry and I want to enjoy the outdoors.

Petunia and Chivo at the Houston Zoo

A video of a bear in the Smoky Mountains

AA^3: What's Cookin in Gatlinburg?

 

When I go on trips, I like to skip the chain restaurants as much as possible and check out the local favorites.  I've had some amazing meals by doing this.  On AA^1, I caught green chili fever!  Arizona/New Mexico has green chili everywhere, in everything.  They even had it at Subway.  It was love at first taste. 

Chivo has mentioned that we must have some Tennessee BBQ and he'd like to go on a tour of a distillery.  He mentioned wanting to visit where they make Jack Daniels and asked if Tennessee has White Castles? Tennessee does have White Castle but not anywhere near Gatlinburg.  Jack Daniels isn't super close to us, but if Chivo really wanted to take the JD tour, we could make it happen.  Their distillery is in Lynchburg, TN which is 1.5 hours north west of Chattanooga, TN.  We pass through Chattanooga on our way to Gatlinburg, so we could detour for that if he's really into it.

So what type of food is Tennessee known for?
Sweet BBQ,  Turkey, Mountain Dew, Whiskey (Jack Daniels), and Krystal Hamburgers.

I've never been to a Krystal Burger but it looks really similar to White Castle.  We will probably pass some on the way to Gatlinburg so sounds like a nice pit stop!






I found a website called Inside Gatlinburg with an article listing the 10 best restaurants in Gatlinburg.  The article is from 2008 or 2009 but it has comments from visitors that are pretty recent so I assume the below restaurants are still there.  I'm sure Chivo and I will try a few on the list!


TOP 10 RESTAURANTS FROM "INSIDE GATLINBURG"
1. The Peddler Steakhouse  http://peddlergatlinburg.com/   
2. Best Italian Cafe & Pizzeria  http://www.bestitalian.com/
3. Log Cabin Pancake House http://www.logcabinpancakehouse.com/
4. Smoky Mountain Brewery http://www.smoky-mtn-brewery.com/
5. Calhoun's BBQ http://www.calhouns.com/
6. Cherokee Grill http://www.coppercellar.com/Restaurant-Cherokee-Grill-Steakhouse.html
7. Pancake Pantry http://www.pancakepantry.com/
8. Wild Plum Tea Room http://www.wildplumtearoom.com/
9.  Donut Friar
10.  Park Grill http://parkgrillgatlinburg.com/

GATLINBURG RESTAURANTS THAT HAVE MADE TV
Ole Smoky Mountain Moonshine - The first legal moonshine distillery in Tennessee
This place was on "Drinking  Made Easy"  http://www.olesmokymoonshine.com/
I really wanna try Apple Pie Moonshine.  I got some of their apple pie jelly when Stella and I passed through the smokies on AA^2.  I also wanna try the Moonshine Cherries. They are cherries soaked in 100 proof moonshine.  You can also tour their distillery.

I didn't find any other places that were on TV, the closest ones are in Knoxville.  We might go to Knoxville so here are those restaurants:

MAN vs FOOD
Sweet P's BBQ  http://www.sweetpbbq.com/
He had a  Gigante Burrito, a 4-lb. burrito stuffed with chopped pork, barbecue beans, coleslaw and more, plus a half -pound of mac and cheese and a half -pound of banana pudding.

Ye Old Steakhouse http://yeoldesteakhouse.com/
Steak as big as you want.






Westgate Resort Dining
Westgate Smokehouse Grill - Country style dining.  Serves breakfast,and dinner, not sure about lunch. It's won some awards from the Gatlinburg Rib Fest for it's BBQ.
Roaring Fork Snack Bar - Sounds like typical snack shop foods.  Hot dogs, hamburgers, pizza, french fries, salad.
Mason Jar Lounge - A bar with bar food like wings.
Smoky Mountain Ice Cream Shop - Dessert time!!  It sounds like it also has some snacks like chips and soda.
Marketplace & Grocery Delivery Service - Open 24 hours a day with your normal grocery store goods.


Westgate Dining
 

 

 

Trip Advisor suggested restaurants