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Sunday, May 04, 2008Nine Money-Saving Travel
Pigeon Forge, TN – May 2008 – When Americans receive their 2008 Economic Stimulus Act tax rebates—distribution lasts through mid-July—many will earmark some of those funds for travel. Pigeon Forge, Tenn., has a list of nine ways to stretch those dollars for vacationers headed to the Great Smoky Mountains.
Tips from the city’s tourism department include suggestions on finding discounted combo tickets at the city’s numerous theaters, ditching your car upon arrival in favor of a city-wide trolley system and timing your visit to Tennessee’s most visited ticketed attraction (that’s Dollywood in case you hadn’t guessed) so that you get an extra day free.
“Travelers are planning more than ever before. We want people to visit us, so coaching them about their vacation budget is good for everyone,” said Leon Downey, executive director of the Pigeon Forge Department of Tourism.
Pigeon Forge’s money savers:
1. Park your car and then walk a bit or ride the Fun Time Trolley.
Trolley fare is only 50 cents, and routes weave throughout town. Take the trolley to Dollywood to bypass the theme park’s parking fee. If your lodging is along the Parkway, scores of attractions, shops and restaurants are only a short walk away.
“You’re not burning gas when you’re on the trolley or strolling along the Parkway,” Downey said.
2. Get a Pigeon Forge Value Card.
Discounts on lodging, entertainment, restaurants, shopping, attractions (including the city’s newest attraction, Zorb Smoky Mountains) and even a wedding package are on the Pigeon Forge Value Card. Cards are free and in the Pigeon Forge Travel Planner (available online at http://www.mypigeonforge.com/, with a toll-free call to 1-800-251-9100 and at the Pigeon Forge Welcome Center at Traffic Light #0 near the Miracle Theater and WonderWorks).
Shopaholics can get a real buzz by using the Value Card to get a Belz Bucks Bonus Card at Belz Factory Outlet World or a discount on a pair of cowboy boots at Stages West.
3. Find new discounts on the Web.
New discounts and printable coupons are posted frequently on the tourism department’s official Web site: http://www.mypigeonforge.com/.
4. Get a free day at Dollywood.
Yes, it’s possible with the “Arrive After 3, Get the Next Day Free” program from Tennessee’s most visited ticketed tourism attraction. To get a sense of extra value, visit the park Dolly Parton made famous on Wednesdays and Thursdays, generally the lowest attendance days.
5. Dine efficiently.
Many hotels and motels include substantial complimentary breakfasts with their rooms, and Pigeon Forge’s many condo and cabin developments offer guests the ability to prepare some of their own meals (assuming dishwashing is a satisfactory vacation chore).
6. Snag a Dollywood season pass.
If you’re returning to Pigeon Forge later this year, a Dollywood season pass pays for itself on the second visit. (A one-day adult admission is $50.20, and a season pass is $74. A one-day child admission, ages 4-11, is $39, and a season pass is $60. You do the math.)
“Many Pigeon Forge visitors come in the summer, again in the fall and again for Christmas. If Dollywood is on their agenda, a season pass is a true bargain,” Downey said.
7. Get a theater combo.
There are more than a dozen musical theaters in Pigeon Forge and more than 20 different shows. Look for discounted combo tickets if you want to see more than one show. Also consider a dinner show—food and entertainment all in one purchase.
8. Buy a vacation package.
“Packages save you money. It’s as simple as that,” Downey said of programs that combine lodging, shows and attractions into one purchase. The packagers buy their inventory in volume and get better prices than individuals can. Numerous packages are available at http://www.mypigeonforge.com/.
9. Enjoy Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
“The national park is our tourism anchor, and it’s free,” Downey said. It is America’s most visited national park and the largest wilderness area in the eastern U.S. Easy hiking trails, picnic grounds and magnificent scenery are adjacent to Pigeon Forge.
“Pigeon Forge is small in population, with only 5,800 residents, but we’re big in terms of visitors|–|more than 11 million every year – and we want to help our guests have such a good time that they forget about gasoline prices for a while. The tax rebate and our consumer tips might accomplish just that,” Downey said.
Information about all aspects of Pigeon Forge is on the Web at http://www.mypigeonforge.com/ or by calling toll-free to 1-800-251-9100.
Contact:
Lila Wilson
Pigeon Forge
(865) 453-8574
