Anakeesta

Reviews

• NN

  Niki

  1 day ago
  2.0
  We were in TN on Mother's Day on a family vacation and my MIL wanted to go. The tickets were $40, $20 to park and a sizable portion of the park was closed down for expansion, certain things like the lift and zip line were not operational. It was understandably a busy day but we didn't 1.5hr waiting to take the tram up the mountain to spend 45mins exploring. It is definitely more geared toward the kiddos. The late night light show was sold out before we had gotten there at 10am so we couldnt enjoy that and the mountain rollercoaster was an additional cost that I was not willing to pay for. I will mention that the view of the mountains and the garden scape is stunning! Unfortunately, I would not return
• BM

  Brittany M

  May 10, 2026
  3.0
  Yesterday was our family’s first visit to Anakeesta, and unfortunately the experience did not meet our expectations. Due to ongoing construction, the line just to get past the entrance was at least 45 minutes long in the hot sun. We were also not informed ahead of time that the gondolas were not operating, so guests had to take shuttle buses to the top of the mountain instead. By the time we arrived, the kids were already exhausted and unable to fully enjoy the park. We were told that mountain coaster rides would be unlimited for the day, but one coaster was closed, leaving only the Hellbender operating. Posted wait times were listed around 15 minutes, but actual waits were much longer — closer to 30 minutes to an hour at times. We only managed to ride the Hellbender twice before the kids decided the lines were too long to continue waiting. The views from the mountain were absolutely breathtaking, and the restaurant scenery was one of the highlights of the visit. However, we experienced additional long waits for food service as well. I do want to mention that the restaurant manager was very kind, came out personally to apologize, and generously covered our meals, which we appreciated. Overall, it felt like too many guests were being admitted without the park having adequate accommodations during construction. Since we had prepaid reservations, we were not expecting such significant delays throughout the day. I also feel the advertising did not fully reflect the impact the construction would have on the guest experience, especially regarding the gondolas being down and limited coaster availability. Anakeesta truly has stunning views and the potential to offer a magical experience for kids, but the current construction significantly affected the overall experience for us. For the price — about $170+ for our family — it was disappointing to spend so much of the day standing in lines and waiting in the heat. At this point, this will likely be a one-time visit for our family unless improvements are made. I also think the park should strongly consider offering larger discounts and limited guests while these renovations are ongoing.
• CA

  Carol Alexander

  May 9, 2026
  1.0
  The lift was closed so they were limiting tickets. We stood in line to be told the tickets for the rest of the day were sold out. We were there about 3:00pm. The older lady at the ticket counter sold tickets to the family behind us after she turned us away saying they were sold out. When I approached her about why they could get tickets and we could not she said they had just came available since she got back from lunch. Never said she was sorry and was very rude. The younger lady sitting next to her knew what she did and was embarrassed. We paid 15,00 to park and the line to buy tickets was still open so you walked the entire loop system to see the sign that they were sold out. Highly suggest buying tickets online before you even go.
• ER

  Ethan Reherman

  May 9, 2026
  2.0
  Dear Anakeesta Management, I am writing to express serious concerns regarding both safety and overall guest experience during our visit to Anakeesta in Gatlinburg, Tennessee today. While on the Tree Canopy Walk, my family and I witnessed a child nearly get knocked off the walkway due to overcrowding and lack of staff control. At one point, we counted over 15 people on a section of the walk that was clearly marked for a maximum capacity of 8 people. This created an unsafe and concerning environment, especially for families with children. In addition to the safety concerns, we were extremely disappointed with the overall experience considering the price of the season passes we purchased. We have been pass holders and expected a much better level of organization, attraction availability, and customer experience. If this had been our first visit, we honestly would not consider returning. We also experienced: Excessive and unreasonable wait times for attractions, including the RidgeRunner Disorderly conduct and poor crowd management by staff members Lack of clear organization in lines and guest flow A generally lackluster experience compared to the expectations set by your pricing and advertising We understand parks can become busy, but guest safety and proper crowd control should always remain a priority. The situation on the Tree Canopy Walk today was unacceptable and could have easily resulted in someone being seriously injured. We hope management takes these concerns seriously and makes improvements to both safety enforcement and overall guest operations moving forward.
• RW

  Rachel W

  May 9, 2026
  1.0
  Do not waste your money!!! We came to Anakeesta today, and it was a complete waste of time and money. The website advertises that there are 2 mountain coasters open—that is the ONLY reason we paid to come here when the park is under construction. (See picture—false advertising and an FTC violation.) We waited 45 (!) minutes in the sun to board a Rambler to ride to the top, and as soon as we got there an employee told us only 1 coaster is open. There’s really not much else to do…toddlers might be entertained walking across the little logs or listening to the little show, but teenagers are not impressed with those things. The swinging rope bridges are not very different than what we can experience at local parks and are very lame compared to every paid experience with rope swings that we have done elsewhere. I’m not really sure why anyone would come here instead of Dollywood, and it’s especially a waste of time with the gondola, zip lines, and 1 of the 2 coasters closed. Spend a little more and go to Dollywood—it’s incredible!!!