# Back from Westgate Smoky Mountain resort (Lazy river/waterpark is open)



## littlestar (May 30, 2007)

Hi all,

We just got back from Westgate Smoky Mountains resort yesterday. We stayed  in a one bedroom with my parents. It was their week. The one bedroom was in the main building with elevators. The unit was very nice and clean. It had a corner fireplace. We slept on the pull-out couch. It wasn't bad. It was pretty comfortable considering it was a pull-out. No bar in the back, so pretty decent. I was impressed with the cleanliness of the unit. 

The indoor waterpark/lazy river is open. It's really fun. My nephews (ages 15 and 12) tried it out and gave it a thumbs up. They liked the tube slides - one of them (the red slide) you could use a double innertube or use the single tubes. The yellow slide was for sliding without a tube. The boys liked both slides because they were fast. They also liked the lazy river. The slides/play area at the entrance were more for younger/smaller kids. There was also a bucket that would fill up and dump water on the kids. It reminded me of the Horizons Marriott bucket water feature in Orlando. The indoor water park is a nice addition to the resort. There were pine swings/gliders, lounge chairs, etc., all along the pool deck. Also, there was a snack shop up on the second level that served hamburgers, pizzas, etc., until 10:00 p.m. at night. It's called Roaring Fork - the same name as Disney's Wilderness Lodge snack bar/quick food court.

I liked the location of the resort. It was close to Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.   Any questions, feel free to ask. I'll try to answer them the best I can. It's a very nice resort. I'd definitely go back. I'd even go back in February or March if I wanted a nice getaway for kids to be able to swim and have pool time fun.


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## Steamboat Bill (May 31, 2007)

I am going to NC tomorrow and will try to visit this resort this weekend.


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## laxmom (Jul 8, 2007)

We are heading there next summer.  I looked for reviews but there aren't any recent one so I was pleased to find your post when I did a search.

Was there any charge for the use of the waterpark?  Did you go to a grocery?  If so, how far away?  Did you take the bus or drive when you left the resort?  Heard the bus stops are convenient on a previous review but that the return trip from Pigeon Forge dropped you at the terminal.

Thanks for any info you can give.  We are taking 2 teenage boys so it sounds like the waterpark will be a hit.


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## littlestar (Jul 8, 2007)

We drove everywhere. So I don't know about the trolley system or buses. 

We went to a Kroger grocery store in Pigeon Forge. I have a Kroger plus card (since we go to Kroger here at home) and I used my card at the one in Pigeon Forge. 

We didn't get charged for using the waterpark/lazy river, but mom and dad are owners at Westgate Smoky Mountains. I remember seeing some visiting neighbor kids/families from the Gatlinburg area that were charged admission, though. I honestly don't know if exchangers were charged or not - I don't think they were. Mom just told the girls at the entrance that she was an owner and they gave us our wrist bands, no charge. 

I wish we would have had time to go visit Cades Cove again. I love driving through there. I also wanted to drive the Roaring Fork route, but we were only there for a long weekend and didn't have enough time. 

I've heard that there are different size one bedrooms. The one bedroom that mom and dad had was quite large and very nice. It even had a corner fireplace. The floors in the living room were a stone type material. Which did make for noise when people would scoot the dining chairs over them. But the units were nicely decorated and clean.


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## acesgame (Jul 9, 2007)

*construction?*

How much construction is going on?  The last time we were there we exchanged into a newer unit which gave us a nice view of the construction with the accompanying early morning noise.  Luckily, we are early morning people.  We are owners of the units from the first phases and didn't like the layout of the newer unit we stayed in.  Well, that's not true we just liked ours better.  I don't remember the layout of the floorplans in the building with the elevator, but at least in that building you were at the bottom of the cliff...I mean hill they built those things on.  

Are they still doing tons of sales presentations?  If they are, did you take advantage of "free breakfast"?  We are going again this september.  It will be the first time for my parents.


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## littlestar (Jul 9, 2007)

We saw lots of people walking around taking presentations (I assume?). We didn't see any construction going on. The hillside (aka cliff - ha) did look steep. But we ran all over and practically everywhere we went - we were driving up the side of a mountain. We were in North Carolina that weekend also and I spent part of the weekend getting car sick. I just can't take those curvy roads. 

We didn't do any breakfast - no way - my husband refuses to do any timeshare tours. Especially high pressure like Westgate. Mom and dad are owners and they did the update - said no thanks, that they didn't need any more timeshare weeks at their age.  

I actually think Westgate has nice resorts, but man, do they ever pressure you to buy more.


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## southstarz (Jul 13, 2007)

We are going to this resort in a couple of weeks. Are there washers and dryers in the units or own the premises? Glad to hear that the water park is open.


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## littlestar (Jul 13, 2007)

southstarz said:


> We are going to this resort in a couple of weeks. Are there washers and dryers in the units or own the premises? Glad to hear that the water park is open.



In the 1 bedroom unit my parents had in the main building with elevators, there was a small hallway/entryway (like a vestibule) for two individual units and the washer/dryer was inside that entry/hallway and shared by the two units.


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