We paid to come up and then after $150 for our family realized that the sky walk was closed. Many…read morebridges and things were also closed. I was disappointed we weren't informed of this before purchasing. Our dinner at Clifftop restaurant was sub-par. I'm leaving this review at 4 stars since I know many people rave about the sky walk (we weren't able to see this so I'm unsure) and the kids play area was super fun. My kids could have played for hours. It's multiple levels and really large. I felt that staff could have been more present in the children's area though. They were just hanging out and talking and not helping to keep the slide area safe. While we were there a parent lost her child and no staff was present anywhere. That was discouraging. It's beautiful here. So many beautiful views. Entertainment, and lots of nice places to sit and relax. We even had a chance to see a black bear.

Sometimes you do something you know better than to do anyway…read more Anakeesta sits high above Gatlinburg, perched on a mountain with views that'll make you forget your blood pressure for a few minutes. The scenery is spectacular. The light show? Flat-out phenomenal. If this review were based on the views alone, we'd already be talking five stars. Then we tried to eat. Happy hour started at Cliff Top with two Palomas and an order of fried green tomatoes. Twenty minutes later, the food runner proudly delivered...fried pickles. Wrong order. Back they went. A kitchen employee returned to tell the bartender they were out of green tomatoes and assured us the pickles were good. I'm sure they were, but I didn't order them. We settled on the pimento cheese spread instead. To their credit, they added extra vegetables and toast without any fuss. It wasn't great, but it was a fair recovery. A couple of hours later, hunger got the better of us, so we wandered over to the BBQ joint. They had Duke's, so hope sprang eternal. I ordered pulled pork. Out. Switched to brisket. Also out. That left the ribs, which tasted like they'd been rushed through the smoker and reheated before landing on the plate. The baked beans, however, deserved a standing ovation. They were the undisputed MVP of the meal. The biggest head-scratcher? Waiting nearly twenty minutes for two draft lagers from the bar. Son, in the South, making a man wait that long for a cold beer borders on a misdemeanor. As we were leaving, the bride ducked into the restroom and discovered that five of the six stalls were out of toilet paper. Come on, folks. After dropping nearly two hundred dollars, I shouldn't have to wonder if I needed to pack my own roll like it was the height of the COVID shortage. Here's the thing: Anakeesta is absolutely worth visiting. The mountaintop views, attractions, and nighttime light show are first class. But the food and beverage operation feels like it's trying to keep up with the crowds instead of getting ahead of them. A little more attention to inventory, service, and the basics would go a long way. Go for the mountain. Stay for the lights. Just don't arrive hungry...and maybe throw a travel-size roll of toilet paper in your backpack