Ober Gatlinburg Reviews

This was fun the boat in the water slide thing was our favorite

It is what it is. An amusement park play area aimed primarily at kids and younger couples up in the mountains. Definately kind of pricey like everything else in the Gatlinburg Smokey Mountain area. Several rides that the smaller kids 3-5 can go on by themselves and then several more that kids a little older will enjoy as well as adults. Swings, rock climbing walls, toboggan and sled slides (wet and dry), lift chairs, etc. For adults there is live music, drinks, and scenic viewing at the top of the lift chair ride. I was too big to go on any of the rides except lift chair but I went to watch the Grandkids and take pictures and help out. I still had a good day. My Kids and their kids (my grandkids) had a blast.

At the base they have a large food court area and selection as well as several shops if you like to shop. The food is reasonable priced considering and you can buy the Souvenir cup drink and refill it for free all day for a good deal (pop, lemonaide, tea).

TWO NOTES:
Parking -- ignore all the postings about the horrible drive down from the parking at the top and it eating up your brakes. BS. Use low gear and it is no issue.
Weight Limits -- Pay attention to weight limits on brochures ... they enforce it. Too small you don't go. Too heavy - you don't go. Weight limits on some items start at 200lbs over 250 only ride option you have is lift chair and tram ....

Definitely a place to see if you haven't been there before.

Excellent for the whole family and to share a whole day, the service and the super attentive staff.

Waited 3 hours in line outside in the cold (was told it was going to be a 40 minute wait) to get on an overcrowded tram ride up the mountain. I'm sure it would've been nice if we weren't packed in like sardines and we didn't have to wait forever to get on. Clearly they're not following covid 19 guidelines.

Without in advanced announcement they closed due to fire

Nice place beautiful views. Go to the top its worth every minute. The "wildlife exhibition " was the only thing I would change. 3 sad bears walking in circles. Seemed like a miserable existence.

Too expensive and you have to pay for everything you want to do

Arcade coin change was down. No skiing. No tubing. Skating was halted for Zamboni. Still fun nonetheless.

So much to do, but go early because the line to get in is long from noon on

The slopes were awesome and we had a blast. I would've given it five stars if it hadn't taken forty-five minutes to get a couple burgers and some nachos. It was me and my son in laws first time ever snow skiing and we had a blast!

I have great memories of visiting this place! The town is adorable and the mountain was fun. I went before the 2016 wildfire and glad to see it is restoring and thriving!

NO COVID RESTRICTIONS! The aerial tramway was at full capacity, it was extremely packed with too long of wait times. Everyone stands too close to each other in an enclosed and small space. Definitely if someone had COVID in the tramway, almost everyone in there must now have it too. There was no type of cleaning whatsoever, not even hand sanitizer or disinfectants on the hand-holders. If you re planning to go here, it is not worth your money to spend it on the tramway, believe me it is way better to drive up the mountain. You ll save a lot of money that you can spend to use inside of the park instead, and if you do chose to ride it, you ll regret it real quick. We couldn t even enjoy the view because it was just so packed that the windows were covered. There was also no mask enforcement.
Also, the snow tubbing was very simple and too overpriced for what it actually is, so I either recommend getting on the tube along with another attraction or just don t get the snow tube.

Snow tubing was fun. The place seemed a bit outdated though.

Always enjoy the place and it's fun for the kids to play at. Get a wrist band and let them run. During summertime. Ice rink inside

Needs an upgrade, no mountain coaster, no scenic lift, half of the facility is operational very dissapointed.

Visited during Octoberfest. Lots of beer, food and activities for everyone.

Not following any CDC guidelines. People packed in not wearing masks. And oh the lines. 4 hours of standing in lines to ski. That is nuts. Never again will I go there to ski. Paid extra for the ski school for my kids and the ski instructor taught them nothing! He was more interested in the girl instructor behind us. Don t waste your money! You can get better information on YouTube for free! Now if they gave people a half hour window to return to the line that would allow for more social distance and a better experience. Not to mention, while waiting people could enjoy other attractions making more money for the business. A good experience for customers and more money for the business. Whoever is running this business is not to bright.

Love the place, BUT the workers were not friendly at all

Definitely outdated place, but still very interesting and with some atmosphere. Definitely a MUST for Gatlinburg visitors. Ski rental is perfectly organized and most ppl are very friendly. Only food supply (some very long lines and wait up to 1 hour after ordering) must be improved ... fast!

Awesome air tram ride. Food and beer was also excellent.

Please do not support this place as they are a big employer and even provide housing for J1 foreign exchange students because they do not want to pay locals what they are worth.

This place was amazing. We got there really early. It was still closed, but we were one of the first ones there. We took the ski class. The instructor was super nice, patient, and friendly. Her name is Tony (she is awesome!). We were able to ski for hours. They have a place to ice skate, they have a great place to relax and eat.
From the parking, to the ski rental, to the returning the equipment, everyone was really nice.
Even the drive was really nice.
We have an amazing time. We will definitely go back.

For what it is, a small area to ski and snowboard, this gets 5 stars. Take the tram up and down the mountain for an unforgettable ride with amazing views. Highly recommend day or night. Very friendly staff from ticket counter to rental to locker room and lessons. Tubing was a blast, the lift up saved a lot of time and energy! Perfect hills for beginners. Expensive snack bar, plan ahead! Wish they had a better viewing area with outdoor heaters for those who just want to observe. Excellent location.

Kids had fun skiing snowboarding. Staff wasnt helpfull. To busy chatting with each other to ring up my waters. They charge for everything.

Waste of time and money. We got our tickets online and got there. We are in line for 45 minutes when a old man who work there let a group of 15 people in front of us. One of the people and another man said something which the man who work there was very unprofessional. He was yelling at us and trying to start a fight with the person who spoke out about it. He try to say they had tubing pass and that was a lie. He took them out of the line and took them outside to make they wait and said no it rains no one should be in here. When he realize he made a mistake he trying fixing it. When he got call out and try to lie about it. We will never back back again . People keep your money and just drive up. That guy should be fired for the way he acted.

Great place to get to some snow. Although I don't think they have really made any updates in 30years. Great for skiing and snow tubing.

Very cool place, they would have gotten 5 stars if they had Coca Cola products instead of poopsi

Even with the premium wristbands be prepared to spend money for the more popular rides. Pass on the cable car ride up the mountain. The ride was crowded and hot. The cars hold up to 120 people and with even half that size you won't be able to see out the windows. Save time and money, just drive to the amusement park, the entrance is just south of where the cable cars are located.

You must take the chair lift to top of mountain. Great views from there!

We enjoyed our visit and all the summer activities they have. Would have gotten 5 stars if:
1. Had a cover over the alpine slide waiting area at the mid point. To no fault of their own we had a little wait when a bear decided to check out the slide further down. But it was getting hot and the sun was beating us down! We were here many years ago and I remember a line at the mid point and thinking a cover would be nice then. There is a cover for waiting in line for the ski chair lift.
2. One employee (probably a maintenance/supervisor) needs a reminder that customers are not to be yelled at when your equipment fails and you need us to step out of line. The ski chair lift was having some trouble at the top so we were told we could go to the mid point for the alpine slide. Within a few minutes the ride went from being open, partial opened, and closed repeatedly. The employee was not handling the situation in a calm matter with his tone and yelling. All the other employees we dealt with were very easy going and very polite! My son enjoyed talking to a few as we were in line for the ski chair lift and alpine slide.
Prices are affordable for a basic bracelet which gives you unlimited access to most activities.

Very disappointed. This ski resort is one of the most disorganized and over crowded places. You wait in more lines than you actually ski. If you re looking for private lessons as they offer online, don t count on it as they don t have enough staff to accommodate. The slopes became incredibly icy, it had snowed that morning, however when it stopped they never actually made snow so what was there turned into ice once the sun was out long enough. At one point as I was coming down I noticed an injured skier and my husband who was waiting for me at the bottom of the mountain went to get someone to retrieve her while I offered as much assistance as I could to her. Needless to say her husband and mine got to her faster (because she was in the middle of the slope and we didn t want anyone else to be injured) and helped her walk back down with what I believe she later said was a torn ACL. I would not recommend going here, especially if you are a beginner because there are too many people so you aren t able to practice to a point where you are comfortable as you are constantly having to dodge and weave around everyone.

Enjoyed every second of this place, something to do for everyone, walk around and shop, very nice!

Lots of things closed. Not sure if it was because of fires or weather. What was open was fun though! Mountain coaster was great even if a little over priced.

No parking even if you have prepaid tubing tickets. Don't waste your time.

This is one ride you have to take. You can see so much and it was a great way to just relax for a moment. Once on top have a beverage and listen to the band that is playing

Dated. Extremely crowded with no social distancing, they encourage packing close together to get more people into an area rather than limit tickets. Husband likely got a concussion from slipping on ice that had formed in the line on top of the snow tubing area (blacked out momentarily). Staff watched me fall first, fell on my hip. Next time up he fell backwards after trying to avoid another patrons tube they weren't paying attention. Finally after that the staff member sectioned off the area so people wouldn't have to walk in that area. Despite the session length, only tubed 5x due to the time spent waiting in line and the magic carpet. The drive up the mountain is not for faint of heart but the 2 hour trolley wait times were just as problematic. Plenty of parking in lower lots when we went.

Crowded. Staff are friendly but I have never been to a ski resort where everything is separate when it comes to cost. There are much better ski resorts elsewhere. No real snow during this season so far.

We drive to Ober and then took the tram down and back up. Always a must do.

Horrible. Over priced and not a good time. Understaffed and lines for hours.

Kinda pricey, kind of cool. Had some interesting attractions as far as animals. Some of the rides look like they would be better during the winter though. It was $15 a person to ride the lift to the top and then you had to pay for everything after that. I felt like it would have been better to charge a higher price initially and have the attractions at the top free. But that's just me.

Great little attraction area! Minimal wait times. Upstairs restaurant was decent as well.

The Oktoberfest left some to be desired. The food wasn t with the Biergarten and the beer specials weren t the same in the restaurant. Everything closed early and the wait staff laughed at one of the questions I had. It looks like maybe some of the other stuff is okay but it looks like the inside needs some renovations

Beautiful view. Drove up initially. Exciting roads. Rainy, some things were closed. Saw animals. Will tram tomorrow.

Most enjoyable! Did the chair lift on up to the overlook...brr, it was 'chilly', but, still great time. Tram ride is always fun.

This place has been here a long time but they keep it fresh and entertaining. Lots of things to do here. You can easily spend the entire day. The gondola ride up is certainly the best way to get there and the views are amazing.

Terrible terrible experience. The basic pass was $34 and they didn t even tell us what was included in the pass, nor did they tell us that most of the rides and things included in the basic pass were closed!!!! Luckily I got a refund for $24 dollars because we walked through the wild life enclosure and those tickets are $8. The wild life exhibit looked like a run down abandon zoo and all the animals deserve better, they need to take better care of it, It made me so sad to see the animals living in squalor like that.

I loved riding the tram down to Gatlinburg. Beautiful scenes and we didn't have to fight traffic.

Riding the lift to the top was a good choice. The view from up there was phenomenal.

Horrible experience here,
1st day went to take my son snowboarding, the aerial tram line was 200 people out the door, so we decided to drive up the mountain, waited in traffic 40 minutes on ski mountain before we decided to turn around.
2nd day we thought we learned we needed to show up extremely early as we bought tubing tickets for my family a month ago. Was going to show up 3 hours early for our reservation. stuck in traffic on ski mountain road For so long we missed our tubing time and were still 20 minutes away.

DONT WASTE YOUR MONEY

Fun outing! We took the tram and ate some snacks. Tubing wore everyone out.

This review pertains specifically to the ski resort. And I only say this in hopes that something can be done about the safety of the guests that come through, because we love Ober! At the bottom of the mountain where skiers and snowboarders are finishing their runs, it is very congested due to the lines forming for the ski lift. Several collisions happened in the small time I was there. It seemed to be a space issue. Everything ran together. The bunny slope was also overrun with training classes to the point that no one else could practice for fear of colliding with them. Lastly, the mountain/slopes were totally polluted with skiers and snowboarders that stopped halfway down the slope and stayed in the way. It made it extremely difficult for other guests to get down the mountain without colliding or having to stop their run completely. I saw more than a few pretty bad collisions where both parties were on the ground for several minutes after getting their bells rung. It was always because of someone just camping out somewhere in the middle of the hill. I wish there had been some sort of staff monitoring that. It got pretty dangerous. Again, we love visiting Ober and the entire facility is so much fun! I just wish there was a safer system in place for the skiing and snowboarding portion.

A great family spot with attractions for kids of all ages.
The tramway up (and down) is a great way to see the surrounding mountains. The views are terrific. The top has an additional chair lift to the summit for a view from the top of the world, and alpine sliding down. There are also some small rides, and a year-round ice skating rink.

Take the aerial tramway up to Ober Gatlinburg, a fun little amusement park and ski town. Next, take the ski lift to the top of the mountain for beautiful views overlooking Gatlinburg.

Great mountain coaster! Seems like a good place to take smaller children, but as an adult couple there wasn't much going on. Nice ride up and back.

It's was ok. All the flyers and advertisement make it look way better than it is. It's like a blast from the past nothing has really been updated from the early 90s?? They did have a great mountain coaster though

This place is a blast. My family was here a few days ago and came for the snow tubing. The pictures don't do it justice. This is a well built slope and my 9 yo niece was scared at the top but one trip down the slope and she was all smiles. The snow is smooth like riding on air and the pictures they take are top notch. Will be back for sure.

Not much really to do here, very disappointing, theres a few shops and a few things to ride but those rides cost extra

A complete waste of time. Went for May fest and there was nothing there. Waste of $10 to park and found nothing of interest there. Left in 15 minutes. The place was a ghost town with many boths/areas closed. Don't waste your time.

What a great place. Amazing tramway guide he was so nice. God bless him. The place is nice and we'll kept. Great prices as well.

Everything was poor except for the ski experience itself. Their operations and building were very outdated. Plan on getting there very early in the morning if you don t want to wait in lines for hours. The lines for food were ridiculously long throughout the building. Also, if you take the tram back in the evening expect to wait at least another couple of hours. Lots of opportunity for this place to be awesome but needs new management.