Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort & Water Park

Westgate sits about 2 miles from downtown Gatlinburg, which puts you close enough to hit the strip but far enough out that you're not dealing with the worst of the traffic. We've stayed here twice with our kids, and honestly, the location is probably the best thing about it — you can get to Dollywood in 20 minutes and walk the Gatlinburg strip without fighting for parking downtown.

The big draw is Wild Bear Falls, their 60,000-square-foot indoor water park that they claim is the largest in the South. It's got a retractable roof so the kids can swim year-round, which is clutch if you're visiting in winter or during those random Tennessee thunderstorms. The lazy river is 900 feet long and our kids spent hours floating around it, plus there's this massive bucket that dumps 300 gallons of water every few minutes — fair warning, it's LOUD when it goes off.

Here's what nobody tells you upfront: water park admission isn't included with your room. You're looking at around $35 per person just to use the water park, which adds up fast with a family. The resort tries to make this clear during booking, but it still catches people off guard when they're calculating their total trip cost.

One thing though — this is a timeshare property, which means sales people. They'll try to get you to sit through a presentation, and they're pretty persistent about it. You can say no, but be prepared to say it more than once. The villas do have full kitchens and fireplaces, so you can save money by cooking some meals instead of eating out every night.

The water park itself is great for elementary-aged kids but teenagers might get bored after a day. It's not huge, and once you've done the slides and lazy river a few times, you've basically experienced everything. Still, for younger kids who just want to splash around, it keeps them happy for hours.