We live near here and get passes to Dollywood and Dolly’s Splash Country pretty much every year. We’re also in the area for work throughout the year as we do 3D tours and photography. Traffic is definitely worst in the summer and October (leaf season), and on weekends during the part of the year that Dollywood is open (mid-March through first weekend in Jan, usually).
Must-dos depend on your interests. On the strip in Pigeon Forge you’ll find tons of mini-golf, thrill attractions, dinner shows, and restaurants for every taste. The National Park is gorgeous in every season. Cades Cove is popular, and often over-crowded, so we usually avoid it during peak times. Check out the Elkmont area, take an early morning hike up to Clingman’s Dome, or visit Townsend for less crowds. Of course, you can also head over the mountain to Cherokee where there are lots of Native American shops and cultural experiences in addition to the casino.
If you want to be closer to Dollywood, Splash Country, ride-type attractions, and more dinner shows then you might want to stay in Pigeon Forge. Gatlinburg is more walkable, but has fewer ride-type attractions and more of a “quaint” feel (though it is often crowded). The Ripley’s Aquarium in Gatlinburg is fantastic. Ober Gatlinburg is fun, though it’s past due for an update. Anakeesta is supposed to be very cool. We’ve not had a chance to go yet, but our friends really enjoyed it.
Hmm, let me think what else… oh, The Island is a new-ish shopping and entertainment complex in Pigeon Forge that is definitely worth checking out.
As far as weather, well, East TN is notorious for our quick-changing weather. You can count on hot & humid summers and warm to hot fall days with chilly evenings. We get snow sometimes in the winter, but usually not a ton. It gets pretty cold, though. Spring is unpredictable, sometimes it snows in March or even early April and other times it’s over 80ºF.
Sorry this got so long, I just love our area. Let me know if you want to know more, haha. 
5 Likes