Pigeon Forge is filled with wholesome tourist attractions — thematic museums, dinner theaters, escape rooms and more — but I am more of a thrill-seeker. When Stevie and I traveled to Pigeon Forge, my sights were set on riding a mountain coaster and playing some miniature golf. Lost Mine Mountain Coaster & Mini-Golf had both of those on offer, so we walked there from our hotel (The Wayback Pigeon Forge) in about 20 minutes.
Tickets for the mountain coaster and mini golf were priced at $18.99 and $17.99 per person, respectively, however a combo ticket was available for $28.98 plus tax. Discounted tickets and combo passes were available for children. Although I felt the price was a bit excessive, it aligns with the market rates charged by other Pigeon Forge attractions.
Wheelchair Accessible Lost Mine Mountain Coaster
The Lost Mine Mountain Coaster is described as a "one-of-a-kind adventure" and the "premier new mountain coaster in the Great Smoky Mountains." We had never ridden a mountain coaster before, so I could only compare it to the thrill of a roller coaster (read about my first ride on a roller coaster as a wheelchair user). Although the mountain coaster is much more tame than a roller coaster, it did not disappoint!
The Lost Mine website lists a number of restrictions that determine ride eligibility. Among those were the following (emphasis mine):
Riders must be at least 38” tall and 3 years old to ride the mountain coaster, and riders between 38” and 54” inches must ride with an adult. The maximum weight per cart is 375 pounds in dry conditions and 330 pounds in wet or icy conditions.
Guests with neck or back injuries, heart conditions, or who are pregnant may not ride. Casts that interfere with safe operation are not permitted on the ride. Guests must have control over their upper and lower extremities to ride the mountain coaster. In the unlikely event of an evacuation, guests must be able to walk to exit the ride area.
In reviewing the website, I assumed that I would be denied the ability to ride on account of the fact that I cannot walk. That did not seem right to me, given the fact that I have ridden roller coasters at Walt Disney World, Sea World and more. We decided that, rather than drawing attention to the policy, we would just attempt to purchase a ticket and see if we received any pushback. There was none — and we were free to ride!
Boarding the mountain coaster was a bit challenging, given that the coaster vehicle and seating area was not level with my wheelchair. Fortunately, my power wheelchair has a seat elevation feature, so I was able to raise myself up. I transferred manually without assistance. Stevie moved my wheelchair out of the way, and we collected it at the end of the ride.
The Lost Mine Mountain Coaster claims to be "the longest mountain coaster ride in the area, with a ride that lasts between 10 and 18 minutes depending on your speed." We went full-speed over the entire length of the course (5,400 feet) and our ride lasted about 10 minutes.
Speed is controlled by the driver (in this case, me) using a handbrake. I never applied the brake, and we enjoyed the thrill of speeding down hills and around tight turns. The ride was not rough per se, but families with children may want to slow down just a bit.
Wheelchair Accessible Lost Mine Mini Golf
After our thrilling ride on the coaster, we started a round on the miniature golf course. The course is 18 holes in length, but only 9 of those are designated as ADA accessible (check out my article on ADA rules for miniature golf courses here).
Holes 1 through 8 and hole 18 are wheelchair accessible, which complies with the ADA standards. Though we enjoyed being competitive (Stevie won after my meltdown on the back 9), the design of the accessible holes was not very exciting.
I have played a lot of mini golf (both before and after I became a wheelchair user), and was not particularly impressed with the Lost Mine course. Playing the same nine holes twice was a bit of a letdown (even though it is legal) and I wondered, why can't we have a 9-hole rate for wheelchair users?
Final Thoughts
Stevie and I had a great time together — it was a blast riding the mountain coaster and, though we could have done without the mini golf, we still made the competition fun. It was wonderful to find a fun Pigeon Forge activity that we could both enjoy, and where staff did not make a fuss over my disability. I can assure you that we will be back, riding the mountain coaster once again (or perhaps twice!) during our next Pigeon Forge getaway.
