The five-year Making More Magic programme will expand Anakeesta’s footprint, refresh existing attractions and add new rides, dining and retail experiences.
Anakeesta is investing $100 million over five years in Making More Magic, a phased expansion designed to broaden the Gatlinburg, Tennessee, attraction while reshaping how visitors experience the Great Smoky Mountains. The plan includes a larger park footprint, new villages, refreshed areas, additional attractions and expanded dining and retail. Its first major project is a new scenic lift intended to increase capacity and make the journey from downtown Gatlinburg part of the visitor experience.
The programme places transport and placemaking at the centre of Anakeesta’s next stage. The park’s original Chondola has carried guests since 2017, while the replacement system is designed to be faster and accommodate more visitors. Anakeesta plans to close temporarily for construction on January 5, 2026, with guests returning in early March via the Ridge Rambler and the new lift scheduled to debut later in spring 2026.
The new lift will feature 56 glass-bottom cabins, each accommodating up to six guests. Anakeesta says the cabins will provide 360-degree views during a four-minute ascent, with wraparound windows and glass floors framing the surrounding forests, wildlife, valleys, mountain peaks and downtown Gatlinburg. The first phase also includes a reimagined Firefly Village, an expanded Treetop Skywalk and a Firefly Experience planned for fall 2026, using lighting, technology and storytelling to recreate the glow of synchronous fireflies.
Beyond the lift and attraction upgrades, the plan is structured around a wider physical and commercial expansion. Firefly Village is intended to add pathways, water features, gathering spaces and a new overlook, while the Treetop Skywalk will gain towers, bridges and canopy routes. A second phase is planned for 2027, with new rides, dining concepts and visitor spaces, although the available details do not specify the individual projects.
The initiative shows how a regional attraction can use infrastructure, storytelling and hospitality improvements as a single development strategy rather than treating rides as isolated additions. For Anakeesta, the emphasis is on extending the visit from the initial ascent through the park’s villages, forest routes, food and retail settings. Its measured implication is a more extensive mountain destination, with the scale and timing of each element still tied to the phased construction programme.
