On May 22, the Crystal Express officially opens. After months of construction as part of our Making More Magic expansion (Anakeesta’s long-term project to reimagine every dimension of the guest experience), the Crystal Express is nearly ready to welcome its first guests. Our adventure park’s latest addition brings the world’s only all-glass gondola system to the Smoky Mountains, making the ride up as much a part of your visit as everything waiting at the top.
If you’re interested in what to expect from The Crystal Express during a visit to Anakeesta, check out our guide to one of the most unique gondola systems in the world.
What Is the Crystal Express?
The Crystal Express is Anakeesta’s new gondola system and the world’s only all-glass gondola ride.
Departing from our updated Parkway station, the Crystal Express carries guests more than 600 feet up the mountainside to the Anakeesta summit in about four minutes. With 56 panoramic cabins featuring glass floors and walls, the ride delivers an unobstructed view of the Smoky Mountains from the moment the ascent begins, in every direction, including straight down.
What Makes the Crystal Express So Special?
As a centerpiece of Making More Magic, the Crystal Express was built to do more than move people up a mountain. Learn more about what sets the Crystal Express apart:
1. There's Nothing Else Like It
The all-glass cabin design puts guests inside the view rather than behind a window. Glass floors and walls surround you on all sides, removing the visual barrier between the cabin and the landscape entirely.
Nowhere else in the Smokies can you look straight down through your feet at the forest canopy below while the mountains fill every wall around you. That perspective is unique to the Crystal Express, and it’s the kind of thing that’s hard to fully appreciate until you experience it for yourself.
2. The Scale of the Ascent
The roughly four-minute ride covers more ground than it might seem. Rising 600 feet above downtown Gatlinburg and reaching nearly 80 feet above the ground at select points along the route, the Crystal Express delivers a gradual, smooth ascent where the town settles into the background and the forest opens up around you. The elevation change is real, and the views reflect every foot of it.
3. Designed for Real Families
For all the spectacle, the Crystal Express was also built with practical guests in mind. Strollers roll directly into the cabins without folding, easy on-and-off loading keeps the line moving efficiently, and the system operates at triple the capacity of our previous gondola.
No one wants to wait in line, especially when you’re trying to enjoy a day at an adventure park. The Crystal Express’s increased capacity and fast-loading features make it easier for families to make the most of every minute at our park by cutting wait times and getting everyone to the summit fast.
What Comes Next After the Crystal Express Opens?
The Crystal Express is one major piece of a much larger picture. Making More Magic is Anakeesta’s ongoing commitment to elevating every part of the guest experience, and more is already on the way.
On June 11th, we’ll debut the Firefly Experience as part of the reimagined Treetop Skywalk, an immersive nighttime attraction inspired by the synchronous fireflies of the Great Smoky Mountains. Using choreographed light, sound, and storytelling, the Firefly Experience recreates that natural phenomenon year-round along elevated canopy pathways.
Be One of the First to Ride the Crystal Express
When the Crystal Express opens on May 22, the journey to the top is just the beginning. Once you reach the summit, you can race through the treetops on Hellbender or Rail Runner, climb AnaVista Tower for sweeping views across the Smokies, or explore Firefly Village’s shops and dining. Clifftop and Smokehouse handle the food well, and after dark, Astra Lumina turns the mountain into an immersive journey through light and sound. The Treetop Skywalk is also open with limited operations and a modified route while the new Firefly Experience takes shape.
Learn more about Making More Magic today. If you’re ready to visit Anakeesta, check out our ticket options!
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