Pigeon Forge Attraction · Museums & Attractions
About SkyFly: The Soar America Experience
SkyFly: Soar America is a flying theater ride inside The Island in Pigeon Forge. You sit in a seat that lifts off the floor with your feet hanging free, facing a 50-foot dome screen, while the ride moves along with a film shot from helicopters and drones over more than 30 places in North America, from Niagara Falls and the Everglades to Alaska and Hawaii.
Plan Your Visit
📍 Address
131 The Island Dr, Pigeon Forge, TN 37863
📞 Phone
865-217-1430
🕒 Hours
10 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. Hours can change, so check the official website.
What the ride is like
The flight runs a little over 10 minutes. The platform pitches forward and back and rises and falls in time with the film. Fans and misters add wind and spray, and scents are piped in along the way, so you might feel the spray at Niagara Falls or smell the swamp over the Everglades. The film was reworked in 2025 with 13 new scenes, including Las Vegas and San Francisco, and SkyFly says the ride is now 60% longer than it used to be.
Before you board there is a themed queue and a 15-minute preshow about an explorer named Peter Wilder and his daughter Hannah, who built the steampunk airship you are about to fly in. The ride system was made by Dynamic Attractions, the company that helped develop Disney’s Soarin’ rides.
Hours and tickets
SkyFly lists its hours as 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day. The time on your ticket is when you enter the queue, not when you ride, so allow 30 to 60 minutes from that point. In busy hours the queue alone can take up to 45 minutes. You can buy tickets at the counter for the next open slot, but in summer and on weekends it is smarter to buy ahead on the official SkyFly site. Groups of 10 or more get a discount.
Who can ride
- Riders must be at least 40 inches tall. Kids between 40 and 55 inches need an adult in the seat next to them, and anyone over 76 inches can’t ride.
- There is no weight limit, but you have to fit in an 18-inch seat with the belt buckled. SkyFly says most guests with a waist up to 52 inches fit.
- People who are pregnant or have heart trouble, high blood pressure, back or neck pain, motion sickness, claustrophobia or sensitivity to flashing lights should not ride.
- Anyone who can’t or doesn’t want to ride can watch the film in an alternate viewing room. Children under 40 inches watch there free, and parents can take turns riding.
- Photos and video aren’t allowed on the ride. Small items go in a bin under your seat, and bulky bags stay with someone who isn’t riding.
Parking
Parking at The Island is free in the marked lots. The main lot is between The Island and the LeConte Center, and free city trams run from the lot to the front of The Island during its open hours. The Island is off the Parkway between traffic lights 3 and 4.
Nearby
SkyFly is one stop among many at The Island in Pigeon Forge. Ride The Great Smoky Mountain Wheel after your flight, or visit Alcatraz East Crime Museum at the entrance to The Island. Arcade City is there too if the kids still have energy to burn.