Lumberjack Feud vs. Hatfield and McCoy, Which is Better?

Comparing two major dinner shows in Pigeon Forge TN

There’s a battle going on in Pigeon Forge – a competition for vacation dollars. Your vacation, after all, is a series of decisions on this or that. Want to go to a show? This one or that one? As you’re in the process of deciding where to spend your hard-earned vacation money, I want to give you the best tools so you can make the best decision. So if you have to decide between Paula Deen’s Lumberjack Feud and the Hatfield and McCoy Dinner Feud, let’s get scientific and break things down.

Editor's Note: If you're interested in the Lumberjack Feud show, you can save $5 on the Lumberjack Show package with promo code TSC at checkout.

The Lumberjack Feud Supper Show and the Hatfield and McCoy Dinner Feud in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee are two popular attractions. Lumberjack Feud feels a bit like a live reality competition show, whereas Hatfield and McCoy is a scripted show loosely based on the famous feud between two real-life families. Both shows now include a meal, with the Lumberjacks offering a BBQ sandwich with sides and the Hatfield and McCoy show offering an all-you-can-eat feast. Finally, the Lumberjack show is also the more affordable of the two.

IN THIS ARTICLE

• What are the shows about?
• Are they both dinner shows? What about the atmosphere?
• Which show offers additional entertainment?
• How much do the shows cost?
• So which show is better? The Lumberjack Feud or Hatfield and McCoys?

What are the shows about?

The Lumberjack Feud is a bit of reality TV brought to the Smoky Mountains. Basically, this is a heavily flanneled version of American Gladiators. Each show features a group of lumberjacks who compete in games from the axe throw to the log roll. There’s a lot of sawing and jumping and climbing. While the games remain the same, the results do not. This is not a scripted show, but a competition between well-trained performers.

The Hatfield and McCoy Dinner Feud is a horse of a different color. It’s a scripted comedy/musical presenting a light-hearted, Hee Haw-esque spin on the famed and serious Hatfield and McCoy feud from the Kentucky-West Virginia border.

The winner: If you love silly, homespun humor, Hatfield and McCoy is the choice. But personally, as a sports guy, so I’d rather watch the competition. The winner goes to the Lumberjacks.

Are they both dinner shows? What about the atmosphere?

Both shows offer a meal. Hatfield and McCoy is a dinner show featuring a hearty and acceptable-to-good country meal featuring BBQ, fried chicken and many things traditionally identified as fixin’s. I think you can certainly do better at a traditional sit-down restaurant, but in conjunction with the show, it’s pretty good. The theater is, of course, completely indoors and comfortable the whole year-round.

Lumberjack Feud offers "supper" featuring a BBQ sandwich, coleslaw, beans, a drink and a cookie. There's also a concession stand for additional snacks and popcorn. Also, the Lumberjacks compete outdoors in all kinds of weather. The grandstands are covered and billed as climate-controlled. I’m skeptical, but I’ve never been to the show when it was either really hot or really cold, so I can’t deny the Lumberjack’s year-round comfort claim. But, the front of the grandstands are wide open for viewing.

The winner: Hatfield and McCoy. Because I like fixin’s.

Which show offers additional entertainment?

Here, the Hatfields and McCoys run a little lean. On the other hand, Lumberjack Feud typically offers the Adventure Park with a ropes course, loggersports like log rolling and speed climb, Timber Towers and The Flying Ox, a unique zipline roller coaster. Currently, it is closed for the season. Still, there are other fun shops and dining options nearby in the square.

The winner: Lumberjacks.

How much do the shows cost?

Tickets to the Lumberjack Feud are $44.99 for adults and $14.99 for kids at the time of this writing. The Hatfield and McCoy show is $69.99 for adults and $34.99 for children. Of course, pricing may vary by season and date. Also, you can save $5 on the Lumberjack Show package with promo code TSC at checkout.

The winner: This one goes to the Lumberjacks.

So which show is better? The Lumberjack Feud or Hatfield and McCoys?

And the winner is: In a shocking upset, I declare no winner. It’s a personal preference. You do you. They’re both entertaining shows. You can’t really go wrong either way.