Congrats and have fun in Gatlinburg. Be sure to check out the free distilleries and sample some moonshine. It's a great place to get a free buzz if you're into that sort of thing.
The ripley's aquarium is a bit overpriced for what it is.
Cades cove is a neat day trip if you have transportation. Takes about a days trip to do the entire cove (you can speed it up, but you get stuck a lot behind people looking at deer, bears, or otherwildlife). You can visit Abrams Falls while you're there as well.
Clingman's dome is also another scenic stop.
We are definitely doing Cades Cove, @gniksivart. I've already told Muxxy about it and he said YAAAASSS. I'm renting a van so we can drive through with the doors open and get all the wildlife pics near dusk-dark. I also want a photo of Muxxy beside the Revolutionary War soldier's grave. Just something about the fact that we're all at peace now, you know? :-) I'm afraid Abrams Falls might be a bit much of a hike for us not-so-healthy folk in the heat, but we'll see how it goes.