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opryland

SoundWaves At Opryland- A Summer Staycation

Posted on June 6, 2023

Nashville Opryland Staycation

We headed over to Nashville’s Opryland for a staycation to celebrate the end of the school year and had the BEST time! The hotel is very family friendly and B-E-A-UTIFUL. It features 9 acres of indoor atriums, an outdoor pool, live music, special summer activities such as the atrium fountain show and live performances, scavenger hunts & hotel garden tours. And of course – SoundWaves!

Typically we venture all around the resort, but this trip we couldn’t drag our kids out of SoundWaves if we tried! After 8 straight hours there, we were able to pull them out to eat dinner. They both agreed it was their “best day ever.”

After three or so staycations a year since our boys were babies, we consider ourselves “Opryland experts.” I wanted to share some of our tricks that we’ve picked up over the years and answer some FAQ’s.

Atrium view rooms are SO fun. We love watching the twinkle lights on the balcony. Grab an ice cream at the end of the night and sit out on the balcony as a family. It truly has a magical feel! Since it was such a quick stay we did the regular atrium room. When we come at Christmas we will sometimes stay in the upgraded atrium view room. We chose the two queen beds (you can also chose a king) The upgraded atrium has two bathrooms, a living area and a kitchenette. In the living area is a murphy bed (the kids think that is so fun!) and a pull out couch as well. It’s a great option to have a separate space for the baby to sleep or if you are coming with another family and need a gathering place.

If you are coming predominantly for SoundWaves this summer, I would suggest booking the Garden section. It’s the closest area to the water park.

SoundWaves is the BIGGEST hit with our boys. We decided to get a cabana this time with the baby. It was nice to get a designated meet up spot and have somewhere that Cambre could nap. (We shut the curtains while she was napping.) A waiter comes around and you can order food/drink to the cabana. The cabana is an additional expense, but it really made our trip this time. If you are worried about shade.. there are umbrellas at some of the chairs outside as well as some more shady spots inside. You would need to get there early to save those on busy days.

The waterpark has both an indoor and an outdoor section. There was a baby/toddler splash area that Cambre just loved. Most of the slides were 42″ and up to ride. Our boys could go on everything if we were with them. There are indoor & outdoor play areas with a big bucket.. they spent a ton of time in those! Food is available and drinks (including cocktails!) inside of SoundWaves.

One of the questions that was frequently asked on Instagram was about leaving the resort. We personally do not leave the resort, but you totally could! With how many restaurants and shops are on property, we find it simpler to stay put.

Speaking of restaurants… Old Hickory Steakhouse is our favorite food on property. A bit more upscale than the others and on the pricier side. If you’d like the splurge just be sure to make a reservation for that one. Cascades (near the waterfalls) features a breakfast buffet that our children love. Ask if there are available seats in the booths under the cave. Just a fun little touch for the kids! They also have an Italian restaurant, Mexican restaurant, pizza spot etc. that are very kid friendly. If you venture down to the Magnolia area there are pubs and more adult style spots as well.

Each night we also go by the arcade. Just a quick trip since it’s not too big. Always a fun way to end the night out.

Local residents… be sure to check out the deals. Right now they are offering 40% off as a local discount.

Opryland has become our children’s favorite family tradition. The memories made here are priceless to us. We consider ourselves lucky to have something so special this close to home!

Lifestyle

Our Favorite Holiday Tradition: Gaylord Opryland Staycation

Posted on December 17, 2022

Our Favorite Holiday Tradition: Gaylord Opryland Staycation

Our absolute favorite family holiday tradition is our annual staycation at the Gaylord Opryland hotel. The hotel truly feels magical during the holidays and there are tons of festive activities for the whole family.

There are both indoor and outdoor activities. Inside the hotel there are elaborate light displays and decorations. You can stroll around to view them by foot or you can take the Delta boat ride which is always a hit with the kids!

There are tons of restaurant options inside as well. We like to have one really nice dinner at the Old Hickory Steakhouse. It is the most formal option, but feels very special at the holiday time. Cascades restaurant is near the waterfalls and that is a great spot for kids. We always do the breakfast buffet at Cascades as well.

Inside there is also a scavenger hunt and gingerbread house making. The boys have always LOVED the scavenger hunt and it’s a great way for them to burn some energy as well. Gingerbread house making is always a hit as well.

Outdoors is transported into a winter wonderland. There’s ice skating, tubing, bumper cars, snow balls, live holiday music and festive drinks. There’s also ICE! exhibit/experience. This year it’s Rudolph themed. Such a fun thing to put on the parkas and check out the millions of pounds of ice sculptures. At the of ICE! there’s a giant slide.

Between the tubing and the ICE! slide the boys had to have gone down them at least 100 times. So much!

Each of the activities you can purchase independently, but I’d recommend grabbing a holiday package.

Another tip for a really magical stay is to snag an Atrium room. It’s so peaceful at night to sit on the balcony and watch all of the sparkling lights. We grab a hot chocolate and sit out there and just listen to the music and watch the lights.

Anytime my kids are asked about what they want for Christmas, their favorite Christmas traditions, their favorite vacation, etc. they always say it’s Opryland. We have created some of the most precious memories there over the years. Hoping you can check it out with your family and feel that same magic we have come to cherish.

Lifestyle

Nashville Opryland Staycation

Posted on July 23, 2020

Nashville Opryland Staycation

We headed over to Nashville’s Opryland for a staycation to celebrate Wilder’s birthday and had the BEST time! The hotel is very family friendly and B-E-A-UTIFUL! It features 9 acres of indoor atriums, an outdoor pool, live music, special summer activities such as the atrium fountain show and live performances, scavenger hunts & hotel garden tours. And of course – SoundWaves!

The hotel has taken several safety precautions to ensure a safe stay for you and your family. They have provided enhanced cleaning technology, hospital-grade disinfectants, attendants dedicated to sanitizing frequently throughout the day, etc. All staff and patrons in common areas were wearing masks. There was also plenty of signage throughout the hotel showing social distancing best practices, signs on the floor that marked 6 feet, etc.

The upgraded atrium view room was perfect for our family and Wilder’s birthday party. We chose the two queen beds (you can also chose a king) and it had two bathrooms, a living area and a kitchenette. In the living area was a murphy bed (the kids thought that was so fun!) and a pull out couch as well.

Wilder asked for candy and to “stay at a hotel” for his birthday, so this was extra special to have a Nashville Opryland version where everything feels bigger and better!

The hotel is not currently operating at full capacity, but there were still plenty of options for food. Cascades restaurant had sushi (yum!) and we were also able to order room service for a special breakfast in bed. Pizza night is always a hit and we were able to enjoy that in the room.

Soundwaves was the biggest hit of all! (P.S. If you are a Tennessee resident and wanting to head to Soundwaves for the day without staying the night… you now can! Check out the information on that, HERE! )

The waterpark has both an indoor and outdoor section. Our boys (ages 3 and 4) loved the toddler areas, lazy rivers, and slide in the toddler section. For anyone over 42″ there are tons of slides and rides.

I also recommend renting one of the cabanas. It was nice to be able to order food and drinks (ahem, and a few adult beverages for mama 😉 ) right to the cabana. We have been diligent with social distancing and this made that super easy. The cabana was also great because we had a “home base” to meet up. Wilder was going so hard he fell asleep… so the couch in the cabana converted into his nap spot.

The past several months have been hard on everyone and it was SO nice to have a little break as a family. We made the most precious memories and can’t wait to go back again this Christmas season!