Nashville's Gaylord Hotel/Opry Mills redo? (Also General Tenn topics)

chittlins · June 30, 2014, 07:44:06 PM

Rumors and photos have appeared on Screamscape. It would be an interesting stop on the way to Dollywood.
Has some of the elements I've wished for Celebration City and Mud Island in Memphis, particularly Mud Island.

It connects the outlet mall with it's Aquarium and Rainforest Café and Bass Pro to the Hotel and the new Orpy, looks like ala carte rides in the main street area and a separate waterpark.

http://www.screamscape.com/html/tn-oprywalk_0.htm

History Buff · June 30, 2014, 08:16:24 PM

Never seen a "Ferris" wheel quite like that one.

Are any of the rides left over from Opryland? I don't follow those things, but I remember Opryland from 1982 and thought it was a pretty interesting park.

chittlins · June 30, 2014, 08:34:42 PM

Quote from: History Buff on June 30, 2014, 08:16:24 PM
Never seen a "Ferris" wheel quite like that one.

Are any of the rides left over from Opryland? I don't follow those things, but I remember Opryland from 1982 and thought it was a pretty interesting park.

No, there are/were some ruins if you know where to look. First raft ride I rode was it's Grizzly River. Libertyland's Revolution in Memphis was better than Opryland's Wabash Cannonball, which were both Arrows. the Revolution had a loop and corkscrew and the Wabash just had the corkscrew. Memphis had the old school woodie Zippin Pippin. Opryland had some bobsled coaster. Nashville's woodie was at the fairgrounds. That's about all that Memphis had over it. Libertyland was sparse in terms of theming outside of the entrance area. I think people forget how spoiled they are with what parks offer today.

I really think they screwed the pooch when they closed Opryland instead of incorporating it. It was and they'll admit it, profitable at the time of closure.

chittlins · June 30, 2014, 08:55:38 PM

I'll just throw this into this thread, Memphis just opened it's boondoggle riverboat terminal that is completely susceptible to going totally under.

someone at a Memphis development page photoshopped a proposed new skyscraper and a fictional ferris wheel with a image of Beale St. Landing. The Ferris Wheel right on the Mississippi would be nice

Madtwins · June 30, 2014, 09:05:30 PM

Did they even get a restaurant to open in the building. I know they had a proposals for one but they backed out. Wouldn't that be awesome to have a Ferris wheel right on the river. And man if liberty land was still open I would have my kids there every weekend

zippin pippin

chittlins · June 30, 2014, 09:18:14 PM

Quote from: Madtwins on June 30, 2014, 09:05:30 PM
Did they even get a restaurant to open in the building. I know they had a proposals for one but they backed out. Wouldn't that be awesome to have a Ferris wheel right on the river. And man if liberty land was still open I would have my kids there every weekend zippin pippin

They are still planning on one.

Here's an article on the opening and it deals with the restaurant.
http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2014/jun/27/landing-zone/

check your PM box

DollarCityBoy · July 01, 2014, 08:28:12 AM

We love the Opryland Hotel. We spent 2 days there in May of this year. We also went about the same time last year too. Opry Mills mall has a lot to offer, we ate at both Rainforest Cafe and Aquarium, but....I miss Opryland USA. I think I only went twice as a child, both times I would have had to been 10 or under. I too think they made a mistake by obliterating the entire park, should have been able to incorporate some of it into the new development.

chittlins · July 01, 2014, 10:30:13 AM

Quote from: DollarCityBoy on July 01, 2014, 08:28:12 AM
We love the Opryland Hotel. We spent 2 days there in May of this year. We also went about the same time last year too. Opry Mills mall has a lot to offer, we ate at both Rainforest Cafe and Aquarium, but....I miss Opryland USA. I think I only went twice as a child, both times I would have had to been 10 or under. I too think they made a mistake by obliterating the entire park, should have been able to incorporate some of it into the new development.

Another thing it lacks for all the fancy atriums, it really could have used one of those areas for an indoor water park. If it was built today I bet it would have one that at least had a lazy.river and a slide ot two.

joshblakebran · July 01, 2014, 06:50:56 PM

I know people in Nashville are still upset about the Opry Mills Mall as it was the reason Opryland USA was torn down in the first place according to what I've been told on my visits to Nashville.

History Buff · July 01, 2014, 07:06:19 PM

It just doesn't seem like Gaylord has the patience to manage a theme park.

chittlins · July 01, 2014, 07:14:24 PM

Quote from: History Buff on July 01, 2014, 07:06:19 PM
It just doesn't seem like Gaylord has the patience to manage a theme park.

They aren't managing the hotel anymore, it's under Marriott's management. If they build that City Walk area I bet it will be an outside company, maybe Landry Corp since they have two properties in the outlet mall and they have Kemah and the Galveston Pleasure Pier in the portfolio.

The football stadium with the Gaylord name on it over in Norman is getting a 300 million plus redo. $:-\$

okiebluegrass · July 02, 2014, 03:23:04 PM

I went to Opryland USA with my High School in 1992. Part of the "Breakin' the Law" vocal trip.

oldsdcer · July 11, 2014, 01:31:31 AM

They had the beginnings of an indoor waterpark with the flood a few years ago.

joshblakebran · July 11, 2014, 09:59:03 AM

When I was very young I remember going to Opryland amusement park. We saw Roy Acuff and Minnie Pearl in the park. Great memories. My family actually sat next to Roy Acuff in the Cracker Barrel restaurant not to far away from the Grand Old Opry Theater.

History Buff · July 11, 2014, 04:28:25 PM

Not to brag, but I actually performed on the Grand Old Opry stage in 1982.