I haven't written a blog in quite some time.. so bear with me! I have to tell you all about our incredible hosted stay at Opryland Resort! I have lived here 25 years and haven't experienced Opryland like I did during this stay! Every Christmas we make our big family plans and head to see the stunning lights. We sip hot chocolate while strolling around and it's fun watching the wonder in Mabel's eyes! They've added so much over the years and somehow I didn't think to look into the summer events until this year!
So many incredible memories made!
Anyways, here we are! Opryland's "Summer of More!" This year's theme is Pirates and Princesses & they outdid themselves! We also had the chance to visit the incredible SoundWaves water park while we were there & I can hardly describe how enjoyable it is!
The best water park we’ve ever been too!
I'll start with our arrival & work our way down the list! I'll be sure to link everything we did so its easy for y'all to find & enjoy! I have some videos posted on social media as well with a few peeks at all the fun we had!
We arrived on Saturday morning and stayed through Sunday night. You can check in early and ask the desk to hold your luggage if you plan to hop over to Soundwaves at 10AM when they open (which is exactly what we did).
Mabel enjoying the lounge while we checked in.
You don't have to stay at Opryland to go to Soundwaves but it's the only guaranteed way to enjoy the waterpark! I recommend checking out their packages & maybe even reserve a cabana. We walked through the Gardens on our way over to Soundwaves and grabbed a drink at "The Falls." The Watermelon Margarita was amazing and we might've sipped on a Kentucky Mule or two during our visit as well! When you check in up front they'll give you your Soundwaves bracelet & you can head right in! A little tip we received was to take the bracelets they give you but ask the Soundwaves desk for a child size once you reach their entry area.
We spent the first part of our day enjoying Soundwaves and grabbed lunch at Decibles. I have to prepare ya'll... the food and drinks there are delicous! We were shocked at the service we received & the quality of the "quick serve" food. Mena gave us all the drink recommendations & made Mabel feel very special with her lemonade topped with cherries! Nabel took time to share his favorite foods from the menu and was patient while we went back and forth making our final decision! Anyways, We grabbed burgers, Fries & ....
All of which we'd order again! 10/10 recommend eating here for lunch while enjoying the views over the pools!
We went back to our room and freshened up before heading down to start our Pirate scavenger hunt! They have treasure chests hidden all about & fun little clues inside the book to lead the littles along the hunt! We started that Saturday afternoon so we could enjoy it during our entire stay. We ran into a Princess (and Pirate Princess) that greeted Mabel, chatted, took pics, and invited her to join them at Pirate and Princess academy! That was about 30 minutes long and they give the kids a fun cup at the end. Mabel held onto it the entire trip and used it for all of her beverages! Haha. We went back to Soundwaves for a few more hours & I called the front desk and had them book us a reservation at the Cascades. I chatted with them for a bit and they explained which would be the best fit for the vibe we were going for and having Mabel with us. We picked Cascades & I'm happy we did! Tim & I plan to visit the Hickory Steakhouse for our next date night.
After dinner we jumped on the boat and took a fun ride around the hotel & enjoyed a full blown Pirate & Princess production from the boat! It was really special and they gave us all a light to keep at well! I really think these adventures add up in the "little things" department and this was definitely one of those moments! Mabel used her little light the rest of the evening while we walked around the hotel and watch the fountain show!
After that we wrapped up our evening and headed back to the room.
Sunday AM we slept in, enjoyed the balcony views, & then went down to The Falls for the breakfast buffet! Delicious food and the sounds of the waterfalls is just too fun.
We headed back to SoundWaves & Mabel requested about a million times to get back in the "not so lazy river" which we played in for almost an hour! She's also a huge fan of the Lilly pads! The children area up top has a kid friendly play area and a slide they can manage solo. It was really enjoyable for Tim and I to just sit and watch her run around and play for hours without having to chase her down! Haha.
We went to the Arts and Crafts Trove, painted a canvas, & spent time together as a family. The area was tucked away and really cute! Again, the details! A pirate made her appearance during our class & chatted with Mabel all about our stay & her painting. Very special. We went back to SoundWaves & played until 7PM! We dried off in their human dryer & changed in their massive family bathrooms. It's such a great enviroment and there is hardly a "pool smell" which was a huge plus! We stopped at the fountains on our way out & enjoyed one last show!
I highly reccomnend booking a stay here and enjoying "all the things" with your babies! It's amazing that this is right in our backyard and we plan to make this a new tradition as we wrap up our school years! Ask me all the questions because I'd love to answer them and give you any pointers or tips we can!
Chat soon,
Bekah & Mabel
- This was a hosted visit with @GaylordOprylandresort
#hosted #SummerOfMore