Visiting Opryland Nashville with Teens
Getaway to Opryland with Teens!
We have been to Opryland a few times, but as our kids get older I wonder what they will find fun as they grow up.
When visiting Gaylord Opryland with teens, it’s good to plan ahead and know what special events they have going on as well as the standard resort amenities Opryland offers year-round. This was the first time we visited where we took advantage of more of the standard options than during prior visits.
Click here to read our Mother-Daughter Weekend at Opryland post
Click here to read our SoundWaves post
DAY ONE
See our TIKTOK video for more videos and photos from our trip to Opryland with Teens
@loufamfun Road trip fun for Louisville families #loufamfun #opryland #oprylandnashville #nashville #tennessee #summer #waterpark ♬ Traveling
For example, my husband and I along with our son are pretty conscientious of our fitness. Before our trip, my son asked about the gym at Opryland and I didn’t know much about it. When we arrived, we headed right there to check it out and schedule in our fitness time. Our reaction was WOAH! I think this is the most complete hotel/resort gym we have seen. My son was really impressed and excited he wouldn’t miss a workout while on our getaway. I did not get a ton of photos because I did not want to get photos of other people working out!
Also, they have a lap pool inside which is perfect for year-round swimming fitness. So much attention is paid to SoundWaves – as it should – but the other pools at Opryland are really nice as well.
SoundWaves is an add-on at Opryland. If you want to visit the resort without SoundWaves, Opryland does have other pools. When we went to SoundWaves in previous years, my kids were really into the slides and other water attractions but this year, they wanted to just chill by the pool. We thought the other pools were really nice and offered plenty of space for families with teens to relax and cool off. Here’s a photo of one of the outdoor pools, there was also a hot tub at this same location.
At SoundWaves, we were able to find a really comfortable spot with an umbrella and a relaxing couch. I was able to get in some good reading time with my daughter and catch a lovely breeze up on the pool deck. We had access to SoundWaves for two days so on the first day, we just hung out there for about 2 hours. There was much more ‘hanging out’ on this trip to Opryland with teens!
On the first day we also took in some of the special summer programming. When you are booking your trip or when you arrive, you can add on some items a la carte based on what your family might like to do and they change programming throughout the year and from year to year.
We picked up scavenger hunt maps which took us on a tour of most of the indoor areas. This was actually really good because although my teens aren’t little ones that get super excited about scavenger hunts, it did give them more of a reason to look around when we were walking about and notice things they wouldn’t have noticed otherwise! And, I don’t know about your teens, but mine can get very………..tired…….just walking around. They were distracted by this and didn’t complain. That’s a win. Also, the prize for completing the hunt was a simple token of completion (and I won’t give away what it was) but it entertained my kids the rest of the trip 🙂
In the evening, we went on the boat ride that is inside of Opryland. The ride is about 15 minutes and for the summer, it fits their summer programming for kids which is Pirates and Princesses (for now). During the day, you can catch their standard boat ride. My kids were a little old to be enthralled by the actors and the story, but it made for a lot of cheesy laughs when we were asked to yell ARGGGGGH! And the chocolate gold deplumes were a big hit.
DAY TWO
See our TIKTOK video for more photos and videos of our experience.
@loufamfun Day 2 of fun with teens at #Opryland #lougamfun #oprylandnashville #nashville #tennessee #summer #waterpark #weekendvibes ♬ Background
On the second day, which was a full day for us since we stayed two nights, we spent the majority of the day at SoundWaves. But first, we hit the fitness area and had a simple breakfast of lattes and muffins in our room.
I got a facial at the Relache Spa. I have had a massage at this spa in previous visits so I decided to try something new. I can say that two days later my skin is still glowing. It really was a wonderful treat. There’s a relaxation room so you can sit and enjoy some tea before or after your spa treatment. If you have a teen that’s into getting their nails done, you could do that together!
There are two lazy rivers. One that is a bit slower and you can use tubes and the other is a bit faster with no tubes. I went around this slower one about 50 times, it was really relaxing and full of laughs. My daughter, son and I just rode around talking about random things and she helped guide the rafts so I would not go under the waterfalls! I also got a kick out of seeing all of the little ones having such a blast like it was the greatest day of their lives.
We enjoyed a delicious lunch. They have bar food look pizzas, burgers, tacos, chicken tenders but they also have a nice variety of salads and other healthy options. The food is prepared quickly and they give you numbers for your tables so they can bring the food out to you. You can get free refills on your fountain sodas.
We also tried out their fun and fruity non-alcoholic signature beverages. They have a variety of alcoholic beverages for parents as well. They also offer ice cream treats similar to those you would get from an ice cream truck – pops and sandwiches.
Teens need their chill time! It was different for me to slow down a but but when visiting Opryland with teens, definitely build in time to just hang out. And, if you get a room with an interior balcony, you will have just the spot. They had breakfast and snacks out there, did some people watching, and I could sit out there when they wanted their hang out time with their tech before bed. 
After we had some time to unwind – we needed it after many hours at the water park – we checked out their craft room. They have add-on activities for painting a pot or a canvas. Again, these activities change seasonally so check before you go and you will find details online about the options.
Then, we grabbed some dinner near the fountains. They have pizza, burgers, salads, sandwiches, and treats so it’s pretty easy for everyone to find something they like. The pizza is the most economically since you can get a whole pie and share. We watched the fountain show at 8pm (also takes place at 6pm). They have the fountains running all day but the actual shows are at night, set to music with lights. During the summer it’s bright inside late so the lights are a little more difficult to see.
DAY THREE
This was checkout day. We knew we had a 3-hour drive home and would lose an hour but we could get in some fun before we left. We took in the Starbucks breakfast in our room of lattes, fruit, muffins and bagels and went to the fitness center in the morning again. We packed up and checked out and they held our baggage for us while we took one last walk around the beautiful atriums and got some food before hitting the road. We utilized the valet parking during our stay but you can also self-park – both for a fee.
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