[Dukeis#1]

Does anybody remember the Opryland USA theme park that use to be in Nashville? I was so sad when they closed it down to build that damn mall! All that's left is the hotel and the Grand Ole Opry.

Now Tennessee's only major theme park is Dollywood in Pigeon Forge.

I will NEVER forgive Gaylord Entertainment. It was because of it's bad management that the park's attendance started slipping. I was happy to hear that their new mega-mall was loosing money.

[satalac]

i was really pissed when they did that. we have way too many malls here to begin with. it's not even the biggest mall in the area either. cool springs is bigger and they didn't have to destroy a landmark (unless you include beautiful farmland a landmark. i hate malls.)

[rocket9561]

satalac, on Jan 26 2005, 07:35 AM, said:

i was really pissed when they did that. we have way too many malls here to begin with. it's not even the biggest mall in the area either. cool springs is bigger and they didn't have to destroy a landmark (unless you include beautiful farmland a landmark.    i hate malls.)
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

By number of stores, I believe Opry Mills is the largest by far.

Opry Mills - Over 210 - but by size it is rougly the same as Hickory Hollow, Slightly Larger than Rivergate, and slightly smaller than Cool Springs.

Hickory Hollow - 150
Rivergate - 141
Cool Springs - 141
Governor's Square ~110
Green Hills ~ 100
Bellevue ~ 100
Stones River ~ 50

Opryland is still missed...

[it's just dave]

Sure, I remember the first rendering.

I remember when it opened.

I remember when it flooded.

I had friends in the shows.

I remember $9 for a season pass the first year.

I remember passing doobies on the Alpine Sky Ride.

Interestingly though, I hadn't been in 15 years before it closed.

[Dukeis#1]

I've only been to Opry Mills once, and that was more than enough for me. I remember thinking how much I missed the amusement park the entire half-hour I was there.

I remember Nashville's hotel occupancy rate was down 60% the summer after Opryland closed.

[satalac]

rocket9561, on Jan 26 2005, 10:27 AM, said:

By number of stores, I believe Opry Mills is the largest by far.

Opry Mills - Over 210 - but by size it is rougly the same as Hickory Hollow, Slightly Larger than Rivergate, and slightly smaller than Cool Springs.

Hickory Hollow - 150
Rivergate - 141
Cool Springs - 141
Governor's Square ~110
Green Hills ~ 100
Bellevue ~ 100
Stones River ~ 50

Opryland is still missed...
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

i was talking about square feet. most people get there are are like "it's soooooo big!!!" and when i tell them that cool springs is bigger people never believe me. but you are right about them having more stores that cool springs.

[brewerw]

Tell me about it. But, the real question should be, did they make the right choice business wise. A boy in my school, his fater is the CEO of Gaylord. His son thinks they did the right thing.

They have made enemies with me. Honestly, what idiot would come to nasvhille and spend the whole time in Opry Mills. Everything is overpriced. There are so many better things to do in Nasvhvegas.

[TopTenn]

I miss opryland to because six flags kentucky is over rated and 165 miles away. I heard they were trying to build a theme park near downtown and the in wilson county. I hope they do something soon because Opryland was a major success in the tourist game...

[BrandonTO416]

There is not one major department store in all of Opry Mills. Its tons of smaller outlet stores and that's IT.

Well, that is unless you consider Bass Pro Shops a major department store anchor.

[Dukeis#1]

brewerw, on Jan 26 2005, 09:52 PM, said:

Tell me about it. But, the real question should be, did they make the right choice business wise. A boy in my school, his father is the CEO of Gaylord. His son thinks they did  the right thing. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Looking back over the last eight years, I don't know how anybody could say closing Opryland was a good idea. Nashville's tourism economy still hasn't bounced back to pre-1998 levels.

Gaylord Ent. certainly didn't gain anything from it. They tore down the amusement park, built the mall, the mall lost money, so they sold out of it last Spring...It's like they ended up with less than what they started with.

[Claws]

I'd actually never been to Opryland. Well, I'd been when I was young, but I don't remember it. Opry Mills really isn't anything to be excited about, but I still think it would be a good idea to run a light rail from there to downtown.

[TopTenn]

[quote name='Claws' date='Jan 27 2005, 07:13 PM']
I'd actually never been to Opryland. Well, I'd been when I was young, but I don't remember it. Opry Mills really isn't anything to be excited about, but I still think it would be a good idea to run a light rail from there to downtown.


I totally agree with claws, a light rail will make it better. I believe they should also built a bridge connecting east nashville and opryland because it would be such a great shortcutt...

[mjtinmemphis]

Opryland was a great asset to the Nashville tourism economy. When out of towners thought of Nashville they thought of Opryland. Even in Memphis I hear people all the time say they miss Opryland.

I can also see why they closed. It was boring as hell!!! In the age of extreme thrill rides/extreme parks, one can't help to see that Opryland couldn't keep up. With puny rides like the Wabash Cannon Ball and even the inverted Hangman the park couldn't keep up with Six Flags or Kings Island. Every other year the amusement park industry gets more and more competitive.

My predictions is that somewhere in Tennessee, there will be an extreme theme park built within the next 10 years (pending a major national economic recovery). Nashville is the ideal location due to it being the capital and in central tennessee.

This post has been edited by mjtinmemphis: 29 January 2005 - 01:40 PM

[mjtinmemphis]

O...Nashville would have to do alot of densifying for the city to be ready for LRT. The only cities that make lrt work are the ones with density of 5 and 6k per sq mile for a good 20 to 30 sq miles outside of the Central City. Nashville doesn't have it. Although Commuter rail is going to be great for the region but it isn't ready for LRT.

[rocket9561]

mjtinmemphis, on Jan 29 2005, 01:45 PM, said:

O...Nashville would have to do alot of densifying for the city to be ready for LRT.  The only cities that make lrt work are the ones with density of 5 and 6k per sq mile for a good 20 to 30 sq miles outside of the Central City.  Nashville doesn't have it.  Although Commuter rail is going to be great for the region but it isn't ready for LRT.
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What about the tourism? Do you not think LRT could serve residents and tourists in at least lines between Downtown/Rolling Mill Hill and West End/Music Row. Nashville's density is about the same as that of Charlotte and they are constructing LRT and we have much more tourism/convention traffic than Charlotte.

[satalac]

mjtinmemphis, on Jan 29 2005, 01:38 PM, said:

Opryland was a great asset to the Nashville tourism economy.  When out of towners thought of Nashville they thought of Opryland.  Even in Memphis I hear people all the time say they miss Opryland.

I can also see why they closed.  It was boring as hell!!!  In the age of extreme thrill rides/extreme parks, one can't help to see that Opryland couldn't keep up.  With puny rides like the Wabash Cannon Ball and even the inverted Hangman the park couldn't keep up with Six Flags or Kings Island.  Every other year the amusement park industry gets more and more competitive.

My predictions is that somewhere in Tennessee, there will be an extreme theme park built within the next 10 years (pending a major national economic recovery).  Nashville is the ideal location due to it being the capital and in central tennessee.
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

i don't think that it wasn't because opryland wasn't exciting, i just think that it wasn't marketed as well as it should have been. if it closed because it wasn't exciting, then why is dollywood still around? opryland had a lot better rides than dollywood, especially around the time that they closed. btw, does memphis still have libertyland?

[rocket9561]

Opryland's problem was the cost of admission. You can get into most major themeparks today for less than Opryland when it closed. The lack of space for a waterpark also hurt.

[mjtinmemphis]

satalac, on Jan 29 2005, 02:53 PM, said:

i don't think that it wasn't because opryland wasn't exciting, i just think that it wasn't marketed as well as it should have been. if it closed because it wasn't exciting, then why is dollywood still around? opryland had a lot better rides than dollywood, especially around the time that they closed. btw, does memphis still have libertyland?
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes. Liberty Land is still open. I would consider that as a big fair that operates all summer. instead of an amusement park. They are pretty much land locked and cant expand to accomodate the hyper coasters of today.

Dollywood is a "silver dollar city" theme park...i think? They are marketed in a totally different way. Dollywood is in the middle of a major resort area of east tennessee. I believe there is a "silver dollar city" in or near branson in the ozarks as well. both are surviving due to their location. Nashville is a city not a resort. If there was an amusement park to open it would have to be similar to cedar point or a disney type park to attract people from a 500 mile radius steeling the thunder from six flags in st. Louis, louisville and atlanta plus kings island near cincinatti.

[Dukeis#1]

The reason Dollywood is still around is because it is managed a lot better than Opryland was. Silver Dollar City and Dolly Parton know how to run an amusement park.

Opryland started failing because Gaylord Entertainment stopped putting money into new rides and attractions. In the 1980s they added a lot of stuff, but around 1991 it's like they just forgot about the theme park and started spending all the money on the hotel. The last big ride Opryland added was The Hangman, and it was mediocre at best.

In those last few years, you have to admit Dollywood was really giving Opryland a run for it's money. More Entertainment and a better atmosphere at a lower price. If you compared Dollywood in 1997 to Opryland in 1997 you could easliy see why Dollywood was beating Opryland at it's own game. Of course, like said above, Dollywood is in Pigeon Forge, so I'm sure that helps a lot as well...

Dollywood has really been expanding a lot lately. In 2004 they built a new wooden roller coaster called "Thunderhead", and a few years ago they built a waterpark.

This post has been edited by Dukeis#1: 29 January 2005 - 06:39 PM

[satalac]

i agree dukeis#1, dollywood is run very well. they have gotten several big attractions too lately. that waterpark has really helped them. i think that nashville should start looking at getting an amusement park. i honestly don't think that kentucky kingdom or six flags atlanta or st. louis would hurt any ticket sales if we had one again. think of all the money that nashville is loosing by having nashvillians go to these parks instead of staying home. the big question would be where to put one though. i doubt one could happen in davidson county, and people in williamson county would freak. i do however think that wilson county would be a good place. i dunno, maybe in gladeville by the nashville superspeedway? that could help the superspeedway also.