Anyone remember Opryland USA in Nashville?

[mjtinmemphis]

But what about Opryland Hotel and the tourist draw that Opry Mills has?  I think an LRT line would be reat to run to to that area if only targeted at tourists and convention traffic going to the hotel.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Do you believe that the line would generate 50k ridership per day?

If Im not mistaking, DT Nashville has a workforce of around 50k with a residentual population of just under 4k. That is relatively small compared to other cities that have made lrt work. LRT should never be used as something to move tourist and conventioneers through the region. Although Nashville has a booming tourism industry it isn't enough to generate the ridership needed and convince the region of a tax increase.

Lets look at the St. Louis metrolink. The system generates ridership of 60k per day. Downtown has a workforce nearing 100k. Downtown residentual population is 10k and will probably hit 12k before the end of 2005. The system runs through the central corridor hitting St. Louis University, Central West End, through some high dense areas with over 6k per sq miles. They are also finishing touches on the south corridor extension that will run through Washington U campus and Clayton that has a population of 5k workforce of 50k. through some high dense areas of south county.

St. Louis along with Denver, Portland, Minneapolis and Seattle all have progressive initiative for lrt. Nashville, Birmingham and IMO Charlotte are not designed for lrt. Their cores are yet big enough at this time to support lrt. like Heckles said, BRT would be perfect start to enhancing the transit system for Nashville and other cities of the same size. When the region show they can adjust to that type of system they can upgrade based upon demand. It would be a big mistake for nashville to make such an investment because charlotte is doing it or just to have something to put in chamber brochures.

[brewerw]

Its not like the tourist cant get downtown. Gaylord has a better bus servive than the City of Nashville!!!

[Dukeis#1]

I found this website that has two old Opryland TV commercials along with some other old commercials from the Nashville area in the 80s. (Anyone remember Fountain Square?) There is also one of the old "Tennessee is Playing You're Song" commercials. I thought it might be interesting for people who can remember some of them:

Old Nashville Area Television Commercials

Also an Opryland tribute website:

www.thrillhunter.com

[doormanpoet]

Thank God it is gone! Theme parks are junk to me. They sometimes bring in a bad element.

[it's just dave]

A bad element? I don't recall seeing gangs of old women from tour buses stirring up the crap we saw at Opry Mills a few weeks back.

I think the area needs a theme park, Wilson or Rutherford Counties would be perfect. And as long as someone else pays for it, it's fine by me.

And as long as there's still Cedar Point a reasonable drive away, I'm content.

[satalac]

A bad element? I don't recall seeing gangs of old women from tour buses stirring up the crap we saw at Opry Mills a few weeks back.

I think the area needs a theme park, Wilson or Rutherford Counties would be perfect. And as long as someone else pays for it, it's fine by me.

And as long as there's still Cedar Point a reasonable drive away, I'm content.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

i think wilson county would be ideal for a theme park. maybe put a big one next to the superspeedway. that place would take off in the summer.

[doormanpoet]

There was some crime such as robberies out in the area. There were some car break ins. Theme parks according to Plants, Sites, and Parks magazine are having financial troubles.

[satalac]

There was some crime such as robberies out in the area. There were some car break ins. Theme parks according to Plants, Sites, and Parks magazine are having financial troubles.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

at least there weren't all out brawls like there were at the mall that replaced it.

[sleepy]

I don't remember Opryland at all.

I only remember the Grand Old Opry downtown.

[Dukeis#1]

There was some crime such as robberies out in the area. There were some car break ins. Theme parks according to Plants, Sites, and Parks magazine are having financial troubles.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Theme Parks are one of the most profitable industries out there. Why, in 1997, Opryland USA brought in $80 million dollars alone. (That's not including all the money it put into the Nashville economy) Considering that was during it's last year of operation, I imagine Opryland made evan more money than that in the late 80s when the park's attendance was at it's best.

I've never heard of theme parks bringing in a bad element. A Theme Park brings tourists into the area that it is located in, there by generating money for the local economy, because the tourists will stay at hotels and resturants while they are on vacation. Most of these tourists are either families or senior citizens, and I wouldn't call them an undesirable demographic.

Perhaps you are thinking of Wal-Marts and Outlet Malls...

This is an interesting article about Gaylord Entertainment and it's current feelings about Opryland:

"What Gaylord says now about Opryland USA"

"Current Gaylord Entertainment Co. executives say they've found no evidence that former decision-makers even had a business plan for Opryland USA theme park, let alone any strategic analysis that led to closing it.

It's clear that the closing of the park negatively affected the number of tourists that visited Nashville in the summer, Gaylord spokesman Greg Rossiter said, noting that it affected the number of leisure travelers staying at its Opryland Hotel, as well as every other hotel nearby.

The current management team has found no compelling reasons why the decision to close the park was taken in the first place.

None of the Opryland-era executives are still at Gaylord, he said. The current team is headed by President and Chief Executive Officer Colin Reed."

From the Tennessean, 8/14/2004.

[tnthemepk]

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.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Dukies.... Where did you get the $80 million number that Opryland grossed the year it closed?

[satalac]

i heard something about a 300 plus acre theme park being talked about in the percy preist area. apparently there are some serious businessmen talking about it. has anyone else heard of this?

[Dukeis#1]

Dukies....

[cdarr]

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.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Libertyland could be expanded if they moved the Mid South Fair out to Shelby Farms, demolished the Coliseum and expanded the park into the existing parking lots. But there would be traffic problems, and the neighborhoods on at least two sides (south and east) do not have a real aura of safety.

I'm surprised Libertyland has lasted as long as it has. It is essentially the same place I went to 25 years ago. I can't think of anything they've added. It will be interesting to see what happens to it if they build the indoor theme park now being proposed for the Pyramid.

On the topic of Opryland, I think Gaylord gave up on it too quickly. Used to be that when you thought of a vacation trip to Nashville, Opryland was the first thing that came to mind. I went there several times in the late '80s when I lived in Nashville and thought it was pretty good. It could have been larger, I thought.

[cdarr]

St. Louis along with Denver, Portland, Minneapolis and Seattle all have progressive initiative for lrt.  Nashville, Birmingham and IMO Charlotte are not designed for lrt.  Their cores are yet big enough at this time to support lrt.  like Heckles said, BRT would be perfect start to enhancing the transit system for Nashville and other cities of the same size.  When the region show they can adjust to that type of system they can upgrade based upon demand.  It would be a big mistake for nashville to make such an investment because charlotte is doing it or just to have something to put in chamber brochures.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

They are working towards adding LRT here in Memphis...essentially, hooking it up with the trolley line to connect downtown with the airport. I have my doubts about it. Our downtown trolley loop has decent ridership whenever downtown is crowded (weekends, ball games, etc.) but it seems to be more of a novelty rather than practical. As for the new line they ran from downtown about 2-3 miles east to Midtown - I can't say I've EVER seen any more than 2 people on a trolley at any time. I'm afraid it would be the same for a line run to the airport. Just don't know who will ride it.

[it's just dave]

LRT is something to think about, but it certainly isn't in the forefront of needs. This place is pretty easy to get around in. If people who don't have cars or move to places without transit access, I'd say it's more their inappropriate planning than that of the MTA.

The city is starting construction soon on a new $35 million transit center adjacent to the Municipal Auditorium. I'd say that's the right thinking at this point. These folks have had to endure the elements and no services long enough. This indoor facility with restrooms, ticket stations, coffee shop and other amenities is more important, I'm sure, to them than having a train run down West End. MTA is improving its service as it can. I'm happy the people who do use the system will finally be able to get out of the rain. To me, that's progress.

And not to mince words, or pretend I'm totally and only for the good of the bus riders, Deadrick Street will finally look clean and nice again. A worthy goal I'd say.

[sleepy]

They are working towards adding LRT here in Memphis...essentially, hooking it up with the trolley line to connect downtown with the airport.  I have my doubts about it.  Our downtown trolley loop has decent ridership whenever downtown is crowded (weekends, ball games, etc.) but it seems to be more of a novelty rather than practical.  As for the new line they ran from downtown about 2-3 miles east to Midtown - I can't say I've EVER seen any more than 2 people on a trolley at any time.  I'm afraid it would be the same for a line run to the airport.  Just don't know who will ride it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I agree about the downtown line. It seems to work pretty well, and not exclusively for tourists, imho.

I was down in Memphis a few weeks ago, got my 3 day tourist pass, and rode the Main Street and Riverfront lines all the time. There were always locals hopping on, particularly at the North End transit station and up and down Main St. during business hours. Even skateboarding middle-schoolers from Harbortown and students from the downtown elementary school.

The Madison line is something else. It ends in the middle of nowhere and has poor ridership. BUT--I understand why it was built. The city had the funds left over from the I-40 project and built the Madison line with that money and built it to LRT standards in anticipation of the route continuing down Madison to Cooper-Young and then to the airport.

[cdarr]

The Madison line is something else.  It ends in the middle of nowhere and has poor ridership.  BUT--I understand why it was built.  The city had the funds left over from the I-40 project and built the Madison line with that money and built it to LRT standards in anticipation of the route continuing down Madison to Cooper-Young and then to the airport.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yep, the Madison line was a spend-it-or-lose-it deal from what I remember. Overton Square would have made sense as a logical termination point, but I suppose they ran out of money.

[Fellowmann20]

My brother and I remember Opryland. My mom and her friend used to take us there when we were between 4 and 6 years old. Since I was a child I don't remember much but I do remember getting on this rollercoaster that went around a million times and it scared me half to death. I think it might of had a corkscrew or a loop it was made of steel.

[cheeriokid61]

Ahhhh, the Wa-Bash Cannonball, or the Wall-Bash Cannonball, or the, oh what the crap. I love love love love love that ride. My first ever flippy rollercoaster. Man do I miss Opryland!