Feeling bitter towards Gaylord?

After starting to do some research on Opryland I am starting to feel quite bitter towards Gaylord and Opry Mills.

I am sure I am not the only person who feels this.

Gaylord closes the park,bulldozes it,builds Opry Mills(in conjunction with the Mills Corp),then sells their interest in the mall back to the Mills Corp.

Then they sell TNN and CMT,try to close the Grand Ole Opry,and are now attempting to sell WSM.

They also changed the name from 'Opryland Hotel' to 'Gaylord Opryland' which really isnt a good name for a hotel or the resort in Nashville as a whole.They also didnt follow through with what the president of Gaylord announced with the closing of Opryland.He said they wanted to close it to make a "Destination Opryland" which would include a new General jackson dock (which has happened) and build a Downtown Disney type place around the dock called the Cumberland Shoppes-this hasent happened and now theyve taken the Opryland out of everything.

I know i'm dragging on-but I feel Gaylord Entertainment has killed off one of America's first resorts (Opryland USA) and has turned it into Shopryland USA.

Thanks for hearing me discuss my thoughts on the subject and feel free to comment or share your own feelings.

I COMPLETELY agree with you. Our whole family wishes Gaylord would completely fold. Wanting a thicker wallet, they ripped something out of the heart of Nashville that had become a profound part of the area and a place people had loved for over 25 years. Instead of letting Opryland grow (it was well over five years between coasters), they let the park sit. They never advertised or added anything new, and they wondered why attendance was flat. Six Flags offered on many occasions to buy the park. Instead they ripped out the park, and built a trashy mall in its place that no one really likes. When they realized what a mistake they made, they sold the mall. I wish instead of selling the mall, they would have never built it and just sold Opryland to Six Flags. I also despise the name they have given to the hotel, and they have also renamed the Nashville arena the "Gaylord Entertainment Center" -great name.

You may get your wish--from what I hear if things don't improve they may go bankrupt.Maybe that will teach them.

But I wouldnt worry about the hotel-when gaylord leaves it can fully float itself. Maybe someday someone will come in and rebuild Opryland with some new rides and stuff.

I personally can't wait til that day comes even though it will probably never happen.

God , that hotel is a moneytrap! The buffet at rachel's was $10.99 and a bagel at a shop near my room was $3.50. I honestly hate that place. And the mall has awful food choices .The only reason I don't give that whole place a zero out of ten is 'cuz I got Jeff Fisher's Autograph. But that place Stinks! Bring back the theme park!

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This place would be be a nightmare for midgets.

I love the Opryland Hotel (notice I didn't add Gaylord) but you are right-it's a big (and I mean BIG) moneytrap.However I love all the indoor gardens and the food is quite good.And I agree I hate Opry Mills too.

It depends on which Gaylord.

The Gaylord Entertainment from the Eighties was very Nice and Understanding. At that time, Edward L. Gaylord was at the head of the Company. He had No Intensions to ever become a Money Hungry Giant, he was happy with the Profits of Opryland and TNN.

Then, He retired and let his No-Crap Son control the Company. I believe this happend about 1990. The Park, The Hotel, and the Television Network began to slip, and finally, to a point of no return by the Mid-Ninties. And so, he came up with a idea to make more Money: Sell TNN, Demolish Opryland, and Build a new Mall with a Retail Giant. His Idea did not work, and The Mall was so Un-Profitable that like stated above, Gaylord sold off there part in it.

The Hotel does not do 50% of the Buisness it did when the park was open, and the Music Valley section of Nashville is all-most dead. So, Yes, I do Deeply Hate Gaylord for all the Wrong Moves. Opryland was the only BIG Tourist Draw to this city, and with the Emergence of Branson and Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg, Nashville will be suffering for a Very long time.

(By the Way, I do Believe they will Go Bankrupt. Gaylord/Opryland Hotel Nashville is doing Horrible, Opryland Hotel Texas and Gaylord Palms Hotel are costing more to build than expected, The Grand Old Opry is on it's Death Bed, and Springhouse Golf Club has very bad Ratings)

Don't forget these bombed plans:

Word Entertainment (Christian Record Labels) - bought & then sold

Gaylord Entertainment Center (naming rights for arena) - trying to sell the corporate sponsorship

Nashville Predators (NHL team) - trying to sell 20% stake in team

Nashville Super Speedway - initally Gaylord was going to be a major owner, then withdrew

I'm sure we'll see them trying to sell their ownership in Bass Pro Shops soon.

Gaylord is also the family that brought us "White Oleander". What an awful movie (although it is a chick flick)

I wish Gaylord would tear down their corporate headquaters, burn down the Ryman and Opry, sink the General Jackson into the Cumberland River, and dig up Roy Acuff and Minnie Pearl's remains and desecrate them.

Having completed the above tasks, they could leave our fair city and move onto destroying another city's source of pride.

Rant finished....

I miss Opryland alot. I have very fond memories of visiting the park with my parents. It is something I was looking forward to doing with my son, but it won't happen. We do visit amusement parks and I really enjoy hearing him say "let's do it again", but we'll never get to share Opryland together.

Having already said I hope they go bankrupt--I think all the hotels and the opry will be bought or will continue under their own weight. And believe me-one day the Mills Corp will sell Opry Mills,and maybe someone will by it and rebuild Opryland. I know it's a long shot but i'm sure plenty of people have thought in their mind that someone might rebuild it-me being one.

I hope that nothing happens to the Opry. It's been around for Eighty+ Years.

Lately I think that the Opryland Hotel has become a Money Trap like said above. Not that much to do ecept spend Money in the Delta area.

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"The Mountain Slidewinder. Voted The #1 Non-Rollercoaster Ride in America Amusement Business Magazine, 1991"

death to gaylord! yes, they're ripping the soul out of nashville, and i despise them for it...everyone here hates them for demolishing opryland for that awful opry mills mall (like we need another mall here)! i can't wait until opry mills is torn down and opryland rebuilt - bigger better faster and stronger!

supposedly themeparks LLC out of louisville, ky has been interested in building a new theme park in nashville called thrillopolis...no land has been acquired for it yet though...perhaps they're holding out for the old opryland site muahahah!

death to gaylord! yes, they're ripping the soul out of nashville, and i despise them for it...everyone here hates them for demolishing opryland for that awful opry mills mall (like we need another mall here)! i can't wait until opry mills is torn down and opryland rebuilt - bigger better faster and stronger!

supposedly themeparks LLC out of louisville, ky has been interested in building a new theme park in nashville called thrillopolis...no land has been acquired for it yet though...perhaps they're holding out for the old opryland site muahahah!

I agree with you. Opryland was my first park and had my first coaster. I though overall it was well taken care of and was as good family park.

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"Today we're going to hurt the treadmill or the treadmill is going to hurt us."

Is there any talk at all of adding another park to Nashville? Seems like that is an awfully big market to not have a park! With New Orleans, and now it appears Omaha getting rather new parks, you would think there is a profit to be made there! Just my 2 cents worth!

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Give me wood or give me B&M! :-)
(330 plus and rising)

That Attempt at an Amusement Park, "Valley Fair", is opening just down the Road from the Old Opryland site on Briley Parkway soon.

I think that the "Thrillopolis" Idea is pretty much dead. It was set to open next Year, in Downtown Nashville, and nothing has happened yet.

Infact Thrillopolis is Dead. I just found this Article:http://www.tennessean.com/opinion/archives/02/06/18932479.shtml?Element_ID=18932479

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"The Mountain Slidewinder. Voted The #1 Non-Rollercoaster Ride in America Amusement Business Magazine, 1991"

The Thrillopolis idea in fact is not dead. From the same news article that Dukeis#1 posted above: "Themeparks officials say they are considering other locations in the area. As they scout out the possibilities, they will find that most officials and residents are very receptive to the possibilities." Themeparks LLC was recently looking at some land on I-40 east of Nashville, but that was purchased by another developer. I hope they continue to look for land because Nashville needs an amusement/theme park in the most extreme way!

In related news, the Valley Fair park is now open near the old Opryland site. I just rode by it today. They have a very VERY small parcel of land but enough to fit in a medium size Ferris wheel, a paratrooper, a small steel coaster (Pinfari or Zamperla I think), a scrambler, and a couple of kiddie rides.

Last, I would personally like to see Busch take interest in Nashville and build a theme park here like in Williamsburg or Tampa.