Looking for a family vacation this holiday season? Look no further than the Gaylord Opryland Resort right up the road in Nashville.
Opryland's “A Country Christmas” has been named by Travel + Leisure magazine as one of the top 10 destinations in the world to spend Christmas. If 2 million outdoor Christmas lights, 200,000 indoor lights, 15,000 poinsettias, 15 miles of garland and a 48-foot-tall decorated Christmas tree don't get you in the holiday spirit, you just might be the Grinch!
No matter your age or stage, there is entertainment, sights and fun running through the end of the year. New this year is a Christmassy DreamWorks Experience package, which offers guests up-close and personal experiences with characters from Shrek, Madagascar, Puss in Boots and Kung Fu Panda.
Start your day off with a fun wake-up call from one of your favorite DreamWorks characters. Then head down to ShrekFeast, complete with slime green swamp juice (which is actually very yummy), a green chocolate fountain, delicious fairytale food and personal visits by Shrek, Fionna, Puss in Boots, and others!
After your breakfast, visit the unique and unforgettable ICE! Featuring hand-carved characters from DreamWorks, Merry Madagascar ICE! is made of 2 million pounds of ice and colored with special frozen light tubes. The children will especially enjoy the five slides made out of ice, one that is two stories tall!
Also included in the DreamWorks package is a DreamWorks scavenger hunt that takes you throughout the hotel and beautiful indoor gardens following clues to solve a puzzle. After your hunt, take your character passport to meet each of the DreamWorks characters at their homes, getting hugs and pictures with each.
Don’t go for the DreamWorks package? Be prepared to experience other holiday fun during your stay. Enjoy a horse-drawn carriage ride to view the lights, nativity and decorations. Get your photo with Santa by the 48-foot-tall Christmas tree. Decorate a gingerbread cookie or house then meet Gingy, the famous gingerbread man from Shrek. And stop by Opryland’s Treasures for the Holidays craft show with over 40 vendors. If you still have time, check out Holly Jolly Town Square, which takes you back to a 1950s town square. The kids will enjoy the train ride, story time with Mrs. Claus, and live entertainment.
If that's not enough (and I’m getting dizzy just thinking about it all), A Country Christmas features dinner shows and nightly entertainment. The kids will enjoy the free Holiday Shrektacular, during which your favorite DreamWorks characters put on a fun interactive show of dancing and singing. Of course, you can’t miss the world-famous Rockettes in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. This year, they’ve got new costumes, scenes and sets, and they still have the beloved living nativity.
If dinner shows are what you enjoy, be sure to catch Louise Mandrell's Christmas Dinner Party or catch a Christmas cruise on the General Jackson Showboat. So why not give you family the gift of special memories this Christmas and enjoy the luxurious accommodations, beautiful indoor gardens, Christmas decorations, and entertainment offered at Gaylord Opryland Resort?
Not sure it’s up your alley? Here’s what our kids had to say about it all.
Holly Jolly Town Square: “I liked the choo-choo train.” – Leah (age 5)
Shrektacular: “I liked when Shrek tooted. I liked the penguins and the dancers.” – Leah
“I liked when the dancers danced around making cookies and when Puss in Boots came out.” – Esther (age 8)
Lighting Ceremony: “The lights on the trees were pretty.” – Leah
“I liked the huge tree all lit up.” – Esther
ICE!: “I liked the big slide and looking at all the pretty ice.” – Leah
“I liked the sculptures and the slide. I liked the designs of everything.” – Esther
Rockettes: “I liked the soldiers when they fell back and when the animals came out (for the nativity scene).” – Esther
Shrekfeast: “I liked when I danced with Puss in Boots, and I liked the swamp juice.” – Leah
“I liked when I got to dance with Puss in Boots, and the green chocolate fountain was great!” – Esther
Magic Beans Scavenger Hunt: “I was excited to find the beans.” – Leah
“I liked looking for the things and seeing Shrek's house.” – Esther
Christmas on the Cumberland: “I liked when they sang ‘Santa Baby.’” – Leah
“I liked when the girls danced and I also liked the dinner rolls.” – Esther
Wake-Up Calls: “I liked when Donkey said, ‘Good morning!’” – Leah
“I think it was funny.” – Esther
So there you have it, from the mouths of a couple kids who had a blast. Now…what are you waiting for?