Special thanks to Gaylord Opryland for hosting us this holiday season.

Like many, the holiday season is my favorite time of year. For the past 10 years, it had been a Christmastime tradition to kick off the holidays at Gaylord Opryland in Nashville, TN. The best way to describe this resort during the holidays is pure Christmas magic!

So Much Christmas - Through January 2, 2022 you can experience the magic for yourself! The resort is decked out with gorgeous holiday lights and fun seasonal activities for the entire family to enjoy. This year you can even participate in a unique holiday experience, Mission: Save Christmas featuring Elf.

During our stay, our family had so much fun participating in the various holiday activities available at Gaylord Opryland I’ve listed some of our favorites below. Click here for a full list of events.

Fun Holiday Events

Mission: Save Christmas featuring Elf - This was truly a one of a kind experience created exclusively for Gaylord Hotels. We were transported into the world of Buddy the Elf from the popular holiday movie Elf. This is one of our favorite Christmas movies so we definitely considered this a must do and it did not disappoint! The experience starts with you walking through the candy cane forest and takes you through various other scenes of the movie including the toy shop at the North Pole, the fun mailroom dance scene and more! You end up in Central Park where you get to participate in a fun snowball fight. Along the way you need to help save Christmas by raising Christmas spirit. Each room has a unique interactive experience to participate in. There was so much to explore and so many fun photo ops!

Ice skating - When you think of fun holiday/winter activities, ice skating is probably one of the first things that come to mind. There was fun holiday music playing the entire time that helped get you in the holiday spirit! For little ones they have the cutest polar bear chairs that you can push your kids around on or they can stand and hold on for support. Our 18 month old daughter had her very first opportunity to ice skate during our visit! The rink uses real ice and skate rentals are available.

Ice Tubing - Our kids probably went down the 15 foot hill at least 20 times! They definitely had fun with this activity and so did my husband and I. It's basically like sledding but even faster because of the ice!

Gingerbread Decorating Corner - Every year the kids look forward to creating their own gingerbread masterpieces. Gaylord Opryland has various kits available for purchase and tables set up to decorate while you enjoy the beautiful scenery of the resort. The staff here was so friendly here and made the experience even more fun!

Reindeer Encounters - We had the opportunity to meet two of Santa’s reindeer right at the resort! During our visit we learned some interesting facts about reindeer and my daughter even got to feed one!

Ice Bumper Cars - This was such a unique experience that I haven't seen anywhere else. Bumper cars are fun and driving them on ice took the experience to another level!

Photos with Santa - As parents of 4 young children, visits with Santa are always on our holiday to-do list. I love that we can experience the magic right at Gaylord Opryland. We got our photos printed right then and there and have digital downloads we can use for our Christmas cards and send to friends + family. In case you’re wondering, Santa wears a mask at all times.

Parade of Trees - Throughout the garden conservatory you’ll find gorgeous Christmas trees decorated by major country artists including Alan Jackson, Carrie Underwood, Reba McEntire, George, Strait, + more! This activity is complimentary and definitely a must do. All of the trees were beautiful but I’ve got to say my favorite was the gorgeous white one that was decorated by Carrie Underwood.

There so many more fun holiday experiences available at Gaylord Opryland, these were just a few of our favorites! There’s definitely more worth checking out during

Dining Options

You’ll find a wide variety of sit-down and quick service restaurants inside the resort offering different cuisines. Find a full list here.

We like to kick off every trip at Jack Daniels. Here you’ll find classic southern food and a unique atmosphere. They’ll often have live music and there’s even room to dance up front if you’d like. Our whole family enjoys this spot!

If you are traveling with kids or want something a bit quicker to eat Stax & Paisano’s Pizzeria & Vino are both good choices. Stax is a burger bar that allows you to customize your burger by choosing exactly what toppings you want. At Paisano’s you’ll find delicious pizza, along with salads, and a selection of wine. Both spots offer seating in the Delta Atrium which is the perfect spot to catch the complimentary Christmas fountain shows. I also like that you can order a full size pizza to take back to your room to enjoy. This is a great option when you have tired kids after a full day of fun!

A fun spot to dine during the holidays is Frosty’s Pub (usually it’s called Findley’s but it gets a special holiday makeover!) where you’ll find fun seasonal decor and more to get you into the Christmas spirit! They offer holiday themed cocktails and dishes to celebrate the season!

Memories To Last A Lifetime

You definitely want to have your camera ready when you visit this resort. There are gorgeous photo ops all throughout they even have marked selfie spots at some of the best places to capture unique experiences/memories.

It isn’t necessary to stay overnight to enjoy the magic of So Much Christmas at the resort, but it definitely has it’s benefits. They do manage capacity and crowds on peek dates throughout the holiday season, mainly weekends. As a result, priority is given to overnight guests and event ticketholders. You can still visit Gaylord Opryland during the weekends if you don’t have tickets to the events or are staying at the hotel but you must arrive by 2 pm Friday-Sunday. Right now there aren’t any restrictions during weekdays.

There truly is something for everyone to enjoy at Gaylord Opryland during Christmastime. This is a holiday tradition that we will continue for years to come. If a summertime visit is preferred check out our blog post about our summer experience, it was amazing too!

Make sure to follow us on TikTok, Instagram, + YouTube for recipes, life-hacks, travel, + crafts!