SoundWaves, located inside Gaylord Opryland Hotel is an upscale resort water park in Nashville, TN. It’s a four acre indoor/outdoor water attraction designed for guests of all ages. The focus of this review will be the indoor water attractions because the outdoor part is only open during the warmest months of the year.
SoundWaves has everything you would want in an indoor water park. There are water slides, lazy rivers, toddler areas, adult only areas, an activity pool, a FlowRider, cabanas, a food court, and much more.
– Waterslides at SoundWaves
– Crowd Surfer
– River Rides at SoundWaves
– The Activity Pool
– Areas for Young Kids
– Adult Areas
– Cabana Rentals
– Lockers and Dryers
– Things We Did Not Like
– Tips and Advice for Visiting SoundWaves
Waterslides at SoundWaves
Rapid Remix – This is the biggest and best slide at SoundWaves. 4-5 people get in a raft and go through a lengthy vortex full of LED lights. It’s a fun slide with lots of twists and turns and also has music. Be advised, at least four people have to go on this slide at the same time. They won’t let you ride it with less than four people.
Record Launch – You can choose which tunnel to take at the top. Two people can go together on the serpentine water ride or pick the tubing bowl path for an intense one person ride.
Stage Dive – There are two tunnels to choose from. They are vastly different. One has LED lights while the other is completely dark.
Crowd Surfer is the Main Attraction
When you walk into SoundWaves the first thing you’ll notice is the Crowd Surfer. It’s a FlowRider water attraction that simulates surfing. You’ll have to sign a waiver before you or your kids try out the Crowd Surfer. Each participant gets about five minutes per turn to try out their skills on the FlowRider. It’s a lot of fun but it can eat up a lot of your time while you’re waiting in line.
River Rides at SoundWaves
There are two different river rides at SoundWaves. The Up Tempo Rapids River zips you along at a rapid rate with lots of waterfalls and sprinklers. It’s fun with or without a tube. The Down Tempo Lazy River is a relaxing float through a faux cave with lights and music.
The Activity Pool is Fun
The Groovin’ Lagoon Activity Pool has lots of things to do for kids of all ages. There’s a lily pads obstacle course, a rock climbing wall, basketball hoops, and swimming areas.
An Area for Younger Kids and Toddlers
If you have smaller kids they will Half Note Cove. It has a multi-level play structure slides, spray features, a big dumping bucket, and splash pads. Quarter Note Cove is right beside it and is designed to be a fun and safe place for toddlers to play.
Is SoundWaves Fun for Adults?
There are plenty of things for adults to do at SoundWaves. Other than the two coves for small children, you will see adults doing all the other attractions. The slides are plenty big enough for adults and lots of adults take a shot at the Crowd Surfer.
If you need an escape from the kids, or if you don’t have kids, you can hang out at the adult only areas. Status Cymbal is an adults only infinity pool with a lounging deck and a bar. You have to be at least 18 to access Status Cymbal.
Cabana Rentals
Cabana rentals at SoundWaves are pretty pricey, but if you’ve got money to burn you can get cabanas for up to 12 guests. They seat 6 guests and have a refrigerator and a TV. They come with four bottles of water. If you’re celebrating a birthday party the cabanas can come in handy, although you can also rent party rooms for larger gatherings.
Conveniences at SoundWaves
One really good thing about SoundWaves is all the conveniences. Here are some of the good things about SoundWaves.
- The wristbands are convenient to quickly enter and exit SoundWaves without having to deal with anybody.
- There are plenty of restrooms that aren’t overly crowded.
- It’s easy to get dry towels.
- There are storage lockers to safely store your stuff.
- They have drinking fountains so you don’t have to keep buying expensive water.
- There is a “human dryer” to help quickly dry off.
- There are bathing suit dryers so you don’t have to take wet bathing suits home with you.
What We Did Not Like About SoundWaves
We were hoping the outdoor area of SoundWaves would be open since we visited in May, but it wasn’t open yet. But there were still plenty of things to do on the inside. However, my biggest disappointment with SoundWaves was their hours. They closed at 8:00 which seems way too early, and they didn’t open up until 10:00 the next day. That may be fine if you are buying day passes, but if you’re getting a hotel package that’s just not ample time. Check-in at Gaylord Opryland Hotel is at 4:00. Also, be aware that it is very warm and humid in SoundWaves. If you aren’t someone who participates in the water attractions, prepare to get sweaty.
Tips and Advice for Visiting SoundWaves
- If you’re staying at the hotel don’t wait for your 4:00 check in time to go to SoundWaves. Get there early and have them store your luggage at Guest Services and head on over to SoundWaves until your check in is ready.
- Plan ahead to go back to SoundWaves the next day. If you buy your package through a hotel stay you can use the same wristbands and return to SoundWaves the next day. They open at 10:00 so you can check out of the hotel and put your bags in your car and then stay at SoundWaves until you are ready to leave.
- Make sure you have at least four people in your group if you climb the stairs to ride Rapid Remix. If not, you’ll be doing all that climbing for nothing because they won’t let you ride it without four people.
- Use the “human dryer” and the bathing suit dryers. They come in really handy.
- Don’t try to squeeze in SoundWaves passes if you already have a lot of other plans at the hotel. For example, I don’t recommend going to SoundWaves if you are there to see the Christmas lights, ICE, or any of the winter activities. Plan on going to SoundWaves with nothing else is going on.
Overall, we really like SoundWaves. It’s a good place for the whole family to spend quality time together. It’s a good compliment to one of the best hotel’s in the country. Sometime soon, I’ll do a separate review for Gaylord Opryland Hotel. I hope you’ve found this review of SoundWaves to be informative and helpful.
