When I purchased my tickets for ICE! at Gaylord Opryland at the end of November, I had no idea my evening would consist of no ice and instead leave me feeling like I was in an apocalypse movie. So, I was at Opry Mills and Opryland Hotel on Saturday. You know, when the tornado was headed that way too.
I spent most of the day at Opry Mills shopping and looking around. I had tickets to go to ICE! at 5 p.m. We parked at Opry Mills and decided walking the small trek to the hotel would be the best idea to avoid crazy parking and traffic at the hotel.
Before going on this trip, I had been told the weather was going to be awful and rainy. I bought my tickets around a month ago and they were nonrefundable so we were going. The entire day we were there, the weather was fine. When it came time to go to the hotel, I decided to leave my umbrella and rain jacket behind because I thought the weather threat was over.
We finally got to where ICE! is with about an hour before we could go in. At about 4:15, everyone’s phone started going off with the tornado watch alert. Then I started getting texts from family members. An alert went out over the intercom telling guests there was a tornado watch in the area and instructing us to get to an interior hallway and away from windows. Then the music started playing again. We decided to just keep doing what we were doing and didn’t pay much attention to it. Then I got more texts.
It’s not a great feeling when the news station says the tornado is headed exactly in your direction. Apparently Danielle Breezy and Davis Nolan were saying “this tornado could hit Opry Mills.” I was getting texts telling me to find a safe location. They also stopped letting people into the exhibit and continued playing the warning over the intercom. I ended up sitting under some water fountains trying not to worry until there was something to worry about. I was really concerned the power would get knocked out and everyone would just lose their minds. Luckily that did not happen.
When the threat was over at 5:20, we got in line to go to the ICE! exhibit. We were at the front of the line and the staff made an announcement that the people with times scheduled for 4:30 and 4:45 will get to come to the front and everyone else will have to move to the back. Some of these people were super serious about seeing this ice. They were stating they will not move and were being very mob-like. It honestly felt like I was in a disaster movie and was in line to get on the last ark or something. It was ridiculous. We decided to just get the refund they offered and left.
Remember when I thought the weather threat was over and didn’t bring my umbrella? Well, we had to walk in the pouring rain all the way back to the mall. Me and my boots that were not made for walking had to stomp in puddles and avoid lightning strikes all the way back to the car. I was soaked. I did not see any ice sculptures, but I definitely made a memory and am grateful the tornado passed us by.
Standard reporter Bethany Porter can be contacted at bporter@southernstandard.com
