Trip to Branson

My family goes to Branson at least once a year. The kids will have fun at Silver Dollar City. Highly recommend seeing The Haygoods. High energy, fun, entertaining show.
http://www.thehaygoods.com/

HI,we just went this past summer,and our kids range from 2 to 12 yrs old. We had a wonderful time! I agree,plan your routes as the traffic is horrible on the main drag,it can take over 30 mins to go the few mile strip..
The Titanic is a MUST SEE!!!!!! Its highly recommended by all means,some of the attractions are very over priced and very cheesy,lol..The wax muesum was OK,its short,but kids may like it!:) It features james bond,nicolas cage,etc..
With 6 in our family,we didnt see many shows as it would cost a fortune to go for us all. We picked a few and Branson was a blast for all!!!:) We are DEF going back this summer!

Hi J.,

We did Branson two summers ago and had a lot of fun. Silver Dollar City was quite enjoyable...in a lot of ways it is like going to Six Flags but with more of a "country" flare. My daughter really enjoyed the old buildings like the two room log cabin decorated appropriately as well as the school house. There are a couple of fun coasters there for the adventerous ones in your family and plenty of not so high and fast rides. We did the Dolly Parton Dixie Stampede show which is a lot like Medieval Times with the teams and dinner but has lots of fun animal tricks and singing and dancing (keep in mind, the whole town is pretty much based on country music). My daughter did the Baldknobber (sp) show with a friend and her family three summers ago and came home talking about it for weeks...I think it's a variety sort of show with singing and comedy. The main reason I answered your post is because there is a restaurant that you MUST MUST MUST make time to enjoy. It's called Lamberts and is actually about 30 minutes before Branson in Springfield, Missouri. It's the home of the "throwed roll". Funny story....several years ago my husband and I were watching the travel channel and a program came on about 10 best restaurants in some particular category (can't remember the topic). Anyway, we laughed when we saw Lambert's come on and thought that it would be cool to eat there if we were ever in that city (we had completely missed where it was). Anyway, we're driving towards Branson and low and behold we pass the billboard for Lamberts in Springfield and nearly passed out from excitement. We went on to Branson and then came back to Springfield for lunch one day and had the best time. Be warned, it is always busy so you must count on a 30-45 minute wait but it is so worth it. We even went back as we were leaving to come back home to DFW. Two years later, my daughter still laughs about trying to catch rolls that the "roll boy" threw across the restaurant to her :-)
Anyway, have a blast, it was a beautiful ride getting there!

We all enjoyed the lumberjack competition show and dinner when we visited a few years ago. Sorry I don't remember the name of it.

Hi J.,

We liked SDC better than 6-flags because there is so much more to do than just ride things. Get a family season pass and you can go back as often as you want. It's hard to see it all in just one day. There is also a cave you can go in at the entrance to SDC that is wonderful!!!

If you don't do anything else, go to Dolly Parton's DIXIE STAMPEDE and when they ask if you're north or south, say SOUTH!!!!! The food is outstanding AND FUN and the show is awesome....animals and even get the kids involved down in the arena for some fun things. Your kids will love it (mayhbe not the 2-YO). Go an hour early or so and go thru the stable and meet all the horses....that was the greatest part for my grandchildren (they love horses)!

We loved the Butterfly palace and the duck ride. If you're into 'wood', be sure to go to Englers on the strip. Awesome!!!!

Another fun thing is the dinner cruise on the Branson Belle. They have a magic show and ventriloquist with dogs that's GREAT.

If you're into the night life/6-flags thing, there is another park that's only opened at night - it has more rides than SDC. Don't forget the little out-of-the-way 'strip shops' - be sure to check out the 'Jiggling George' .... you can use them free as much as you want while you're there and you won't believe the shoes - looks like something out of "I-Robot" .... a MUST SEE!

The lake is beautiful and good fishing/boating/relaxing depending on what time of year you're going.

Have a GREAT time!

I had an awesome time and no, it is better than Six flags. You need to go to the titantic tour( you are an actual person that was on the ship) and the Duck. These are awesome tours. You have to go at least once in your life time. I hope this helps.

You will love Branson. There is a lot for kids-water slide, go carts, etc. Most of the shows are so entertaining all ids love them, but you go where you want and they will follow your example of having fun. Don't miss the Sound and Light Studio up on the hill with "Noah" ! It is awesome, has live animmals and the ark is huge-you will feel like you are inside it.
Silver Dollar City is not like Six Flags. There are some rides but it has a lot of educational value, hands on learning for kids and entertains even the youngest really well. My grandchildre ages 14-4 loved it. Go to Lamberts Restaurant, good home cooking and the "thrown roll", delicious. Worth the short drive. Dollp Parton's Dixie Stampede is really fun for all ages, also.
Have a good time.

Depending on when you go will determine what will be available for you to do with your Kids. Silver Dollar City is closed during the winter months and only opens back up during spring break (check to see what that date is when we went they were closed). There were numerous go-kart rides, the Ripley's Museum, The Ducks, and lots of little shops. Outside of that I didn't see Branson as a "family" vacation spot. We went with our three children who at the time were 12, 11, and 18 months. They were bored most of the time and preferred to spend their time at the arcade located at our Timeshare. My husband and I enjoyed it but decided that if we go back it will be without kids.

There are great posts already, but as a person who grew up IN Branson and goes back twice a year for family and fun, I'll weigh in on some things I love to do with my boys (six & 2). Sights and Sounds theatre is amazing. They have one in PA and now one in MO. We have seen Noah and the Miracle of Christmas. The second half is really the neatest (noah). Another show my kids LOVED is the Amazing Pets (or maybe amazing animal show) it is on the main strip right across from the Outback. So much fun! animal tricks, monkey and cheezy (but the kids love it) humor.

SDC is wonderful and there is tons to do with your aged children - petting zoo, activities, street performances and they have really stepped up their rides/attractions in the past couple of years, too.
A must, must is to spend a day on the lake. This is truly the crowing beauty of this area. Rent a boat for 1/2 a day and ski, swim, it is a beautiful corp of engineers managed lake and incredible (table rock) Taneycomo is really icy - even in the summer.
Also, If you do go to SDC, splurge and get the family pack where you can go to White Water at a greatly reduced price. It is smaller than Hurricane Harbor, but very fun.

Have a great time and yes, look out, traffic is a bear. If you need some walking time, the Landing is newer and it is right by downtown (check out the old time 5 & 10 it is original to Branson and the same family owns it for three generations - so neat!).

Needless to say, you will not be at a loss for something fun to do!

J.,
I took my mother there for her 70th birthday. My boys were 8 and 10 then. We had a great time. Laura Ingalls Wilder's home is just a little ways east of there.
We all agreed going there was the best part of the trip. Besides two homes, there is a museum with lots of things that belonged to her and her family. We also learned about her daughter Rose and that there were also books written about her life growing up. We enjoyed reading those together after we got home.
Have fun!
And, please except my sympathies on the loss of your two baby girls. May God bless you.
Victoria

Hi J.!

Branson will be so much fun for you guys! I have a few tips from a Branson expert! My husband grew up in Branson and his family is still in the area so I called my mother in law for you to get some info! She used to be a tour guide there!

She said silver dollar city would be a lot of fun for all your kids so definitely go there. She also said that if you want to know what shows will be in town this summer to call the Branson Chamber of Commerce and ask for their magazine with all the show and attraction information and they should mail it to your address. She said that would probably be the most helpful for planning your trip.

She was also kind enough to offer her email to you if you would like to ask her more questions and she knows some people who know some people lol so she will have some great info to make your vacation the best family time for you guys!

my email is ____@____.com let me know if you would like my MIL's email!

Well you will want to get a map from the chamber that shows you the "blue" and "yellow" routes to save you lots of time and frustration with the driving part.
We went to the Shanghai Cirucs show and it was enjoyed by everyone from my four year old to my dad. My mom, daughter and I also did the butterfly palace and it was a very nice relaxing experience, but it is not a show just to let you know.
Have fun!

Check out The Hard Luck Diner in Branson. We always go there and have thoroughly enjoyed the entertainment each & every time. The waiters & waitresses sing during your meal. They are all true entertainers (very talented & personable) and I believe they've all recorded their own CDs. You'll feel great about leaving them a good tip! They earn it!
For us, the food is typical diner food. The kids always love it, and the adults say "it was okay." We go there for the "complete" dining experience, and have never been disappointed.
Check out their reviews on http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g44160-d5231...
Have a fun trip!
C.
McKinney

I grew up going to Branson because my grandparents had a lake house there. We just went back last summer and had a blast. Silver Dollor City is SO MUCH FUN! If you are staying for a week or so I would recommend getting a season pass it doesnt cost quite twice as much if I remember but your kids could go back multiple times and love it. There is tons to do!
I grew up going to the Presleys and I still think it is one of the best shows they have in Branson- I have been to most. It is family friendly and you will also enjoy it.
We also did the titanc museum, it was great. It might not be your 2 year olds favorite but my cousins who were 11 and 9 did really like it.
Hope you all have a blast!

I have been going to Branson since 91. I can't believe someone said it wasn't great for young kids! My girls are 6 and 16 months. We go to Big Cedar Wilderness Lodge every year and stay for a week in summer and a week in November. Silver Dollar City is a dream come true to them! They have festivals throughout the year (open year round) and have a kid's festival through the summer (6/5 to 8/8). They will have the Backyardagains, Dora & Diego, Scooby Doo, etc this summer. It is also great in November with the largest collection of Christmas lights anywhere in the world, Breakfast with Santa, etc (it blows Holiday in the Park out of the water!) We like the Titanic, but my kids were bored to tears. We did the Christmas show @ the Sight & Sound theatre which was great, but almost 3 hours so there is no way my younger one would have sat through it. Old Downtown Branson is a lot of fun & Rocky's Italian is family friendly. The Thai place there is also good if you like that. There is a Build a Bear down there & a Bass Pro with the big fish tank. Dixie Stampede and Chinese Acrobats are both great for kids. And, you could ride the ducks or do the Race Track. Feel free to e-mail me with any questions. We absolutely love it for kids!