What is up with Branson, Missouri

[mdurette Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close mdurette]

I have never heard of Branson prior to owning a TS.
Can anyone explain what is so special about it that it has such large inventory of Time Shares?
Would it be good a vacation to go to with a 5YO?

[GrayFal Silver Contributor and supermoderator Find all posts View Profile Close GrayFal]

I believe it is a BIG Country Western Destination....Lots of shows and attractions.

And JLB lives there http://www.visittablerocklake.org/

Branson.com : The Official Branson Website
Branson MO Official Website - Branson Missouri Hotels, Accommodations, Lodging, Shows, Attractions and More!
City of Branson

[Jeanne Sz Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Jeanne Sz]

Good family spot in the summer

Branson would be a good family vacation spot in the summer. You can go to Silver Dollar City, head to the water park, and go boating or fishing on Table Rock Lake. Branson itself is mostly a couple of busy streets lined with souvenir shops, motels, restaurants and music theatres. There are a couple of amusement parks to take the kids to there, but most don't open until school is out. Branson bills itself as a family friendly destination. We took the kids to a musical revue there, and saw a good illusionist too. It's hot and humid in summer, so the pools at the resorts are welcome features.

[chriskre Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close chriskre]

I dunno about taking a 5 year old.
Branson is the Orlando of the senior crowd over in that part of the country.

I enjoyed it, but I went cause my 84 year old Aunt wanted to go.

It's pretty much all about the shows. Lots of variety shows from people
that could work on a cruise ship. That kind of talent.

I did really enjoy Noah's Ark. I thought it was spectacular but the other shows were okay IMO.

Fishing is pretty big out there too if you like lake fish.

[tonyg Goomba & Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close tonyg]

Hee Haw and JLB.

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

Yup. The timeshares are needed to handle the crowds who want to come see me.

Try asking the same question here:

Branson MO's Biggest Messageboard -

Then duck.
- - - - -

Seriously . . . there are so many timeshares for the same reason there are so many in Orlando, Williamsburg, Gatlinburg, and similar Burgs.

There are some misconceptions.

The theme park, Silver Dollar City, opens in mid-march and closes after Christmas. It has been named one of the Top Ten Christmas destinations . . . 4 million lights, a 4-story animated, synchopated, music playing Chritmas tree.

"Season" runs from the first of March until Mid-December, some attractions staying open longer. The area employees 40,000 m/l.

It is not just Country Western. There are more than 120 attractions and shows, more seats than Broadway or Vegas. The veteran entertainers include Andy Williams, Shoji Tabuchi, Jim Stafford, Mickey Gilley, The Oak Ridge Boys, and others. Most of the shows are young, not country and very talented. Some family shows . . . The Duttons (America's Got Talent Finalist), The Presleys and The Baldknobbers (Mabe family).

It is a golfing destination, with several championship courses, including the newest, the Payne Stewart Golf Club, a tribute course. Also, LedgeStone, Holiday Hills, Pointe Royale, Murder Rock (John Daly), Branson Creek, and Top of the Rock (being redeveloped).

Bass Pro's vacation resort, Big Cedar Lodge, and it's timeshare, Wilderness Club.

A newish lakefront shopping, dining and entertainment complex, Branson Landing.

There are several retirement/vacation developments. StoneBridge Village, originallly a Cooper (Bella Vista, Hot Springs Village, Cherokee Village) development, with 3000 acres and 6000 owners. Branson Creek, a newer 7000-acre development. Branson Hills, a newer 1500 acre development. Pointe Royale, 1100 owners. & many smaller ones. More OFs than you can stick a shake at.

It is a nature destination. Ozark mountains, three major lakes, one a championship bass lake, one a championship trout lake, and one including walleye. A fourth one upriver, is a championship strkper lake. Dogwood Canyon Nature Park. It has some unique natural features. Forests. Glades. Caves. Black Bear. Other critters.

7 million visitors a year. A popular regional vacation destination. "America's Hometown." A popular destination for Veterans all year, with a huge Veterans Day/week celebration. Veteran's museum. Family summer destination. Fall and Christmas OF destination. #1 tour bus destination (Oct-Dec). An autumn leaf destination.

It's too north to be south and too south to be north.

Very white. Very Republican. Very Christian.

[riverdees05 Platinum Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close riverdees05]

We took our Grandsons, ages 7 & 9 there last summer and they loved it. A lot of things to do for all ages. They really liked the pool at the Marriott. Be sure to get a map when you get there that shows all the alternative routes around the strip - which has way to much traffic and back-ups.

[SallyHoover Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close SallyHoover]

From The Simpsons-episode "Bart on the Road"

Nelson (the bully)- What is this place?

Bart-Branson, Missouri. My dad says it's like Vegas… if it were run by Ned Flanders

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

From The Simpsons-episode "Bart on the Road"

Nelson (the bully)- What is this place?

Bart-Branson, Missouri. My dad says it's like Vegas… if it were run by Ned Flanders

The effectiveness of references to fictional characters is limited to the audience familiar with the character. So . . .

Ned Flanders, full name Nedward, is a genuinely well-meaning good-natured person and is one of the few in Springfield to whom that description applies. Though firmly religious, he can be timid and something of a pushover. He is a devout Evangelical Christian and strictly follows the Bible as literally as possible and is easily shocked when challenged on any point of dogma.

In the early years of The Simpsons, Homer Simpson generally loathed Ned, because Ned's family, job, health and self-discipline are of higher quality than he could ever hope to attain himself.

Curiously, the nearest large city to Branson is Springfield, one of the real Springfields.

Yes, it would be accurate that Branson might be considered an anti-Vegas, a vacation destination focusing on that which is good, friendly, Christian, wholesome and hospitable. A place that is, almost by definition, full of ironies and hypocricies.

The reference to Branson being something a self-righteous, holier-than-thou type Christian would be responsible for, is very insightful on the part of The Simpsons writers. That's something that most would not refer to, probably for fear of being considered lesser or anti-Christian.

As an example, at all shows there is always a tribute to veterans, and it is always overdone, as is Christianity, such that those who do not feel a part of that, or as strong as that, are made to feel uncomfortable. I/we were the unofficial Branson hosts on a certain other website for many years, and we entertained into the hundreds of visitors via that website. Some we took to shows, who are veterans, were reluctant to stand and be recognized. Our great Uncle was that way, he being an older, local veteran, and believing it was corney, overstated, or too much too often.

[GrayFal Silver Contributor and supermoderator Find all posts View Profile Close GrayFal]

Hee Haw and JLB.

It would be the only reason I would go!

[lawren2 Malibu Beach Barbie & A Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close lawren2]

Being a coastal snob I don't "get it" either. Branson. If you could get Big Cedar, which you wouldn't on exchange for summer, that would be a great place to see and take a little one.

They made me go to Wisconsin Dells a year and a half ago so I'm good on "fly over" country for a while.

[wackymother Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close wackymother]

I was going to suggest the Wisconsin Dells! We loved it there. Your 5yo would have a blast!

[csavargo Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close csavargo]

I am just looking on my Wyndham site.
MO is always seem to be on special.
10-35% off with points.
I thouight this place must be just a ghost town.
never appeared to me , there is something to visit....
I am from Hungary living in Toronto, now.
Not familiar with America's history....shame on me,
All the posts to th original ? made me corious, dough....
I own TS in Williamsburg, we did that for edu., purposes...
So, Bronson: it is on my list to visit during summer months.
With 2 kids, 8 and 10 I am taking 2 months off, July-Aug.
Thanks for all the useful info.

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

The Dells would be a similar place, with a shorter season because it is further north. With some indoor facility to try to make something out of it.

& with a smaller number of attractions and about half the tourist volume:

Size of Community
Wisconsin Dells, as a destination, is comprised primarily of the City of Wisconsin Dells and the Village of Lake Delton. Totaling just over 19 square miles, this destination has 5,184 permanent residents, but can host over 50,000 guests per day.

Visitor Count
The Dells welcomes approximately 3 million visitors annually. During peak periods, it hosts 55,000 visitors per day.

If I'm not mistaken, 55000 is about the seat count in Branson. I haven't googled that, so I may be wrong.

Nope, not wrong:

NUMBER OF THEATERS:
45 (2 new ones are under construction and scheduled to open in 2005) (More now)

NUMBER OF THEATER SEATS:
55,967 (Branson boasts more theater seats than New York City's Broadway district.)

[JWC Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close JWC]

We spent a week in Branson and saw 7 shows. Not all the shows are country. We saw one of the better magic shows and we have seen the best in Las Vegas, etc. Shoji Tabuchi has a great show and it is not country.

Apart from the shows, there isn't much there. Branson itself is a junkie tourist trap. It is one of those places where we went out of curiosity but would never go again. We were already in MO visiting our son and his family.