A Pretty Brutal Take on Branson

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

And just to think I renamed Steamboat Bill, Stuckup Bill. Guess he's not the only with a superior attitude.

At Big Cedar - Timeshare Users Group Online Community Forums

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

PS: I'm not quite sure what she has mistaken as being strip mines, as this is not a mining area. My guess is that she has mistaken land that has been cleared for dvelopment, which there is a lot of here, and which is unsightly, one of my pet peeves.

Rearranging the countryside is big business here, job security if you are in that line of work. Unfortunately, not all gashes go any further than that. Right now, because of the downswing in the economy, there are more unfinished ugly blemishes than normal.

Not everyone agrees with this person's opin of this area, as it is outsiders who are buying it up.

We have traveled to some areas recognized as being beautiful . . . Kauai, SOCAL Coastal, Rocky Mountains, SW Florida, The Keys, Pacific Northwest, Hilton Head, etc. . . . and we picked here because of it's beauty.

[shaggy Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close shaggy]

I personally know Glynda and she is not "bad" She just doesn't like Branson and I can assume she doesn't like Myrtle Beach. MB is as tacky as they come but I love it. I also love Branson & Gatlinburg. I told her to relax and make the best of it and gave her some suggestions which she liked. I am one of the few who don't care for Smuggs all that much but other people love it and rave over it. Different strokes for different folks. shaggy

[rapmarks Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close rapmarks]

I hear the same kind of thing about Wisconsin Dells. Most of the people that report negatively never step a foot in the beautiful, natural places, just claim they don't exist.
My resort in Missiouri got trashed partly because it has Oak Cabinets in the kitchen. Then I read someone trashing another resort for having formica countertops. I have decided noone from the boards can come in my house, because i have both and I guess I am too tacky to know how low class i am.

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

I don't know Glynda but it's obvious it wasn't a good exchange for reasons that had nothing to do with the resort - she traded into a family vacation spot in July with someone whose health concerns prohibited many activities. And then she was unhappy because the pools were full of kids, it was hot and humid, and her mother wouldn't do anything that took more than 1 1/2 hours.

I wouldn't let her review influence me on a Branson exchange...except I know now to go in September and not July.

[dougp26364 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dougp26364]

Sounds as if she didn't do enough research on the area. To not understand the the Ozark "mountains" are very old mountain that aren't that high and that temps hit the 90's and 100's in the summertime is sort of funny. Perish the thought that families (ugh) would be vacationing during summer vacation. Who would ever think that kids would want to use the pool in the middle of the summer. I'm sure there must be some rule that says the lazy river is for adults only.

Branson, like many other family destinations, is a tourist trap. There is no getting around that. There's enough mini-golf and go-cart tracks to choke a mule. But there ARE other things to do in the area instead of shopping for t-shirt, fighting the kids for the pool or standing around in the hot summer sun. Take in some shows, go on the Branson Bell lunch or dinner cruise, ride the train, shop till you drop, drive over to Mansfield to see the Engle's/Wilder farm (from Little House on the Praire fame).

But mostly, when you think about Branson in the summer, you'd better think families with kids. It's going to be PACKED with kids. If you want to avoid the wee ones and prefer the blue haired crowd then DON'T go to Branson in June, July or August. If you can't stand the heat (available easily on Weather.com BTW) then pick a cooler month like May or October. Perphaps she'd have had a different opinion if they'd have come during the Christmas festival with all the lights and cooler temperatures.

Planning a vacation doesn't mean reading a few posts on TUG or TS4M's. It means getting online and REALLY researching a destination. There are weather web sites that not only tell you the average temperatures but will also give you the average rainfall for a certain period of time (ie: Florida is rainy during hurricane season). Find the Chamber of Commerce site for a particular city to see if you'll be in town during some huge festival (ie: the balloon festival in New Mexico). If you don't do your research on a vacation destination, you might just end up with hotter than expected temperatures and pools choked with kids.

[barndweller Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close barndweller]

I thought Glynda's report was very informative and didn't reflect badly on either the resort or Branson itself. She was quite honest in indicating that her experiences were severly limited because of her mom and that her interests would be different if she had children along. I am a vacationer that also travels with an older family member and rarely have my grandkids with me so her take on Branson was interesting to me. Having never been to Branson, her report gave me a good indication where it should fall on my bucket list. If I ever decide to do an exchange there I will avoid the warmer months and try to find a smaller resort that will not be so crowded with families. I do the same thing when going to other popular tourist attractions like Vegas. I much prefer something off the strip for the less hectic, less crowded experience. Or Hawaii....I choose anywhere other than Kaanapali Beach. Just my personal choice.

I must admit, I'm not as seasoned a traveler as I had thought myself to be. I had never heard of South of the Border! I don't think we have anything quite comparable out here on the west coast.

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

Well, I guess to each their own. She gave her opinion of the area and the resort from her perspective. I'm sure I've written some reviews on places that others may disagree with also.
We recently came back from the Branson area, actually stayed on Holiday Island in Arkansas, and while Branson is not exactly my cup of tea; I love the area. We were there at the end of May and would go back again in a heartbeat. The weather was beautiful, low 80's and evenings were in the high 60's. Branson Landing is very nice, they have a fountain show and is on the river. Nice place for dinner.

Barndweller- If you come to the east coast and drive to FL...or SC...they have signs from 2 states away all the way down 95 about South of the Border.

The first time I went there, many, many years ago, it was 2 sort of greenhouse buildings on a gravel parking lot and while you went in the store they used to put bumper stickers on your car. Now, it's almost like a small town with quite a few buildings. (well, not quite)

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

I didn't care for the dogpile effect.

Branson is what it is. Step outside the zone, go find the beauty of an area. I've never been but I think I eventually will just for the famous JLB boatride. Ocean City MD is boardwalk games, mini-golf, etc. I love it for the beach but the early digits would not be my cup of tea for a week.

Different strokes for different folks. Orlando could burn to the ground and I wouldn't care. WBurg I happen to like.

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

While driving cross country last May, I drove through Branson and truly enjoyed the Veterans Memorial Museum of Branson

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

We just got back from Niagara Falls, which I always say is one of the most beautiful spots on earth...completely surrounded by the crappiest, tackiest tourist attractions on earth!

And we love the Poconos, but many people--I will name no names--have been extremely cruel in their remarks about these beautiful mountains.

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

We just got back from Niagara Falls, which I always say is one of the most beautiful spots on earth...completely surrounded by the crappiest, tackiest tourist attractions on earth!

Very true! and yet I can spend 3 or 4 days up there happily and not walk into a single one of those tacky things. OK you HAVE to do a couple of tacky things or you haven't experienced it.

Wacky had you been before? The thing that stirred me most was the hearing and actually feeling the falls way before actually seeing them. I think it depends upon the approach though.

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

If you don't have children, the best time for Missouri in October followed by April/May. The Ozarks are very old mountains. There is a lot to see, hiking, canoeing, biking, etc. To each his own. I first visited Branson in 1969 and have been back a few time. There is a lot to do in neighbor states, also.

In the summer there are many families with children since it is an easy drive from Kansas City, St. Louis and other smaller cities. In the fall and spring there are a lot of older folks on bus tours, etc.

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

Wacky had you been before? The thing that stirred me most was the hearing and actually feeling the falls way before actually seeing them. I think it depends upon the approach though.

Yes, a long time ago, before kids. This time we went on the Maid of the Mist, which we've never done before. That's pretty incredible! I couldn't believe how far into Horseshoe Falls the boat went!

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

We were in Branson week of 4th of July in '03. It was hot, we were uncomfortable and a lot of the roads were under construction. We may go back sometime soon, but it won't be in July.