Family Vacation - Silver Dollar City

[slag]

My kids have wanted to go there for years as they are interested in the blacksmithing, shows, etc and like that stuff. We are in the KC area so its only a 4 hour drive.

We plan on staying somewhere down there Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night and coming home on Monday, probably late June or early July. Trying to find some nice inexpensive lodging for a family of 5 but don't know where to start, other than googling SDC lodging or Branson lodging. Any tips or suggestions?

 

[OutHouse]

yelp.com
tripadvisor.com
aaa.com
silverdollarcity.com

have fun!

 

[slag]

Looked at a few of the sites so far. I'm kind of hoping someone has gone there recently or knows where to go, where to stay, what to see, what not to see, etc.

Thanks!

 

[cheezmunky]

I grew up in that area, so I don't have much experience paying for rooms, but I do have some ideas. If I had to guess, I would think the hotels off the main strip in Branson (Hwy 76) would be cheaper than those located right on the strip (and probably easier to get to if you use back roads as that main strip can get quite congested on weekends during summer). If you're going strictly for SDC or just want to tour Branson during the day, you may want to look at staying in Branson West. SDC is about halfway between there and Branson and the drive is somewhat scenic.

 

[drnickriviera]

I doubt you'd have time, but you may want to swing by the Ozark Medieval Castle in AR. They have some living history going on if your kids like that stuff. I thought it was pretty neat seeing everyone make the tools and materials needed to build the castle

 

[Harrod]

Try to find something that is not on the main strip, sitting in traffic for an hour to go a few miles sucks. A basic hotel will be pretty cheap, however if you want something that is like a condo, it will be much more expensive(and on the other side of town).

 

[kalrith]

I live near there, so I don't have much experience staying there. One time we stayed in a nice cabin in Hollister, MO. It was like $120/night but had plenty of room for the 5 of us. Another time, I stayed in the SDC cabins (not sure what they're called now). It was convenient, but only if SDC is the only thing you're going to do.

There's a lot to see at SDC if you enjoy the shows, rides, and trades (blacksmithing, etc.). If going there more than 1 day, then a season pass is cheaper. You might be able to order online at a discount. They also have some guest passes, although they're more limited now than they were if you ordered prior to Jan. 1: http://www.silverdollarcity.com/tickets/season-passes/SP-Benefits/Silver-Dollar-City.aspx

Be sure to look at the festivals and decide which one interests you the most. All the rides, trades, etc. are the same at all the festivals. But the shows, food, and some displays vary with the festivals. Actually, there are more trades in the harvest festival than the other ones, but that's not until September.

My family and I get season passes every year. I've probably been there 30 times. However, it's about the only thing I do in Branson, so I won't be much help with other things . I've done a lot of things there (outlet malls, go karts, putt putt, Showboat Branson Belle, peed in the world's largest bathroom), but none of those really interest me any more.

Branson Landing is the one other place I go. It's a pretty nice shopping center on the water. If the weather is nice, it's a nice place to walk around. http://www.bransonlanding.com/. My wife and mother-in-law love to eat at Cantina Laredo, but I've never been there.

IMPORTANT DRIVING TIPS: Avoid hwy 76 like the plague! It sometimes moves at literally 1 mile per hour. Hwy 465 is best if coming from the north and going west of town (to SDC). Hwy 265 is best if coming from the south. And hwy 248 is best if going somewhere in the middle of town (outlet malls, etc). It is fine to take hwy 76 east of town, but take a scenic route to get there: example

Oh, and don't forget to stop in Springfield to go to Bass Pro

 

[slag]

Thank you for all the replies!

 

[slag]

We finally went last week and it was a lot of fun. The "strip" is not nearly as bad as one would think. We also stayed close to the park @ Deer Run motel and it was fine. Parking and driving around the area was easy in the middle of the week and not difficult like I thought it would be. The entire area was beautiful. Also stopped off at Carthage at the Precious Moments chapel for my wife and at the Osceola Cheese tourist area where we bought several cheeses and some sausage and other crap.

 

[soulcougher73]

Glad you had fun. Ive only been once about 15 years ago, but i believe our next family reunion in 2 years will be there. Osceola has SOOO many cheeses its crazy.