Just Press Go Travel

It’s that time of year again for our annual Thanksgiving trip! This year we have a 2.5-year-old and a 6-month-old, I say this because that factored into our choice of location.

We live in St. Louis, MO and decided that we wanted a driving location because we have a flying trip in a few weeks. Our top choices were going to be Branson, MO, Gatlinburg, TN, and Chicago, IL. Due to timing – we scrapped Gatlinburg since that is 8 hours each direction without stops. Chicago seemed like it was going to be cold to walk everywhere with a 6-month-old.

We ultimately chose Branson, which is roughly 4 hours from home.

As always, none of these links are commission – just information and vibes.

Where We Stayed

We stayed at the Marriott’s Willow Ridge Lodge in a 1 Bedroom Villa. This is a Marriott Vacation Club property, aka timeshare.

Room Features:

• 1 King Bed in Bedroom
• 1 Sofa Bed in Living Room
• Fully stocked Kitchen
•  Washer & Dryer with detergent to run 2 loads
• Bathroom with tub
• Patio/balcony with table and chairs

Pros:

• Hotel is just off the main street of Branson (76) on the Yellow Route. It is very easy to get everywhere in Branson from here.
• Indoor pool
• Recreation room with air table, shuffleboard, ping pong, billiards, and foosball
• Craft room with daily activities for kids at a nominal cost
• Resort activities such as movie nights, pie sharing (everyone does have a kitchen, after all), happy hour, and more.
• Outdoor activities including basketball, shuffleboard, pickleball, and a disc golf course.
• There is a great outdoor pool area if here over the summer
• Our building is .3 miles from Pirate Cove Adventure Golf, which is essentially open 7 days a week year-round – which cannot be said of all the different entertainment options.

Cons

• $15 parking fee if you are not a timeshare owner
• Dealing with the traffic off the main street of Branson depending on where you are trying to go and when
• There is only one restaurant on property and it’s seasonal
• The rooms are not necessarily old, but you can see some the wear
• Other resort and lodging options in the area have either a playground and/or mini golf on property complimentary. Would love to see one or both of those added here in the future.

This is my second time staying at this resort with my husband – would absolutely come back again.

Things to Do

What We Did This Trip

• Pirate’s Cove Adventure Mini Golf | $15/adult, kids under 3 were free. We went around 10 am when it opened, keep in mind this is off season, and we had a great time. Not very crowded and even our toddler made it through the 18 holes. Per the staff, the Captains course is “easier” than the Blackbeard course.
• Branson Landing | This is a shopping and entertainment district. There is a large fountain that is coordinated to music, and during the holidays, it does shows on the hour to an assortment of holiday songs. We caught a “Carole of the Bells” – husband and I enjoyed it. Toddler was scared and started crying due to the loudness of the music, and the fire that was part of the show.
• Silver Dollar City (Twice) | A gem of a theme park in Southern Missouri. Theme park enthusiasts actually love this park for the innovative roller coasters including Time Traveler and Outlaw Run. Being honest – there is not much to do for kids under 36” tall at this park, and even that height is a stretch. Literally nothing if you are pregnant.
  • We bought 2-day tickets since it was only $20 to add on a second day, and kids under 3 are free.
  • We went on Wednesday (the day before Thanksgiving), and on Thanksgiving Thursday. The difference in the crowds and experience between the two days was a horse of a different color. I would recommend avoiding Wednesday if you are going the week of Thanksgiving. If you decide to visit this particular week in the future – my advice is to visit on Thanksgiving. We had the best time.
  • Silver Dollar City operates on a nontraditional schedule during the Holiday season, so make sure to check dates and times they are open before your trip. I could probably write an entire post about visiting Silver Dollar City.
  • Silver Dollar City goes all out for Christmas. They have over 1 million Christmas Lights up throughout the park, which is the main reason we visited – the holiday vibes.
• Made the most out of our hotel amenities | We made frequent trips to the Recreation Room at the hotel to play the various games offered, and used the indoor pool. The property is not too large, so getting around was easy to walk from our room to the main clubhouse.
• BONUS: Wonders of Wildlife Aquarium at the Bass Pro Shop in Springfield, MO | It’s advertised on billboards between St. Louis and Branson as one of the best aquariums, and we agree. It gives one path to get through the museum which I always love so I know I’m not missing anything, and I don’t have to backtrack. There is so much to see and do, and you also get access to a National Geographic photo exhibit and a museum for one price. 
  • Tip: I’d avoid the stroller for this if you can. There are a decent number of stairs, and while there are elevators, they are not convenient and they are slow. 

What We Missed Out On

• White Water | This is a water park. We went in winter, so it was closed for obvious reasons, but we’ve been in the past and really enjoyed it. Not too big, not too small, and clean. We’ve found that we like days where we do White Water in the morning, back to the hotel to relax and nap in the afternoon, then Silver Dollar City at night (this was pre-kids, so do with that what you will).
• Tanger Outlets Branson | This is home to a DISNEY OUTLET. I’m a huge Disney fan, so I really wanted to see what it was all about, but time was not on my side and we decided to try it out on Friday…which happened to be Black Friday. My friends…do not attempt this outlet mall on Black Friday.
• Most restaurants. We normally go out to eat for most meals on vacation…but that did not happen this trip due to nap times or lack thereof. We used the kitchen at the hotel for most meals, which I guess was a good change for our wallets.
• Titanic Experience | We have done this in Gatlinburg. If you’ve never done it – I recommend building it into your schedule. It’s educational and interactive.
• Shows | The limit does not exist to the number of shows in Branson. We did none of them. Maybe when the kids are older.
• Table Rock Lake | Same with White Water – it was just too cold to try to do anything on the lake.

Places to Eat

• Alpha Hibachi | This was a food truck/trailer off the main strip in Branson. Delicious. You can order in advance, and I’d probably recommend that because there was no line when we were there and it took about 30 minutes to get our food. Worth It.
• Mel’s Diner | Good diner food and a show. All waitstaff audition to work there and it’s a musical experience. It can be loud, so I’d recommend passing on this if your kids are not fans of noise.

Things We’d Do Different

• Go to the outlet mall earlier in our trip…or stay one more day I guess and go on Not Black Friday.
• I’d probably just buy one day of tickets for Silver Dollar City and go on Thanksgiving. It was a fraction of the amount of people, and more enjoyable going on the holiday rather than the day before.
• We tend to go to Branson during the holidays, and really enjoy it, but next time we are thinking we’d like to go in the fall when it’s a bit warmer or over the summer to make the most of the outdoor pools.

Questions? Interested in Booking?

Reach out to melanie@simplyperfectvacations.com with any questions, comments, or help booking your next vacation!