A few weeks ago my son and I headed south for Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri. Of course, you all know we live in Missouri but it’s still a long drive, five hours to be exact, since we live in the very northern part of the state and Branson is in the very southern part of the state. I hadn’t been to Branson in years and never taken our son to explore it. I was bummed my husband couldn’t go due to finishing some projects at work but our son and I ventured on.
Now through December 30th you can discover Silver Dollar City’s An Old Time Christmas®. It is one of the best Christmas destinations to visit! Here’s our top reason of why we suggest you visit Silver Dollar City with your family during Christmas.
The Lights. You’ll enjoy the glove of over 6.5 million dazzling lights, 1,000 decorated Christmas Trees, two Broadway-style productions and a 5-Story Special Effects Christmas Tree. Think National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation on steroids! Plus, you’ll get to enjoy a Holly JollyTM Christmas Light Parade featuring Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer & Friends. You’ll take home beautiful Branson Christmas memories destined to last a lifetime!
Don’t miss the nation’s “Best Theme Park Holiday Event” — USAToday/10Best Poll
Rides and Attractions. Not only will you get to see the wonders of Christmas, but you can also enjoy a wide variety of thrilling rides and attractions! My son and I’s favorite ride was the Thunderation roller coaster! It was so much fun! And don’t forget to go back in the spring when they open the World’s Fastest, Steepest & Tallest Spinning Roller Coaster, Time Traveler™!
Unique Shops. During your visit to Silver Dollar City you can shop at more than two dozen unique shops including Jingle Bell Junction, located in the Frisco Barn, showcasing 80 themed trees, a variety of Christmas decor including snow globes, tableware, lighted collectibles and much more! I loved looking at the unique Christmas trees and decor!
The Food. Silver Dollar City is home to many favorites and during Christmas you will want to treat yourself to their home-style Christmas feasts including a prime rib buffet at the Reunion Hall and festive walk-away treats such as wassail, cappuccino, hot apple dumplings and cinnamon ice cream. Of course, we couldn’t leave until we experienced a Tater Twist with our favorite seasonings!
Showboat Branson Belle. Our favorite part during our Branson visit was boarding the Showboat Branson Belle.
We decided to partake in the Santa’s pancakes and pj’s show which was so much fun!
It’s so perfect for little ones and so much fun if everyone wears their pj’s!
You’ll dine and watch a wonderful show while traveling by showboat on Table Rock Lake.
They also offer 3 course dinners as well as other events.
America’s Most Entertaining Dinner Cruise, the Showboat Branson Belle features the new show Celebrate Christmas for Christmas season, featuring new musical selections plus a blend of classic and contemporary Christmas carols and holiday favorites November 4 – December 31, plus January 1, 2018, as the ship cruises Table Rock Lake in Branson, Missouri. The show features the male vocal group The ShowMen; Cassandré Faimon-Haygood, known for a voice as pitch-perfect as it is powerful; the dance troupe, Rhythm, billed as The Fastest Feet West of the Mississippi; and the ultra-sharp comedian emcee Christopher James, with the live band The Rockin’ Dockers. Noon and evening Celebrate! cruises include a 3-course dinner, show and lake cruise.
The Showboat presents Christmas adventure for kids on Santa’s Pancakes & PJs cruises, with kids invited to wear their holiday PJs for a treasure hunt-themed romp throughout the huge paddle-wheeler’s four decks. Kids can visit Sugar Plum Fairy Sweet Stops, visit the Captain in the Pilot House for a special gift, visit face-painting stations and write letters to Santa. As the ship sets sail, all gather in the dining theater for breakfast – pancakes and more – as a cast of holiday characters presents story time and sing-alongs. Kids can visit with Santa on the dock following the cruise. Santa’s Pancakes & PJs cruises are featured on Saturday and Sunday mornings November 4 -December 23, plus noon cruises on Sundays November 26 – December 17.
Information and cruise schedules: 800-775-BOAT(2628) or www.showboatbransonbelle.com.
Cruise schedules are at www.showboatbransonbelle.com or 800-775-BOAT(2628).
During our visit to Branson we stayed at the Best Western Branson Inn and Conference Center in Branson West. If you’re traveling to Silver Dollar City I highly recommend you stay in this hotel. It is perfect for families and you’ll miss being bumper to bumper in a lot of traffic. My son loved the game room they offered and got a lot of use out of their indoor pool.
If you love to camp there’s plenty of options in the Branson area! If you’re traveling through Missouri be sure to check out camping near St. Louis as well. There’s so many things to do in our beautiful state so don’t stop at Branson!
All of these holiday treats add up to make Silver Dollar City one of the best Christmas destinations for family getaways. Come celebrate a special Branson Christmas with us!
Looking for the perfect gift to give this holiday season and beyond? Silver Dollar City Attractions Gift Certificates are the perfect gift! Gift certificates are valid for tickets, passes, merchandise, food and more at Silver Dollar City, The Showboat Branson Belle or White Water! It’s definitely the gift that keeps on giving for every family! Get your gift certificates here.
One of the nation’s most acclaimed Christmas festivals, profiled by USA Today, CNN Travel, The Travel Channel and Good Morning America, is even bigger and brighter this year with an all-new area:
- NEW: Christmas In Midtown, a 70,000 sq. ft. area filled with new light displays 9 stories high, including 30 angels, animated reindeer pulling a sleigh, 3 light tunnels, two 40-foot long moving trains, dozens of stars and snowflakes, and a 90-foot tree, all created at Silver Dollar City. Christmas In Midtown, the largest single lighting expansion to date in the past 2 decades of the festival, adds 1.5 million new lights, bringing the park’s total to 6.5 million lights!
- Rudolph’s Holly Jolly™ Christmas Light Parade, led by the most famous reindeer of all, features musical lighted floats with 200,000 lights accompanied by 33 costumed characters.
- Rudolph’s Christmas Town, where kids can meet Rudolph™, Clarice™ and Bumble™, also includes activities from Reindeer Games to cookie decorating.
- Two original musical productions present Broadway-style experiences, with elaborate sets and talented casts: It’s a Wonderful Life, adapted from the Frank Capra classic, and the acclaimed production A Dickens’ Christmas Carol.
- The Christmas on Main Street light & sound show features the 5-Story Special Effects Christmas Tree with over 350,000 colorful LED lights.
- Tinker Junior’s Toy Shop is an interactive show for kids featuring a 12-foot talking and singing Christmas tree.
- Kids can meet Santa in Santa Claus Lane, illuminated in colorful lights.
- Plus, the festival presents holiday shows, a musical Living Nativity, shows, rides, shopping and new Silver Dollar City dining specialties.
During An Old Time Christmas, Silver Dollar City is open Thursdays – Sundays, plus Wednesdays Nov. 22 and December 20, and open after Christmas Dec. 26-30.
Hours and schedules are at www.silverdollarcity.com.
Silver Dollar City is also open New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day this year, for a new event, their “New Year’s Celebration.”
The 6.5 million holiday lights are still on (just without the Christmas shows, parade, etc.). Special entertainment is:
- A dance party with Members Only, a tribute band performing the hits of the ‘80s
- Christian Rock with the Dove Award-winning band Disciple
- The group AYO, seen on America’s Got Talent
- World-renowned juggler and comedian Albert Lucas
Hours are 11 am to 7 pm December 31, and noon to 8 pm on Jan. 1.
TIME TRAVELER: Coming in 2018!
A big development coming in 2018 is the new ride Time Traveler, the World’s Fastest, Steepest and Tallest Complete-Circuit Spinning Roller Coaster. At an investment of $26 million, this is Silver Dollar City’s biggest attraction ever, introducing a new generation of thrill coasters for families.
Time Traveler will be world record-breaking:
- Fastest – Top speed of 50.3 miles per hour
- Steepest – A 10-story, 90-degree vertical drop…straight down. Custom-engineered to have an immediate out-of-the-station, gravity-driven drop down an Ozarks mountainside
- Tallest – Custom-designed for mountainous terrain with its tallest point at 100 feet
- First & Only with Three Inversions – a Dive Loop, a Vertical Loop and a Zero-G Roll
- First & Only with a Vertical Loop – A 95-foot tall loop
- First and Only Double Launch – 0 to 47 mph in 3 seconds; 30 to 45 mph in 3.5 seconds
Be sure to stop by and try some local favorites before you leave Branson. We made a must-stop at Kringle’s Christmas Store and shopping at Grand Village Shops. We also enjoyed lunch at Coulee’s near Table Rock Lake on hwy 265. The salmon dip appetizer is a must try! Delicious!