Branson is slowly dying!!! (dining, buildings, place)

[MOforthewin]

Originally Posted by STLCityMike

The other day 3 friends and I drove down to Branson, spent the night in an almost full hotel then spent one day at Silver Dollar City. First, it had been MANY years since I had been and the newer coasters are awesome (Outlaw Run, Time Traveler), but secondly, it was quite busy for late March. Lines so long, I opted to upgrade to the Trailblazer pass an avoid them. I would not have been able to experience the ones I wanted to otherwise. Suffice to say, I think we can debunk the 'dying' fear and at most say perhaps it is evolving.

It's a similar path the other similar areas may be taking. We have new generations that might not care as much about a painted fence in Hannibal, a president from Springfield MO, or some of the small amusements on a strip of land in Osage Beach, Branson or other areas. People travel more and the families that maybe made Branson/ the Lake a staple are now spending some time in Florida, California or other areas.

Just my two cents!

Correct. People today would rather go to the beaches on the Atlantic or Gulf coast. Even Gatlinburg I don't hear about as much anymore.

Personally I love the views of somewhere like a Table Rock compared to the Gulf. Maybe that's because I live in Southwest FL again I dunno but I find the views of the Ozarks of southern Missouri and Arkansas to be quite lovely and more conservative too. Also bass fishing too.

Didn't Disney many years ago consider Branson area to be the home of Disney World but decided on Orlando instead?

Glad that didn't happen. Would cause an explosion in the growth for Springfield and southwards and would make Missouri more liberal due to all the outside people moving there.

The Branson area while not warm like Orlando IS warm enough most of the winter so that it would be open year round except a couple days a winter where there is too much ice or snow would slow it down. otherwise you get a number of days down there where you don't need a jacket.

[Ztonyg]

I was just in Branson Tuesday - Thursday and it doesn’t look like it’s dying. Silver Dollar City is a great park and there were families everywhere. Most families with young kids can’t afford to load everyone up on a plane and go to the coasts all the time.

[Repo_man_sanchez]

I'm headed back to visit some relatives and I m going to spend a day in Branson. The "Branson Dying" thing is a matter of perspective. Sure I would expect an uptick in tourism since many people were locked down last year and couldn't go anywhere so this is probably the result of cabin fever for many. If you are a local and drive around the town on side roads you will see lots of shuddered businesses and motels. Branson overbuilt and the tourist demand couldn't meet the expectations. There has been a reset. Whether or not the current uptick lasts depends on lots of things - gas prices are soaring, lots of people are still unemployed, etc.... There will always be workers for the low level lizard jobs in Branson because those people gotta buy their meth somehow. Yes I worked in Branson and in any restaurant a significant portion of the employees were meth heads. The economy is changing and with it consumer behavior changes also. In an economic downturn Branson suffers from a lack out of state tourism while the in state business generally picks up with people not wanting to splurge on gas and travel costs. I don't think Branson will die completely but how it survives depends on many things and how the local planning authorities decide where and when to devote focus and resources. Years back the locals jacked up the price of everything and then we had an economic downturn and the local business traffic slumped because it was just as cheap to travel anywhere else and vacation while weekend getaways were too cost prohibitive to many. That's when lots of the local business you see today boarded up happened.

[SunGrins]

My last visit was in 2013, I think. Maybe a year or so earlier. There was talk of a NASCAR track to be built somewhere near there. My guess is that the plan melted away? The place actually looked better than I remembered from earlier visits but that was a long time ago.

[TRex2]

Originally Posted by Dutchpride

I’ll be in Branson in a couple weeks doing some consulting work for Silver Dollar City. I haven’t been in Branson for quite some time so I’m looking forward to seeing for myself if Branson is going down hill or not. I think Silver Dollar City is going to do great. People are turning on the mega theme parks. They’re tired of paying high prices in overly crowded parks. People also aren’t happy with some of the changes the big parks have made.

We will be looking forward to hearing your opinion.

[MOforthewin]

Originally Posted by SunGrins

My last visit was in 2013, I think. Maybe a year or so earlier. There was talk of a NASCAR track to be built somewhere near there. My guess is that the plan melted away? The place actually looked better than I remembered from earlier visits but that was a long time ago.

Really? Interesting. Can you imagine the traffic there during a big race in May thru early Sept. It's already bad enough in the summer.


Wasn't there a talk of building Disney Land there back in the 60s? Good thing that didn't happen. That region of MO would have exploded BUT it would totally change the political landscape of Missouri too.


The Orlando area became more liberal when Disney World was built.


I'm surprised Branson didn't grow as big as Gatlinburg. The winter temperatures are identical in Branson to Gatlinburg. Except the summer temps in Gatlinburg average highs and lows are cool because of the elevation in eastern TN.


Branson really only has two months where it can get really cold.

[Ivory Lee Spurlock]

I went to Branson in 1988. I was 34 at the time. That is the only place I had ever been as an adult that I was the youngest one in almost every room. Outside of church and a nursing home, I had never seen so many old folks gathered in one place in my life. Now I'm one of the old(er) folks and I have no desire to ever go back to Branson ever again.

[MOforthewin]

Originally Posted by Ivory Lee Spurlock

I went to Branson in 1988. I was 34 at the time. That is the only place I had ever been as an adult that I was the youngest one in almost every room. Outside of church and a nursing home, I had never seen so many old folks gathered in one place in my life. Now I'm one of the old(er) folks and I have no desire to ever go back to Branson ever again.

Don't move to southwest FL then lol. My counties median age is 57 now! County to my north is 55 and the county to my south is about 50 for median age. I'm 38 and it's odd. All old people!

[SunGrins]

I went to Branson for trout fishing more than the usual tourist trap stuff. There are trout in Lake Taneycomo and at Roaring River. But, I went to a few show things. I saw the "Sons of the Pioneers" who performed in an outdoor pavilion in 104 degree temperature. One collapsed and they had to haul him away in an ambulance halfway through the show. They were all in their 80s I think and it was way too hot to be doing an outdoor performance. There was an Elvis impersonator that put on a good show, I guess. A woman sitting next to me drove from San Antonio to see the show. She was squirming in her seat and then got up and tackled him on stage at one point. A bit of bizarre behavior. There were maybe three or four men in the audience with 100 women. A good place to meet elderly chicks? Then there was some sort of family performers -- sort of like the Osmonds but worse. Fishing was good, as I recall.

[MOforthewin]

Originally Posted by SunGrins

I went to Branson for trout fishing more than the usual tourist trap stuff. There are trout in Lake Taneycomo and at Roaring River. But, I went to a few show things. I saw the "Sons of the Pioneers" who performed in an outdoor pavilion in 104 degree temperature. One collapsed and they had to haul him away in an ambulance halfway through the show. They were all in their 80s I think and it was way too hot to be doing an outdoor performance. There was an Elvis impersonator that put on a good show, I guess. A woman sitting next to me drove from San Antonio to see the show. She was squirming in her seat and then got up and tackled him on stage at one point. A bit of bizarre behavior. There were maybe three or four men in the audience with 100 women. A good place to meet elderly chicks? Then there was some sort of family performers -- sort of like the Osmonds but worse. Fishing was good, as I recall.

that's like my area of Southwest FL! It's hell dating for a 38 year old. For a 65 year old guy, especially if you got money and not fat you'd clean up being single around here.


Yea, if you look at the latest average highs and low data, the average high in Branson at the warmest time of the summer is 92 degrees!! which there are a few days in the summer where you will only get highs in the mid 80s due to clouds and rain or the occasion cold front will bring temps down into the mid 80s, but many days you get close to 100 too. Also, the dewpoints are higher down there too which makes the heat index badddd.


Might be another reason Gatlinburg is more popular in the summer! The average high in the peak of summer there is only 83 degrees due to the elevation there! Quite comfortable in the summer there. A lot easier to enjoy yourself outside when temps are only in the low 80s. The Ozarks in far southern Missouri can be unpleasant in the summer. Ironic for example St. Louis in a heat wave might get hotter. However the dewpoint is always lower in Stl.


Although I remember the summer of 1997 when I visited my aunt and uncle in St. Louis. They took me down to their lake house at Bull Shoals. It was around the 4th of July when that historic cold snap hit Arkansas and Missouri. Some areas of the southern Ozarks in the higher elevations had lows in the UPPER 40s!