Silver Dollar City: Worldfest
This was our first trip to Silver Dollar City and ... Worldfest!
We had been longtime season passholders to Dollywood Themepark in Pigeon Forge Tennessee. Like Silver Dollar City, they have several festials per year including, Festival of Nations. I am glad to report there were actually several differences in the two festivals.
Marriott's Willow Ridge Resort: When we origionally booked this hotel, it was the most economical Marriott in the area. It seemed to have alot of great features, so we booked it. We are avid Marriott users, however our taste is usually limited to the Fairfield Inns due to low costs, great hot breakfasts that are free, and the hotels are always clean. This time the price was right so we upgraded for this trip. All we could say is WOW. WE had a king room with sofa sleeper for the kids, almost a full kitchen, and all the linens we could handle for a family of four for several nights. So we go to check in, and we enter this awesome rustic main building with of course a lounging area, large fireplace and free popcorn. As we check in, we learn there is an indoor pool, an large gameroom, shuffleboard area, horeshoe pit, and among many other amenities they had an activities schedule! Needless to say there was just to much to do. During our stay we took advantage of the AWESOME Gameroom and Indoor Pool, as well as thier nighttime Indoor Movie Theatre and even got to do SMORES at thier outdoor firepit, all paid for by the hotel! There were many more activites to take part in but of coure with Silver Dollar City, we did not have the time to partcipate. To view the event schedule, Click Here!
The hotel was also able to refer us to some OUTSTANDING resturants we had never heard about. So we took advantage and took the up on thier recomendations.
Costs: $85.00 per night (Plus Branson Tax)
PAID (Nothing else. Most Resort Activites are free, and you can cook and fix your own meals with the in room kitchen to save on food costs.)
Overall Attraction: Well Worth It..
Time Needed: Stay at least two nights to get the full experience.
Mel’s Hard Luck Diner: Welcome to the home of the singing waiters! What an awesome recommendation by our hotel. This restaurant is in a really neat shopping center and is one of the anchor stores. When you first go into the restaurant you are greeted with 1950’s themeing and if your there at the right time, lot of singing. The waiters/waitresses actually do sing and interact with the customers and you can even purchase their individual CD’s at your table. We were told at our hotel that many of the waiter who sing at this restaurant are former American Idol contestants, not sure if that is true or not. The menu is rather large and the food, at least the food we ordered, was really good. The service was entertaining, however since the waiters do sing in sets, sometimes the service is slow… especially the check. There is also only one exit to the restaurant, to which they also have a store in the back. Also if you like singing, they will let you or your group sing in front of everyone in the restaurant. It was a really good experience and our girls loved it.
Costs: Around $35 for family of four.
PAID (nothing except th food.)
Overall Attraction: Worth going to.
Time Needed: Anywhere from an hour to three hours. Don’t expect fast service, you come to this restaurant for the good food and entertainment.
Silver Dollar City: One of the first things you will love about this themepark is that parking is FREE! Just park and ride the tram up to the entrance and you have spent nothing. However tickets at the maingate for a one day ticket are outrageous (Just like any themepark you go to nowadays).
Their Season passes are the way to go. If you live within 3 hours driving distance, you have to go for the Season pass. Silver Dollar City is different from most thememparks in at least 2 ways. First it is one of only two major “Country Christian” Themeparks in the country. Secondly, the Festivals and Shows at these theme parks rival or supercede those of the Disney parks… in our opinion.
The festival for this visit was Worldfest. This festival brought in some great shows like “Ireland” and an awesome African Acrobat group called “Zuma Zuma”. There is also a show called “Island Fire” that features three fire knife world champions that really light up the stage. Along with several other artists from various nations, Worldfest also brings in “Taste of the World”. Housed all under one roof, “Taste of the World” features dishes from a variety of different countries, but be warned these are not cheap eats.
Outside of Worldfest is the usually awesomeness of a Country Christian Themepark. If you have young kids, “The Grand Exposition” features a great beginners roller coaster, giant swing, flying elephants, and a duo of awesome pirate rides. Another great area for kids is the new “Fireman’s Landing”. This newly re-created part of the park features rides for all ages. Need to charge up your camera or cell phone? Fireman’s landing has five pedestals with five outlets each to recharge while the kids burn some of that energy. And if that was not enough, “Half Dollar Hollar” is just steps away and features a cool treehouse to play in and a carousel.
There are also the classic rides you don’t want to miss. Be careful on the train ride, sometimes it gets robbed as its going through the woods. The Flooded Mine is also a family favorite.
Don’t have any kids? Well this park has something for everyone. They have five roller coasters with varying thrills, an action packed show schedule, craftsmans shops and demonstrations, and even a pioneer village. Oh year that’s right, there is also a CAVE tour available at Marvel Cave inside the themepark.
Costs: We suggest a Season Pass for this Attraction.
PAID (Food and Drink while in the park)
Overall Attraction: MUST go to this one.
Time Needed: Stay in there all day and enjoy yourself.
Danna’s Bar-B-Que Pit: This was another recommendation from our Marriott resort, and boy was it spot on. No waiters to tip here, just great counter service Bar-B-Que. We found the pricing to be very reasonable and they even had a kiddie ride or two in the restrurant for this kids to play on while your in line. The staff was VERY friendly, restaurant was clean, and was just an overall great experience. I suggest trying the BIG..BIG..PIG Sandwich.
Costs: Around $25 for family of four.
PAID (nothing except the food.)
Overall Attraction: Well worth going to.
Time Needed: 30 mins to an hour, however long it takes you to eat great bar-b-que!
Click here for thier menu!
Branson Landing: As a family we are a BIG believer in family nightlife, and in Branson we found it! Welcome to Branson Landing. Home of some really awesome stores and restaurants like Bass Pro, Joe’s Crabshack, Marble slab, and many others. There are two streets here, one that runs through the shops and one that runs by the river. On the shops side there are several attraction and specialty stores that are well worth going to. Need an adrenaline boost? Try Parakete Pete’s Zipline. This awesome zipline shoots you over the river from Branson Landing and back, however watch your wallet this one as it is a cold $25 per person to participate. The Centerpiece of Branson Landing are the fountains. Once every hour, the fountain put on a special show with lights and fire that will keep any age entertained during its performance. There is also a hot air balloon you can ride at the landing (for a pricey fee), and Joe’s Crab Shack has a nice big playground at the landing that is free for all kids (Don’t have to eat there to use it).
Costs: Free, just had to find parking.
PAID (Nothing.)
Overall Attraction: Worth going to, especially for nightlife.
Time Needed: Depends on you, 30 mins to all day.
For more photos of this Adventure, Click here.