Christmas in Branson

In early November,2003, we drove to Columbia, Missouri, to pick up my best friend Doris, who was traveling with us. The weather was nice and warm and stayed that way during our week of vacation.
We bought tickets for the shows we wanted to see before we left home. These included the Rockettes, the Shoji Tabuchi Show, a luncheon cruise on the Branson Belle, and a one day pass to Silver Dollar City. We had a wonderful time and plan to return for the Christmas celebration in Branson next year.

Quick Tips:

It is a good idea to plan ahead and get your tickets for very popular shows early. Some shows are in much higher demand, and the best tickets will go fast. In case you fail to do that, there are still a lot of shows that feature very talented performers that haven't become as popular.
Our timeshare had a wine and cheese party during each week that featured some of these performers. Approximately ten different shows were represented at the party we attended. Each invited performer sang two songs and told us about his/her show. They even gave us coupons with discounts on tickets. This is a good way to sample some of the shows before buying tickets to the performance. There is a lot of talent in Branson, and we felt that many of the newcomers were every bit as talented as the proven performers.

Best Way To Get Around:

The very best way to get around in Branson is driving your personal automobile. Highway 76 is the main location for most of the shows and traffic in Branson. I recommend that travelers obtain an area map of Branson and acquaint themselves with the traffic relief routes that avoid Highway 76.

Best Things Nearby:
Fairfield at the Meadows is located near the shows, a golf course, and two lakes. The landscaping is beautiful, and the staff couldn't be any friendlier.

Best Things About the Resort:
The units are well maintained and are decorated beautifully. We think the very best thing about them is the wonderful activities program. You can attend a lot of good social activities right at the timeshare. They also can arrange tickets for many of the shows at discounted prices. Fairfield Branson is a great place to stay!

Resort Experience:
The units are very comfortable and pretty. Our unit had a big combination living room/dining room/kitchen, a large balcony with chairs and a small table, two bedrooms, and two baths. The kitchen area was very nice and roomy and well equipped with dishes and pots and pans. We cooked several meals while we were there, and the kitchen was very easy to work in. We especiallly enjoyed the washer and dryer and also made good use of them.

• Unit Type: 2 Bedroom
• Activities: Excellent
• Amenities: Excellent
• Unit Satisfaction: Excellent
• Family Friendliness: Excellent
• Service: Excellent

Best Things Nearby:
The timeshare is located close to a number of restaurants, and also the shows. The location is excellent.

Best Things About the Resort:
The people who work for Fairfield are helpful and friendly, the units are very nice and roomy, and the location is super.

Resort Experience:
We found Fairfield at the Falls to be very comparable to Fairfield at the Meadows. The units are tastefully decorated, the beds are very comfortable, and the area is nice and quiet.

We found this timeshare to be perfect for us.

• Unit Type: 1 Bedroom
• Activities: Excellent
• Amenities: Excellent
• Unit Satisfaction: Excellent
• Family Friendliness: Excellent
• Service: Excellent

We used the last of our 2003 Fairfield points to visit Branson during our December 21, 2003 wedding anniversary. We had never stayed at Fairfield at the Falls and wanted to stay there this time. We were very pleased with the unit we were assigned and found it to be just as well decorated and nice as Fairfield at the Meadows. It is also located closer to the shows, had they been operating. Since there were no shows, we attended Fairfield's Wine and Cheese Party and then stayed to play Bingo. The food was good and a wonderful singer provided entertainment for us during the party. She sang a lot of the oldies and then sang Christmas songs. It was a fun time for everyone there. I got a lucky card when we played Bingo and won the first Bingo. My prize was two bottles of California wine and a special dark chocolate & carmel covered apple.

The next day we shopped at the outlet stores for clothes for our grandchildren. We also found a store that had a number of music CDs that we had been searching for. We then stored our purchases in our SUV and did something we haven't done for a long while-- we attended a movie. We even managed to pick one that we both really liked.

Our trip was quieter and different from our trip in November to see the Christmas shows, but since quiet time with no traffic is not often found in Branson, it made our trip more special.

One of the fun things we did on our Christmas in Branson trip was to take a luncheon cruise on the Branson Belle. The Branson Belle looks like it has been around for a long, long time, when, in fact, the paddle boat is pretty new, and was built especially for cruises on Table Rock Lake. Within a short time after boarding the Branson Belle, we were on our way. It was fun to stand at the railing and watch our progress along the lake. We had been told when our lunch was to be served and reached our table in a timely fashion. The food was very good and the service was excellent. Shortly after our meal, the Christmas show began. The performers were very talented, the Christmas music was beautiful and everyone seemed to enjoy the show. The star performer did his act with two dogs and he was funny and very entertaining. I highly recommend a cruise on the Branson Belle.