It is Christmas time and it's becoming a very popular time to travel to Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri. Growing up we frequently traveled to Branson and have been Silver Dollar City season pass holders for many years. As I know my way around the parks like the back of my hand I forget that many who travel there once a year or once every couple of years do not know the ins and outs like our family does. So I have a few tips for traveling with families with kids.
1. If you are not a SDC season pass holder, get the most out of the price of your ticket and go the day before after 3:00 pm (spring and summer) or 7:00 pm (winter) and get in the next day FREE! Especially in the winter, the crowds can be pretty large at night. If you go after 7:00 pm the crowds start to die down and you can see all of the Christmas lights, then you can return the next day early and enjoy the rides and other entertainment that is offered.
2. If you plan to spend all day and possibly the night prior at the parks invest in a SDC mug. The price of one is an investment in the other drinks you will purchase over the time spent in the park. Might I also suggest that you get a frozen strawberry lemonade, located at the exit of the Mine Shootout across from the potato Tater Twists? (The minute maid frozen lemonades are not as good.)
3. Family Friendly rides/attractions are as follows: (Everyone can ride and/or toddlers can ride with an adult.)
1. If you are not a SDC season pass holder, get the most out of the price of your ticket and go the day before after 3:00 pm (spring and summer) or 7:00 pm (winter) and get in the next day FREE! Especially in the winter, the crowds can be pretty large at night. If you go after 7:00 pm the crowds start to die down and you can see all of the Christmas lights, then you can return the next day early and enjoy the rides and other entertainment that is offered.
2. If you plan to spend all day and possibly the night prior at the parks invest in a SDC mug. The price of one is an investment in the other drinks you will purchase over the time spent in the park. Might I also suggest that you get a frozen strawberry lemonade, located at the exit of the Mine Shootout across from the potato Tater Twists? (The minute maid frozen lemonades are not as good.)
3. Family Friendly rides/attractions are as follows: (Everyone can ride and/or toddlers can ride with an adult.)
- Fireman's Landing:
- Fire Wagon Frenzy
- Up the Ladder
- Fire House Play place (This is a ball pit, very loud. I would avoid if your children do not like loud sounds.)
- Lucky's Dizzy Dogs
- Other Areas of the Park
- Silver Dollar City Train (Also loud and would suggest sitting in the back if your children do not like loud sounds.)
- Grandfathers Mansion
- Half Dollar Holler
- Happy Frogs
- Marvel Cave (Would only do this if everyone in your group is up for the long walk. No strollers allowed)
- River Blast (One of our favorites in the summer but be prepared to get soaked!)
- Wings of Wonder
4. Download the Silver Dollar City app for IOS or Android see link below:
This app is similar to a map you would pick up upon arrival to the park, except it gives you updated wait times on rides. (I would also suggest getting a map for reference when you arrive at the park.)
5. Bring a wagon, stroller, etc... There is a lot of walking and a lot to see. Little legs will need the assistance throughout the day. It also is nice to have for storing bags, mugs, purchases, etc...
6. Bring snacks for kids but the food is pretty AMAZING!! This is one of my husband and my's favorite places to eat. You cannot really go wrong with any of the food there. We have never been a fan of their buffets but any of the quick service meals have always been delicious and worth more than what was paid for.
- Percy's Southwest Grill is probably the most out of character but it is similar to Chipotle and very tasty. Any of the entrees could be shared.
- Chester's Kettle Chips are good for the nacho style.
- Fry Bread company has great sandwiches and desserts.
- Poke Salad Mary's has a great vinegarette salad.
- Tom Sawyer's Hand Made Pretzels has a delicious pretzel dog.
7. Parking: get there early if you plan to spend all day there. If you park in one of the first two lots then walk to the entrance. It will take less time and hassle than waiting for the tram and getting everyone it. If you come mid-day in the summer check the first two lots, many people leave in the heat of the day and spots are probably open.
Looking for a Travel Agent to plan your next vacation email me at Bobbie@marvelousmousetravels.com I specialize in Disney Travel but can book pretty much any vacation you would like.
This year our church brought back a holiday tradition called trunk or treat. We(I) love getting creative and making costume, so this year was no different. The kids are in love with the live Beauty and the Beast so of course Parker wanted to be Belle. Porter agreed to be Gaston and the rest of us did whatever the kids wanted. 
Here are some other Halloween photos:
Drew was the Beast.
I was Mrs. Potts...kind of, I focused on everyone else's costumes I was little disappointed that mine was not as elaborate.
Grandma was Cogworth, the clock.
Grandpa was Lumiere, the candelabra.
Aunt Whit was the French maid.
Here are some other Halloween photos:
Every year I think...Can you believe it has been blank many years? This year feels a little different. Five is such a large number. And next year we will begin kindergarten life. I am so thankful for these last five years. Our lives have changed and I could not be any happier.
Porter is into all things BOY: Baseball/teeball is probably his favorite. We are still consumed with watching the Royals play on TV and reenacting exactly what Salvador Perez does. Do not try to walk in the living room during this time, or you will hear "Mom! Get off my field!" Soccer is probably his second love. Recently we played our first game for the season and he scored two goals, last year he did this but for the other team. ;) When mommy or daddy go for a run outside he has to join. He can definitely hold his own the other night he ran a mile in 13 minutes. I thought that was pretty good for a five year old.
We still have a love for Legos. We love buying them and looking at them. Porter will usually put them together for the most part, but Drew or I end up finishing them. After they are put together he can sit and play with these for hours.
I love to watch Porter interact with other kids. At preschool he is now the oldest and it's awesome to hear how he is the "helper" this year. He is very helpful around the house, if there is chore that needs to be done, Porter will do it. He thinks cleaning and doing chores are fun...I wonder how long this will last.
We knew a year in advance that we were going to Disney World around Christmas time. We had a group of twelve people who ranged in size of 9 months to extra large. When I started looking for matching shirts online it became a bit of a challenge. Everyone on Etsy wanted $25 or more for each shirt and well...times that by 12. I was not going to pay that especially when my two kids would only be able to wear the shirts on this trip, by next trip they would have grown out of them.
We really wanted the three-quarter length shirts, but this also became very difficult to find. After a few days of looking I order our kids shirts on Amazon. These were a super soft material and did not shrink when they were washed. I first ordered our adult shirts on Amazon as well, but they came in and were see-through. I knew Drew would not wear this, so I sent them back and found these Adidas shirts from Dick's Sporting Goods they were only $9.99 and there are multiple colored sleeves to choose from. We chose red because we were going at Christmas.
What you will need:
Shirts (see links above)
Color Printer
T-shirt Transfer Paper
Iron
Flat surface
Timer (I used my phone)
Washer and Dryer
Steps:
1. Wash and dry your shirts this is a very important step. It will allow the ink to sit on the material of the shirt better.
2. I found the Mickey and Minnie images by googling them.
3. To get the Disney font you have to download the font Waltograph from here. Follow the directions on the website and the font will become an option on your Microsoft Word.
4. I placed the text I wanted on each logo.
5. Test print to make sure the image fits the shirt the way that you like it.
6. Print the image on the transfer paper.
7. Iron the image onto the t-shirt. Follow the time given on the transfer paper you choose.
8. Let the image sit and peel of the top layer of paper.
See this video for more instructions.
Tips: The shirt really needs to be washed before you start this process. Make sure your paper is placed in the print the correct way. It is really best if you have two people working on this together. The letters look better on the image rather than under the image. (See my star wars shirts. The letters under just did not turn out the best.) Be careful when you pull off the protective cover, some of our shirts started to peel.
Here are the shirts we made for the large group. We wore these for the Very Merry Christmas Party. Altogether these shirts cost us around $15 a piece.
Here are the shirts I made for Star Wars day at Hollywood Studios. Drew and I wore Darth Vader shirts I found at Kohl's for $7.
Connect with me on FB if you are looking to travel to Disney World soon. https://www.facebook.com/Bobbie.MarvelousMouseTravels/
We really wanted the three-quarter length shirts, but this also became very difficult to find. After a few days of looking I order our kids shirts on Amazon. These were a super soft material and did not shrink when they were washed. I first ordered our adult shirts on Amazon as well, but they came in and were see-through. I knew Drew would not wear this, so I sent them back and found these Adidas shirts from Dick's Sporting Goods they were only $9.99 and there are multiple colored sleeves to choose from. We chose red because we were going at Christmas.
What you will need:
Shirts (see links above)
Color Printer
T-shirt Transfer Paper
Iron
Flat surface
Timer (I used my phone)
Washer and Dryer
Steps:
1. Wash and dry your shirts this is a very important step. It will allow the ink to sit on the material of the shirt better.
2. I found the Mickey and Minnie images by googling them.
3. To get the Disney font you have to download the font Waltograph from here. Follow the directions on the website and the font will become an option on your Microsoft Word.
4. I placed the text I wanted on each logo.
5. Test print to make sure the image fits the shirt the way that you like it.
6. Print the image on the transfer paper.
7. Iron the image onto the t-shirt. Follow the time given on the transfer paper you choose.
8. Let the image sit and peel of the top layer of paper.
See this video for more instructions.
Tips: The shirt really needs to be washed before you start this process. Make sure your paper is placed in the print the correct way. It is really best if you have two people working on this together. The letters look better on the image rather than under the image. (See my star wars shirts. The letters under just did not turn out the best.) Be careful when you pull off the protective cover, some of our shirts started to peel.
Here are the shirts we made for the large group. We wore these for the Very Merry Christmas Party. Altogether these shirts cost us around $15 a piece.
Here are the shirts I made for Star Wars day at Hollywood Studios. Drew and I wore Darth Vader shirts I found at Kohl's for $7.
Connect with me on FB if you are looking to travel to Disney World soon. https://www.facebook.com/Bobbie.MarvelousMouseTravels/
We stayed for 6 days and 5 nights at All Star Sport resort. (Note on this hotel: we loved it!! If you plan to spend all of your time at the parks then these cheaper resorts are great. Another bonus of the All Star resorts was the short bus rides to and from the parks.) We did not do park hoppers and we only did three parks, so Epcot was out this time.
To start things off our flight was delayed 3 hours...
They look super unhappy.
Here are some of the great moments captured each day:
Day One: Magic Kingdom
Day Two: Hollywood Studios
Day Three: Animal Kingdom
Day Four: Pool day and Disney Springs
Connect with me on FB if you are looking to travel to Disney World soon. https://www.facebook.com/Bobbie.MarvelousMouseTravels/
