We very recently returned from a quick "girls only" trip to Branson (Hubs can't take off work between Thanksgiving and New Year's Eve, so he had to stay at home...) for 4 days/3 nights, and we *tried* to do SDC (Silver Dollar City)
Let me preface this by saying that I have no problems at WDW with my personal ECV; and in fact, most places I go in the world are not at all a problem. But Branson presented a couple of challenges that I did not foresee!
First of all, Silver Dollar City and Branson are basically built on/around/into the Ozark Mountains, so there are slopes EVERYWHERE. It's *so* very pretty, even in the autumn, and the Resort we stayed at is close enough to everything that we were happy.
We like the Marriott Willow Ridge Lodge in Branson - it's part of Marriott's DVC-type ownership program, but you can cash rent like we do.
If you need a true roll-in shower room, be prepared to do some searching. Many hotels do not have them, or they only have them in a configuration that is not what I need; for example, I could find all kinds of roll-in shower rooms with a king-sized bed, but we needed 2 beds, so it was a bit of struggle to find the room we needed. In the end, we wound up at Willow Ridge in an accessible lockoff (that had the king + roll-in combo) for a reasonable$130/weeknight, $180/per weekend night. (Christmas season pricing) It did have a sleeper sofa with a memory foam mattress in it; it was not comfortable as our beds at home, but it was useable. The room was very clean, and there was plenty of room just inside the door, but the path through the room as a whole was not as "accessible" as it should be/could be. Additionally, the height of the kitchenette counter was (I felt) too high, as was the bathroom counter. The toilet was accessible only from the front; there was no space on either side to do a standard side transfer. The roll-in shower was good, but there was no built in shower bench. For future trips, we are going to try different hotels and Resorts, and I will let you know if we find anything better!
There is no food service on the property, but we had a mini kitchen in the accessible room (fridge + microwave and bar sink) that was fully equipped. We tend to take simple breakfast items with us, and microwave popcorn for snacks and sandwich supplies in case we are too tired to go out for dinner. We also brought bottled water and Diet Coke; the Resort has a 24-hour mini store next to the front desk, but the prices are easily double what you would pay just down the street at the Wal-Mart Supercenter.
So, we went to SDC on a weekday afternoon; in the fall and early spring, the park does not open until 1:00 pm, so we arrived at noon, and got the last parking spot in the "#1 handicapped" lot! We made our way through ticketing, and once inside the park, decided to try a cinnamon roll (they are famous for these, and it didn't disappoint!) as that is just inside the park on the left before you go up through the Hospitality House to "formally" enter the park. SDC has you walk through a large gift shop to both enter and exit the park - so hang on to your wallet LOL!
Once inside, I knew from checking ahead that there would be 2 kinds of paths marked on the SDC park map; one that shows a "recommended" path that is steep, but "do-able" according to the Park officials I had asked, and the other one denotes a non-accessible pathway; it is too steep or dangerous for any wheeled accessible device, or even strollers. OK. No problem - armed with a map, and a good idea of what we wanted to see, we set off.
First problem we encountered was the old bridge that lies to the right as you enter the Park; you have to take it to go down to see the glassblowers, the blacksmith, the candy factory, and the culinary classes among other things. It's HORRIBLE to drive over in a wheeled device; the planks are recessed into thick tuffets of grassy moss, and so the effect is like driving over a 20 foot span of never ending, closely packed railroad tracks. It was so bad that after my second trip back over, I had to stop at First Aid and buy a packet of Tylenol (fifty cents!) and rest for a while on the cot. (Interesting side note: They have EMTs that trek all over the park with radios and a big backpack full of supplies; we saw several of them on foot at different places in the Park.)
Although we remained on the "accessible" routes only, I finally reached a point where we both simply didn't feel safe anymore, and could not go any further down towards the Saloon. This was a huge disappointment to both of us, because I really wanted our daughter to see the Saloon show; I had not been to SDC since the mid-1970's, and it was a favorite memory of mine.
We left the Park having seen less than 50% of it; we were both exhausted. I doubt I will return, even if renting one of their large, heavy-duty
ECVs; we saw several of those struggling to make it back up the hills, and twice we saw the drivers have to get off, and push it up a ways before being able to get it going again. We could have stayed longer, but the mental and emotional strain of trying to find safe passage through many areas of the Park was just more than either one of us was prepared for. If we had a third person who could have scouted ahead for us... maybe it would have been more do-able, but as of right now, I'm not sure I will ever return, which makes me very sad.
During this trip, we also went on the Main Street Docks dinner cruise (the "Princess" Yacht) and while the food was adequate, the service was wonderful, and the trip after dark up and down the lake was beautiful, with Christmas lights twinkling on either side of the boat. We arrived back at Branson Landing in time for the 8 pm Fountain Show (they do not pipe the music into the main cabin of the boat, so you have to go outside on the deck to hear it) but it was accessible with my personal
scooter. I did NOT try the bathrooms on board, but my daughter did, and she said it was similar to an airplane toilet in size.
We also went shopping down on Main Street, and in particular at Dicks 5 & 10. VERY difficult, simply because it is always so crowded! It's an old-time general store, with lots of gifts and candy you can't find anywhere else. If you require a mobility device, I recommend going on a weekday morning or early afternoon; weekends are simply impossible as the store is far too crowded.
Ozarkland on the 76 Strip was great; they have an elevator so you can get to the homemade fudge on the second floor (and it is well worth the trip!) and lots of great Branson souvenirs.
The Titanic is wheels-friendly; there is an exhibit where you can park and sit in a replica of one of the lifeboats, but for the most part, it is easy to get around inside the museum. There is an elevator to go from the first floor to the 2nd floor; all you miss on the tour is walking up and down the grand staircase. You, of course, exit through the gift shop!
Ripley's Believe it Or Not is *mostly* accessible; there is an elevator, but again, you have to change the path that you wander through the exhibits. Staff is super friendly and helpful. Exits through the gift shop
The Toy Museum has had some changes and additions, and I have truthfully not visited since they added on. Prior to the addition (in early 2016), it was not very wheels-friendly; many of the "rooms" were either up a few stairs, or down a few stairs, or too tight to maneuver a chair through. I'm hoping that they have made it more accessible, and will report back on it after our next trip to Branson.
We did not ride the Showboat Branson Belle this trip, but I am told that it is now fully accessible after some recent changes to the boat and the dock. It is dinner + a show + a cruise, and goes out on Table Rock Lake from Indian Point. It's actually catered by, and run by the folks at Silver Dollar City.
We also have not yet visited the shops at Branson Landing, but we have gone to the Tanger Outlet shops, and that is a standard outdoors mall-experience, with one of the largest "flat" areas in Branson! LOL
The last notable thing is the Branson Scenic Railway. They do a "Polar Express" type experience this time of year, but we opted for a standard scenic tour. The train itself is accessible, but you will have to remain in the car that you board in; if you want to walk from car to car, you will have to leave your device. We found the narrator sitting in the cafe' car, and spent some very pleasant time chatting with him about local history and the train.
Don't hesitate to add Branson to your travel plans, but remember in advance that you will need a car (there is no public transit at this time to speak of, other than a downtown trolley with a limited route and limited hours) and you will want to confirm (in person) with the hotel you choose regarding accessibility. Many hotels in Branson do *not* have elevators, so plan accordingly.
The people, the scenery, the kitsch - it's all worth the trip, with a bit of planning!