Dixie Stampede - Branson

R. B.
Syracuse, NY
Branson Show: Dixie Stampede Dinner & Show
Recommendation: Yes
Ratings: 4 of 5
Date: June 03, 2004
Time: 2:57 PM

The show is held in what looks from the outside like a Southern mansion, with costumed Southern belles assisting guests on seating, etc. We were not aware that if you arrive before the pre-show there is a chance to interact with some of the horses, which we would have enjoyed.

The pre-show was very entertaining. The best juggler I have seen, who kept up a continuous stream of funny stories.

I thought it would be quite a crush to get from the pre-show arena to the main area, but there were lots of ushers helping people, and we got to our seats in good order (I had my 90 year old Dad and 80 year old uncle with me).

The arena is divided down the middle (figuratively speaking) with one side being Confederates and the other side Yankees, with each group to try to out-yell and out-stomp the other side. Much of the show was geared to the North vs. South in races, etc.

I expect this audience participation is good for kids and perhaps people who are still into the North/South thing, but my Dad thought it was just too noisy, and by the end of the evening it did wear a bit thin.

The show was very good and entertaining, surely for all age groups. Having the herd of buffalo gallop in was awesome. Horses were beautiful and the riders had great costumes. There was enough comedy to elicit good laughs -- we especially enjoyed the pig hurdle which you have to see them do to believe they will.

The servers were friendly and efficient. The meal is served with NO EATING UTENSILS. I'm sure there is a reason, but don't know what it might be. We had been warned that was the case -- if we hadn't been I think it would have been a unpleasant surprise. The bread was yummy -- soup was thick and you drank it from the bowl. An entire Cornish game hen was served, which was very tender so easy to pick from the bone. There was also a piece of ham and another meat. We were fairly high up, so it was pretty dark, and hard to see what was on the plate. An awful lot of food was wasted. While the chicken was delicious it might be better to have fried chicken pieces if there are no knives and forks. My Dad didn't like using his fingers.

Be prepared to have a very long wait to get out of the parking lot after the show. You exit right onto 76 and there is no light, so it's pretty much hoping the traffic on 76 will let you out -- for the most part it was every other car, but it took us over 40 minutes to get out. The show ends in time to catch an 8PM show, but that will depend on how soon you can get out of the parking lot. This was in May and I would guess that in the summer it's much worse, so you likely won't make a 8:00 show.

All in all, it is a very good show and certainly one everyone should see once. Not sure I'd go back every year, as I definitely would some of the other shows I saw.
 

M.M
Illinois
Dixie Stampede Dinner & Show
Recommendation: Yes
Ratings: 5 of 5
December 15, 2004
9:59 PM

My husband and I, along with our 2 young children (ages 1 and 3), recently
vacationed in Branson and attended the Dixie Stampede. I wasn't quite sure
what to expect, but I had an idea. This performance greatly exceeded
anything I was anticipating. First of all, when we arrived, we walked
along a trail of horses that was incredible. My son (age 3) loved that!
We entered the building and retrieved our tickets promptly and without
incident.

We were directed to the Carriage Room for the pre-show, which was
awesome. This gentleman was doing tricks we had never seen, or even
conceived, before. He was fantastic. Onto the Stampede. We were greeted
warmly and shown our seats. Our waitress was so perky and helpful. The
show was great! I didn't know they would feature so many other animals
besides horses, like ostriches and pigs.

My daughter couldn't get enough...she wanted to go touch all the animals. My husband and I were encouraged by the emphasis on the true Christmas
story, Jesus' birth, in the middle of the show. What a blessing. They
brought down an ice-skating rink in the middle of this big arena, and then
when it was brought down again later, it had the live manger scene on it,
complete with flying angels and beautiful Christmas music.

For the Stampede, they divided the arena into 2 teams, and each team cheered on
their players for each event. The audience participation was neat.
Meanwhile, we are getting served a super-delicious 4 course meal! The food
was awesome, and there was so much of it, we couldn't have left hungry if
we tried. We thought the evening was a big success.

The price of admission was great, especially considering everything we got (the show AND the meal). We enjoyed every minute of the Dixie Stampede, and will be
likely to return the next time we vacation in Branson.