Life Of Jason

Amy & I were blessed to have been given tickets to see the Dixie Stampede in Branson on Saturday by my ex-wife so that we could see the show with my sons.

But, before I get into the bulk of the review, I have to give a warning and then some serious props.  The warning is that if you have a peanut allergy (like my soon to be daughter Julie) that you need to avoid the pre-show at the Dixie Stampede because the Carriage room where it’s located serves peanuts.  That puts peanut dust in the air, on the chairs, floor, etc.

The props go to the staff of the Dixie Stampede who went not just above and beyond the call but beyond that to take care of us when they found out about Julie’s condition.   They first offered to bring us chairs into the gift shop area so we could wait until the arena was ready for us to come in.  Then they offered to let us go sit in their offices so that we didn’t have to deal with people rushing around us in the gift shop.  Then after about 20 minutes when the arena was ready for people (and at least 20 minutes before the pre-show was over) they came and took us in and seated us then brought us drinks.  The way they went out of their way to make sure that not only were we taken care of but also that we felt welcomed and appreciated was…well…appreciated.  We’ve been in places where you’re treated as an afterthought when you have a child with a peanut allergy.  Not at the Dixie Stampede.

In addition, our server Melinda was excellent at serving us.  She even went into the kitchen and brought us an ingredient list for the meal so we could see what Julie could and could not eat.  She payed so much attention to our kids that I hope she gets some kind of pat on the back or salary bump or something from the management at the Stampede.  Maybe a personal phone call from Dolly!

The food was surprisingly good.  When you think they’re serving 1100 people that they would have to cut some corners on the meal but it was seasoned well and tasted very well.  The potato was a little on the dry side but outside of that I didn’t have a complaint with any of the meal.  We were impressed from the very beginning because Amy, Tanya and I all had the same reaction to the butter biscuit…it was so good we happily took them from the kids when they said they didn’t want theirs!

The show was very good.  Dale was excited to be brought into the show at one point to do a display of trick roping.  He ran down like he was sitting on springs when they asked him to do it and he twirled the rope around like he was a pro.  (Sorry for the grainy photo…I had to snap it on my picture phone because I’m guessing Dixie doesn’t allow photos of their show.  So if you’re reading this and don’t see a photo of my son to the right of it you’ll know Dixie Stampede asked me to take down the photograph.)

Dale announced to me after he came back to his seat that he wanted to be a cowboy.

The show was pretty close to what I remember from the last time I saw it four years ago.  There was some great horse tricks and no matter how many times you see it you cannot help but be impressed with a guy who stands on the backs of two horses and then jumps through a flaming hoop.

There was a part of the show where they talked about man first coming to the west and they did a routine where they had someone doing a native American dance and celebrated the native American mythology of the Thunderbird where a woman in a Thunderbird costume was lowered from the ceiling.  It was quite eye catching with the black light.

There were the Dixie Stampede traditions…the ostrich races, the pig races.  The obligatory Branson show ending tribute to America.  (Not that I have anything against that but I’m really tired of every Branson show I see having a “tribute to America.”  While I’m sure the performers at Dixie were honest in their performances I just roll my eyes when it happens because it’s so predictable.)

The interaction of the audience was really fun as well.  They divide the arena between north and south and each side does different cheers to support “their” side of the competition.  (I was on the confederate side but I couldn’t dishonor my great-great-great-grandfather who fought for the Union at Gettysburg so I went ahead and cheered for the north anyway.)   The crowd was really into the cheering and the “stampeding” where they would kick the wooden front of the row where you were seated.  The kids really loved that part of it.

Overall, I would happily recommend you check out the Dixie Stampede.  While I wouldn’t say it’s “the most fun place to eat in Branson” (that honor still goes to the Circle B Chuckwagon Cowboy Dinner & Show) I would still say it’s a good value for the money and a show worth seeing in Branson.

This is hopefully the first in a series of reviews of Branson shows and attractions.  I know for sure I’ll have a review of the Circle B’s new show for 2008 coming up sometime in early June.  (If you’re with a Branson show and would like a review done on this blog, just e-mail me.)