# 3 BDRM Cabin in July at Wilderness Big Cedar



## djkrolow (Apr 7, 2007)

My family and the in-laws will be spending the second week in July (6-13)at the Wilderness at Big Cedar.  Suppose to be a 3 bedroom cabin.  My wife and I are Bluegreen owners so I hope we are treated well.  I've read from other sites that Big Cedar staff sometimes don't treat Bluegreen owners the best.  Any truth?  Never been there before and am looking forward to it.  Need lots of ideas to entertain people from ages 4 - 74.  Can't wait to go!:whoopie:


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## JLB (Apr 7, 2007)

Unbelievable.  How did you get that . . .without being an owner of it?


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## JLB (Apr 7, 2007)

Scuse me, I just read the rest.

That's a crock.  BCWC staff is cordial to everyone (and anyone), even me.  

They are among the best anywhere.


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## djkrolow (Apr 7, 2007)

*That's nice to know!*

I'm glad to hear that everyone is friendly there.  As far as booking it, My wife and I both teach and have most of the summer off so I just asked for the first available 3 Bedroom Cabin for a week stay and they had several throughout the summer.  I booked it way back in the first week of September '06.  We also are Silver members of Bluegreen if that helped I don't know.  We have only been timesharing for 2 years and I am very green at all of this.


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## BocaBum99 (Apr 7, 2007)

Nope, you didn't need your Silver ownership to get that week since it was within the normal 11-month booking window.  Any Bluegreen owner with 25,000 points could have booked it.

Well, 25000 points is a lot of points.  To put it in context for other people, 25000 Bluegreen points is 2 Christmas Mountain Village Red weeks and 1 Blue week in a 2 bedroom unit.

25000 points would cost roughly between $10,000-13,000 dollars depending on whether or not you want Bluegreen preferred owner benefits and bonus time.  And, the maintenance fees would be $965 if you buy the right deeds.

Compare that to the 3 bedroom Grand Villa at the Disney Wilderness Lodge which I believe to be an inferior product and not actually in the Wilderness and you will see why I believe this is one of the better values in timesharing.


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## BocaBum99 (Apr 7, 2007)

JLB said:


> Unbelievable.  How did you get that . . .without being an owner of it?



By the way, it's very easy to get without being an owner in Bluegreen.  Just do a direct exchange with an owner.  Summer Cabins are always available if you book far enough in advance.  And, when I say far enough in advance, I mean 9-11 months, not 2 or 3 years.


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## djkrolow (Apr 7, 2007)

*So Smart!*

BocaBum you are so smart!  I have enjoyed reading and learning from your posts.  Your pictures of the Big Cedar area are better than any that I've seen on the web, including Bluegreens own site. We have also enjoyed staying at Christmas Mountain Village numerous times, in fact I booked two  3 BDRM townhomes in June just last week so my wife could take a bunch of her friends there for their own stampping party for four days (card making)


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## JLB (Apr 7, 2007)

So, what, like trade our house and dock for one of them?  So we could vacation where we live?   



BocaBum99 said:


> By the way, it's very easy to get without being an owner in Bluegreen.  Just do a direct exchange with an owner.  Summer Cabins are always available if you book far enough in advance.  And, when I say far enough in advance, I mean 9-11 months, not 2 or 3 years.


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## JLB (Apr 7, 2007)

Well, that's stretching it, but you are new here so I will try to be delicate. 

Our boat was in the rental fleet at Big Cedar, but just for 3 months before it was replaced by the Tahoes.  I don't think they have replaced them, and it's getting close to ten years, so the rentals boats over there have been looking a bit tacky.  That's very unlike Johnny Morris, because everything else is top-notch.

We have a standing offer to come visit us at the Margaritaville dock, for fishing, swimming, boating, loafing.



djkrolow said:


> I'm glad to hear that everyone is friendly there.  .


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## JLB (Apr 7, 2007)

This is as good a place as any to mention Top of the Rock, BC's little golf course/restaurant that has been closed for a couple of years for remodeling.

It was scheduled to open last 4th of July, but maybe they meant this 4th of July, or 4th of July next year.  When drove back to it yesterday after dining with Mr. and Mrs. Libaria and friends.

I don't know what to say other than it is a mess.  All you can see is big piles of red clay dirt, in a berm designed to hide the place.  We drove back on a little road we weren't supposed to be on and got as far as being able to see the roof of a building, in the location where it used to be.

No telling what's there or when it will re-open.

It's all my fault, I guess, since my uncle took me over there to play golf, when it looked like they were ready to re-open, and then they shut down completely.


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## JLB (Apr 7, 2007)

We've been by Dogwood Canyon a couple times recently (it's near us) and the parking lot has been pretty full for this time of year.

It's a beautiful place.


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## djkrolow (Apr 7, 2007)

*Thanks!*

Thanks for all the information.  With the two small children I'm really not into the music shows that much.  Through my research it seems that there is plenty to do on the resort without really leaving.  I ordered tickets to Silver Dollar City, doesn't look like it is far from BCWC and was thinking about the Branson Belle Showboat other than that just want to hang around and enjoy the resort it looks and sounds from what I read a beautiful place. Are there any real good BBQ joints?  My wife likes to get messy with the ribs at Famous Daves, but I thought as long as we are heading south I might skip those franchise places for something authentic.


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## BocaBum99 (Apr 7, 2007)

JLB said:


> So, what, like trade our house and dock for one of them?  So we could vacation where we live?




Why not?  You can't be at two places at one time.  So, that might be a good trade.  And, it'll give a little variety.


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## GrampyBill (Apr 7, 2007)

djkrolow said:


> Never been there before and am looking forward to it.  Need lots of ideas to entertain people from ages 4 - 74. :



The entire age group should love the DIXIE STAMPEDE.  It is a quality production.

Go to College of the Ozarks and see their museum known as the Smithsonian od the Ozarks.  Lots of exhibits that the little ones will enjoy.  Is expensive yet a HIDDEN GEM.  The College also has a Big Cedar style lodge that serves reasonable meals and has a nice concession for Ice Cream and sweets.

Wilderness Club at Big Cedar has a lazy river and indoor pool.  Big Cedar Lodge has kayaks, paddleboats, miniture golf, croquet, two outdoor pools, movies, board games, etc.  Cookies will be delivered to you cabin every evening.

There is a Dewey Short visitors center by the Table Rock Dam.  Good place for kids, and adults to get a little extra learnin'.  Often we will grab some tacos or burgers and go their for a picnic and watch the boating.  A shrt and easy hiking trail goes to the Branson Belle Landing.  Of course you'll see the landing anyway if you take the boat excursion - ANOTHER QUALITY production.

Lots to do in Branson.


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## djkrolow (Apr 7, 2007)

*Thanks for the info!*

I appreciate all the information that I can get.  Sounds like there is plenty to do without going into Branson itself.


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## JLB (Apr 8, 2007)

There are more than 100 major attractions in Branson, enter your dates and see what is available.

http://www.bransonshows.com/showByDateStart.cfm

SDC, Dixie Stampede, Whitewater, Celebration City, and Branson Belle are all affiliated and there are multi-park/event specials.  If you are military, don't forget to mention it.  There is a wonderful new old-fashioned amusement park ride area at SDC called the Grand Exposition, very kid-friendly.  We borrow a kid every now and then just to go have fun there.

Yesterday it was too cold to ride rides (I guess they have a temperature rule), so everyone who went got their money back.  What a deal.

Ifn you know the backroads, mainly 265, that will get to and from BCWC and The Branson Belle, the Dam, Celebration City, Whitewater, and Silver Dollar City.  265 is the first major road north of 86 on 65 from BC.  65 is being rebuilt right now and I believe 265 is the only road that's open cnnecting to it right now.  I bet it will all be paved, 4 lane, by July.

For stuff like SDC, especially in peak summer, do not go and leave at the same time 99% do, in other words opening and closing time.  Go later and leave earlier.

We went to the Duttons last night for Area Appreciation and there were youngins in the audience, and youngins on stage.  The Duttons are Mom and Dad, 7 biological children, 7 adopted children and 18 grandchildren.  Great show with as good a talent as you will find anywhere.  Most of the shows here are like that, they catch you by surprise by how good they are, how much talent is here.

Authentic/Schmentic, my favorite BBQ joint is Famous Dave's--Anywhere--Minneapolis/St. Paul, Des Moines, Kansas City, Wichita, Tulsa, Atlanta, Rogers, Omaha, or the Branson Landing.  I'm on their email list, their brithday list, and just did a survey for them this week.  We had TUG/TS4M get-togethers there last November.

Plus, that gives you an excuse to visit The Landing.

We met other TUGgers at Dobyns Restaurant at the beautiful lodge at COO (Hard Work U) Friday.

Another neat freebie on your appointed path is the Shepherd of the Hills trout hatchery just below the Table Rock dam.  On the north side of the dam, at the traffic light by the Chateau on the Lake, hang a right and go about a mile.

You won't have time, but Springfield has attractions, too, like Bass Pro and Wonder of Wildlife.  And there are some decent day-trip destinations.

There are programs at BC just for kids.

All these things are googlable.

When we were at the Duttons last night, we overheard a lady next to us say to friend, "Did you read in the paper where Branson is the #1 retirement area now?"  We don't know if she meant in the world, the country, the midwest, Missouri, or Taney County, but it is mind-boggling all the major developments going on right now, enough to accomodate at least a quarter of a million residents eventually.  Maybe more.

If the link works, here we are, with the Margaritaville Dock (the long one), a great, family-oriented place to have fun!

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=...7923,-93.461788&spn=0.00261,0.008347&t=k&om=0


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## CharlesS (Apr 10, 2007)

JLB said:


> Another neat freebie on your appointed path is the Shepherd of the Hills trout hatchery just below the Table Rock dam.  On the north side of the dam, at the traffic light by the Chateau on the Lake, hang a right and go about a mile.



The kids will really love feeding the fish as will the adults.

Charles


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## geekette (Apr 10, 2007)

Kids might like the train - it's down by Branson Landing (that's the name of the new hoo hah downtown, right?).  

We really enjoyed it, especially since Petula Clark was also on it (later in our trip, we went to see Andy Williams with Petula Clark and since we were down in front, hubby got to sing into the mike for "Downtown" - he's a singer so it was a big thrill to share the mike with Petula on her signature ditty).


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## JLB (Apr 10, 2007)

We went to Legends in Concert with Topeka Tom and Barb last night.  When we got our pictures taken going in, Jenny and Barb said they wanted to be with Garth Brooks, and stood next to him with their arms around him.

Liza Minelli looked at me and said, "Do you want to be with me?"  Somehow I pictured that being what Liza Minelli would say to me.  :ignore:

We went to Jim Stafford with our same good friends Sunday night.  Monday we had an attorney appointment up the road.  He's a bit younger than us, early to mid 30's.

When we said we went to Jim Stafford last night, he said, "Is *that* what I have to look forward to?"   

It was a good show.  



geekette said:


> hubby got to sing into the mike for "Downtown" - he's a singer so it was a big thrill to share the mike with Petula on her signature ditty).


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## geekette (Apr 11, 2007)

hubby will love the bit about Liza!!!


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