Big Cedar Lodge

[ddhoeg]

We just got back from an extended weekend at Big Cedar Lodge. Just wanted to echo the other posters - this is a wonderful resort!

We started out in cabin 512 which was a honeymoon cabin with loft. MS claimed that occupancy was for up to 6 (we have 4 small kids), so we settled on that as they were out of full 2 bedroom cabins when I made the ressie. DS was very disappointed to learn we were not sharing our cabin with a bride and groom. LOL! That is a whole separate story. Anyway, the cabin was darling and tastefully decorated with a king bed downstairs, full bed upstairs in the loft, sleeper sofa down, and partial kitchenette which had a stovetop without oven, fridge, sink. The resort has wonderful turn down service and a cookie person who brings cute little cedar tree shaped gingerbread cookies each evening. They also have complimentary shuttles which will take you anywhere on the resort property 24/7.

As the night grew, the cabin got smaller and smaller until I thought I was going to scream! Looking back, it is probably best suited for a family of 4 not 6. I felt like the kids were right on top of me in every direction and there was no privacy to be had. Every little noise woke someone up and I ended up rocking the 12 month old for over an hour to get her back to sleep. It was cozy at first, but just too close for comfort.

The next morning we requested to move to a 2 bed, 2 bath cabin. The resort was sold out but management found a HA cabin left. We took it in a heartbeat as another miserable night would have sent us packing! This cabin (546) was beautifully decorated - think Southern Living - with a stone fireplace, full kitchen, king bedroom with private bath, queen bedroom with bathroom also accessed by living area, balcony overlooking the main lodge and lake. It was wonderful and dreamy! We enjoyed the fireplace and made smores every night. Both cabins had gas grills on the balcony which was great. The beds were so comfy that DH and I both commented that we preferred their beds to ours at home. That hasn't happened in a long time!

The kids enjoyed horseback riding, swimming, mini golf, tennis, fishing, etc. All of the activities we participated in were complimentary, except for the horseback riding which was around $25 per person for an hour. We had such a great and relaxing time that we can't wait to go back. I give the concierge collection great marks for choosing this resort! Wonderful!

 

[TXMommy]

Thank you for the report - I was wondering about this resort myself!! You mentioned the activities at the resort - is there much else in the area? Sounds like a good place to just kick back and relax!

 

[ddhoeg]

For this trip we deliberately avoided all of the touristy stuff of the area since we are headed to WDW in a month. We used this trip primarily to get away for some relaxation. However, BCL is located about 8-10 miles south of Branson, MO. You can see a variety of musical shows, hit Silver Dollar City, do outlet shopping, casino cruises, etc. You can be a busy as you want to be (or not).

 

[CVW]

Can't post about Big Cedar without hearing from me. (OKWKirt will probably show up soon.) I'm an owner at Big Cedar Wilderness Club. Unfortunately, BCWC trades through RCI, so you can't use DVC to stay on the timeshare side. Big Cedar Lodge is the "Inn" side of the resort. Both sides share the same amenities.

This is easily my favorite resort. You won't be disappointed. I wish they would move it on to Disney property. Huge marina. We get a fishing guide every year. Next year we'll rent jet skis. I'm even considering taking water skiing lessons. Their restaurants certainly give Disney a run for their money. They had the best seafood buffet I've ever been to.

Our kids' favorite activity was the "dive-in" movies Wednesday through Saturday night all summer. Hop in the pool or pull up a deck chair and watch the movie. (Why in the world doesn't DVC do this at every resort?)

Also, the best lazy river pool anywhere (with the possible exception of Hyatt Hill Country near San Antonio.) I have to admit, I was a little disappointed in SAB's pseudo-lazy river. I'd probably give the edge to BCWC's Brushey Creek pool over Stormalong Bay. (Yes, you heard me right.) Indoor/outdoor section, beach, zero-entry kids' pool and decent water slide. (Though not as good as SAB's slide.)

We've been going to Branson for years. Since we bought at Big Cedar, I feel like we go to Big Cedar INSTEAD of Branson. You can make an entire vacation without leaving the resort.

 

[nickglover]

where would you suggest we fly into, from Tampa, to visit Big Cedar?

 

[RuthnPaul]

Originally posted by nickglover
where would you suggest we fly into, from Tampa, to visit Big Cedar?

St. Louis, Kansas City, Tulsa, and Little Rock would be the closest major airports. You will still need to rent a car to drive from any of those airports to the Lodge.

Big Cedar's Web Site: http://www.big-cedar.com

For more information on mileage/transportation: http://www.big-cedar.com/visit/getting-here/

 

[ddhoeg]

CVW,

How does Big Cedar's Wilderness Club compare to DVC as far as cost, points, usage, etc? We thought about inquiring while we were there, but were too into our weekend to ask. Thanks!

 

[OkieDisney]

First of all from a fellow Stillwater Person, welcome to the DIS.

Second of all, we LOVE Big Cedar also.

We are getting ready to go there for a weekend trip Nov 12-14.
We always go at this time of year to catch some of the Xmas
shows in Branson. We have also gone over Martin Luther King
weekend and over Spring Break. Never have done summer
but would like to try. Love to also go to the outlets (especially
the Disney Catalog one)

We have a family of 4 and have stayed in Honeymoon cabin,
Honeymoon cabin with loft, 2 bedroom.

The next visit we are actually renting from the Wilderness
Club a 2 bedroom across the lake. We needed to save our
point for Disney and it is actually cheaper to rent from the
club than to pay rack rates (which are very high).

We don't own YET, but really want to when our financial
situation is a little better (we also want more DVC points
but who doesn't?). It is very similar to DVC. One of the neatest
things is the Bonus Time which is available 6 weeks before
your stay and is about $90 for a room in the lodge or cabin
(can't remember the rates). Otherwise you use a point system
like DVC.

I can't say enough wonderful things about this place!

 

[OKWKirt]

I had to jump in and not let CVW down. Haven't seen Laura's post yet as another Big Cedar fan. I can't say much more than Big Cedar is fantastic. We stayed twice on DVC points (honeymoon cabin and two bedroom cabin) before joining Big Cedar Wilderness Club (BCWC). I would have to disagree with the mention of casino cruises in Branson because Branson prides itself on family entertainment with no gambling. BCWC is part of the Bluegreen Vacation Club with 30 some resorts to trade with, plus RCI. I consider these points like my DVC which are to stay there and not trade. I have used BCWC points for the Falls Village in Branson (also part of Bluegreen) which is also a wonderful resort. Bluegreen has a couple things better than DVC which are (1) when you receive your reservation confirmation they list which room/cabin you will have and then they list your previous points, points used, and points remaining; (2) when I tried to bank my points I confused them because you don't bank you just extend the points another year but can still use them in the current year.

You can fly into Springfield, MO but it could be more expensive. Kansas City will be a four hour drive. There are plans to build an airport south of Branson on the east side of Hwy 65.

 

[DisFlan]

Another Big Cedar fan here!

nickglover-

You can fly directly into the Springfield - Branson airport (which is actually more like an hour north of Big Cedar by the time you get there), or....you can fly into the "new" airport north of Fayetteville, Arkansas (XNA). Clinton got it built in the late 90's. It's about a 2 hr. drive to Branson from there - closer than Tulsa or Kansas City. That's the airport we use almost exclusively to fly out of. It's cheaper than Springfield -Branson, has more flights that fit us and is closer for us. (We live about half way between XNA and Springfield.) It's a VERY user- friendly facility. Easy parking, quick security checks, short walks to flights and friendly personel. And it has all the major car rentals.

We flew R/T from XNA on Delta to Tampa last spring when we stayed at OKW. It was a no-hassle trip with a short stop in Atlanta. You can also take Continental, American or Northwest into XNA from Tampa. Any of them are cheaper than to Springfield. They are also competitve with the bigger places like Tulsa, KC or Little Rock. In fact, our tickets were cheaper than flying out of Tulsa or Little Rock. We'd love to see Southwest at XNA, but don't know if that'll ever happen.

We're going back to Big Cedar Dec 2-5 for a local medical conference. We're staying in one of the Honeymoon Cabins with a loft and can hardly wait! Plus, we got a good deal - $284 a night.

If it's warm enough, we'll go to Silver Dollar City for their Christmas festivities, which is always lots of fun. We try to stay out of the main Branson area at this time of year - it's mobbed! Getting around is almost impossible. The roads and Christmas shows are overflowing with oodles of tour buses. If traffic isn't TOO bad, we go to the outlet malls to Christmas shop. Branson is Outlet Mall Heaven!

DisFlan

 

[ErinC]

We did the Fayetteville, AR airport when we went to Big Cedar. It was about 2 hours drive from Branson. I know it would be closer than Little Rock. ( I would think that would be a 3-4 hour drive.)

 

[CVW]

Originally posted by ddhoeg
CVW,

How does Big Cedar's Wilderness Club compare to DVC as far as cost, points, usage, etc? We thought about inquiring while we were there, but were too into our weekend to ask. Thanks!

As OKWKirt mentioned, they're part of the Bluegreen system. Bluegreen doesn't have nearly the quality of resorts of DVC, although there are a few exceptions. Big Cedar deserves better. I wish they had been part of the Marriott or Hilton group. If you're registered on TUG you might want to look at this thread for more info. I post at TUG under the name "brutewolf". Bluegreen has a rather complex reservation window, and there's no priority for your home resort. So people at lesser resorts may actually get to reserve earlier than you in some instances. Yet you also have a deed to a given week which you will always be guaranteed. I agree with OKWKirt that it's a BIG advantage over DVC that you can "unbank"and "unborrow" your points if your plans change.

TO ANYONE WHO WANTS TO VISIT THERE:

1) You've probably already heard not to use your DVC points for the CC, and the same applies here. But to TRULY get the best bargain, try renting from BCWC through an owner. You'll get a better rate than staying on the Big Cedar Lodge side. Go to Redweek.com or look around TUG. If no luck, compare rates at Bluegreen Rentals. (Bluegreenonline.com). That is, compare BCWC rental price vs. Big Cedar Lodge prices.

2) Don't fly into Tulsa or KC. It's a pretty long drive. Fly into Springfield. As mentioned, there is a new airport closer to Branson that is either under construction or about to begin.

3) If you think you'll only go once and you're in no hurry, you might want to wait until 2006. Branson Landing will be opening then. It's supposed to be a spectacular riverfront dining/shopping/nightclubbing area complete with a watershow (designed by the Bellagio folks in Las Vegas) and a Bass Pro Shop where you can test-drive a boat on the water. Branson is in desperate need of a place to just "hang out" and I'm optimistic this will be the answer. (Plus, by 2006, the new airport should be open.)

 

[rlduvall]

I live in Tulsa and have been to Big Cedar Lodge lots of time. If you can avoid it, don't fly into Tulsa. It's still a good 3 1/2 - 4 hour drive from here. Not something I would want to do if not from here. As mentioned Fayetteville, AR a/k/a XNA airport is usually very comparable and a heckuvalot closer.

 

[DisFlan]

CVW -

We're holding our collective breath on the Branson Landing. The centerpiece of it was suppose to have been a gambling casino, but that was recently voted down in a statewide election. I had mixed feelings about gambling in Branson. It would have changed the family atmosphere of Branson in a big way and opened the door for other more "questionable" gambling venues, but it would have defintely been an economic boost for the old downtown area.

We would love to see the success of a riverfront complex and convention center, but we're afraid the loss of the gambling component may have taken the wind out its sails. With or without the casino, it's a big, ambitious plan. Without the casino, the biggest investors may not have the same incentive to invest as much as they would have originally. We'll have to wait and see what happens.

DisFlan

 

[Scotch]

I read somewhere that the decor of Big Cedar Lodge & timeshare villas include hunter trophies (e.g., heads of deer & other animals) -- that led me to cross this resort off our "to visit" list because we are animal lovers and we cannot imagine staying in a unit with the heads of animals hanging on the walls. But is that actually correct? Does the resort have such decorations? Cuz otherwise this sounds like a lovely place to visit.

 

[ErinC]

If the animal thing bothers you, than go else where! DH and I had "stuffed" animals all over our King room in Fall's Lodge. The fireplaces are beautiful, and our room was very spacious. The lodge reminded me of Wilderness Lodge. I just wish we could have had one day without rain. It rained the entire time we were there. But we still had fun anyway. Be sure to try the blueberry poppyseed salad dressing at the resort restaurants. It is wonderful, and I still mail order it from Big Cedar on occasion.

 

[DisFlan]

Scotch -

Yes, there are mounted deer heads, fish and small animals like raccoons at Big Cedar. I've seen them in the lobby and the cabins, but not in the regular rooms we've had. There are chandeliers of antlers, but these don't harm the animals. They are shed every year and collected.

Big Cedar is owned by Bass Pro, the big sporting retailer, so this is sort of to be expected. If you or your family are sensitive to any form of mounted animal (which I completely understand) you may, as your mentioned, want to look elsewhere.

DisFlan

 

[CVW]

Originally posted by Scotch
I read somewhere that the decor of Big Cedar Lodge & timeshare villas include hunter trophies (e.g., heads of deer & other animals)

That's correct for the cabins (BCL and BCWC), and it thoroughly disgusts my wife. (The kids, however, think it's great.) The Wilderness Club condos, however, are bright and airy without dead animals on the walls. That's ultimately how my wife agreed to the purchase...the cabins are a little dark and, well, cabin-y. But they're beautifully decorated with stained glass etc.

Also, you have to stay in a cabin to get the deluxe shower, with three nozzles giving you a body spray while you shower. Just wouldn't be Big Cedar without the human car wash.

 

[ddhoeg]

Yes, we had a stuffed coyote in the king bedroom, antlers on several walls, and some skins as well. I asked housekeeping if all of the rooms looked like ours did. They commented that they often come to clean the rooms only to find towels thrown over the heads of the stuffed creatures so the guests don't have to look at them. My kids were a little afraid that the deer head mounted on the wall was going to come alive and kill them during the night but that quickly passed and they ended up enjoying them in the end.

 

[phawley]

Oh! I can't wait. My hubby and I are going to Big Cedar in February for a quick weekend getaway. We're going to do the time share tour there but won't buy because we are still paying on DVC!