Going on vacation? Wondering what website you should use to book your stay through? You have so many options, it can be overwhelming. Do you book on HomeAway, Airbnb, TripAdvisor, VacationRentals.com, FlipKey or one of the many other websites? Today we are sharing the inside scoop on why you should book your vacation rental directly and how to book direct when you find a home you like listed on a different website.

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Why You Should Book Direct

• Booking direct saves you money. Sometimes booking direct can save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars. When you book through websites like HomeAway or Airbnb, they charge you extra fees. These websites not only charge the home owners money to list their properties on their websites, but they also charge YOU (the renter) extra fees.
• Faster communication. When you book through a third party company, the home owners or property managers do not always get your contact information right away. Many times, you are required to “chat” or “email” through the third party company website. When you book direct, we are able to call you or email you directly if we have any questions- and vice versa. Often, when potential guests (like yourself) reach out through third party companies and ask us to call, text or email you- we don’t have your contact information and are unable to respond quickly.
• Discounts. When you book direct you are not only saving money by not having to pay additional booking fees, but you are also able to get discounts. We offer our repeat guests discounts and post specials on our website or social media accounts often! But if you book through a third party company, we are unable to offer the same discounts and you also might not learn about special deals.

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How You Can Book Direct
Okay, so we’ve convinced you to book direct. Now what? We understand- sometimes it is easier to just find a home on third party websites like Airbnb. We often search for homes on these websites too! So here is a step-by-step guide to how we book direct, even after finding the home listed somewhere else.

• Step 1. Find a home you like and fits your group.
• Step 2. Find the name of the Property Manager and search their name on Google. Most third party websites show the name of the property manager and give you the option to look at all homes listed by that specific property manager. For example, all of our homes are listed with ‘Amazing Branson Cabins Management’ as the property manager. Here is an exact example of what we would search knowing this information: Amazing Branson Cabins Management Branson MO vacation rental
• Step 3. If step 2 doesn’t help you find the direct website, try reading the description of the property multiple times through. Often times, the property manager or home owner will have their company name listed in the description. Keep an eye out for capitalized words mid sentence. For example, we always include Amazing Branson somewhere in our description. We also name each of our homes and try to include the name of the specific home in the description (again look for capitalized words used in place of the word home or house). If you find something that looks like it could be a company name or home name, go to Google and search for it. Search ex: Amazing Branson vacation rental Branson, MO or Amazing Branson vacation rental Branson, MO Three Bear Lodge
• Step 4. If you are unable to find a website based on this information, read the description again. Often times, the description on the third party website is almost the exact same as the description on the company’s personal website. Examples of description details we use on both websites: 7 miles south of the Branson Landing, 3 minutes to Big Cedar Lodge, 3 minutes to Top of the Rock Golf entrance, 20 minutes to Silver Dollar City, and about 10 to 15 minutes to the strip; 3d virtual tour; etc. Sometimes searching the exact words can bring up other websites with the same verbiage.
• Step 5. Spend quite a bit of time on Google searching for key words and the property mangers name. Try various combinations of words. Not all properties have direct websites, but many do! And it is always worth it to save the money!

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We always recommend booking direct! Check our website for discounts!

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Halloween is around the corner and we have the inside scoop on where you should go to make the most of the holiday! We’ve already shared local tips on the best pumpkin patches in the area, the scariest haunted houses in the area and our secret pumpkin chocolate chip cookie recipe with you all- and now we are sharing tips on where to go on Halloween in Branson!

• Branson Landing :: Merchants will be open this year so you and the kids can go trick or treat in one safe, convenient location. Also, you don’t want to miss the Monster Mash Street Dance that starts here at 6:30 PM!
• The McKenna Farm :: They have set up a big bale maze, corn maze, bounce pads, hay rides and pumpkins galore for you and the family! They are open 10 am – 6 PM week days and 10 am – 7 PM Friday and Saturday!
• Big Cedar Haunted Caves :: The caves on Big Cedar’s property were discovered on accident, but they’ve made the most of them. Big Cedar is located near some of our properties and is an easy drive for some quick family fun!

Want to dress up, but forgot to go buy an outfit on time? Here are a few easy ideas you can recreate with items you already have at home!

• Super Mario Brothers :: Grab a pair of overalls, a red or green shirt with a matching red or green hat {if you have the hat} and draw on a mustache with a black eyeliner pencil!
• Audrey Hepburn Breakfast at Tiffany’s :: All you need is a little black dress, a strand of pearls, and a high bun {and small tiara if you have one}! Classic and simple!
• A Mime :: Throw on a striped shirt, paint your face white and add bright red lips! Throw on a beret too if you have one!
• A Pirate : Again, if you have a striped shirt all you need are black pants and a bandanna! Tie the bandaa over the top of your head and draw on an eye patch with black eyeliner! You could even draw on a mustache and little beard if you want!
• Risky Business :: Borrow a man’s oversized white shirt {wear some shorts or leggings underneath}, tall white socks and a pair of Rayban style sunglasses {or any sunglasses}!

Boo! ‘Tis the season! We are about to enter the season of pumpkins, scarecrows, and haunted houses galore! For those that enjoy a good fright, Branson is your place! These are a few of the scariest haunted houses in the Ozarks and you don’t want to miss them!

Branson Haunted Hills
Many legends exist about the Corbin place. Strange things occur in those hills. Disappearing farm animals, chainsaws running at night, and most of all: the overly-friendly Corbin family make this place very realistic and original. For youngsters, they offer a “magic wand” to scare away the monsters. Affordable tickets and great hospitality too! You don’t want to miss the Branson Haunted Hills!

Branson’s Haunted Scream Park
So many spooky things to do here! Wander the mirror maze, escape the Doctor of the Dead, elude the Reaper in the Graveyard, brave through the haunted forest, kill zombies in the arcade, and so much more! This Scream Park has 10 new themes this year- so it’s new even if you went last year!

Castle of Chaos
This 5d adventure takes you on an adventure you’ll never forget! Chase robot outlaws or kill the terrifying werewolves with your lazer blaster! Over 400 movements per second, and spooky sound effects make the experience all the more realistic. If you love video games, rides and scream parks- this place is for you!

Haunted Lost Caverns at Top of the Rock
This isn’t public knowledge yet, as Big Cedar hasn’t revealed much information about their new haunted caverns yet.  Be sure to follow us on social media for updates!

But there’s so much more than Haunted Houses in Branson! Not everyone in your group into the scary stuff? No problem! What’s better than relaxing in your own private log cabin sipping homemade pumpkin spiced lattes while the others go off and take advantage of the haunted houses!  For other less spooky activities, visit our Branson Blog! Book your Branson cabin here.