The Branson Coaster — Attraction in Branson

If you’re visiting Branson, Missouri, and you want something that’s equal parts thrilling and relaxing, The Branson Coaster is a must-do. Located right on the famous Highway 76 strip, this ride offers a completely different kind of coaster experience than your traditional loops-and-inversions theme park rides. It’s a gravity-powered alpine coaster that lets you control the speed, which makes it perfect for people who want some excitement without feeling like they’re locked into an extreme ride.

From the moment you pull into the parking lot, the bright tracks snaking down the hillside grab your attention. The setup is impressive—this isn’t just one downhill run, but a double-alpine design, meaning you get two separate trips down two different tracks in one ride. You start at the top of the hill, zip down the first track with curves, dips, and sweeping turns, and then the lift system pulls you back up for round two on a slightly different route. It feels like you’re getting twice the fun for the price.

One of the things that makes this ride stand out is just how easy and approachable it is. The controls are simple: each sled has a lever for braking—push forward to go, pull back to slow down. That’s it. If you want to feel the wind in your face and take the turns at full tilt, you can let gravity do its thing. If you’d rather coast along and soak in the views of the Ozarks, you can ride at a gentler pace. This makes it a great option for families, mixed-age groups, or anyone who’s a little hesitant about thrill rides.

On my ride, I decided to try both extremes—one run slow and scenic, one run fast and wild. Going slow really lets you appreciate the surroundings. The coaster weaves through the trees, and depending on the season, you might get bursts of fall color, spring blooms, or lush summer greens. The slower pace also gives you a chance to wave to friends or family watching from the observation deck. On the faster run, though, it’s a whole different vibe—sharp turns whip by, the wind roars in your ears, and the dips give you that stomach-lifting sensation you’d expect from a coaster.

The Branson Coaster also gets high marks for its smooth ride. Alpine coasters can sometimes feel rattly or jerky, but this one is surprisingly comfortable. The sleds are stable, the track feels well-maintained, and the lift system between runs is calm and quiet, giving you a moment to catch your breath and get ready for the next drop.

Another big plus is that it’s accessible and low-pressure. You don’t have to climb a huge set of stairs or wait in an endless line to get to the starting point. The staff is friendly and efficient, helping you get seated and explaining the controls in a way that’s quick but clear. The safety bar feels secure, but not claustrophobic, which is a nice change from the over-the-shoulder harnesses of traditional coasters.

In terms of value, it’s competitively priced for the area, especially considering you get two downhill runs. They also offer repeat-ride discounts and combo packages with other activities like gem mining, so you can make it part of a bigger outing.

Overall, The Branson Coaster hits a sweet spot between thrill and relaxation. It’s not an intense, heart-pounding roller coaster that will leave you dizzy, but it’s far from boring. Whether you’re visiting with family, a group of friends, or even riding solo, you can tailor the experience to your comfort level and still come away smiling.

In short, it’s fun, easy to ride, and unique enough that you’ll be talking about it long after you’ve stepped off the sled. If you’ve got an afternoon in Branson, it’s worth carving out the time for a couple of runs—you might just end up going...

While the ride itself was fine, the customer service experience left a good deal to be desired. My 7 year old and I were on the ride and the next to be dispatched when a lightning alert forced the ride to close. This is understandable. We had purchased a package which included 2 hours, and given we had just swiped our cards we were concerned about the 2 hour time limit. We spoke with a manager named Jonathan, who was very reassuring and ensured that our 2 hours would be restarted when we returned after the alert had expired. He also informed us that because we had purchased a package that the ride portion was not refundable. He even offered a t-shirt to our son as compensation for being so close to leaving and having to get off. We left and went about our day and returned once the lightning alert had been lifted for the Branson area. Upon our return, we were informed by the staff that a superior to Jonathan had decided that the t-shirt given to our son was a refund and we could not restart our 2 hours. This Manager had made no appearance during the initial encounter with Jonathan and multiple issues with multiple customers. We never spoke to this person, nor did any other manager make an appearance to assist the employees during all of the confusion resulting from the closure. This person unilaterally and arbitrarily decided, without being in contact with us to make any arrangement, that a free t-shirt was compensation enough for the FIVE 2 hour sessions we had paid for as part of our packages. This seems unprofessional. There was an individual that was clearly a management level employee present, however, she spoke to no customers, and offered no support to her employees. We were able to talk to an employee and explain and were able to at least get a ride for my son and me, but the customer service experience and complete lack of leadership from someone who holds the power to make such unilateral decisions left a bad taste in my mouth. Otherwise, staff and ride were OK.

Edit: So, basically the weather caused a manager to make the wrong decision? The whole response is about the weather that day when my concerns were actually about the manager overuling another manager and making a very poor decision. I appreciate the apology, but it sounds more like you're apologizing for the weather than the poor decision making of your...

My family and I decided to end our Branson daytrip to enjoy the spooky coaster experience after sunset. After purchasing our tickets, and standing in the line for about 45 minutes, and next up to get in a cart, the employer told me that I needed to set my bag in their loose items area. I then politely told the employer, "I am choosing to keep my purse on my person, and will take my chances in the case that it miraculously falls off." Mind you, my bag was a cross body style purse, that is a VERY popular bag that multiple people have and was very securely across my chest that wouldn't even come off if I were to go upside down. The employer then told me that I would have to go set it in the loose items storage that had no locks or in my vehicle, or I wouldn't be able to ride. I don't know about you, but I don't trust a single soul when I have my keys and my credit card in my bag that could have EASILY been taken by purpose or mistake. So, I made the decision to tell them I won't be partaking in the ride, which upset my child, since they were VERY excited to ride after standing in line for 45 minutes. We ended up getting our money back, which I appreciate even though we were never given a receipt, but I have a few suggestions. When you have customers purchasing tickets and they have very evident items that aren't allowed on the ride, let them know before standing in line that they need to be placed in their car or OFFER to have them locked in the safe they have there. I understand safety, and I understand the legality portion if someone was to get hurt because the seat belt got caught on the bag, but training employees about preparing customers in the beginning would be time efficient and I 100% feel like this would not happen...