Busch Gardens Williamsburg

[Joan1]

Not sure where to post this but here goes

We may be going to Williamsburg for a couple of days at the end of August and was wondering if anyone has been to Busch Gardens Williamsburg?

If you have can you tell me what there is that shouldn't be missed. Is this a park that you should get there at opening or is it a park that is better if you go in late afternoon until closing?

I have a 12yr that likes roller coasters but not really over the top ones and a 10yr old that doesn't like them at all

Thanks for any insight

[yaytezIOA]

BGE is known for its coasters. I was at BGE for the grand opening of Griffon, the tallest and first floorless Dive Coaster. Its 200 ft tall, and has two Immelman loops. They also have four other coasters, including Alpengeist, Apollo's Chariot, Big Bad Wolf, and Lochness Monster. All of which are pretty big coasters. They also have a number of log rides, smaller rides, and then Darkastle which is compared to Spiderman. Its a beautiful park, and has lots to do. It is definately a get there early park.

[cookiemonstermommy]

Busch Gardens Williamsburg (now called busch gardens europe) is AMAZING. It's by far my favorite amusement park-IMO 100x better than Busch Gardens Africa (tampa bay). If you're only going for one day, I suggest you make it an all day thing if you can--there is so much to see and do.

General Rides: For both kids (and you!) Don't miss Corkscrew Hill--simulated minimal motion ride/movie-not a coaster but very entertaining! My son was 4 when he 1st went on it and had a ball...right next to my 47year old father who had just as much-if not more-fun.


Also Curse of DarKastle--very similar to Spiderman in IOA as far as motion and effects go.

Sky Ride offers not only beautiful views, but a chance to get to another country while resting your feet. Note that it's not a round trip.

There are also smaller attractions throughout the park-Tea Cup equivalent, that Viking ship type thing, etc.

Escape from Pompeii is very fun as well-I didn't list it as a water ride, because if you sit in the middle, you won't get more than a drop or 2. Excellent special effects, more than a splash ride.

Water Rides: Roman Rapids is fun but will get you SOAKED (I'd liken it to bilge rat barges).

Le Flume we usually pass by, it's a run of the mill log flume ride.

Coasters: Alpengeist and Apollo's Chariot are my personal faves. Apollos Chariot is actually where Fabio got hit in the face with a goose, lol. Alpengeist is a suspended coaster, and Apollo's Chariot is a more traditional one, but with only a lap bar-no harness.

I haven't tried the Griffen, but will later this month when i go with ds.

Lochness (traditional upside down steel coaster) and Big bad Wolf (suspended cars) are also very good

Shows: Pirates 3D and the Magic Show in Ireland (forget the name!) are both very fun for adults and kids.

To Eat: Trappers Smoke House is great-smoked/BBQ foods. I don't remember the cost, but a sampler (I'm thinking around $12 or $15?) fed me and my then 17 year old sister--it has brisket, ribs, chicken, fries, and a roll. My then 7year old son loves it too. It's counter service with a large outdoor dining area.

OR, since you're doing a day trip, das Festhaus has mostly German and American foods, also counter service but with huge indoor seating--time it right and you'll see a free show while you eat to make best use of your time and get out of the heat. (refer to the maps)

For Snacks: Caramel Apples in the Sweets store in England (entrance) are amazing-fresh and juicy. The Brownie Sundaes and rootbeer floats are also great-found in most snack shops throughout. Street vendors also sell those huge turkey legs. In Italy, the Italian Ice vendor is great-seems pricey, but you get a HUGE scoop-again, my sister and I shared, with some left over. Plus the usual fare-churros, icees, pretzels, etc.

Tip-If even a drop of rain falls while you're there, go to customer service, they'll give you a free pass for the next day. At least, they still were last year as late as october.

Tip- They've never stopped us from taking a water bottle or a few juice boxes in with us. The only time they've stopped us was when my genius sister was trying to bring in a sausage egg and cheese buscuit from McD's that she had just opened.:headache:

Tip- Speaking of the egg sandwich, there are TONS of places to eat within a 10 minute drive from BG-anywhere from McDonalds/Sonic/Wendys/KFC, to Hooters, Golden Corral, fancy restaurants (someone else will have to help you here-I'm a budget mom--it's usually Sonic and Golden Corral for us!), etc.

Tip-The grounds are beautiful (award winning, actually) and meant to be enjoyed. There are TONS of photo ops, with old looking buildings, bridges, lakes, rivers, rides, flowers, animals, fountains, etc. Having said that, wear comfy shoes. ;)

Have Fun!

Kelly (who looking back on this post, thinks she should write a book about BGE!)

[ChrisFL]

Kelly (who looking back on this post, thinks she should write a book about BGE!)

I think you just did! :thumbsup2

While I love BG Tampa since I lived there for a long time, BGW (Sorry, I cant get used to using "Africa" and "Europe" to describe them) is a very beautiful park with very good rides and great good. I love Apollo's Chariot! Alpengeist is also very good and themed quite well. I still like the Loch Ness Monster as well, even though its definitely not smooth.

But BY FAR MY FAVORITE is Big Bad Wolf...its just so different, a rare coaster type and it's one of the best suspendeds ever built

[keishashadow]

We drove down (8+ hours) for a long weekend early in August.

Hotels are very expensive, avoid the motel6 at all costs:scared1: crappiest $100+ dump i've ever seen.

It was hot, humid & crowded; don't think we'll return.

We were there when they open; do a odd staggered sort of starting the rides.

Coasters are great; lines were horrendous. Only got on 2 of them Big Bad Wolf & Loch Ness. Gave up on Roman Rapids ride after an hour wait; just too steamy. Rode Pompeii couple times, quick fun. Dar kastle was just ok in my mind. Did like the haunted lighthouse, with actor who plays 'doc' in BTTF & weird AL too. So glad to see the gondola rides haven't been discontinued ala MK.

It's a pretty park but; lots of big hills to traipse up & down - very spread out; i was huffing and puffing by the end of the day.

Even if you don't ride the Loch Ness, there is an area down by the small lake where you can sit & watch the car roar past - fun to see the riders faces.

[Fan2CSkr]

cookiemonstermommy, that was a great informative post! I am saving the info for when we return. We went a few years ago in May and really loved BGW. October sounds like a good time to go there, yes? Thanks!

[yaytezIOA]

One thing that never ceases to amaze me about all the Busch parks is the food. They give you a lot of food for a reasonable price. BGE is no exception. The sampler at the smokehouse is excellent, and just under 15 dollars.
I really wish it was closer than 12 hours for us, I'd love to go back.

[Joan1]

Thank you so much for all the information, very helpful
We will be there mid week so hopefully we will beat the weekend crowds. I know it will still be crowded but maybe less then the weekends would be

[lindalinda]

We had a great time there, went on spring break one year and it was not crowded at all. Of course it WAS snowing so that may have been why.:lmao: I loved the Alpengeist coaster. There were some strange coasters too, seems like one was called big bad wolf that kind of swung you around.

Anyway, what I wanted to note was WEAR COMFY SHOES. Its really hilly.

:hippie:

[ChrisFL]

Anyway, what I wanted to note was WEAR COMFY SHOES. Its really hilly.

:hippie:

Yes, you defintiely get your exercise walking around there!

[LovintheLodge]

Not sure where to post this but here goes

We may be going to Williamsburg for a couple of days at the end of August and was wondering if anyone has been to Busch Gardens Williamsburg?

If you have can you tell me what there is that shouldn't be missed. Is this a park that you should get there at opening or is it a park that is better if you go in late afternoon until closing?

I have a 12yr that likes roller coasters but not really over the top ones and a 10yr old that doesn't like them at all

Thanks for any insight

You are going at a great time. The end of August is not as crowded since many kids are already back to school. The last 3 times we've been there (2001,2002,2006) we were there that week and got to do everything we wanted. If you have enough time, check out Water country USA...great water park nearby. You can purchase multi-day tickets that include both parks. My family loves BGW. It is a beautiful park! As far as hotels, there are a lot of options. Have a great time! Maybe I can get there this year...I am missing BGW after reading the posts.:)

Cookiemonstermommy gave great advice...right on the money.

[cookiemonstermommy]

cookiemonstermommy, that was a great informative post! I am saving the info for when we return. We went a few years ago in May and really loved BGW. October sounds like a good time to go there, yes? Thanks!
October is excellent, they have Howl-O-Scream later in the evenings, at no additional fee (ie, if you go to the park in the am, stay for HOS) and most rides stay open throughout the HOS except Pompeii and maybe one other.

October lines are much shorter (you should have no problem getting on everything you want) and the environment is beautiful. The only real downside is it's "chilly" so water rides may be out. By chilly I mean 60s.

Keisha, Sorry you had that experience with hotels. Once in July, we spent $36 a night at Motel 6 (yeah, it's dumpy, but it has a pool, and hey-it's a Motel 6:confused3 ). I've never seen them quote over $69/night.

There are so many options, from the Motel 6, Hiltons and Marriots, B&Bs, luxury resorts (kingsmill), etc.

We usually stay at the Marriot Courtyard (?) during peak seasons for around $89 a night not incl. AAA discount and that has an indoor pool, whirlpool and a free hot/cold breakfast buffet with fresh waffles. Mmm

And Haunted Lighthouse is no more. It's now Pirates 3D-with Lesley Neilson and Eric Idle.

Kelly

[melanie18]

If you have time, try to hit Water Country also. We had a blast there (loved it more than Busch Gardens actually).

[Fan2CSkr]

October is excellent, they have Howl-O-Scream later in the evenings, at no additional fee (ie, if you go to the park in the am, stay for HOS) and most rides stay open throughout the HOS except Pompeii and maybe one other.

October lines are much shorter (you should have no problem getting on everything you want) and the environment is beautiful. The only real downside is it's "chilly" so water rides may be out. By chilly I mean 60s.

Kelly

Thanks for the additional info. I have a better theme park experience if the weather isnt too hot and muggy. Oct sounds perfect for us. Is HOS geared to adults or are kids OK too? When we stayed last time we were at the Hilton garden Inn nd it was nice with a full breakfast package but I would rather be closer. Any restaurants you eat at that you like?

[AlexandNessa]

Has anyone stayed at the Kingsmill Resort & Spa? Looks nice and relatively reasonable. Mike and I were considering a long weekend there, but I'd love to hear from others who have stayed there.

[damo]

We did BGW about 4 years ago and really, really enjoyed it. I think once Hard Rock Park opens in Myrtle Beach we'll do another trip.

I loved Apollo's Chariot and the food is really, really good. We made a lot of use of the single rider's line for Apollo's Chariot. Your 12 year old might want to do that if the rest of your family isn't into coasters. You kind of have to push your way through the regular line to finally get to the single rider's line. It isn't a very good setup but just keep saying, "excuse me, going to the single rider's line" and people will move aside and let you through.

Griffin and Darkastle look cool.

[cookiemonstermommy]

Fan2-HOS is great for adults, and my son (7 at the time) and sister (17 at the time) had a ball as well. They have different ratings for the walk throughs and performances..4 pumpkins is for adults, 3 is for teens and so on. What age are your kids? They have everything from special "spooky" shows for the pre-k set to school age shows, tp walk throughs that made my 48year old father scream and jump back (well, I did too, :rolleyes1 but lets pick on him for now!).

If you have young ones, you might want to stay out of Italy, as they have some creepy clowns that follow you, blow a horn at you and jump out at you, etc. My son didn't appreciate it, but the rest of my family had a ball with it--have some awesome pics of the clowns I'll see if I still have them.

As far as food goes, like I said, I'm a dunce about nice places--I'm all about budget, so the Golden Corral is about as fancy as we get. ;) There is a real good BBQ place, I'm pretty sure it's called Red Hot and Blue.

(i'm going down there with ds later this month, I'll try and remember to post an update)

Kelly

[Joan1]

Has anyone stayed at the Kingsmill Resort & Spa? Looks nice and relatively reasonable. Mike and I were considering a long weekend there, but I'd love to hear from others who have stayed there.

This is where we are staying and interested in reviews too

[lorax123]

This is where we are staying and interested in reviews too

I'd like some info too! We are considering going down in August. It looks nice and I found a package for $700 for 3 days that includes passes and hotel acitivites.

The have a 4 night family package for $999 that seems to include a lot.
Is it worthwhile to the package plans?

Any other way to get discounts?

I was at this park when I was 12. I enjoyed it then. It looks even better now.

BTW, think it would better to wait until the end of August? less crowds? Like the week of the 20th, 2 weeks before labor day?

[Detailor]

If you have time, try to hit Water Country also. We had a blast there (loved it more than Busch Gardens actually).

YES! I agree wholeheartedly! We liked the Williamsburg Busch Gardens a lot, but had a great time at Water Country. I'd highly recommend a visit.

Dick Taylor

[TwingleMum]

Any promotion codes?? Or discount sites???

[Andrea from PA]

I can't say enough good things about BG Williamsburg. It is my fav park & just about the only park my parents took as to us kids (even thought 3 other parks are within 2 hour drive of our house, we trekked 6 hours).

VA is hot & humid in August. It is gross even without crowds, but if you can handle the southern weather, BGW has plenty of shaded areas.

HOTELS -- I don't mind driving, so we stay at Quality Inn Lord Paget in close to Colonial Williamsburg. It is set back. Has a small lake, pool & breakfast gazebo. Join Choice Hotels for a discount. But honestly, there is so much competition in the Colonial Williamsburg area that it is similiar to Orlando -- You can find all levels in all price ranges and you can go on a whim for parties of 4 or less & find a hotel at a non-rack rate price.

If you frequent Orlando, you may want to look into season pass packages that cover Busch Gardens Williamsburg & Sae World, etc.

We live near Sesame Place & got an awesome deal August 2004 to buy a season pass good through 12/2005. We used it at Sesame, BG Williamsburg & Sea World. Really saved us a lot.

[disneyhottie]

Sorry I didn't see this thread earlier!We live about 15 min. away from Busch Gardens and love it a lot.Agree with everything that everyone has said.Although we do not go for long days(we have had season passes for years)do wear comfortable shoes(why do some women wear heels)and plan on climbing a lot of hills.Don't miss the animal show in ireland(by the wolves)and catch the bald eagle sanctuary.Can you tell I love animals(have 7 cockatiels).You must do trappers,a lot of food for a gret price.So far as the kingsmill resort and spa...never stayed there but worked at the spa-club teaching aerobics and it is one beautiful place!!!I could send you some maps of BG if you are interested.Also agree about water country as we migrate there for the summer when it gets so hot!I complain about the heat and then go to florida in aug.:confused3

[englishteacha]

We went to BG Europe/Williamsburg in 2002 in late August. The lines weren't bad at all. It was 100 degrees though, which might have had something to do with it! We were in a tent for the weekend, too. Ugh. I haven't slept in a tent since! We went for 2 days and had a wonderful time. Alpengeist is my all time favorite roller coaster! I'll put it this way: I didn't like roller coasters much prior to riding Alpengeist. Now I'm an addict! I'd love to go back to BG. It's a trek for us, though; 12-14 hours if we drive straight through. We're going to BG Africa/Tampa this summer in August and I'll see how it compares.

[disneyhottie]

:goodvibes Have ridden on all of the coasters at BG and love loch ness the best,will not ride new coaster "Griffo:thumbsup2 n"but have watched family ride,and when they come around that first curve and start the decend from 300ish feet and stop and are suspended at a downward drop...that is awesome!!!It is truly an amazing sight!!!:goodvibes During the heat of the day,go to the festhaus.It is very chilly,there is a show and great food and beer!!:rotfl2:

[jennib5426]

I live about 45 minutes from BGE and was just at Kings Mill last month for a golf outting. It is a beautiful resort on the James River. I also recommend the Hilton Garden Inn in Williamsburg was there last week and it was very nice.
Remember that Williamsburg gets no breezes so it is Hot and Humid well into late September. We played golf there last week and it was 102 degrees :headache:

If you can't handle the heat and humity don't go in June, July or August.
Also the kids around here in VA do not go back to school until after Labor day. Both Bush Gardens and Kings Dominion relay on the school kids to work the parks until Labor day so school start the Tuesday after.
So crowds are pretty steady until after Labor Day. Weekend lines for the major rides are HUGE.

[disneyhottie]

Where abouts in VA do you live jennib5426?We live in west point va,about 20 minutes out of richmond!!Howdy neighbor!!:cool1:

[cookiemonstermommy]

My son and I will be going down to BG next week (can't wait!).:cheer2:

We'll be going to BG for 3 days, water country for one and Colonial W'burg for one.

So if anyone has any specific questions, let me know and I'll check it out. Or any pic requests, lemme know, I'll do my best!

[ajcolorado]

Any promotion codes?? Or discount sites???

I just flew on Southwest and there was a coupon on the flap of the snack box granting an adult admission at the child rate.

What about the Entertainment book coupon?

There is probably a AAA "Show Your Card and Save" discount.

You may want to chech out: http://www.buschgardens.com/bgw/special_offers_home.aspx

[ajcolorado]

Are there any books - like the Unofficial Guide or "Beyond Disney" that offer touring plans for Busch Gardens Europe/Williamsburg?

[theterms]

Hi all! We're heading to the Kingsmill Resort July 6-10. I'll try to remember to give a review when we get back.

I'm excited because I haven't been to BGW since I was probably 9 years old and my dd (15) is a HUGE roller coaster fanatic. Although, I still wish we were off to US/IOA but we're replacing our deck this summer...

[Biggreen19]

I have just returned from a trip 6/16-6/20 to Busch Gardens Europe / Water Country USA. I'll give a quick trip report / review later this afternoon. I will say now that Griffon was awsome!

[Biggreen19]

First off I would like to say that I have been visiting Busch Gardens Williamsburg regularly since 1997. Although I am not a local to the Williamsburg area, I do have family in Williamsburg and have a fair idea on how to get around in the area, when to visit the theme parks, and a general idea on how to tour Busch Gardens. Anyway, here is a brief trip report/review of Busch Gardens and Water Country USA, and how we toured the parks.


Friday 6/15 - departed the Philadelphia area in the mid-afternoon for Williamsburg VA. Anyone familiar with I95 in the mid-atlantic region knows that it can be a nightmare to travel on during a Friday rush hour, so I opted to take the longer but more relaxing "Eastern Shore Route" over the Chesepeake Bay Bride Tunnel. I would rather arrive safe and sane.

Trip participants : myself-44, DW-44, DS-14, and DS's friend-14

Saturday 6/16 - Arrive at Busch Gardens at 9:30 AM. We enter the park and check the crowd size waiting by the Bridge to Ireland to see if it's worth getting in line to wait for the rope drop and then on to Griffon. There are loads of people already, we decide it's not worth the wait, so we ride Loch-Ness once, and queue ourselves for the Italy rope drop for Apollo's Chariot. 10:00 AM - rope drop! On to Apollo's Chariot. DS and friend "walk briskly" to Apollo's and wind up having the first ride of the day in the front car with one other individual only, nobody else on the train. Wind up riding Apollo's 3 times (DS rode 4 times), then time to move on. I must say that Apollo's Chariot is still my favorite coaster anywhere - it is still a smooth ride and the air-time you get riding in the last car of the train is fantastic!

We decide to head over to Octoberfest. Rode Big-Bad Wolf, probably the tamest coaster at Busch Gardens, but it is really fun at night when you go through the village, anyway it's the first coaster my son rode when he met the 42 inch requirement, so it has sentimental meaning to us as a family.
The next ride was Darkcastle - which was fun as always - great family ride! It can be a little scary for little ones, but overall it's a fun ride. It is similar to Spiderman, but Spiderman has more stationary props incorporated into the ride - Darkcastle relies more on the 4-D film sequences. At this point my stomache is getting a little lively, so I figured I needed a little break. DS and friend took a walk over to Le Scoot, the log flume ride to catch a quick ride. After DS and friend got off the ride, it was 11:30 - time to grab lunch over at the trappers smoke house. The food is very good at the smokehouse, however it is the most expensive counter service in the park. Most counter service meals in Busch Gardens run in the $7-8 range, but the smokehouse platters are in the $9-15 range. Still, not that expensive, but it adds up quickly when desserts and drinks are added.

After some shop browsing ( and digesting), we notice that the Park is getting rather crowded. We grab a quick ride on Alpengiest which is still an amazing suspended coaster, and decide to make an early exit due to the growing crowd size. We head again through Italy, grab one ride on Apollo's chariot, and head for the exit around 2:30 PM - Why didn't you ride Griffon you maybe thinking? Patience.......patience........

A few quick observations - Park was as beautiful as ever.

Restrooms were clean and had attendants working them - something I have noticed missing at WDW recently

New Park Policy - No Backpacks, purses or loose objects in the Rollercoaster queue lines. This policy is being enforced! You can only carry into the queue line beverages. Busch Gardens has stationed some lockers outside the queue lines for your personals, but they require tokens, which means you have to pay for the lockers. Of course Univeral Orlando has this issue covered with the free lockers, so this must be a newly enacted policy at Busch Gardens.
Hopefully Bush will come up with a different locker policy in the future, maybe similar to Universal?:confused3

I'll post more later....cia for now...

[tropical depression]

we need to make the roadtrip up to BGW. we've got platinum passports so we might as well use them outside of Tampa and Orlando.

[LovintheLodge]

I live about 45 minutes from BGE and was just at Kings Mill last month for a golf outting. It is a beautiful resort on the James River. I also recommend the Hilton Garden Inn in Williamsburg was there last week and it was very nice.
Remember that Williamsburg gets no breezes so it is Hot and Humid well into late September. We played golf there last week and it was 102 degrees :headache:

If you can't handle the heat and humity don't go in June, July or August.
Also the kids around here in VA do not go back to school until after Labor day. Both Bush Gardens and Kings Dominion relay on the school kids to work the parks until Labor day so school start the Tuesday after.
So crowds are pretty steady until after Labor Day. Weekend lines for the major rides are HUGE.

Twice we've stayed at the Hilten Garden Inn. It's very nice and in a good location for restaurants. There's a cute Williamsburg General Store nearby that also sells ice cream. If you have some time to shop, there's a really nice Yankee candle outlet (we squeezed that in the morning before we left). I mentioned this in a previous post, but all three of our visits were the last week of August and we experienced low crowds. Yes, it can be very hot, but the low crowds make it a great time to go in the summer.

[Metro West]

I haven't been to BGW in a long time but I definately would like to go back and ride Griffon! I rode Apollo's Chariot not long after opening and Fabio's infamous bird incident. :lmao: :lmao:

[dawnal]

Thanks for all of the helpful info!! We are going in July and it's been tough getting a handle on what to expect.

[larrycl]

Earlier someone wrote:
New Park Policy - No Backpacks, purses or loose objects in the Rollercoaster queue lines. This policy is being enforced! You can only carry into the queue line beverages

Anyone know if this applies to water bottles? I was thinking about getting those water bottle lanyards/necklaces so that everyone in my family could carry his/her own water bottle. We'll need lots of water as we are planning on visiting at the end of August.

[cookiemonstermommy]

Each ride that has those signs let my son and me go on the lines with my bag and refillable cup. We left it near the exit while we rode. No one enforced it at all, and in fact the line attendants helped me secure a safe spot to keep my things. If someone walks off with your stuff (never happened to me or anyone I know), then I'd guess you don't have any recourse.

Now, I can't promise that you won't get someone who will enforce it, but this was my experience last week (came home 6/30). And we weren't making any attempts to hide the bag or be discreet.

And almost EVERYONE had water bottles!

Note: Most places will give you a cup of free ice (tap) water. Some don't have the "free" cups, but will fill one of your containers for free with ice water. Don't keep buying the Aquafina bottles, especially in August, you'll spend more on water than on park admission!

Kelly

[larrycl]

Thanks Kelly. I was thinking about loading a case of Costco water bottles in the car, then handing out water bottle holders ($4.95 for 12 from Oriental Trading) to everyone.