Some questions about Williamsburg and VA Beach

minnie1012 · Feb 5, 2016

Hi We are thinking of going to Williamsburg and Virginia Beach this summer. We have 2 girls, 7 and 12. I was thinking Busch Gardens, Water Country, something historical then heading to VA beach. I have not been to the area since I was little. Some questions:

My kids don't like roller coasters, will they like Busch Gardens?

Is there anything else fun in the Willliamsburg area that I may not be aware?

What historical spots would be the most interesting for them? Any with cute shops they might like with say handmade jewelry stuff like that?

Where to stay? I'm so overwhelmed by the choices. I don't like to stay "budget" but don't want to spend a fortune either. We would prefer an outdoor pool.

Is Virginia Beach nice? We are from NJ and normal go to Myrtle Beach how does it compare?

I was looking at a Holiday Inn there that appeared to have a waterslide but is there a better place to stay?

Is there anything to do there in the evening?

My kids have food allergies so if anyone had experience with those and could comment on those that would be great as well!

Thanks!

kirstenb1 · Feb 5, 2016

I can't help with Williamsburg hotels, but we have season passes to BG/WC. There are plenty of rides that aren't coasters, particularly over in the Italy section of the park. Water Country is awesome!! I hate coasters and will go on every ride there except two (so you know the slides aren't too fast!!). You're close to Jamestown, which is a nice historic site. I like Va Beach a lot, but haven't been to the strip in summer. We either stay in Sandbridge (southernmost area of VB, rentals only, no hotels), or go stay in a hotel in the off season. We like the Holiday Inn North Beach. Great hotel for kids---3 pools, and a movie theater. I love that it's at the north end of the Boardwalk, so slightly quieter than the rest of the strip. There are plenty of restaurants and tourist shops within walking distance. I haven't been to Myrtle, but my impression is there is probably more activities and shopping than VB. But, I think you'd have a really great time in VB, plenty to do.

laurafergie · Feb 5, 2016

My kids don't like roller coasters, will they like Busch Gardens? There is plenty to do in Busch Gardens for kids. There are lots of children rides in Italy and a big kids area in Germany (?) with water play, rope play house, tree house thing etc Not to mention the animal shows and the Clydesdale horses.

Is there anything else fun in the Willliamsburg area that I may not be aware?

What historical spots would be the most interesting for them? Jamestown is very fun for kids as is the interaction with the historic people in Williamsburg. Though it does depend on your kids and your family. I always made it a point to give the backstory so to speak, so there was perspective.

Any with cute shops they might like with say handmade jewelry stuff like that?

Where to stay? I'm so overwhelmed by the choices. I don't like to stay "budget" but don't want to spend a fortune either. We would prefer an outdoor pool. Sorry, I used to live there, so I'm no help on the hotels.

Is Virginia Beach nice? We are from NJ and normal go to Myrtle Beach how does it compare? It is MUCH smaller. The beach is fantastic, the city cleans it every night during the season. it is very family friendly but very crowded during the season. Traffic can be a nightmare, so planning is highly recommended. It is quite a bit more relaxed on the Bay Side vs the Oceanfront.

I was looking at a Holiday Inn there that appeared to have a waterslide but is there a better place to stay?

Is there anything to do there in the evening? There is minigolf, movies and during the season, music on the oceanfront and lots of bars and restaurants.

My kids have food allergies so if anyone had experience with those and could comment on those that would be great as well!

Lisa loves Pooh · Feb 5, 2016

I was pleasantly surprised by VA beach. We stayed at a Hampton Inn south of the pier. For a "tourist" beach (we were used to residential beaches back in Florida that visitors didn't necessarily flock to)--we thought it was great. They had entertainment in the area that DO NOT work for tips. It was nice to enjoy the atmosphere without folks hustling for tip money. We stayed a couple of nights.

IMHO--I would do this vacation as a 2 parter. Hotel near Willaimsburg and separate ocean front one of you could swing it. We had stayed on points so I have no idea on costs.

My family loves Williamsburg historical area. I would get a pass that includes that and Yorktown and Jamestown and have at it. BG is pretty roller coastery. We have only been twice. Once without kids and once with. Roller coasters was the prime focus both times, so I don't know if it is worth attending if she can't do them. The first time, we had a package and it was included. The second time, we were able to get a deal for VA residents. We had a deal on a hotel at Marriott Ford's Colony. Nice place, but it seemed a bit far.
The time without kids, we were at a hotel that was 5 minutes away. Ford's colony was 15-20 minutes for us. There are lots of hotels closer.

Psychodisney · Feb 5, 2016

We had reservations at the Holiday inn (sunspree?)about 6 years ago. We ended up checking out after 1 night. Stayed at the Residence Inn and enjoyed it. Our kids loved the beach. I remember not seeing many restaurants close by. The nice thing about the Residence inn was having a kitchenette.

minnie1012 · Feb 6, 2016

kirstenb1 said:
I can't help with Williamsburg hotels, but we have season passes to BG/WC. There are plenty of rides that aren't coasters, particularly over in the Italy section of the park. Water Country is awesome!! I hate coasters and will go on every ride there except two (so you know the slides aren't too fast!!). You're close to Jamestown, which is a nice historic site. I like Va Beach a lot, but haven't been to the strip in summer. We either stay in Sandbridge (southernmost area of VB, rentals only, no hotels), or go stay in a hotel in the off season. We like the Holiday Inn North Beach. Great hotel for kids---3 pools, and a movie theater. I love that it's at the north end of the Boardwalk, so slightly quieter than the rest of the strip. There are plenty of restaurants and tourist shops within walking distance. I haven't been to Myrtle, but my impression is there is probably more activities and shopping than VB. But, I think you'd have a really great time in VB, plenty to do.

Thanks so much! That is very helpful!

minnie1012 · Feb 6, 2016

Thank you everyone your responses were very informative & helpful!

manning · Feb 8, 2016

If you can try to go to Williamsburg on armed forces weekend. They have drum and fife there from all over the country. Also the Army Old guard is there.

rd

antmaril · Feb 9, 2016

We stayed at The Kingsmill Resort in Williamsburg and it was lovely. We had a one bedroom condo, which gave us more space than a standard hotel room. The resort is close to Busch Gardens and Water Country USA and a short drive to Colonial Williamsburg. Kingsmill has golf, indoor/outdoor pools, racquetball, spa, restaurants. It was very nice.

We enjoyed Williamsburg and vacationed there twice when our son was younger. My only complaint was the heat and humidity in June. Be prepared. I thought it was worse than Florida in summer.

Have fun!

HM · Feb 9, 2016

My favorite thing in the area was Jamestown Settlement.
Busch Gardens is a lovely park.

CyndiLooWho · Feb 9, 2016

We took our boys several years ago and had a blast there. We are Wyndham owners and stayed in one of their 3 timeshares (Kingsgate, I think).

You can buy a 7 day pass with unlimited visits to multiple area attractions. You can pick the ones you want to visit and not have to buy everything. Our Bounce Passes covered Colonial Wmsburg, Busch Gardens and Water Country USA. We ended up buying tickets for the Jamestown Settlement and Yorktown separately. Had I known we were going to visit those spots for sure, I would have bought the 7 day pass that included the Bounce Pass and the 4 Jamestown/Yorktown sites. We did not do the Yorktown battlefield or the Jamestown archeological site, but the two we visited were they type of thing that you take schoolkids to. Our boys enjoyed them both very much - the museums were good, the re-enactors were good, we saw them fire off cannons and muskets, it was just a lot of fun.

The only thing "different" that we did was to take a sailing ship cruise on the river. It was 2 hrs, and windy and cool, but a lot of fun. Again, this was something our family enjoyed. We try to do different type of boat excursions on our vacations and the boys kind of expect it. This one was located very near the Yorktown site, and we did them on the same day. We had lunch at a great cafe on the river that day.

I think that trip was 2013, so the boys were 12 and 14 at the time. Neither of the was into roller coasters, but we spent several hours at Busch Gardens on 2 different days. There were plenty of things to do without riding the coasters.

rotlex · Feb 9, 2016

Hi We are thinking of going to Williamsburg and Virginia Beach this summer. We have 2 girls, 7 and 12. I was thinking Busch Gardens, Water Country, something historical then heading to VA beach. I have not been to the area since I was little. Some questions:

My kids don't like roller coasters, will they like Busch Gardens? - Yes. Busch Gardens is a beautiful park with a LOT to do outside of just coasters. My kids, 13 and 7, love it all.

Is there anything else fun in the Willliamsburg area that I may not be aware? - Lots of things - Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown, a REALLY big Yankee Candle store where it snows inside one area, and a very good nautical museum. Yes, even the kids loved it!

What historical spots would be the most interesting for them? Any with cute shops they might like with say handmade jewelry stuff like that? - See Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown, and the Yankee Candle store mentioned above. The whole area is very nice with a lot of shops etc.

Where to stay? I'm so overwhelmed by the choices. I don't like to stay "budget" but don't want to spend a fortune either. We would prefer an outdoor pool. - We LOVE both of the Hampton Inn's in the area. They stay with the colonial feel of the town, are very well maintained, have pools, and free breakfast. Average per night is $100 and well worth it.

Is Virginia Beach nice? We are from NJ and normal go to Myrtle Beach how does it compare? - We also drive over the VA Beach when visiting the area. It's maybe an hours drive, and a great area. Comparable to Myrtle IMO. Lots to do, places to eat, and very clean.

I was looking at a Holiday Inn there that appeared to have a waterslide but is there a better place to stay? - Look at the Hampton Inn's I mentioned above. Just google for them in Williamsburg. Very nice.

Is there anything to do there in the evening? - Same as any other town I guess. We are usually park closers. (Did I mention we love Busch Gardens)?

My kids have food allergies so if anyone had experience with those and could comment on those that would be great as well!

Thanks!

Buzz2014 · Feb 13, 2016

Online on the Busch Gardens website you can purchase a funcard which gets you into the park all summer. This is awesome because for the price of one day you can go as many days as you want. If you buy by early March they throw in Water Country for free but it doesnt open til May vs March for BGardens. We go 2 or 3 times in the summer and mostly do the preschool rides but it is a great time. Before kids we used to be coaster junkies and the first row of the Griffon is prob the best coaster experience I've encountered. Also, The shows are very nice and mostly indoors if I recall.
If you have time I would check out the Yankee Candle Store in Williamsburg. Not just a reg store..Its a unique place the kids can make wax sculptures or dip diff candles, there is a fudge and candy shop, a christmas shop and Santa is there all year, my son loves visiting him in July (Santa is in vacation gear and you can get free pics) I realize it may not be as fun for older kids but its still a nice stop where you can spend a cpl hrs.
Our fav place to stay is the Powhatan Historic Resorts, they usually have great rates anywhere from 89-130 per night, they are all 1-3 bedroom apartments with full kitchen and balcony. The downside is the buildings have 4 apartments each and if your neighbors are loud you will hear them in the same building. We have lucked out and its always been great, however our friends have complained. This place is a timeshare resort, so they will call you at 830 am asking you to sign up for a tour. I disconnect ever phone in the place and dont approach the timeshare desk and its usually ok.. they did not seem too pushy last time.

minnie1012 · Feb 13, 2016

rotlex said:
Hi We are thinking of going to Williamsburg and Virginia Beach this summer. We have 2 girls, 7 and 12. I was thinking Busch Gardens, Water Country, something historical then heading to VA beach. I have not been to the area since I was little. Some questions:

My kids don't like roller coasters, will they like Busch Gardens? - Yes. Busch Gardens is a beautiful park with a LOT to do outside of just coasters. My kids, 13 and 7, love it all.

Is there anything else fun in the Willliamsburg area that I may not be aware? - Lots of things - Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown, a REALLY big Yankee Candle store where it snows inside one area, and a very good nautical museum. Yes, even the kids loved it!

What historical spots would be the most interesting for them? Any with cute shops they might like with say handmade jewelry stuff like that? - See Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown, and the Yankee Candle store mentioned above. The whole area is very nice with a lot of shops etc.

Where to stay? I'm so overwhelmed by the choices. I don't like to stay "budget" but don't want to spend a fortune either. We would prefer an outdoor pool. - We LOVE both of the Hampton Inn's in the area. They stay with the colonial feel of the town, are very well maintained, have pools, and free breakfast. Average per night is $100 and well worth it.

Is Virginia Beach nice? We are from NJ and normal go to Myrtle Beach how does it compare? - We also drive over the VA Beach when visiting the area. It's maybe an hours drive, and a great area. Comparable to Myrtle IMO. Lots to do, places to eat, and very clean.

I was looking at a Holiday Inn there that appeared to have a waterslide but is there a better place to stay? - Look at the Hampton Inn's I mentioned above. Just google for them in Williamsburg. Very nice.

Is there anything to do there in the evening? - Same as any other town I guess. We are usually park closers. (Did I mention we love Busch Gardens)?

My kids have food allergies so if anyone had experience with those and could comment on those that would be great as well!

Thanks!

Thanks for the helpful info. The Yankee candle store sounds cool I probably would not have gone in there

sunnyshari · Feb 16, 2016

My husband and I went to the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg and now live about an hour away. There is a Great Wolf Lodge in Williamsburg. It is not cheap but it is a hotel with an indoor waterpark that is lots of fun. Stefano's pizza in Merchant Square in Williamsburg has great pizza and Sal's restaurant off of Richmond Street I believe has the best ham and cheese sub I have ever eaten. However, my kids don't have food allergies so I don't know how those restaurants are in regards to allergies.

Some questions about Williamsburg and VA Beach

minnie1012

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kirstenb1

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laurafergie

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Lisa loves Pooh

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Psychodisney

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minnie1012

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minnie1012

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manning

Just for that I have requested it

antmaril

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HM

My tag from the Tag Fairy is now too long to use.

CyndiLooWho

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rotlex

Is it summer yet?

Buzz2014

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minnie1012

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sunnyshari

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