Busch gardens or kings dominion help plz

[ArielRae]

DH and I are thinking of taking a road trip the weekend of July 27 and would like any info or help getting deals for either of these parks. We plan to spend two nights in a hotel close if you can recommend a nice one preferable with a nice breakfast. Thanks!

 

[trinchick]

I can't comment on any deals or specials, however, I'll give my opinion on the two parks. We greatly prefer Busch Gardens to Kings Dominion. Busch Gardens is clean, beautiful, and has interesting food and shows in addition to lots of roller coasters and thrill rides. Kings Dominion is also clean and has great rides, but it lacks that peaceful feeling.

To sum it up, I'd say Busch Gardens is a theme park where Kings Dominion is an amusement park. Nothing wrong with KD at all, and it may be more your taste, but we prefer BG.

 

[mbforbes]

I can't comment on any deals or specials, however, I'll give my opinion on the two parks. We greatly prefer Busch Gardens to Kings Dominion. Busch Gardens is clean, beautiful, and has interesting food and shows in addition to lots of roller coasters and thrill rides. Kings Dominion is also clean and has great rides, but it lacks that peaceful feeling.

To sum it up, I'd say Busch Gardens is a theme park where Kings Dominion is an amusement park. Nothing wrong with KD at all, and it may be more your taste, but we prefer BG.

We feel the same way. We drive 30 extra minutes to get to BG. To us it is just nicer.

 

[ArielRae]

Also if you like to recommend a different place we can go/do plz do.

Info:

It will be just DH and I.

Can leave on Friday.

We need to be home by Sunday evening to pick up DS from my parents.

Not interested in New York city.

We are driving so don't want to spend to much time on the road that we can't enjoy the destination.

 

[Zim]

Feel exactly the same way - I can't remember the last time we were in KD. Busch Gardens is beautiful but more expensive. Our local city parks and rec center have their discount tickets for BG set at $50 and for KD $42 (about the same price for parking $14 / $13 respectively).

I've heard good things about Colonial Williamsburg too if you wanted to try that a different day.

If you have kids on this trip, there is a Great Wolf Lodge one or two exits before BG. Not cheap though.

The big plus for KD is their water park is in the main park at no additional charge whereas BG has a separate Water Country park which will require additional tickets / parking fees.

You might consider Hershey Park for proximity to you

 

[kirstenb1]

I'm guessing it's a 5-7 hr drive. Based on that, you're talking about Saturday to do one of the parks. Busch Gardens, hands down, for the reasons cited by previous posters. If you can fit in another day, or even 2/3 of a day, Water Country USA is fantastic. We have season passes but I bet you can find a 2 park deal out there.

 

[trinchick]

Also if you like to recommend a different place we can go/do plz do.

Info:

It will be just DH and I.

Can leave on Friday.

We need to be home by Sunday evening to pick up DS from my parents.

Not interested in New York city.

We are driving so don't want to spend to much time on the road that we can't enjoy the destination.

Well, I guess it depends on what you like. If I were lucky enough to be traveling with just DH (like that would ever happen ), I'd opt for something that I couldn't do (or enjoy as much) with the kids. In your neck of the woods that might be Bucks County, PA for antique shops and non-frenzied meals at nice restaurants; Gettysburg for history; or Philadelphia for the art museum and a more urban feel. I'd figure the kids would like an amusement park, too, so I'd save that for a family trip.

However, I see that you have lots of pre-child Disney trips under your belt, so you seem to really enjoy touring the parks with each other so you would perhaps just like to be able to ride the coasters without juggling the child swap and getting to ride together. Like I said, it just depends on what you like to do!

 

[jmv223]

I completely agree, Busch Gardens in much nicer. I drive the extra hour past Kings Dominion to get there and never regret it. I've been a season passholder for years, so I'm out of the loop on discounts, but this is the site I used in the past and always found some savings options!

http://www.virginia-beach-family-fun.com/busch-gardens-williamsburg-discount-tickets.html

As far as hotels go, I've stayed in everything from the scariest of Super 8's on the train tracks to the fancy resorts. For a nice, moderately priced hotel with an above average breakfast included, I'd suggest the Spirng Hill Suites.

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/phfsh-springhill-suites-williamsburg/

If you have the time, Colonial Williamsburg is definitely worth seeing, even if you don't pay to go into the buildings and just wander around for a while. You can still get into the shops (I highly reccomend the pecan pie at the Raleigh Tavern Bakery). Jamestown is also really interesting if you are history buff.

Writing this just made me realize how much I need to get back there soon! I love Busch Gardens and the Williamsburg area in general!

 

[ArielRae]

We would have loved to do Paradise Stream which is one on the all inclusive resorts part of the Covehaven pocono resorts company but they aren't running any good deals right now.

Anyone know of any other all inclusive resorts in the area.

 

[laurafergie]

Deal for Busch Garden...I was in the McDonalds at the Laburnum Ave Exit (near the airport) in Richmond and the large cups had $10 off one days Admission.

 

[princesspwrhr]

The local library (Williamsburg Regional Library) has bookmark shaped coupons for 25% off a single day admission to Busch Gardens or Water Country. At $67 an adult, this comes out to about $17 off.

There was a code on retailmenot for $20 a single day purchase, not sure what the expiration date was - it was an online only discount though.

I live here so it seems like I'm always seeing discounts plastered on things - pizza boxes, beverage packaging, picked up at gas stations or shoved in food bags at grocery stores and fast food places. Those are usually only $10-12 off - but for $14 you can buy a meal voucher online that gets you an entree, 2 sides and a beverage. (plan well and that one voucher will feed 2 people) Normally that would cost you upwards of $25 per person. So even the $12 off is basically a meal that way.

There are a TON of places to stay around here. The only one that I drive by frequently that looks noticeably "sketchy" even from the outside is the Motel 6 on 60/Richmond Road near the Outback Steakhouse. It looks condemned so I'm always surprised to see cars there and tourists walking around on the breezeways.

 

[andrews_dad]

Groupon has a 2 for 1 deal for Kings Dominion right now. That is 2 tickets for $66 total. Limit 2 deals per person, but I know you can make multiple groupon accts with different CC's if need more than 4 entry tickets. ENJOY>

http://www.groupon.com/deals/kings-dominion-3