Colonial Williamsburg Hotels

[ruadisneyfan2]

When we owned a timeshare, we traded for the Wyndham Kingsgate Resort. It was great to have the space of a condo. 2BR/2Bath, full kitchen, w/d.
Not far from all attractions.

You don't have to own a TS to stay there. Anyone can rent Wyndham points from an owner. If you look on the Orlando boards, read the "I loooove Bonnet Creek!" thread. Many, many DISers rent from Ken Price. He can reserve any Wyndham resort, not just Bonnet Creek, and rents points for a very reasonable rate. I referred a coworker to him last summer & they loved the resort & working with Ken.

 

[rlduvall]

Thanks for the tips. We actually came across what appears to be a pretty good deal at the Mariott resort at Fords Colony where you can get a villa with kitchen for about $95 a night. It looks like it has good reviews on Trip Advisor.

We stayed there back in 2006 and I highly recommend it. It's away from all the hustle and bustle, but not so far it's prohibitive to go and back forth between Colonial Williamsburg.

 

[stitchfriend]

We stayed at Williamsburg area last june. We stayed at the Comfort Inn Central really cheap (45 per nite). We also stayed at the Quality Inn Colonial( 79 per nite) a few years ago. They both were clean and close to BG/WC.
They both served a continental breakfast.

 

[jcmaro]

Anywhere in Williamsburg is only about 15 minutes from CW so I would go for cheapest/nicest as opposed to closeness to CW.

 

[CluelessDisFan]

Historic Powhatan Resort, we stayed in a really nice 2 bedroom suite, my mom got a great deal on groupon for it. Good luck!

 

[Aliceacc]

Until we decided to redo our kitchen this summer, I had planned on Williamsburg.

Take a look at www.redweek.com . Had we gone, I was pretty sure I wanted to stay at Govenor's Green.

 

[gillenkl]

We always stay at the Powhatan. It is a time shareable they try to sign you up for a time alot for their presentation. Web always decline and they leave us alone. We have gotten a 2 bedroom full condo for $76/night before. The grounds are great. The have tons of kids activities at the resort. Indoor pool and hot tub. We love having the full kitchen.

This. -groupon often has fall specials for this property.

 

[aprilgail2]

We went two years in a row and I can tell you where NOT to stay- Quality Inn Lord Praget was a DUMP- the reviews weren't bad but it was really bad. We did stay in a Holiday Inn the next time and it was nice.

 

[writersblock42]

I have been twice in October. One time for my anniversary. We wore shorts the entire time and it was hot. The next time I went we wore jackets, hats, gloves and it was rainy and cold. Most of the time it is pleasant though and in between. October is a beautiful month. I think they start serving hot cider and hot chocolate at this time. Gambol's is a fun place to go after 9 pm.

 

[darnheather]

I highly recommend a tavern dinner. Also if they still have the apple cider mugs with free refills I recommend that as well. Depending on the weather it will either be hot or cold but both are good. My oldest is a history nut and has been in love with CW since she was 7. My youngest likes all the animals and talking to the people.

Jamestown is also very good. You can go on several ships and a good museum.

If you like BBQ then you must have Pierce's, it's fantastic. If you're looking for a fun diner I recommend Shorty's which we go to every other week. The service is good and the food is yummy. They are open breakfast and lunch.

 

[Foodallergymom]

I stayed at Embassy Suites in Williamsburg last July while taking some continuing education at William & Mary. The rooms were comfortable and nice, and there was a wonderful breakfast included every morning.

 

[ChattaDIS]

I highly recommend a tavern dinner. Also if they still have the apple cider mugs with free refills I recommend that as well. Depending on the weather it will either be hot or cold but both are good. My oldest is a history nut and has been in love with CW since she was 7. My youngest likes all the animals and talking to the people.

Jamestown is also very good. You can go on several ships and a good museum.

If you like BBQ then you must have Pierce's, it's fantastic. If you're looking for a fun diner I recommend Shorty's which we go to every other week. The service is good and the food is yummy. They are open breakfast and lunch.

Is one Tavern better than others? If we were going to do a ghost tour should we eat at the one where the tour starts?

 

[mbsquirrel1198]

There are several Wyndham resorts there that are fantastic. We have stayed at a few of them and found them all to be clean and in good locations. If you are looking to do fun history stuff, be sure to visit the Yorktown Victory Center. There is a farm, museum, and Army encampment from the Revolutionary War. My kids loved that! The Jamestown Settlement is neat too. Lots of hands on stuff to do with the Indian village, and English fort. Colonial Williamsburg is always a good time too, some kids find a lot of it boring though. And you can't go wrong with a day or two at Busch Gardens.

 

[amym2]

We were in Williamsburg just after July 4th with our DS11 and DD9. We spent 2 1/2 days in Colonial Williamsburg and the kids loved it. We toured just about every building and they never complained about being bored, but DS is a huge history nut.

We stayed at Kings Creek Plantation because my sister is a timeshare owner and it was okay, but if we had it to do over we'd probably try Marriott Ford's Colony. We haven't stayed there, but we've stayed at lots of Marriott properties, and we've always enjoyed them. OP, that sounds like a great deal.

In October, the RevQuest program a pp mentioned won't be operating. It is only offered in the summer and spring break. We did it and loved it, but it did take a full day. You'll have a great time even without it.

We ate lunch at Kings Arms Tavern and really enjoyed it. DS and I shared the peanut soup and fried chicken, and they were nice enough to split up our meal without us even asking. We each got a full chicken breast and half the sides. DS had a meat dish (similar to stroganoff) that was yummy. We arrived at opening and got seated right away. I'm not sure if the schedule will change for October, but in the summer, some of the taverns are not open on certain days. Shields, where the ghost tour leaves from, was closed Sun/Mon. All of the taverns are close together, so it really doesn't matter if you eat at Shields or another one before your tour. We didn't do the ghost tour this time, but we've done it in the past (before kids) and enjoyed it.

Other restaurants we enjoyed were the Cheese Shop, DOG Pub, and Berret's Seafood (their apple cobbler was the best ever) in Merchant's Square. You can walk or take the free shuttle from other locations around Colonial Williamsburg. Outside of the colonial area, we enjoyed Food for Thought. There are tons of restaurants (mostly chain) on Richmond Road.

Definitely park at the visitor center and take the bus to the colonial area. Parking in Merchant Square is only for an hour or two. We bought DD the refillable mug which was good for not only drinks but also root beer or lemonade slushes or ice cream at the Dubois Grocery in the Colonial area. You can also refill it with drinks at the visitor center, so we would do that on our way out.

We didn't do Busch Gardens since DD is our daredevil and at 53" she would have been really mad to not be able to ride the big coasters. We asked the kids if they want to return to Williamsburg in a couple of years and got a resounding "Yes!" Next time we'll go in October and do Jamestown and Yorktown as well.

 

[mieuxmew]

We love Marriott Manor Club at Fords Colony. Staff are awesome. Furnishings are top notch. Very scenic. Lots of kids activities. Love it!

We also have stayed at Greensprings. Staff there is awesome. Rooms are also nice.

 

[darnheather]

Is one Tavern better than others? If we were going to do a ghost tour should we eat at the one where the tour starts?

We've eaten at Chownings and Christina Campbell's and were very pleased with both. You can see the menus here if that will help. Otherwise just go with the one closest to your tour. Have fun!

 

[mcbj]

We stayed at the Marriott Manor Club, grounds are beautiful and has a real authentic look, got great pics of the kids in their colonial hats around the grounds. I also recommend the tavern meal, kids loved it, we ate there two days in a row!

 

[princesspwrhr]

We are starting to plan a trip to Colonial Williamsburg in October with our DDs 8 and 4. We are trying to figure out our hotel and wanted to get some input or suggestions. What is everyone's opinion for best places to stay, especially with younger kids. Would you recommend staying within or near Colonial Williamsburg or away from colonial Williamsburg? Also any suggestions of things to do or things not to miss.

Just a note - in October, all of our outdoor pools will be closed. It may very well be hot enough for outdoor swim, but they all close after Labor day. So if hotel pool swimming is something your kids like - make sure the hotel has an indoor pool.

RevQuest will likely not be running in October (It's usually summer/high season only) but you can rent costumes for the kids at the visitors center and they will get a scavenger hunt to do. Check out the kids section of the CW website also, it's really well done.

I just got back from Colonial Williamsburg yesterday.I cut stuff out

If you are going to Colonial Williamsburg some of the sites are more suited to kids than others. This is a very valid point, and will differ by the kids involved.

The Governor's Mansion has a long 30 minute tour that will bore the children. The tour inside can be easily avoided if desired. The guide also has a lot to do with how entertaining it is for the kids. We've had good and boring tours in the Palace. The kids will enjoy the garden maze out back, stroll down by the pond, visit the stables, and the kitchen.

The Powell House has kids activities all day long and is a good option for kids. The kids can play in the mud at the Brickyard. They also have kid's activities at the Museum Most of these great activities only run in the summer. :-(
The kids can join the army at the encampment and some kids think it is really funny but my dd almost cried because the drill sergeant called her a maggot (all in play of course but a 5 year old didn't understand). I think this one is nearly year round. Check your map for the kids activities.

Kids also love the Gaol (jail) The Rev Quest is a fun game but it takes a really long time and not really geared to younger children-they will probably lose interest. Agreed, RevQuest is designed for 8+. It is fun, especially if your kids are into ciphers, codes and spies. I love that it's designed to either be it's own quest, or it can work into your tour schedule.


They do have a kids map and the kids can five places punched and get a free dessert at Huzzah's located at the hotel. The food there is not fine dining but a great option for kids. Another big tip is dinner reservations are required at the restaurants in Colonial Williamsburg but not required for lunch and lunch is half the price. And the menu usually isn't that different!

Stephano's at the Merchant Square is another excellent option for kids. If you leave the immediate area there are all kinds of options like Subway, Chili's, Applebee's and all your normal chain restaurants. I think for kids, two days at Colonial Williamsburg is a good amount of time. The place closes at 5 pm. You can get an all inclusive ticket and do everything that includes Busch Gardens and Water Country USA.

Off season hours start in October, so buildings will close around 4. Outdoor areas will still be open and the shops and restaurants in Merchant's square stay open later. Water Country closes Labor Day Weekend and Busch goes into off season, open only on the weekends through Halloween. I do NOT recommend Busch Gardens after 6pm in Sept/Oct for Hallowscream. In fact, they make announcements starting at around 4pm that they advise young children to leave.

There are several Wyndham resorts there that are fantastic. We have stayed at a few of them and found them all to be clean and in good locations. If you are looking to do fun history stuff, be sure to visit the Yorktown Victory Center. There is a farm, museum, and Army encampment from the Revolutionary War. My kids loved that! I work here - please note that we are definitely open, but we are under construction of our new building and expansion. The Jamestown Settlement is neat too. Lots of hands on stuff to do with the Indian village, and English fort. I work here too, they are sister sites - our new Governor's House just opened in the fort. Very excited about that! Colonial Williamsburg is always a good time too, some kids find a lot of it boring though. I've always thought this was because many people don't "talk" to the interpreters. CW is definitely more "building tours" which can bore anyone, but the interpreters are great. My kids have loved going to CW since they were toddlers, but I've always let tehm talk to the interpreters and ask questions -their knowledge is amazing, and not just about the building they're at, but the time period in general, how it relates to modern times, and other neat things. (okay, I'm friends with several of them, lol, but they are really cool people and you get more out of the trip when you talk to them)And you can't go wrong with a day or two at Busch Gardens.

OP- hopefully by October "Kidsburg"/Midcounty park will finally reopen. It's a great themed playground/park in Williamsburg that's a wonderful place to take the kids to run off some steam, get some energy out and just enjoy the beautiful fall weather here. It was supposed to reopen in May. lol, They have most of it installed now, so you should be lucky.

Take a ride on Colonial Parkway and stop at some of the pullouts. The trees should be extremely colorful in October. At one end is Yorktown and the other Jamestown. Colonial Williamsburg is in the middle. There is a public beach at Yorktown, it's on the York River, and there's a smaller beach area on the parkway - be careful though, it's on the James River, and the tidal pull can be strong here. Mostly the locals come here just to hang out on the beach and not the water so much.

 

[ArwenMarie]

Busch goes into off season, open only on the weekends through Halloween. I do NOT recommend Busch Gardens after 6pm in Sept/Oct for Hallowscream. In fact, they make announcements starting at around 4pm that they advise young children to leave.

In October, I know they recommend young children leave at 4 at BGW...But do you know if the parks are still decorated kind of spooky as well during the day? I imagine once they decorate, the decorations can't come down every day? Just curious. I have a child who loathes that kind of stuff!

 

[princesspwrhr]

In October, I know they recommend young children leave at 4 at BGW...But do you know if the parks are still decorated kind of spooky as well during the day? I imagine once they decorate, the decorations can't come down every day? Just curious. I have a child who loathes that kind of stuff!

The general park decor is "fall." There are a couple of creepy things (like roses with bloodshot eyes in Festia Italia, a coffin on the dais by the carousel, massive amounts of fake ravens and black netting on Big Ben near the entrance), but during the daylight they aren't bad. Add the right lighting and sound effects at night... During the day they also don't have costumed people jumping out at you and for the most part the haunted houses are closed. Some of them open at noon with no effects for walk through. The theme changes a little bit each year, but if you do a google image search for "Busch Gardens Williamsburg Hall o'scream decorations" there are a few daytime pictures. Ignore the costumed people. They don't come out until 6pm.