Fun, family themed resorts in Williamsburg/VA Beach area?

[smkiya]

Dh's nephew is graduating college, his nephew's mom is getting her PhD, and his sister is graduating HS so they are throwing a major graduation bash this summer. They live in Virginia Beach. I reserved a Disney cruise for this November, but may change the dates for next year and do our annual vacation in Virginia this year instead. I don't have a date for the party yet, but I'm guessing end of June or July. Budget is $1500-$2000 for me, dh, dd5, ds1. I'm looking into Great Wolf Lodge, but it's so expensive and we'd like to do Busch Gardens, the beach, and tour Williamsburg. Any suggestions? Do you have any recommendations for things to do or places to see also?

 

[FireDancer]

I'm not from the area but the Great Wolf lodge would be cool.

 

[antmaril]

The Kingsmill Resort in Williamsburg is lovely. Very convenient to Busch Gardens and just a few minutes from Colonial Williamsburg. Kingsmill resort offers golf, tennis, biking, pools, restaurants, spa, etc. We stayed in a one bedroom condo for a week several years ago and it was great. The only negative about that trip to Williamsburg was the heat and humidity.

Here's a link - http://kingsmillresort.com/

 

[luvmy3jewels]

I took my kids to the Great Wolf Lodge in Williamsburg a couple of years ago and they had a blast! It's a great place to go for a day or two, but it would get old after that. Kingsmill is also really nice, but a bit pricey.

As far as activities go, Busch Gardens and Colonial Williambsurg are both really cool. There is also Water Country USA (a large waterpark) which my kids love to go to when it is really hot (and June/July will be).

 

[luvmy3jewels]

Forgot to add - the best place (for the money) that we have stayed at in Williamsburg was a fairly new Hampton Inn that I won off of Priceline. I can't remember what I paid, but it was a really good deal (check out betterbidding.com for bidding help and hotel info.)

We have also stayed at Powhatan Resort and were really disappointed (the unit was dirty and had roaches).

 

[monkeybug]

We go to Williamsburg often, and are actually staying at the Great Wolf this Sunday for my sons birthday. I would recommend staying part of the time there, but a whole week isn't necessary and would be a budget buster!
Colonial Williamsburg has lodging, if you are into history it would be a great choice. It's a great location to be in! Just a walk to great restaurants and shops. Maybe split your time between staying at the Great Wolf and one of Colonial Williamsburg rooms?
Look into the night time tours and shows offered at Colonial Williamsburg. We did a ghost tour and it was awesome (not too scary for young kids either). Costumes come with little activity's for kids to do and is worth the cost of the rental if you have school age or preschoolers in your group.
Eat at the Cheese shop and get some candy from the shop next store. Yummy!
Remember that Colonial Williamsburg is more like a museum than a theme park. Jamestown is great too, and definitely worth the visit!
Oh and food for thought is a great, affordable, and family friendly restaurant.
There is a Pho place next door too!
Oh and Yankee candle company. It's basically a giant (really giant) store, but you can make your own candles, they have a little animatronic show, and it snows indoors! My kids love it! And it smells awesome!! Lots of times they have coupons for free make your own candles in the free visitor guide (usually located right outside the store)
Busch Gardens offers a "meal plan" but you have to pre purchase it online. It can be a good deal depending on what they are offering.
Have a great time!!!

 

[DisneyMomx7]

The Kingsmill Resort in Williamsburg is lovely. Very convenient to Busch Gardens and just a few minutes from Colonial Williamsburg. Kingsmill resort offers golf, tennis, biking, pools, restaurants, spa, etc. We stayed in a one bedroom condo for a week several years ago and it was great. The only negative about that trip to Williamsburg was the heat and humidity.

Here's a link - http://kingsmillresort.com/

We stayed there too and it's really nice. We got a week long pass to Colonial Williamsburg, Busch Gardens and Water Country USA. They had a shuttle that took you to Busch Gardens and Water Country.

 

[MKB419]

Great info,we are also planning a trip for July. How many days for Busch Gardens? My kids are DD6 and DS5. Thanks for any info.

 

[Rubbertops]

We are going the end of May. We booked a condo at Wyndham Governors Green. We are thinking of going to Colonial Williamsburg, Busch Gardens and Water Country.

We might try to fit a day at Virginia Beach so the kids can see the ocean. Is it very far away?

 

[hiwaygal]

Great info,we are also planning a trip for July. How many days for Busch Gardens? My kids are DD6 and DS5. Thanks for any info.

Depending on the crowds and your comfort level you can probably do most (if not all) of Busch Gardens in a day. If you want a more relaxed pace and lots of time to see all the shows and such, maybe two days.

We are going the end of May. We booked a condo at Wyndham Governors Green. We are thinking of going to Colonial Williamsburg, Busch Gardens and Water Country.

We might try to fit a day at Virginia Beach so the kids can see the ocean. Is it very far away?

From Williamsburg, Va Beach is about an hour or so away. But that can vary greatly depending on the traffic. Tunnel backups are notorious in the summer but if you plan it carefully, you won't hit much (i.e. DON'T travel during rush hours).

There is A LOT to do in the area...the Living Museum in Newport News is kinda cool, as is the Virginia Air and Space Center in Hampton. I haven't been to President's Park yet but it might be interesting. Jamestown and Yorktown are also very nearby.

 

[Wishing on a star]

We too will be checking in at Williamsburg at the end of May!

We will be staying thru RCI timeshare at GreenSprings Resort. The other more upscale places, l like KingsMill and the Historic accomodations are not available thru RCI and would be more than our budget.

We will taking a day trip to take our son to D.C.

We will also be driving to the coast heading North, crossing thru the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, to Chincoteage.

I know that Busch Gardens is supposed to be a gorgeous park.. But, I guess we are not Theme Park people... We just don't see a whole lot to draw us in there on this trip.

The water park is supposed to be great, and we will definitely hit that!

As far as resorts. Well, it is not Disney... So, just remember that... I would just research the nicest resort that appeals to me and is within everyone's budget.

As always - Tripadvisor is a wonderful resource.

Happy Planning!

I know we are really looking forward to this trip!

 

[NeverlandClub23]

The only kind of 'themed' resort you're going to find in Williamsburg is Great Wolf. I wasn't sure of your exact dates but I searched the last week of June and King's Creek Plantation is $104 a night. It's a gated hotel (I believe Wyndham does/did own them) and they have full kitchens, dining rooms, bedrooms, etc. Here's a link:

King's Creek Plantation