Kings Island Ohio or Busch Gardens Va?

[FINFAN]

Just toying with some ideas...we have $1500 max for a trip somewhere this summer, and DH has 5 business days. The drive for us to Cincinnati is about 6 hours, and about 13 to Va., so 1 day travel either way. The parks charge the same for tickets, and just skimming the area hotels looks like they are roughly the same price range as well. I love the looks of BG, but if we choose going as far as Va., I am afraid we will be too close to NYC, a place DS has been begging to go, and we do not have it in the budget this year. DD is hoping for anywhere, but they both seem to be focusing on amusement parks...gee, I wonder why? We are hoping to go back to WDW next summer, value trip (tho we have a goal of the POLY one day) so I do not want to risk dipping into those savings...meager as they are. I will be taking the kids to see my folks in Fl for a week in June...using up the last of our miles and to be SO CLOSE to WDW and yet so far (folks are 4 hours south) is killing us, esp since we have 4 hopper plus tix burning a hole in our pocket...but we really want to wait for EEverest to open, SO.......waiting ever so patiently . Anyway...any thoughts or any other ideas of places within a one day drive of Chicago?


Thanks,


Pam

 

[Cruise04]

Busch Gardens will actually be close to 15 hours. It's 16 from my house to my uncle's house in Norfolk which is 45 from Williamsburg and I'm 30 minutes from you. And I did that drive straight through both going out there and coming home and it was a long day - I left at 6am and got home at 10:30pm (roughly) and that was with stopping for gas and getting something to eat when I'd stop for gas.

BG is a much better park, in my opinion, than Kings Island. And you are not really THAT close to NYC - it's about 5 hours if I remember just to DC from Norfolk so it's a little jaunt.

The thing that I'd run in to would be the other things you can do around Williamsburg and the temptation to go do them if you don't have the funds to.

 

[piglet too]

I would go with Kings Island if only for the cost of gas. Then again, I also probably would just go to Great America and enjoy the new water park.

 

[Keggy]

Have you thought of Cedar Point? There is a lot of stuff to do nearby as well - the boats to the Islands, the water park, etc...

I have been to both BG and KI and I would go with KI - purely for the 7 hours of driving you would save!

Kelly

 

[JoeThaNo1Stunna]

I would go to BG, it is the best theme park in America that does not have Disney front of the name.

Don't worry about NYC, it's about 8-9 hours away...

And while you're in VA, you could goto King's Dominion which is very similar to King's Island and only an hour from Busch Gardens.

 

[FINFAN]

Thanks all...I guess it is a much further drive than Mapquest says to BG.. and the cost of gas to be considered. We had thought about Cedar Point,(hotels are pricier tho) but the kids like the rides at KI...Tomb Raider and Top Gun. Not that we've been before, but they think those look pretty cool. I tried for the Great America angle, but to be honest, the place is a pit, and I think the water park will be beyond jammed. I wonder if the hotels around the park have cleaned up at all, they were gross when we stayed 2x before. I know ALL theme parks are busy in the summer, but since this is the grand openeing and only place close by, I am figuring long, long, waits.Plus DH works in Schaumburg and it really wont feel like we've gotten away. I sure wish all theme parks had FP. Looks like WDW is pretty jammed for this summer as well, kinda glad we are waiting a year. Any other ideas besides these 2 places?

 

[HomeSweetDisney]

I've never been to King's Island but I ADORE Busch Gardens, VA. Besides Disneyworld, it is my favorite theme park. It's beautifully themed and there's lots to do. I highly recommend it. Not to mention you could spend time in Williamsburg itself which is a gorgeous, historic town


-Veronica

 

[HollyJoy]

Trust me, NYC is pretty far from Busch Gardens!! That would be a whole other day's ride to get there! We're taking a short trip to BG in June. Can't wait! Remember, there's always Williamsburg as well. Lots of fun stuff to see there.

 

[Dax]

There is also Carowinds in NC/SC...thats a Paramount park too

 

[wvrevy]

This probably won't help much, but you really can't go wrong with either spot:

Kings Island - Great rides, including the best wooden coaster on the planet (The Beast) and possibly the second best (Son of Beat, but it'll beat you up pretty good). Also, there is a nice water park right beside KI (called "The Beach"), and the Cincinnati area has a lot of other stuff to do as well (very nice zoo, big aquarium in Newport (across the river from Cincy), professional baseball games, etc.). We hit Cincy at least a couple times every year for various things, including Kings Island.

Busch Gardens - Undoubtably the prettiest park you'll ever see without the name "Disney" in the title. More great rides here (Apollo's Chariot, among others), and King's Dominion is only about an hour or less to the north, as is DC. Again, plenty to do in the surrounding Williamsburg area.

Busch Gardens is probably the better of the two parks, overall. But if you're looking to spend more than a couple days, I'd suggest King's Island, unless you're willing to make the drive to King's Dominion and DC.

Hope this helps, at least a little...I've been to both parks any number of times, and highly recommend them both. Like I said, I don't think you can really go wrong either way.

Have fun !

 

[damo]

Cedar Point is much much better than any Paramount park (I have been to them all). They have also acquired Geauga Lake from Six Flags which is just south of Cleveland and is another good park. You can use your pass for both parks and have an amazing holiday.

 

[boucheresq]

BG is my fave park after WDW and Universal. I would totally go there - it's one that parents and kids both love - the theming is amazing. That way you could also fit in some historical stuff with Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown - also some amazing places.

Also, if you do BG, you could go to another nearby amusement park - Kings Dominion which is about an hour away near Richmond - it's also a Paramount park.

 

[jlaspoq]

Williamsburg is a wonderful destination! BG is absolutely wonderful (we have platinum passes) - quite beautiful, great shows, 4 fabulous roller coasters, fun food, etc. Water Country USA is also in Williamsburg, also run by Busch, and you can get tickets that get you into both - it's a very fun water park. And as mentioned, you can get some history in Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown.

You will NOT feel close to NYC at all. We drove there for our Spring Break in 2004, and it's a long haul through a lot of traffic. It's worth it's own trip.

I would absolutely vote for BG and Williamsburg!

 

[antmaril]

I would choose Busch Gardens. It is a beautiful park and I think you will enjoy the Williamsburg area. Water Country USA is big fun too. Also, this may sound funny, but you will really feel like you are on vacation if you choose the Williamsburg trip. There is lots to do in Williamsburg.

Have fun!

 

[lorisnuts]

I agree with Cedar point. (they have more roller coasters then Kings Island). With the addition of Geauga Lake about an hour or so away. You'll have time/option for 2 ride parks (with water parks).

 

[Tigger&Belle]

How about Hershey Park? It's a lot closer than BG, but still a fun park. We went there last summer (it had been quite a few years since we'd been there) and had a great time. We spent one long day and wished that we had of had a second day. We like to repeat rides so we like to spend lots of time in a park. There are also other things to do in the area--outlets, tours (Herr's potato chips isn't close to Hershey, but not too far and it's a good tour), etc.

We're going to BG this summer on our way to the beach--I've never been then before.

Never been to KI or CP.

T&B

 

[Cruise04]

If you want to look at going to Cedar Point you don't have to stay there. There are some smaller towns around there that have nice hotels. Or you could stay in Cleveland or Toledo (about an hour or so west of Cedar Point). In Cleveland you have the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame as well. There are some hotels also in Sandusky that are reasonable. If you look around on the internet you might find some reasonable rates.

The first time we went over that way my dd and I stayed actually in Maumee Bay State Park - outside of Toledo - and camped (they had a Rent-A-Tent program so we didn't have to bring our tent) and at that time it was $29 a night. Got to camp and spend time in that area - it was beautiful.

 

[MSC]

Our family has Season Passes to PKI --we go there often during the summer; it's our "home park."

That said, I think CP is a far superior park. The PKI coasters cannot compete at all (except for the Beast, of course). But if Top Gun is a draw for your kids, it doesn't sound like coasters are their thing -- TG is the weakest of PKI's relatively weak offerings). Plus, at CP you have the beach (meaning with Lake Erie lapping up onto sand, not The Beach, with waterslides by PKI). So a trip to CP is going to be a lot more vacationy than PKI. CP is usually considered the best amusement park in the country

All that said, if the drive doesn't bother you, I'd go experience BGW. What a gorgeous park! Fun rollercoasters (though not nearly as many) and great surroundings. Plus, Colonial Williamsburg right next door, and the beach is not far away (the real beach, meaning with the Atlantic Ocean lapping up onto the sand!). Now that's a vacation.

 

[jlaspoq]

I'm happy to try to answer questions about BG - Wmsbg and WCUSA - the parks themselves. Sorry I don't know much about the hotels since we live here. You can PM me if you want. Lori

 

[FINFAN]

You guys have offered a ton of help and insight, I am battling a horrid cold right now and can't hold my head up long enough to do any decent travel research, but will let you know if we decide on any of these! Thanks again!

Pam