Williamsburg/Busch Gardens planning help needed

[Tina]

DH and I have decided to take a long weekend to visit the Williamsburg area in mid-September. We've lived in VA for 6 years now and have never ventured down that way yet. We'll leave on a Thursdsay (9/12) evening after work. Its only a 2 1/2 hour drive. Check into the hotel and get some dinner. Spend one day at Busch Gardens and another at Colonial Williamsburg. Maybe another half day in Williamsburg depending on how much we like it. Now I'm ready for comments, suggestions, etc from all of you DISers out there. For the hotel, I really like what I've read on the Hilton website about the new Hilton Garden Inn. They have a SuperSaver rate of $79 per night. The hotel opened in 2000. Anyone stay there yet? It claims to be 1 mile from Colonial Williamsburg and 3.5 miles from Busch Gardens.

In addition to hotel feedback, please tell me about your experiences in this area. What did you like? What didn't you like? Touring suggestions? Any restaurant suggestions? I'd love to find a nice steak or seafood restaurant.

 

[nativetxn]

I visited Williamsburg about 20 years ago, I don't know anything about touring strategies or hotels, but I thought I would bump you back to page one so someone else could help you out

 

[TigerBear]

Williamsburg is definitely on my "to do list" for someday. It has been talked about quite a bit on the DIS. Try doing a search, I bet you will find all kinds of information!

 

[TigerBear]

Here are some good threads (I hope this works):

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=223994&highlight=Williamsburg

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=204581&highlight=Williamsburg

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=205959&highlight=Williamsburg

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=193331&highlight=Williamsburg

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=43364&highlight=Williamsburg

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=31577&highlight=Williamsburg

 

[Tina]

Thanks TigerBear! I read all of the posts in your links. As it turns out, someone has stayed at the hotel we're interested in and they loved it!! Great. I'll book it for sure now.

 

[Tina]

Bumping this back up top for more input...

 

[JerseyJanice]

and when we go back (and we will--Busch Gardens is an amazing theme park), we will stay in what is called the King's Mill area.

This is right outside of BG and very new. There's a bunch of new hotels in this area, and I like how close it is to BG.

I found the roads between BG and the Colonial area very dark and confusing to drive at night. A couple of nights, we went out to eat near the Colonial area and wound up with a scary ride in the rain back to our hotel (the Fort Radisson McGruder--which BTW was the worst chain hotel we ever stayed in--I'd tell anyone to avoid it like the plague).

I know there was a Marriott in the Kings Mill area, and I believe most of the big chains were represented there. The prices were reasonable, too. Many fast food dining options are walking distance from the hotels here.

Last summer, BG offered a 3-day park hopper that included Wet 'n Wild (I think that's the name) water park. We planned on doing BG for 2 days and the water park one day, but the weather was not conducive for a water park during our visit (lots of rain). So we wound up going to BG all 3 days--not a problem, it's a wonderful place with much to see and do.

Not sure if you have young kids, but if you do, don't miss the Castle show in Ireland. My then 4 year-old's eyes nearly fell out of his head watching the leprechaun in it. Really cool!