Busch Gardens Williamsburg?

Violet

Violet

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Was just wondering if anyone has been to Busch Gardens Williamsburg...Wondering how it compared to Disney...I know it can't be anywhere in the same class as WDW. But looking at the pictures and stuff, it still looks like a neat place to visit.

Is it somewhere that could be at least a stand-in for those times when you can't make it to WDW? (for those of us from the Northeast let's say).

Thanks! :)
 
Lucky

Lucky

Well-Known Member
It's well known for being a very clean and pretty park. Lovers of thrill coasters like it. I find the theming very thin compared to Disney. So you're right on both counts - not in the same class as Disney, but worth checking out, especially if you like coasters.
 
Violet

Violet

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Lucky said:
It's well known for being a very clean and pretty park. Lovers of thrill coasters like it. I find the theming very thin compared to Disney. So you're right on both counts - not in the same class as Disney, but worth checking out, especially if you like coasters.
Click to expand...

Thanks! So how many days at most to see it properly...I'm thinking 2 at most?
 
prberk

prberk

Well-Known Member
3f028c4c73f56c278b4f0701d42cadf9-orig
Planned with landscaping in mind, and also aware of its historical surroundings (Colonial Williamsburg as its neighbor), it is often considered one of the most beautiful theme parks in the entire world, and yes even compared to Walt Disney World. Especially the gorgeous Loch Ness Monster's double interlocking loop in yellow over the lake, surrounded by trees. The best part about their landscaping was that they kept and built around many, many trees, so shade is abundant.

This is in stark contrast to Kings Dominion just up the road in Richmond. Pavement city there. Like a carnival on steriods.

Busch Gardens also still has a summer concert series that is FREE, with people like Scotty McCreery and Foreigner and Charlie Daniels and other fun acts. And for Virginians, you pay for one day and get the whole summer for free. A season pass itself (which includes free parkng and 10% discount on food and merchandise) is only around $110 as I remember, cheaper online.

The best thing, though, is to combine it with Water Country (its sister park next door, which was originally inspired by River Country at WDW) and Colonial Williamsburg, the original reason that Williamsburg is a tourist attraction in the first place. They actually have a combo ticket with Busch Gardens. Like WDW, you can stay in an official Colonial Williamsburg hotel (Deluxe, Moderate, and Value, just like in WDW), and really enjoy the authentice reproductions and actual history around you. Check out www.colonialwilliamsburg.com

I love to stay in Colonial Williamsburg. Lots to do, and nice to walk around at night. Great restaurants, too, including real colonial taverns with real hardwood, real glass in the windows, real candles at the tables, live balladeers, and other unique things.

I say, check it out.
 
Violet

Violet

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Scoutn757 said:
It is NOT in the same class at WDW. Busch Williamsburg takes a ton of pride in their appearance and product which places it WELL ABOVE WDW. It is the World's Most Beautiful Park for 22 years running for a very good reason.
Click to expand...

So do you mean it looks nicer than WDW?

From the attractions list, it looks like there is way more at WDW?

It seems to be more of a regional draw. But I'm still happy to hear that it is so beautiful, I'm very excited to check it out now :)
 
S

songbird

Active Member
We loved it. but the emphasis is on thrill rides, a very different experience that WDW. We didn't go to Water Country. We spent more time at Colonial Williamsburg than at the park, but that's because we're serious history buffs.
 
ScoutN

ScoutN

OV 104
Premium Member
Violet said:
So do you mean it looks nicer than WDW?

From the attractions list, it looks like there is way more at WDW?

It seems to be more of a regional draw. But I'm still happy to hear that it is so beautiful, I'm very excited to check it out now :)
Click to expand...

It looks nicer in every aspect. A certain Spirit visited BGW last year and stated the same thing. Five large coaster, kid's coasters, two indoor rides, much more scenic train, and an outstanding collection of flat rides. The drop tower offers phenomenal views as well. There is well over MK's count of rides.
 
Violet

Violet

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Scoutn757 said:
It looks nicer in every aspect. A certain Spirit visited BGW last year and stated the same thing. Five large coaster, kid's coasters, two indoor rides, much more scenic train, and an outstanding collection of flat rides. The drop tower offers phenomenal views as well. There is well over MK's count of rides.
Click to expand...

Cool, sounds great. Good point, it's not accurate to compare it to WDW in total...more reasonable to compare it to one park.
 
prberk

prberk

Well-Known Member
Scoutn757 said:
It is NOT in the same class at WDW. Busch Williamsburg takes a ton of pride in their appearance and product which places it WELL ABOVE WDW. It is the World's Most Beautiful Park for 22 years running for a very good reason.
Click to expand...

I had a friend who sells dip mixes at craft shows, and for a while was a vendor in the New France (old Canada, country style) section of Busch Gardens, and he said that they were very, very strict on presentation and theming, even to them as a vendor. Their product and their fixtures had to match the country style, hardwood them going on around them. They would make them re-do the product packaging if it looked too cheap or out of theme. The theming is first class for a theme park, in my opinion. Although the "large coasters" are high and often above sight lines, overall they have done a great job integrating coaster stuff into the well-themed shops and shows.

As for the regional nature of Busch Gardens, that is true only in that it is a theme park that maybe advertises more regionally. But the whole Williamsburg area, including Colonial Williamsburg, Busch Gardens, Water Country, Jamestown (yes, THE Jamestown), and Yorktown, is a nationally-known vacation spot with a class all its own also. As others have stated, it is full of history, and very beautiful. Williamsburg can cover a week's vacation, easy, especially if you take advantage also of the beaches or golf nearby. (Virginia Beach is one hour away, and Kingsmill Resort is on the James River, adjacent to Busch and developed by them -- also beautiful.)

If you go, make sure you spend some time in Colonial Williamsburg. It holds real history, and since being restored first in the 1920s by Mr. Rockefeller and the rector of Bruton Parish there, was a true American vacation destination long before WDW was even thought of. It's something every American tourist should see, I believe. And you can "stay on property," just like at WDW.
 
fractal

fractal

Well-Known Member
Beautiful Park. It's tough for me to compare to WDW - it's just one park, but it is a great one. I reminds me of a bigger and better version of Hershey Park.

If you like coasters you must do Apollo's Chariot. Personally I'd love to go back and try the new coaster.
 
Violet

Violet

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Thanks everyone! We actually decided to take a quick trip down in the middle of May for two or three nights, not sure yet. We're going to stay at Kingsmill, which looks nice and close to the park. I will report back on how we liked it!
 
prberk

prberk

Well-Known Member
Great. Let us know what you think.

And be sure to spend some time in Colonial Williamsburg (or at least eat at one of their taverns) while you are there. For something very different, check out "Gambols" evening fare at Chowning's Tavern. It's where they change the dinner menu to lighter stuff and drinks, and have period entertainment come around and have some family-friendly, but a litlle baudy, fun. They will show you old fashioned magic tricks and games, and a balladeer or two will come around and sing baudy drinking songs. It is clean, but aimed at families with teens or older children among them. Very unique. In a candlelight setting. Does not require a Colonial Williamsburg ticket, but costs for the food and drinks.
 
Violet

Violet

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Hi all! So we made it to BGW this weekend. All I can say is LOVED IT! :)

First of all, yes, such a beautiful park as everyone mentioned. Gorgeous trees. Shade! Flowers. It's beautiful the way they built it into the landscape, not on it. The coasters were awesome, and it's also amazing how even though the coasters are simplistic (not all themed up like Disney's), they also blend into the landscape and the rest of the attractions.

We spent two days there, from open to close, and we still didn't get to do everything we wanted. We could have easily spent a third day there. I can see how combined with Water Country and Colonial Williamsburg, we could definitely spend a week there easily.

We stayed at Kingsmill. Absolutely gorgeous. The room was top-notch. The grounds there are beautiful. I knew it overlooked the James River, but I didn't realize that the James River is really more of a bay there it's so huge! The food was great at the resort as well. We saw their new River Pool, which has a lazy river and a nice-sized water slide. That looked gorgeous as well. I think I could spend a week just hanging out at Kingsmill.

What else...We did the Dine with Elmo character meal. The food was very basic and geared towards kids, and my kids did like it. It takes place in a cute castle and the characters do a little show through the meal. But the best part was the amount of character interaction that you get. My DD must have hugged all of the characters at least two or three times, and then they all came around to our tables and interacted. Seriously the best character meal I have ever been to. It definitely made me feel very ripped off by the prices for some character meals at WDW relative to the amount of interaction you get.

The other shows were great too. We saw the Irish show, Oktoberfest, a little bit of the Italy show and the pets show. All really good.

The food was really good too, the portions were enormous.

I thought the theming was beautiful. It wasn't as heavily themed as parts of WDW, but it was still beautiful. I loved the animal part of the park over by Ireland, we spent a lot of time there as well. Really, it's a park for everyone...whether you just want to walk around and chill, you have little kids, you love coasters, shows, tons of stuff for everyone.

All in all, really a top-notch park, and totally worth the drive from NJ. I don't want to compare it to WDW directly, but as a family, we had as much fun there in two days, if not more, than we do at WDW. We will definitely be going back.

Thanks for all of the previous posts, they were very helpful!
 

Register on WDWMAGIC. This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.

Back
Top Bottom