WDW and Busch VA???

[surfsupdon]

I love all Walt Disney World parks!

Yet I also love Busch Gardens VA, finiding it perfectly acceptable, clean, and beautiful, and still having some great rides and theming, aside form being only 6 hours away.

How do you guys feel about Busch Gardens VA beating WDW as "Favorite Theme Park" for the past four most recent years? Does this have anything to do with Disney loosening on their original rules and guidelines, like cutbacks and such.

Of course I prefer Disney over BG VA, but what do you think? BG is really beautifully landscaped and themed...Disney should be winning!

(this is the BG article I found on their site)
The results are in and Busch Gardens Williamsburg has done it again. The European-themed park has been declared the winner of two prestigious awards. The National Amusement Park Historical Association (NAPHA) named the Williamsburg park the world’s “Most Beautiful Theme Park” for the 12th consecutive year and world’s “Favorite Theme Park” for the fourth year.

Busch Gardens Williamsburg has taken pride in acres of artfully designed landscaping since its opening in 1975. Designed to complement the natural terrain and beautiful Virginia countryside, Busch Gardens has continued this tradition for more than 28 years. Since 1999, the Williamsburg adventure park has been named the world’s “Favorite Theme Park,” a title the European-themed park took away from Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, FL.

 

[antoinebusby]

Hmm, I would love to see this place. Sounds like fun. I am going to see if I can't find their website and check them out.

 

[wdwfan65]

I have a hard time believing this, never heard of this park and every listing I've ever seen lists Disney parks as the top 10.Its probably all the beer they water there flowers with:lol: Lets see how nice Busch gardens would look if it where the size and had the amount of people there every day trashing the place that Disney does.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Well.... IMO Busch Gardens VA is pretty cool... But its not Disney. The rides rocked. And the atmosphere and theming were great. Well beyond ANYTHING in the nearby area (6 Flags America, Kings Dominion, etc)

As much fun as it was, there was something about it that just said to me 'This isnt the Best'..... and it wasnt Disney.

However... the one thing that grabbed my attention was its attention to nature. Its very green, lots of flowers, trees and all that stuff was impressive. Great for pictures. But its got rough terrain. Lots of steep and rocky trails and stuff. I didnt like that part.

 

[Testtrack321]

Most people who vote for the best 'family park' are thirll junkies, not WDW's best crowd. I live relitivly close to BGW, and can say it's VERY nice, but still dosn't have as much as Disney for kids.

 

[surfsupdon]

I think BG is beautiful and attracts the same people that go to Disney. What puts them over the edge of Disney on theming, which Disney cannot help, is that BG can utilize their rolling hills and natural terrain. And there are no wide open spaces, and the pathways tend to be more curving and meandering instead of the large pathways at Disney.

I love WDW number 1 always, but BG is a VERY close second. We get APs at BG, not Disney...but thats strictly for a 10 hour shorter drive, haha.

 

[the-reason]

I doubt that, Disney is advertise like all over theU.S.,and can hold a whole bunch a people at once, BGva is just one park, and WDW is a VACATION DESTINATION, kids dream about it, and parents pay whatever to make their child seeit, WDW is the best, NO QUESTIONS ABOUT, now comparing that to universal is feesable.

I think parents and children will agree that WDW is better, because BG is probably only advertised in VA, and what kinda people in the world are gonna fly from half way around the world to see it.

 

[wdwfan22]

Having been to both Bush Gardens and Disney World. I could not place Bush Gardens in the top 10.

 

[meeko_33785]

Busch Gardens Williamsburg is a beautiful park, but the rides just didn't impress me. I'm not a big coaster fan, so that illiminated most of the park's major attractions from my must-see list. Other than that, they were primarily carnival attrations. Beautiful theming but fairy mediocre rides.

 

[Pecos Bill1201]

Growing up my parents would take my brother and I to BG every summer. My parents loved Williamsburg and it was kinda close (4 hours). But honestly we went there because we couldn't afford WDW every year. My brother and I love that park (BG), but it was like a warm up run for when it really counted (WDW). I'm sure BG is still awsome (Loch Ness Monster), but I save all year to go one place. FL 32830-1000!!

 

[Grumpy56]

We like BG because like Disney it's beautiful, very clean, well-maintained and has some great rides. It also has the European theme lands and the best theme park food I've ever had. It's also only 2 hours from our house and we like Williamsburg as a destination.Colonial Williamsburg is a unique destination and of course there's also Jamestown and Yorktown. BG is the only non disney park that I would return to multiple times.

As I recall BG was number 3 on the Travel Channels list of the greatest theme parks in the world.

But of course it's not Disney

 

[bearboysnc]

BG va is like Disney circa 1977. The park is geared towards relaxing, and having a good time. Merchandise locations and Outdoor vending carts aren't the focus in this park.

Busch Gardens Va is able to maintain the ballance of quailty and profit, without gouging your wallet.

 

[all41]

When Disney was looking to put a park around Washington DC (Disney America?), wouldn't that have competed with Busch VA?

 

[HebeJebe]

Disney was looking to put a park in Manassas, VA and yes that would have likely interferred with BG's attendance. But in this area there is Hershey Park, PA, SixFlags America, and Busch Gardens so I'm not sure if it is that big of a factor.

I'll actually be there tomorrow.

 

[mrtoad]

BG is a theme park, a nice one but just a theme park. WDW is a culture, a way of life. As someone posted before me, children dream of WDW not BG. You don't see people watching BG video tapes/dvds, or people reading BG books or going to the BG store in the mall to buy the latest BG merchandise.

Another thing that was mentioned is that thrill seekers are the ones voting for the the best Theme Park. People who are adults who are thrill seekers who go to WDW for the first time sometimes are dissapointed. For instance, someone I work with went to WDW and went on both Space Mountain and The Rock n Roller Coaster and did not think they were that impressive. They want more speed, more loops, etc. Did they open their eyes and look aroud them. Disney is a visual adventure. Not just steel and wood.

 

[CrackerJack]

from The National Amusement Park Historical Association website:

Top 5 Favorite Theme Parks:
1 Busch Gardens Williamsburg (Virginia)
2 Disneyland (Anaheim, CA)
3 Universal's Islands of Adventure (Orlando, FL)
4 Paramount's Kings Island (Kings Island, OH)
5 Walt Disney World (Lake Buena Vista, FL)

I cannot comment on Busch Gardens as I have never been there. I have been to King's Island numerous times. To even compare it with WDW is ludicrous. To rank it higher is beyond belief. It has some good coasters with one great one. But that's it. No theming. Much dirtier than WDW. A one day trip at best while I could spend a week at WDW and still not do everything I'd like to do.

The NAPHA has no credibility in my estimation ...

 

[surfsupdon]

I know I also posted about "Top 5 Parks" but what I was really interested in was theming and beautification. All rides, food, guest services, etc aside, the committe ranked BG Most Beautiful Theme Park, which only has to do with flowers, landscaping, and buildings. Disney World is 100percent the best overall in everything, but BG, according to the committe, me, and others, is "more beautiful." And I only think it's because of their rolling naturalesque landscape, something WDW had no control over.

 

[jojoyner55]

Don't get me wrong - I really like Busch Gardens Williamsburg. I live 30 minutes away, and have had AP's for years. I even worked there when I was in college (William & Mary), so I've experienced it "backstage" as well. But to rank it ahead of WDW? No Way!:lol:
Yes it's a lovely park - but the level of service, the level of technology, the over-all experience - are no where near Disney!
And I have never understood BG's high food ratings - it's okay, but everything is counter service blah. Nothing to compare to the Coral Reef, Cinderella's Magic Table, or the Brown Derby, to name a few of my favorites.