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This weekend my wife, 5 year old step son, and 14 year old neice drove from DC to Williamsburg to visit Busch Gardens. We've lived in the DC area for a year and a half, but this was our first venture to a theme park in the region. Initially we had planned to go to Kings Dominion (partly because it was closer) but upon the promise of also visiting Virginia Beach, I convinced the wife to drive passed KD and on to the Gardens of Busch.
...and we absolutely made the correct decision!

The group that we were is a challenging theme park group- a 5 year old and my wife who is a paraplegic can cause some difficulties in riding. But Busch Gardens was very VERY accomodating and helpful. They even allowed me to transfer my wife onto the coaster train (usually in the 2nd row- except Griffon where we were given front row center... nice...) and then have my neice ride once while I waited with the youngster, then we switched!
The customer service was stellar all day long. I really cannot say enough positive things about our treatment!

AS for the park...
Busch Gardens is more like a disney park than a Cedar Fair park in the sense that the rides are a part of the theming that surrounds them, rather than the inverse. The park was rediculously clean all day, and perfectly manicured. It reminded me of how Cedar Point used to look before every tree was removed and all the paint faded.
Even a non-rider would be perfectly entertained at BG, between animals, shows and the simple visual beauty of the park! Again, really really impressed. Food was expensive, but again much better than the usual "dog on a stick" that you find at Cedar Point or Six Flags. Also themed with the area, definately try to catch a meal at Das Festhaus in the Oktoberfest area in Germany (right between the Big Bad Wolf and Alpengeist). The chicken and snitzel were pretty good, but the ornate decor and live Bravarian dancers were an added treat!
Our day...
We arived at the park at 10am, opening, and found there to be little traffic entering the park (esp. for a saturday in july). I cannot comment on General Parking, due to my wife's disability we recieved rockstar parking at the front gate.) There was no line at the ticket booth, and again because of the disability, we received 20% off two of the admissions.
Walking into the "England" section of the park, the inital fear was that there would be trouble in navigating... as the park's paths follow no directional trajectory, but rather twist and turn around the park's hilly landscape. We blew through England and took a left turn to head up to "Italy" and Apollo's Chariot, stopping at a collection of flats on the way to test the 5 year old's thresh hold... which was rather low... he was TERRIFIED by the "DaVinci's Craddle" magic carpet ride... Then off to AC. We were happy to find the ride a walk-on. No wait.
Apollo's Chariot-
B&M Hypercoaster... comfortable... quiet... smooth... good drop... good air time on the bunny hills coming back... solid coaster. Not the rocke up your behind feeling of Millenium force, nor the "out of control" feel of Magnum, but a great ride for sure. Some great little surprise change of directions and superb use of terrain to enhance the ride!
After Apollo's Chariot we headed to Ecsape from Pompeii... not usually a fan of these... but the 5 year old INSISTED on riding it. The theming was again impressive... simulated earthquake and fire jets scared the youngster from riding... well... basically anything else... best "splash boat" I've ridden simply for the theming. And the water was CLEAR! And didn't SMELL!
Headed up the hill for Germany, and had to stop on the bridge to admire the "Rhine Valley" and the skyline with the interlocking loops of Loch Ness, the cobra roll of Alpengeist, and Griffon looming above... definately a picture spot!
Big Bad Wolf-
Keeping in mind that the only Arrow suspended's I've ever ridden are The Iron Dragon and Flight Deck at KI, I was expecting this to be a snooze fest. I was quite surprized at a fast paced and energetic ride! Again the themeing helped, racing through the "village", and the big drop down to the water was great! They should have broken the mold after this one... because every other Arrow Suspended disappointed! Well worth the 5-10 minute wait. The only downside is that there is no accessable enterance, so my Wife had to skip.
After prying the 5 year old out of a bumper car, we ate, then headed to the Alps, and Alpengeist. Once again, you have to stop and admire the setting. It was obviously not Europe, but it was much more quaint that the over commercialized theming of Las Vegas! And the chocolate was good too...
Alpengeist-
Again a virtual walk on! Now well after noon, and still no line for a GREAT coaster. Shocked. The ride was everything I'd expect from a B&M suspended. Fast... intense... love those Immleman loops! Once again the terrain and some Ice themeing was used to perfection to heighten the effect of the ride. One of the best coaster's I've ever been on, and maybe an unsung hero here... as you don't often hear of it as one of the best... maybe just my opinion... but I really really enjoyed it.
Following Alpengeist we hit the log flume and headed to the rail station. We rode over to "Scotland" basically for me to ride the Loch Ness Monster. No one else wanted to... too many head bangings on Arrow Loopers. But since I've seen about 10,000,000 pictures of it since I was like 6, I had to ride it.
Loch Ness Monster-
Celebrating it's 30th year (as am I), the coaster was surrounded by historical signs and banners... but it was not surrounded by people! The queue line was empty, and station had no more than a train and a half worth of people waiting. As I crushed my left arm between the OTS restraint and the side of the car I remembered why I began avoiding Arrow Loopers years ago... even before the ride begins, they hurt! The ride was fairly smooth, only light head banging, probably one of the better Arrows out there. The helix was a surprise... and over-all a good little ride. Better by far tjan the CP corckscrew.
After looking at some Clydsdales, we headed into Ireland and waited in the longest line of the day for "Corckscrew Hill", a 4D ride. I'm not much for these, and found the simulated movement jerky and painful. Let's just say it wasn't the highlight!
We tracked through the Animal Kingdom back into France for Griffon. Now, being a Cedar Point regular, I fully anticipated a Maverick/Millenium sized wait... and was floored to find that it was 20 minutes.
Griffon-
Being suspended 210 feet in the air by a shoulder harness is a feeling that everyone should experience at least once in their lifetime. The Dive Machine has a different feel to it. It has that B&M powerful feeling to it... but it's like floating on air. Soooooo smooth. Infact, it is that smoothness that I think takes away a little from it. The dual immleman loops are barely noticeable. Still a great ride... great drop... a must ride.
By 4pm we'd done pretty much every major ride... and began lap two. (the only thing we missed was Darkcastle, because it was a 50 minute wait the first time we passed, and we kinda forgot about it!)
We returned to Italy, rode Apollo's Chariot twice more, as it was still only a 15 minute wait, made the mistake of getting on Roman Rapids at dusk (being wet is one thing... but being SOAKING wet as the sun goes down is STUPID!). And again, because of the disability, we rode twice. Just to ensure that every inch of clothing was 100% saturated. Ugh.
Doubled back on the train (traveling passed a nice 3 acre clearing in the woods that used to be Drachen Fire... good spot for the next great B&M floorless? Maybe? A guy can dream...) to catch Alpengeist twice more (I really LOVE that ride) and Big Bad Wolf once more at night to close out the day.
If you ever have the chance, do ride BBW @ night. It is twice the ride.

All in all, Busch Gardens was one of the best amusement park experiences I've ever had. They don't have 17 coasters, but each coaster they have is a unique experience. The whole place is a unique experience. It was refreshing to see a roller coaster that was a part of the landscape and used everything around it to heighten the ride, rather than just a pile of metal and track sticking up from a parking lot...
I can't tell you how impressed I am, and can only pray that InBev let the managment team stay in place. They are doing a wonderful job. What I don't understand is that although the parking lot was 4/5 full, that the park seemed crowded, there was almost no wait for anything. Except food!

This is the first trip report I've attempted... hope it makes sense!

Great TR In Eden. BGE has got to be one of the most beautiful parks around, I know Gunky would agree with me there. The beautiful surroundings, awesome themeing, first rate entertainment, and superb food selection really make it a one of a kind experience. I would rate it as one if not the best amusement park around. But wait, didn't another park already win that "award"?

I was at BGE the year it opened (it was Busch Gardens Williamsburg back then) and even then it was a wonderful experience. So much that I started questioning really how great that other park was back then.

I am glad you also see that it doesn't take 17 mega super highest fastest record breaking coasters to make a great park
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Greed is what caused GL's demise and that just makes me sick. Lets do what we can to rat out Kinzel - hes a snake.

In the end the truth will come out and we will then see whos laughing at who.

That park is beautiful. I went there last summer as part of a huge family vacation (first we went to South Carolina, then came back through North Carolina and finally to Williamsburg, where we visited Busch Gardens).

Not only is it one of the most well-kept parks I've seen (hardly a trace of litter anywhere to be found) but there's so much to do there. They have a big arcade there near DarKastle/Festhaus that I just loved, and a lot of flat rides and even a scenic boat ride that goes through part of the park.

I'll be visiting there again after I graduate from college this year (meaning, probably sometime in September).

Great trip report, by the way!

The most heart warming part was that my sister was languishing in lines at Cedar Point all day while her favorite coaster (Raptor) was down from open to close. She said MF and TTD were 3 hours??? Jeez.
And Coasterdad... ABSOLUTELY less can be more. Busch Gardens was great overall entertainment. It seems that Cedar Fair has lost it's way and forgotten that Theme parks need to be THEMED and that Amusement parks need to be AMUSING. Amazing concept...

Thank you for the TR. It has been 10 years since my last visit to the Williamsburg Busch Gardens and I am truly dying to get back. I had planned on going this Wednesday, but decided against it and am ending up in Hershey and Allentown instead.

Big Bad Wolf ranks as one of my favorite roller coasters of all time. The first time I rode way back in 1985 I thought the cars were going to fly right off the track. While it has been toned down a bit since, it's still a very aggressive ride for an Arrow suspended. Glad you enjoyed it.

Did you miss Escape From Pompeii? Best. Chutes Ride. Ever! Smile

Again, thanks for sharing your TR. Of all the parks I have been to, BGE is my #1 amusement park outside of the Disney chain. They truly do have the perfect package for families.

This is going to sound crazy but my spine tingled while reading your TR. Maybe it's a call to get my butt back down there ASAP.

Great TR! Welcome to the Alpengeist Rules Club! Very Happy

I agree that Big Bad Wolf is simply awesome at night (did you hear the faint sounds of of wolves howling as you coasted to the first hill?) but Alpengeist at night, with no lights on going up the lift, is truly one of the most amazing inverted coaster experiences out there (IMO). Since you live rather close I have a feeling you might get that experience in the near future.

Since you tried the Festhaus, if you go back, check out the beef brisket from Trapper's Smokehouse in New France. Melt in your mouth goodness!

From what I've read elsewhere In Bev doesn't want anything to do with the parks but I hope in some way they change their mind.
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On September 21, 2007, a historic 119-year old amusement park had been secretly murdered. Never forget it.

No doubt I'll be heading back! I'm absolutely going for the Halloween events... and I will give the brisket a go next time!
I am terrified about the merger this morning... I am scarred by this GL/CF disaster, and could see a scenario playing out where InBev starts scaling back funds and staff at the Busch Gardens parks (InBev Gardens just doesn't have the same ring...) causing the upkeep to errode and there fore attendance to dip... causing the cost-concious InBev to close the place.
It is absolutely an great place, and I can only hope that it will be allowed to stay that way!
I would recommend anyone to go and check it out!

no no no , in bev will sell it to cf. the first thingt cf will do to clean it up is to get rid of all those pesky trees with all those nasty falling leaves. then start work on all that excessive theming going on there................

No doubt inbev will sell it off. See, REAL corporations focus on and do their absolute best to make their core business work. They also develop long term goals and ride through the lean times. Lets just hope they sell to PARC or some other company as CF obviously sucks at their core business and seemingly have no long term plans.

Because BGE is within "competitive driving distance" of Kings Dominion, I could see Dickie Boy purchasing BGE, removing some of the headliner rides like Griffon, Apollo and Alpengeist and sending them north up I-95, perhaps removing the Loch Ness Monster and sending it to Worlds of Fun so that they can once again have a coaster with interlocking loops, and then letting the rest of the park fall into disrepair. Two or three years later, they can cite poor attendance and close the place up for good. I'm sure they know of a good scrap company that would like the Big Bad Wolf and several of the other "iron rides". Then just start leveling the rest of the place so that no traces remain of a once great park. They have plenty of experience in that field...

And if ever asked about Busch Gardens, Ol' Dickie K. can say "I have no idea what you are referring to. Kings Dominion is the east coast's largest and therfore best theme park. That is all."

I do hope that either the theme parks remain in their own "spinoff group" or at least get purchased by someone who will keep the park(s) pretty much as is. They are just too nice to ever be Cedar Fair-ed.

Luckily CF lacks the financial resources to purchase the Busch parks. There is still a great fear that the park won't recieve the care and attention it receives now. It is absolutely amazing, and it would be sad to see it any other way. Especially owned by someone like Cedar Fair who very obviously doesn't understand the difference between a park like busch gardens and a parking lot with a bunch of roller coasters on it.

Very nice report, I haven't been there in 5 years and only rode Loch Ness Monster and Wild Maus at the time. The only thing really missing from their lineup is a family or smaller coaster. BBW and Apollo appear to be intense and the other 3 all go upside down.

Good choice to skip over King's Dominion. I was there in 1989, 1996, 1997 and 2003 and other than the 1989 trip (before Paramount) and every other visit has been horrible. Bad operations, high prices and rude employees. Especially dealing with disabled guests. My uncle uses a wheelchair and we were getting in line for the simulator. The wheelchair couldn't move through the queue line, we turned around and went up to the exit. One of the managers or someone more official than a regular ride op pratically yells at us, what are you doing? You have to wait in line just like everyone else! We explained we couldn't even get through the queue line and he let us on the next cycle but it was still upsetting. The policy is even worse this year (at all CF parks). Now if you have more than 1 person and the disabled guest, the rest of the party has to go through the line and meet up at the loading area. I don't mind the waiting to ride part but if it is a group of 3, 1 person has to go through the entire line themselves. They should have made it where the entire group waits outside the line for the length of the line rather than splitting up a family

My "gut" feeling is that the management team that runs the parks now will form a corporation and buy them up.
They really do not need Busch or Inbev to survive.

Nice to see someone that celebrates their 30 year old Arrow looper, instead of scrapping it. R.I.P. Double Loop. Sad

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This is a very nice theme park. I hope someone buys the park and keeps it open. I don't want CF to buy any more parks and destroy them like they did GL/SW. I hope they can stay open. Did you see any of the shows? They were good also. Very good trip report.

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