Explaining the NEW Busch Gardens Membership Season Passes

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of the new Busch Gardens Williamsburg Annual Passes/Memberships.

The good news right off the bat is all passes now include Christmas Town! Also if you  are unhappy with the changes and paid with EZ pay, then you don’t have anything to worry about. Just keep your account paying automatically which makes it “Active” and nothing changes.  This is true for both Season Pass holders and Membership holders. Many of these changes have occurred because the public wasn’t happy with the roll out that happened in February. So the park tried to revamp things to make everyone happy.

These changes therefore are for those who paid in full, people interested in changing to membership or those who haven’t opted for a pass yet.  So if you are on the EZ Pay then it doesn’t matter if you are happy with what you have. If you aren’t happy you can pick a new plan at any time. 

This article will detail the changes, the original ones in February and the current plans that changed on October 1^st. This way you can review what you may have and what you want to do. If you have never had a membership, or do understand what you have fully, then skip to the section marked October.

Now Including Christmas Town

Annual Passes before the new memberships.

In case you missed it, the park changed from the Season pass model that has been going on for a long time to “Memberships” at the beginning of 2018 February/ (October 1 they were changed again see next section for the most up to date information)

Originally there were season passes.  1 park pass, 2 park pass  (BGW and Water Country)and an All Discovery Parks Platinum pass which included Busch Gardens Williamsburg, Tampa and their respective Water parks, all 3 SeaWorlds , SeaWorld water parks Aquatica and Sesame Place, giving 11 parks total.

All passes were pretty self-explanatory in what parks they include. All include parking, with the platinum one including preferred parking at your home park. All passes included discounted and free tickets and a 10% discount (30% at Sesame Place) on merchandise and food. All of this remains the same for those who still hold season passes and have not opted to switch.

February New Membership Rollout

So in February the new memberships were announced. Basic, unlimited and Premier memberships (still a season pass in essence) pretty much the same deal mentioned above.  The one big difference now is pass member days, such as preview days for opening and HowlOScream and after-hours access for select rides are only for memberships.  And all the new memberships now include Christmas Town, which was previously a separate ticketed or fun card event. Memberships (and not season passes) also receive a few perks/gifts through the year. This included free tickets (no longer you would get those on the original season passes, but still receive  discounted ones), Cocoa Cola Swag,  free ornaments for Christmas Town, and one month they gave $10 Busch Gardens bucks which is what it sounds like, a coupon that can be used on anything in the park.

The costs depending when you switched or purchased was $10-12 for Basic (which had a many black out days, pretty much all Saturdays and holiday weeks were blacked out) but did include water country; $15-17 for Unlimited 2 park pass with no black out days, or $20-22 for Premier which included all the parks like the platinum passes.

So if you signed up for this any time before October 1^st, and you are happy with it, you can keep it. If its on EZ pay you don’t have to do anything but keep paying it. If you paid in full, read on and decide what you want to do. You can talk to park customer relations and most likely keep what you have.

This change occurred because many guests had 2 main complaints with this original system (besides the price hike for those who have had their passes a long time). They didn’t like so many black out days and having Water country if they didn’t want it.

 October Newer New membership (what you can get now)

Announced on Oct 1 there are now 4 levels.

This includes Basic, Unlimited, Premier and Platinum

Same deal applies as before, if you are on EZ pay and pay monthly you can keep your stuff as it is whether it’s a new membership or season pass. However if you paid in full, then you have to figure out what you want to do. The biggest change is Premier did include all the parks, and now you will have to upgrade to Platinum to receive that and it is a large increase.

Otherwise the costs aren’t really different; customers wanted the option to not include Water Country, if you want it, its $2 more, so the prices and details are as follows.

Basic $10-12 (or annually $120 or $144)

Basic Membership being $10 for the one park or $12 for both is an ok deal, and hasn’t really changed much. It is like an upgraded version of a fun card since fun cards do not include discounts or parking discounts. The new Basic includes more days, so there are less black out days then there were originally. But there still are black out days mostly just holidays and a few Saturdays during Howl O Scream and Christmas Town. This makes a lot of sense for people who have been to the park when it is extremely crowded. You still get a discount and parking is 50% off.  This new version is better than the original one rolled out in February.  Fun cards are per season and usually cost the same as a ticket ($90) so this is a better deal for folks who visit throughout the year a few times, but not regular park visitors who may come weekly or bi-weekly.

 Unlimited $15-17 (annually $180 or $204)

 Unlimited is an upgraded basic membership, and if you opt for the extra 2 dollars a month is similar to the original 2 park pass.  Unlimited, means no black out days.  It comes with a discount of 10% off, just as before, and free regular parking. You get 2 free bring a friend tickets.

Premier $20-$22 (annually $240-$288)

Premier passes are the exact same thing as unlimited passes with a larger discount of 15% off, having Preferred parking over general and 1 extra free friend ticket.  (3 total). The changes to this from February is the largest and seem to be the most confusing/upsetting to those who paid in full. (NOT on EZ pay, if you pay EZ pay monthly you are fine all stays the same in price and perks.) This previously included 11 parks, and now it is just for BGW, the extra $2 a month gets you Water Country.  People who select this option would be those who are planning on enjoying the Preferred parking as they will pay an extra $60 a year to have it

Platinum $29 or Annually $347.88

This is a new level. Previously you had the Premier pass which got all 11 parks, or the good old Platinum Season passes (Which is what we have). You get everything mentioned in all the other passes, but all the parks, ride again access on 4 coasters (Alpengeist, Apollo’s Chariot, Griffon, Lockness Monster)and a Photokey Membership.  

Water Country Only $70 a year for Basic, or $90 for Unlimited, follows same rules and benefits mentioned above.

Because all the memberships include Christmas Town, (which previously was $30-$50 dollars a year for the funcard) most guests can understand the applicable increase.

People being a bit upset or confused is understandable as these changes happened suddenly twice this year. And though some of it seems a good deal, especially for new guests, some of it punishes the most loyal.  I will use ourselves as an example, to keep the same level of pass if I switched to a membership so I could have a bigger discount and access to member stuff it would cost the 3 of us an extra $600 a year ($200 per pass) which is a hefty price tag and makes no sense.  A more acceptable price increase for us would have been a total of $150 for the year or $50 per pass to include Christmas town.  We have been paying for our passes for 8 years which is $3600, not including all the money we spend on merchandise and food. This is a lot of loyalty. So I don’t expect to be penalized for that. We have opted to keep our passes as they are. Because I write as a blogger I get passes to get us into the member’s only events, and though I love those events as they are not very crowded, I can’t see spending the increase. I actually couldn’t afford it even if I wanted to.

Premier members should voice their concerns if they paid in full as this change took place in the same year. As to keep all the parks they just paid for (people who paid in full only, EZ Pay is the same) it will cost them about an additional $100 a year.

Looking over all the changes, it seems that most of these changes do benefit probably the least interested of guests so I can understand people being upset who paid in full on the higher level. But the increased discount is nice Your average $40 meal is now $34, but in reality that is just $2 less than it was before. People like us though eat at the park often (so far 19 times this year). So take that information as you will. The new perks with free items are fun! And it seems they genuinely want to make it more family like and rewarding. 

If should also be noted in the 2019 season there will be a new swing ride in Ireland and a new water coaster at Water Country.  Generally speaking there has been a new ride or upgraded attraction nearly every year since 2010 that I can verify.  This includes The Mach Tower, Verbolten, Tempesto, InvadR, Colossal Curl, Battle for Eire and a major upgrade of the Globe theater in England.

So like all things in life, there are some pros and some cons, but it will vary from family to family, person to person. 

You can take care of any concerns at the park, which I would recommend doing before your year is up if you paid in full. Especially for the Premier membership if want to keep going to all the parks. 

The park itself does have terrific customer service, so at the end of the day, they will do what they can to keep you happy and as a customer. It is the main reason all of this happened (and happened again) to begin with. Just keep that in mind when talking to someone. If they can fix it for you, they will.

All and all, a membership /annual pass to Busch Gardens has been a great joy for our family and we have never regretted it. Its a lovely place to visit and its nice to just go without having to buy tickets every time we go, which would mean going a lot less. Sometimes we go there just to eat and visit the animals. With a membership/pass you can do things like that if you live in the area.


Christmas Town 2018 Review

Christmas Town Busch Gardens is a Living Christmas Card

Busch Gardens Williamsburg (BGW) has the distinction of being Americas Most Beautiful Park for some 27 consecutive years and it has deserved that title each and every year.  Once Thanksgiving is over, Christmas Town comes to town with the largest light display in North American with more than 8.3 million lights.

BGW is busting with holiday cheer between the decorations, festive music and peace and love for an additional 6 weeks. Holiday food will also fill your belly as there are desserts, cookies, and cocoa and turkey dinner options available. It’s not just what you see with your eyes at Christmas Town that makes it a Christmas town, it’s this beautifully orchestrated symphony of sounds, smells and good feeling. When it’s all combined you can’t be there and not feel like you just walked into Christmas.

It's very much like a living Christmas card.

The halls here have been decked since 2009 and each year is a little brighter and more exciting than the last.  Christmas Town isn’t about the rides, it’s about spending time, enjoying the lights and the magical feeling of the season.  If you have never been to Christmas Town and need some holiday cheer this should be on your to-do list, especially if you live in the area. If you do not, it may be well worth booking a weekend trip.  Besides Busch Gardens there are plenty of other holiday sights to see in the milder temps of Williamsburg and surrounding areas. We have never found the park to be overstimulating, with the exception of too many people. So I don't recommend visiting on the day after Thanksgiving. I haven't been on Christmas Eve, we have been on New Years Day and it was average attendance. Typically Saturdays are busiest days.

The park does not operate all of the rides, mostly due to weather. However The Mach Tower, Verbolten, InvadR and about 20 more -most flat and kid rides are open.  The Train and Skyride also run during Christmas Town. The park is open from 2-10pm November 24 through January 1, 2018 daily, with the exception of the first two weeks (just after thanksgiving and the first week of December) when its just Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.  After that you have plenty of options to visit. The only exception is Christmas Day when they are closed.

If you have been before don’t forget your cocoa mug for $1.99 refills on Hot cocoa and cider. (less for passmembers). If you don’t have one, then you may want to buy one for $6.

New Magic at Christmas Town This Year.

Speaking of Cocoa, this year to add to the delicious lineup which includes the Park Signature brew and Peppermint they have added Peanut Butter. Which both Noah and I sampled. It’s delicious, like drinking a less sweet Recess cup.

Santa’s Workshop moved to Dark Castle in Oktoberfest to make for a more spacious environment. The queue begins outside the same as if you are riding Dark Castle. However for those with a mobility pass you use the same quick queue area. If the park isn’t crowded you shouldn’t have to worry about the outdoor queue. 

The indoor queue is beautiful and makes the wait more fun and exciting. According to Park President Dave Cromwell “As a father of young children, I understand what a big deal it is to visit Santa,” Cromwell said. “We truly believe our Santa experience is the best anywhere around, and we have made changes this year to make sure families don’t have to wait as long.”

Be sure to use your mobility access pass for this (parents of disabled kids/disabled people). We did feel it was a long wait, but it was an enjoyable wait. Because you were looking and walking through a lot of magic, so the “wait” was truly part of the experience. Much like they say, it’s not the destination, but the journey.  

Which has its truth, but let’s face it, meeting the big guy is important. And Santa did not disappoint, he was awesome! You can also take your own pictures or purchase pictures either with your photokey membership, or as an individual picture (same as ride photos) which have their borders.  More on Photokey below for those who are unfamiliar.

Rudolph Movie Experience

2016 brought in Rudolph experience with Clarisse, Bumble and the loveable Yeti. (Yukon Cornelius, Bumble and Sam the Snowman.) Holiday Hills is an indoor opportunity to meet Rudolph and friends. The queue is mostly indoors, but on very busy days you will still have a line outside. As you walk through the queue you can enjoy scenes from the Rudolph movie and eventually get to meet Rudolph, Clarice, Bumble and Yukon.  Even the floor is sparkly. Out across from this is a shortened 12 minute version of the Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer classic TV show. But will also include some special effects, delicious scents and of course lights.

Forest of Fun

The Forest of Fun is open again this year so the little ones will have more rides, and opportunities to meet their favorite Sesame Street characters. Characters will be in and out of the area and offer meet and greets as well as photo opportunities.

Cookies and Cocoa

Germany received a new cookie shop! Includes a heated seating area for cookies and beverages.  Cookies and Coca is over in the Wilkomenia building, where you previously met Santa. Here you can buy cookies freshly made by the pound with a variety of flavors like Double Chocolate, Chocolate Chip, Lemon, Red Velvet, Snickerdoodle and more.  You will also be able to decorate a Gingerbread man. Cocoa is of course sold here, have I mentioned how delicious the Peanut Butter Cocoa is, because its ridiculous. 

Highlights of Christmas Town: Info for those who have never been.

Dining Options.

Dining at Busch Gardens is part of the fun for many park goers because the food here isn’t your typical theme park food. For the holiday season there are few options of buffets, and just special options at beloved locations like Fest Haus, and as new kiosks throughout the park. I wish I had more photos of the food, but its so good I usually wind up eating it before I take a picture.

In Fiesta Italy, There is a play and dine in the back of Holiday Hills (what is usually La Cucina) called Dasher’s Diner and here you can enjoy a buffet and meet all the characters. The buffet will have holiday themed foods, such as carved turkey and/or ham, a salad bar and plenty of kid favorites (pizza, chicken nuggets, and fries). Pass members can book this online and receive a discount.

If you prefer to dine with Santa and Mrs. Claus you can also do so!  Santa’s Fireside feast includes a buffet meal, cookies for dessert from Mrs. Claus and the big guy will read you a story. Santa’s Fireside Feast is located in Castle O Sullivan in Ireland and is interactive. You can meet Santa, tell him what you would like for Christmas and get a picture. Part of the show includes elves but you are part of the show.  It was a real delight and a must for kids. You can book this for lunch or dinner; bring your appetite the buffet includes a carving station of turkey or ham, Swedish meatballs, homemade mac-n-cheese, stuffing, sweet potatoes, and Trapper’s Smokehouse Chili. Plus there is plenty of food for kids plus a salad bar and more.

Other dining options include The Tastes of Christmas Town a buffet where you will also get reserved seating for Deck the Halls. (which if you go there on a busy day at the wrong time you certainly need). Both buffets have holiday themed food including roast turkey and ham, chicken alfredo and much more. In Oktoberfest there is Tannenbaum Soups where you can get potato or clam chowder from the kiosk. Most other kiosk locations are cookie and dessert related.

Fest Haus also has a Sirloin sandwich and clam chowder in a bread bowl for the holiday season. Plus you can buy a turkey dinner with all the trimmings. In England Squires Grille is renamed Dickens Tavern, it states it has “Christmas Faire”, but it does not with the exception of desserts. However, for burger lovers you can get a Philly burger, which is a burger topped with cheesesteak and peppers. Very delicious and not too big. But if Christmas Fair is your thing, check out Fest Haus or one of the buffet dining options.

Decor decked out from start to finish.

Besides its beautiful lights, there are also more than 20,000 ornaments and other decorations and displays including 900 window candles, 700 wreathes and 800 lit snowflakes. The smells of pine trees are everywhere as they also ship in over 1500 trees for the event. Holiday music is piped in throughout and in many cases is themed to the area so you will enjoy Irish, French and German holiday music.  The bridge that connects Oktoberfest to Italy plays “Let there be Peace on Earth” and when you are there looking over the water, seeing the display, listening to this choir sing it. You feel it, you believe it, and for that moment, there really is peace.

Each village is beautifully lit and decorated. The area normally known for the Pompeii ride is now the Polar Pathway and has over 1,500,000 lights.  

The largest light display in the park is Oktoberfest with almost 2 million lights itself. There are more than 1,700,000 lights in the main area of Oktoberfest and almost 400,000 at the North Pole.

Italy is full of almost a million gold lights. France is adorned in beautiful blues and purples, holiday hills is very retro and England is very classic with white lights.

Italy Gold

Scotland Blues

Photo Key

If you want to get some photos done Busch Gardens offers a Photo Key service which costs $35 for the day or $60 for the season. There are 8 locations throughout out the park.  (Includes Verbolten) as well as characters, Santa and other picturesque areas in the park. These are all noted on the Map you can get when you enter. With Photo Key you scan the card with the photographer after you have your picture taken or have ridden a ride. You get unlimited downloads. You can also opt to purchase photo and photo gifts off the website. Which if you opt for the Premium $60 you do get a 50% discount. 

Holiday Shopping

Shopping at Christmas Town can be part of the fun there is plenty of it around. The normal stores will be open selling Busch Gardens merchandise as well as holiday decorations and gifts. As well as fun novelty items like Christmas Tree hats (with or without "snow") and Christmas Bulb lighted necklaces and hats.  In Oktoberfest there is an outdoor market of items (Mistletoe Marketplace) from local artisans, winery and ornaments. With all of the holly jolly around it makes a good time to pick up some special items, or get pictures done for your holiday gift giving, regardless of what you celebrate. Cashless wristbands are offered and can be purchased once you enter the park to make your day a bit easier. You can pre pay a set amount or link to a credit card depending on your preference and needs. If you pay up front with cash and don’t use it all, it is refunded to you at the end of your night. You can use these for all purchases including dining.

Entertainment

There is plenty of entertainment decking the halls of Christmas Town. There are 6 shows you can enjoy throughout the park besides character meet and greets.  Scrooge No More in England, an adaptation of the Charles Dickens Classic A Christmas Carol, takes full advantage of the technological enhancement done on the Globe in 2014. At Fest Haus there is a musical holiday review show about different traditions called Deck the Halls. In Italy at the San Marco Theater is an a cappella musical show called “Gift of Harmony” full of Christmas music both new and old. For Christian traditionalists you can enjoy Gloria, a classic retelling of the Christian “first Christmas” at the Abby Stone theater in Ireland.  But the true crowning gem is T’was the Night, an ice skating show over in France in the Pallidum based on the story T’was the Night before Christmas. For additional entertainment you will also find Carolers in England and outside of the Fest Haus a 50 foot tree that will light up nightly to a musical score, properly named O’Tannenbaum.  Video here

Final Details

You can visit Christmas Town in all its glory from now through New Year’s Day2018.  The gates typically open before 1pm as do all the villages.  Rides and experiences open at 2pm, and the skyride at 4pm. You have the option to purchase a ticket at the park or online. If you think you will attend more than once you should consider the Fun Card which is $39 for Pass members, or $49 for others, includes discounts and parking. Which is a decent deal for even just a day of magic. Parking for pass members is complimentary and $15 for non-season pass holders.