Busch Gardens Williamsburg Celebrates 40th Anniversary Season

We were fortunate enough to tie in our anniversary with a quick weekend trip to Busch Gardens Williamsburg for opening weekend.  The park is as lovely as ever and this year marking the 40th anniversary there are a few new things on the horizon.

Throughout the park we got to delight in Busch gardens trivia from numerous “throwback” signs featuring retro photos and descriptions detailing an aspect of the park. For long time fans this is sure to activate nostalgia. Guest will get to read about Old Country favorites like the Big Bad Wolf, or the Wild Maus ride that use to reside where Dark Castle is now. Learn about why Europe in the air is in a castle.

New roller coaster Tempesto.

Tempesto opens April 25, 2015 and is a multi-launch (3) 63mph coaster with a 154 foot inversion that defies gravity. Tempesto packs in a lot of physics defying allusions to scare the pants off of you. The 3 launches roll through frontwards and backwards. The ride only holds 18 seats, and the queue is mere feet from the tracks so when the coaster comes by at 60 mph those waiting can feel it. The track is over 800 feet long and guests ride it twice during their journey. You can find Tempesto in Festia Italy near Apollo’s Chariot. The one minute ride is sure to change your perspective, at least for the rest of the day. 

Roll out the Barrel

Roll out the Barrel is the new show over in Festivus Haus.(the Oktoberfest section of the park) This German themed musical revue is orchestrated by the same team from "Scrooge No More"includes all of the lively singing, dancing and musicians you are used to enjoying here, plus the addition of acrobatics. Festivus Haus is a popular place to enjoy a live musical show and a meal because of its square footage. There hall is set up cafeteria style and it is climate controlled which is essential on hot or cold days. Entertainment is usually presented 4+ times a day (about every 1 1/2-2 hours). You can dine on fine German sausages, ribs, chicken, pizza or salads and of course beer. This location also has a cafe which sells Paninis, coffee and baked goods. 

Returning this year.

The Food & Wine Festival will be returning for the 3rd time in 2015 and will be serving up deliciousness from May 23-June 28. New kiosks with delicious servings from New Orleans and Asia will be added this year. Busch Gardens executive Chef Justin Watson is concocting up Cajun and creole dishes that haven’t been finalized just yet. Some examples of Asian dishes to delight your palate are Bahn mi and Thai Tea. Watson stated “We are pleased to offer these tastes of the world to our guests during this year’s Food and Wine Festival. Guests can sample culinary traditions spanning fourteen geographic regions representing Europe, the Americas and Asia.”

The Food and Wine Festival is a popular event so Saturdays are usually very busy at the park so plan to arrive early. Tastings range in price from $3-$11. Each kiosk will have a vegetarian and dessert option and there are many gluten free and vegan options. Wine isn't the only beverage available for the Festival, each kiosk also has other beverage choices which will be related to the country, some have beers, mixed drinks and non-alcoholic drinks.

London Rocks is back in the Globe Theater

Beginning on April 24th, London Rocks will reopen in the Globe. This 25 minute musical adventure is a true feast of the eyes and senses and tells the story of a young girl growing up through teens, marriage and children. (There is a very fun bit with Octopus’s Garden, puppets and bubbles got my son mesmerized) Visually London Rocks is amazing and should be seen. The combination of lighting and video technology brings the Globe into the modern era after receiving a thorough overall last year.

Busch Gardens Food and Wine 2015 offers two new countries for tasting.

It's been a long, cold winter, as winter is typically. So happy to report some pleasant news from Busch Gardens in Williamsburg Virginia about the upcoming Food & Wine Festival to help you escape some of the winter blues temporarily with memories from the following photos, or inspiration for an upcoming trip.

Food and Wine festivals are a true delight to those who love to try new foods, and for those with appetites big or small (since these are sample sized portions, you decide how many you want to sample).  And if you have been to the park before, then you are aware of the hills and walking involved. So eating around the park is necessary fuel. Busch Gardens is rolling out their 3rd food and wine festival this May 22 and it will run through June 28 on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

We attended last year and it was amazing and everything I hoped it would be. We plan on attending this year as well and will give a delicious report.

New this year for the Food & Wine fest are kiosks with delicious servings from New Orleans and Asia. Busch Gardens executive Chef Justin Watson is concocting up Cajun and creole dishes, Bahn mi and Thai Tea as some examples. Watson stated “We are pleased to offer these tastes of the world to our guests during this year’s Food and Wine Festival. Guests can sample culinary traditions spanning fourteen geographic regions representing Europe, the Americas and Asia.”

Besides the delicious food offerings, guests will enjoy themed decorations to the areas. Last year there was also ice sculpting and food art sculpting for guests to watch. The food at the festival is of high quality and they acquire locally as much as possible. There are plenty of vegetarian and even vegan and gluten free options. Each kiosk will also have dessert.

You can purchase cashless wristbands to make it easier, or put yourself on a budget. The wristband can be paid for with a set amount of cash or linked to a credit card.

Some delicious pictures of food from last year.

Here is the list of kiosks planned for this years festival.

·         

• ·         American Southwest
• ·         Canada
• ·         Caribbean
• ·         Coffee & Crêpes
• ·         Eastern Asia
• ·         France
• ·         Germany
• ·         Greece
• ·         Ireland
• ·         Italy
• ·         Scandinavia
• ·         Scotland
• ·         Spain
• ·         The French Quarter (Cajun & Creole)

If you don't really care much for food, but love someone who does (or like, we aren't judging) This is still a great time of year to visit. The park isn't as crowded as it will be in the summer (Saturdays however can be the busiest day of the week) and it is beautifully landscaped and full of music and life. 

If you enjoy boats, consider the "Wine on the Rhine" cruise. This is a longer Rhine River cruise (ride in the park for those who haven't been) but you will get cheese, fruit, crackers, chocolate and wine of course. You get to sip and savor with the sound of a Jazz band on board. Tickets need to be purchased in advance and are about $20. (price isn't listed yet, but this was the cost last year)

Food & Wine is a great time to visit, new offerings, great weather and slightly smaller crowds. Season passes are the best value, but you can also get a Funcard from now until May 31st for $75. It gives unlimited admission through September 7th 2015.

Click here to read more about the funcard and new show for 2015

Christmas Town Busch Gardens Williamsburg review for kids on Autism Spectrum

It has been an absolute joy to cover what was going on this season at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg. It truly is one of our most favorite places on earth.

Christmas Town is still going on so there is time to get there if you wish. Best time for ASD kids is going be when it isn't overly crowded, so I would advise against visiting on a Saturday, at least not the full day.

Review

Christmas Town at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg is full of holiday magic

America’s most beautiful park lives up to its title again with Christmas Town.   Busch Gardens in Williamsburg’s halls are completely decked with wreaths, bows, lights and real Christmas trees for the sixth time since 2009. The event has grown much over the years with even more lights, shows and rides open from its early beginnings. The park gets turned into this holiday extravaganza in just about 3 weeks after Howl-O-Scream.

.

Christmas Town is an additional event which typically begins a week before Thanksgiving and runs until the end of the year. This year (the most wonderful time of the year at Busch Gardens) began on November 21 and is open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, plus 2 weeks in the middle of December. The park is open overall from 2-10 pm but you should check the operating hours before going as some days they open later or close earlier.  This is a time to visit the park for the seasonal delights and not necessarily the rides (as many are not operating due to weather and maintenance). The coasters are closed except for Verbolten, as are all the water rides and the two dark rides (Europe in the Air and Dark Castle), the Mach Tower and all other rides remain open weather permitting. 

In fact if you are short on the Christmas spirit, this is the place to go. It is nearly impossible to not truly appreciate the beauty of the holiday season with 8 million twinkling lights, the sweet clean smell of pine trees and some of the best hot cider and hot chocolate you have ever had. Also,as it turns out Santa takes up residence at Busch Gardens before he takes his long journey on Christmas Eve. If that isn't enough there are live penguins, delicious food and plenty of options for shopping. But it's the lights that make it so magical...plus some "snow".

What you will see

Each country has its own light theme. England is very traditional with white lights, holly and red ribbons.  It "snows" in England near Union Jax in the evenings.

In Scotland  it’s a winter wonderland of blues. The horses are still at the stables for pictures.

Ireland and Italy are themed as you would expect, Ireland is lit in greens, Italy is very gold with angles. 

Fiesta Italia has become Holiday Hills and is a retro holiday theme with your classic red, green and white. All of the rides and the arcade is open here (with heat). 

They also added these billboards to give it a town theme that features the original Coke Santa Claus. 

 France is full of blue, purple and silver and decorated as the 12 days of Xmas so plenty of partridges in some pear trees. This is also where the Penguin attraction is located. Penguins are on loan from SeaWorld and a zoo. 

Germany’s theme is O’Tannenbaum and is home to the 50 foot tree that lights up with music. 

You can click here to see the video of the actual lighting.

Be sure not to miss the Polar Pathway (the transition from England into Italy where Pompeii is). Riding the train around when it’s not super cold is really nice you can see a lot of the lights including what you can only see from the train. The Skyride is open as well and the above view is probably breath taking (it was far too crowded for us to get on it) but I have enjoyed the skyride plenty of times and am always in awe. You can lap the park twice in the same day to see it all (both lit and unlit).

What you will hear

As always, Busch Gardens has music in the back ground of each country. So for each themed location there is a set list of holiday music on the loop. Over in Germany you will hear O'Tannenbum, in other songs in German. In Ireland there is holiday themed Irish music. France plays the Twelve Days of Christmas. But my favorite was when you walk the bridge between Italy and Germany to the song Let there be Peace on Earth while looking at the lights, it is such a lovely version of the song it may just get you a tad choked up.

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. In Oktoberfest there is an outdoor market of items from local artisans, winery and even more fun ornaments and such at the big store in Germany across from Dark Castle. With all of 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.

Dining

Food is always part of the fun and exceptionally delicious at Busch Gardens. The menu is relatively the same but gets tweaked for the season.  Some examples of holiday themed foods are turkey, ham, stuffing, hot chocolate and hot apple cider. You can purchase a Christmas Town themed refillable mug for about $6 and get as much hot chocolate and hot cider all season long for $1 a refill. For Christmas town you will also get to enjoy holiday treats like S’mores, Fondue Fudge, seasonal soups in a bread bowl. Over in France you can get some Trappers Smoke House deliciousness even outside from smoked turkey legs to smoked sausage sandwiches with whatever toppings you like (kraut, cheese, peppers, onions, chili, all of the above), plus beef stew, corn dogs and much more. There is never a need to ever be hungry here. In Italy you can dine at Dashers Diner for a buffet, or grab some Italian classics at Ristorante Della Piazza. Pricing is always reasonable compared to what you would spend for the same quality. (much better than Applebees or Olive Garden, more authentic)A typical family meal for 3 is about $30-$35 including dessert and drinks. There are many options available for counter or sit down meals. I am getting hungry just thinking about all of the options, and really you need several days if you want to enjoy it all....do not eat before coming to Busch Gardens, its worth it.

Santa’s Fireside Feast (Castle O Sullivan in Ireland) is a holiday buffet and interactive show with Santa. You can meet Santa, tell him what you would like for Christmas and get a picture taken with the big man himself. He also will read everyone a story, there is a small show with this including elves but you are part of the show. 

Ms. Claus will bring cookies out for dessert. 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 plenty of food for kids plus a salad bar and more. Cost is about $31 for adults, $20 for kids 3-9 and free for children 2 and under.

Shows

No trip is complete without a visit to at least one of the shows. Every theater except for the Palladium in France has a show for Christmas Town. In the Globe Theater (England) you can enjoy Scrooge No More an adaptation of the Charles Dickens Classic A Christmas Carol, with a technological enhancement. On opening weekend it was standing room only and for those who have seen London Rocks or the Jack the Ripper show, we had a good idea what to expect. The Globe has received an upgrade this year with lighting and sound and the festive show fully takes advantage of the new technology. At the Festhaus there is Deck the Halls a musical holiday review show that covers all the many "Christmas" traditions. In Italy at the San Marco Theater  is Miracles a winter themed acrobatic, action packed dance and vocal show. And in Ireland at the Abby Stone is Gloria a retelling of the first "Christmas".

If we lived closer I would be at Christmas Town over and over throughout the season, especially if having a bad day.  Parking is complimentary for season pass holders and $15 if you do not have a pass. Saturdays are typically very busy, so keep that in mind when you make your plans. There are heaters (the type you find at restaurants/bars with outdoor dining) spread around the park for you to warm up in case it is chilly. There are also tents set up in France, New France and England for you to eat "indoors" where you would normally not be able to do so.

I would recommend getting the Christmas Town Pass even if you aren’t local and are going for the weekend. It’s a good value to spend 2 days there. And you need that to be able to take in all the shows without rushing through the park. This is a time to savor and enjoy your family, take pictures to cement memories. And just savor the season.