DrJazzDDS Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 I will be going to BGE for the first time on May 26th, 2009. I was just wondering what the crowds will be like the day after Memorial Day. I see that the park is only open from 10 AM until 6 PM. Will this allocate enough time to ride every coaster at least once? Also, does anyone have any recommendations on cheap hotels in the area? Your help is greatly appreciated. Dr Jazz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfc Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 The day after Memorial Day should be perfect--light crowds and good weather (unless a t-storm or two rolls in). I think you can get all the coasters in easily, but if the crowds seem a bit heavy, there's always Quick Queue. I'd recommend using Hotwire to book a hotel--you can probably get a two- or three-star place for a pretty reasonable price. The hotels near the park tend to be pricey (Kingsmill area), but there is a Days Inn across from Water Country USA (about five minutes BGW) that might be a good bet. You might be able to find a deal on the tourist strip on Richmond Road (where there is the usual assortment of chain hotels and restaurants). There is a Motel 6 on Rt. 60 (aka Richmond Road) that used to be OK. But avoid the Family Inn, unless you really like trains. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrJazzDDS Posted May 14, 2009 Author Share Posted May 14, 2009 Thank you so much for your helpful advice, cfc. It is greatly appreciated. EDIT: I booked the hotel called Clarion Hotel Historic District for $52. Was that a good deal or did I get screwed? Dr Jazz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuschSchoe Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 School is still in session after Memorial Day in southern Virginia, so crowds shouldn't be a problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alpengeist04 Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 Like Chuck said, it's a good time of the year for crowds and weather. As long as you get there before opening, you should have no problems getting on all the rides. Have fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfc Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 Thank you so much for your helpful advice, cfc. It is greatly appreciated. EDIT: I booked the hotel called Clarion Hotel Historic District for $52. Was that a good deal or did I get screwed? Dr Jazz You probably did OK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shepp Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 One thing to keep in mind about BGE is that they don't always open the entire park up at one time (at least not when I've been there), so you can be headed for a ride only to be totally stymied. I mean, blocked paths and everything. Rather than doing a lot of running around and backtracking, you might try finding out beforehand what's supposed to be up when. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alpengeist04 Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 ^Good point. I've always had success going counter clockwise. I would start out heading towards Griffon/Alpengeist, then hit DarKastle, Big Bad Wolf, Apollo's Chariot, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfc Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 One thing to keep in mind about BGE is that they don't always open the entire park up at one time (at least not when I've been there), so you can be headed for a ride only to be totally stymied. I mean, blocked paths and everything. Rather than doing a lot of running around and backtracking, you might try finding out beforehand what's supposed to be up when. Get a park map--it lists the opening times for the various sections. Germany (where Big Bad Wolf and Alpengeist are located) opens last at 11:00. If you head for Griffin first thing in the morning, you should be fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shepp Posted May 16, 2009 Share Posted May 16, 2009 ^ Can't readily locate my park map from a couple years back, but as I recall, they didn't have that info on it then. And it's nice that they do now. Even though it's no substitute for free beer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuschSchoe Posted May 16, 2009 Share Posted May 16, 2009 These were the times from last year's map (they are not on this year's map): Scotland- 9:15 AM Ireland, France/New France- 10 AM Italy and Festa Italia- 10:30 AM Germany and Oktoberfest- 10:30 AM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
netdvn Posted May 17, 2009 Share Posted May 17, 2009 Here are a few pointers I can give... 1. If you're able to, I highly recommend parking in the overflow parking where all the buses park (England parking lot). That way you don't have to deal with the long lines getting into and leaving the main parking lot... 2. Crowds at BGW can really vary... I've gone there on July 4th and the park was practically dead for much of the day, while I went on a Friday last season, and all the rides had extremely long wait times... 3. If you're spending the day there, I highly recommend hitting everything as early as possible just in case the lines pick up later in the day. LNM is almost always a walk on every time I visit... Make sure you sit in the back for a better ride. The ride itself isn't as intense as the other coasters in the park. BBW's lines shouldn't be that bad either. This is my number 1 Arrow so I highly recommend riding it. Alpengeist doesn't get very long lines either, unless you're waiting for the front seat... IMO this is the best coaster in the park. Every time I ride AC, the line ranges from 10-30 minutes. I totally recommend riding it in the back seat. Griffon's line averages at around 30-45 minutes, but the line can be as short as five minutes (allow extra time if you want to wait in the front) to two hours (at the busiest possible time). I've been able to hit all five coasters in under an hour on a Saturday (it really wasn't that busy). I hope you have a great time. Busch is an amazing park. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bgeguy Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 The England lot is not the overflow lot, and you don't exactly have a choice of where to park unless you pay for preferred or have a platinum pass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
netdvn Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 ^ Really? Every time my family's gone there, we were able to park in the England lot without much trouble. Even without paying for preferred parking or a Platinum Pass, although recently I never really needed to park there because I could just walk or ride my bike to the park. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bgeguy Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 These were the times from last year's map (they are not on this year's map): Scotland- 9:15 AM Ireland, France/New France- 10 AM Italy and Festa Italia- 10:30 AM Germany and Oktoberfest- 10:30 AM They actually are. You have to look under "Information to Plan Your Day" on the back and the operating hours of each country and major attractions are listed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfc Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 ^ Really? Every time my family's gone there, we were able to park in the England lot without much trouble. Even without paying for preferred parking or a Platinum Pass, although recently I never really needed to park there because I could just walk or ride my bike to the park. Er, parking in the England lot without paying for Preferred Parking is taking a bit of a risk--seems to me you could be towed if you don't have that placard hanging from your mirror. If you buy Preferred Parking, you could end up in the England Lot, but most likely you'll be parking in France (a longer walk, but you don't need to take a tram). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larrygator Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 I would trust cfc's advice. He is down with The Hummel Boy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
netdvn Posted May 19, 2009 Share Posted May 19, 2009 ^^ I guess I don't really have much experience with BGW parking, since I've only used the parking about four or five times in my entire lifetime... Dan - Don't take my advice about the parking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carowinds2005 Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 My friend and I are actually planning to take a trip that day also. We booked our hotels last night and was also planning on buying the tickets but then saw how much they were. Does anybody know where we can find discounts for the tickets once we reach Williamsburg or anywhere online? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homeboy23 Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 If you buy Preferred Parking, you could end up in the England Lot, but most likely you'll be parking in France (a longer walk, but you don't need to take a tram). Did I miss something or they did they change the parking? I thought England was the only preferred parking area and the other two were regular parking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfc Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 ^France and England are both used as Preferred Parking Lots, but England doubles as the bus-parking lot, too. It's been that way for a number of years now, but I think you're right about France being a "regular" lot way back when. If you're stuck parking at the far end of the France lot, you're not much better off than the other lots, depending on how far you have to walk to catch the tram. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
netdvn Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 My friend and I are actually planning to take a trip that day also. We booked our hotels last night and was also planning on buying the tickets but then saw how much they were. Does anybody know where we can find discounts for the tickets once we reach Williamsburg or anywhere online? Thanks! On my recent trip to the Outer Banks I stopped by a Subway and found that they carried coupons for "Adults at Kids Price" admission to BGW which expire on June 14th. I have three in my possession right now and I'll be willing to trade them for theme park maps or brochures. If you're not interested, I'm pretty sure most local supermarkets and fast food places (like Subway) will carry coupons for discounts... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carowinds2005 Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 My friend and I are actually planning to take a trip that day also. We booked our hotels last night and was also planning on buying the tickets but then saw how much they were. Does anybody know where we can find discounts for the tickets once we reach Williamsburg or anywhere online? Thanks! On my recent trip to the Outer Banks I stopped by a Subway and found that they carried coupons for "Adults at Kids Price" admission to BGW which expire on June 14th. I have three in my possession right now and I'll be willing to trade them for theme park maps or brochures. If you're not interested, I'm pretty sure most local supermarkets and fast food places (like Subway) will carry coupons for discounts... Thanks! I will be sure to find the nearest Subway when we arrive! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cygnusx1 Posted May 22, 2009 Share Posted May 22, 2009 I will be going to BGE for the first time on May 26th, 2009. I was just wondering what the crowds will be like the day after Memorial Day. I see that the park is only open from 10 AM until 6 PM. Will this allocate enough time to ride every coaster at least once? Also, does anyone have any recommendations on cheap hotels in the area? Your help is greatly appreciated. Dr Jazz I'm in a similar situation since I'll be in Williamsburg with my folks from Sunday night through Wednesday, with two park days (Mon and Tues). Right now we are planning to do BGE on Monday (Memorial Day) and Water Country on Tuesday. Our reasoning for this is that BGE will be open later (8pm) on Monday than on Tuesday. How are BGE's crowds on Memorial Day? Would you recommend that we switch those two days? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuschSchoe Posted May 23, 2009 Share Posted May 23, 2009 These were the times from last year's map (they are not on this year's map): Scotland- 9:15 AM Ireland, France/New France- 10 AM Italy and Festa Italia- 10:30 AM Germany and Oktoberfest- 10:30 AM They actually are. You have to look under "Information to Plan Your Day" on the back and the operating hours of each country and major attractions are listed. Your right, sorry about that. The opening times are still the same though. And I don't believe anyone has mentioned this yet, but if the park begins directing people towards the Scotland parking lot, which is the auxiliary lot, you know your in for a crowded day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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