Places to stay near BGW/BGE?

[johncolon91]

I'm trying to plan a last minute trip to BGW for July 12th and 13th. Does anyone have any suggestions for hotels near the area that are cheap? I'm on a tight budget and don't really want to spend any more than $70 a night. Also, what are crowds like for a summer Monday and Tuesday at BGW? I haven't been there in 6 years or so and I'm really looking forward to my first credits on Alpehngeist and Griffon.

[MoonCadet]

Can't say much about hotels but I am actually staying in the BGW area right now albeit in a resort. However as for the park I was there this past Tuesday and it was not very crowded at all everything was pretty much walk on or wait 1-2 ride cycles at most unless you were aiming for a front row on Apollo's Chariot which might get up to 5 cycles. Got there about and hour after opening rode everything and I mean everything flats shows and ate a leisurely meal by 5. Spent the rest of the time re-riding favorites.

[cfc]

Usually, the hotels near the park are a bit more expensive than those on the Richmond Road tourist strip, which have easier access to restaurants (that is, it's easier to walk around). You can probably get a good deal via Orbitz, Hotwire, or some other Internet site.

 

Stay away from any of the hotels in LIghtfoot (they're usually dumps)--this is where the Outlet Mall and the Williamsburg Pottery are located. Stay away from the Family Inn, too--unless you enjoy being right next to the railroad tracks. Second Street (also called Rt. 143) isn't a great area, either (but it isn't far from the park).

[Canobie Coaster]

When I went to BGE in 2006, I stayed at the Best Western Patrick Henry Inn. It is nothing special, but I didn't find anything wrong with it. I got what I paid for.

 

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g58313-d72760-Reviews-Patrick_Henry_Inn-Williamsburg_Virginia.html

[davisal771]

I don't know any specific hotels, but I was on hotwire with dad looking for hotels in Orlando. For last minute stuff, I couldn't recommend it more. They don't give you the name of the hotel, but they give you the star rating, Price per night, and the location. We found a comfort inn for $16 a night! So I would advise looking on HotWire for cheap hotels.

[johncolon91]

I have checked out hotwire but I'm not a fan that they don't tell you the name or exact address of the hotel. There is a hotel on there though for $53 a night and a 3 star rating. It is in the Newport News/Williamsburg Intl. Airport area. Anyone know if that is an okay area and if its in close proximity to Busch Gardens?

[cfc]

^That's in the Denbigh section of Newport News. If it's near the airport, it's a short drive to the park. There's a lot of traffic in that area because it's a big retail corridor, and there are a number of new hotels around there and plenty of restaurants.

 

Orbitz will actually tell you what hotel you're getting, if you want to try again.

Edited July 2, 2010 by cfc

[netdvn]

Richmond Road also has a ton of hotels to check out and it's in the touristy area so there are a ton of restaurants/cheesy tourist traps to check out.

 

The Bypass Road hotels are much closer to the park in relation to the Richmond Road hotels, (many) are brand new, and really close to the colonial area in case you decide to spend some extra time checking CW out. There is quite a selection of restaurants (Golden Corral/Unos/Hooters) but you have to drive a little way away. There are also a couple new hotels in the Capitol Landing Road area but the older hotels do look a bit dumpy and you will have to drive a bit to get a bite to eat, but the area is quieter and it's closer to the park.

 

As for hotels close to the NN/WMBG Airport (Jefferson Avenue), there are a couple new Marriott hotels close to the highway and a few older, but decent-looking hotels in the area. There's also plenty of shopping (Wal-Mart, Costco, shopping mall) and a ton of restaurants in that area as well. It's still a 15-20 minute drive to the park without traffic though. If I-64 is packed, you could take Warwick Boulevard, which will take you straight to the park.

[johncolon91]

I ended up getting a hotel in Norfolk, Va for July 9th thru 12th that way I can also make a trip to Virginia Beach. I won't be able to go to Busch Monday the 12th so what are weekend crowds like vs. Friday crowds (if not the same)?

[netdvn]

Crowds at BGW are really inconsistent. I've gone to the park on weekends where I can hit all the major rides in under two hours and I've gone midweek and the park is extremely packed.

 

On weekends, the park should be fairly busy, but manageable; however, I highly recommend preparing for the worst. Try hitting all the major rides/attractions (coasters/water rides) earlier in the day when crowds are light (follow the openings of the different lands) so that when the crowds pick up, you can do rerides for all the big stuff and check out the shows/attractions/smaller rides.

 

You can get all the info you need on the park map.