Busch Gardens Williamsburg (BGW BGE) Discussion Thread

I would imagine that any park has similar policies, and that it isn't so much for crowd control as it is to appease fire codes and whatnot. Like every building has a capacity that you can't exceed, I'd think that every park would have one too.

 

Quick Queue sold out at 3pm, how I know, was one of the last to buy one!

If you bought the Quick Queue as soon as you walked in the park, you were standing right next to me. When we got there around 3ish we went to the guest services just inside the front gate to get our Quick Queue and they said there were 6 left and we got 4, then someone to my right got the last two. I was the tall guy in the EPCOT shirt.

Okay, I'm planning to head out to the park for my first real visit there this friday. I have the whole day off, so I can be there for most of the day. How crowded will it be? I want to get a couple of rides in on Apollo, and nab my missing credits (Grover coaster, Griffon, Alpengist, and Verbolten). I was also going to try to do a maze or two. How crowded will it be, and will I need Quick Queue?

^Crowds shouldn't be bad early in the day, but the mazes could be a little busy by the time 6:00 rolls around. I did have to wait about 30 minutes each for 13: Your Number's Up and Catacombs last Friday, but other mazes had shorter lines. Note that 13 and Dead Line both open at 5:30 (the others open at 6:00). The HOS shows run all day, so I'd catch those early on if you want to see the shows to save more time for the mazes.

I bought a basic Quick Queue after waiting for Catacombs, and it did come in handy for the Dead Line and Root of All Evil mazes; didn't need it for Fear Fair or Bitten.

^Thanks!

Also, what would be the best way to tackle the park with minimal lines throughout the day?

^I'd knock off Verbolten first thing, then just work your away around. As I said, during the day on Friday, it shouldn't be all that busy. Note that the park does close at 10:00 pm, though.

Well, I finally got to visit Busch for the first time in my life a few weeks ago even though I’ve lived in the area my whole life. Even though I went on a Saturday I was able to experience all of the major coasters on the front row which was definitely a lucky break, and I figured I’ll give you guys my review of some of the coasters.

Apollo’s Chariot: Wow! The most floater airtime I’ve ever experienced. Although this ride isn’t intense, it’s still a ton of fun! It definitely has one of the most unique layouts I’ve ever seen in a B@M hyper, and works really well with the terrain. 8/10

Alpengeist: B@M inverts really don’t catch my attention that much, but Alpengeist was definitely an exception. With its mammoth lift, it’s really quite an intimidating coaster, but I was really interested in comparing this legend with my all time favorite B@M Montu. Although its terrain interaction really doesn’t compare to its sister coaster Montu, it’s still greatly above average. The layout is very enjoyable and intense, and the highlight of the ride for me was its incredible cobra roll. Overall, I have no complaints with the ride, but it just can’t compare with Montu for me. 8/10

Griffon: Not too much to say here, great coaster, great drop, and a good theme. 6/10

Verbolten: Definitely the highlight of the day for me. I’ve been following this coaster since last September, and it didn’t disappoint. Amazing theming, great terrain interaction and really just lots of fun! Although the free fall drop wasn’t as exciting as I expected the rest of the ride made up for it. I really enjoyed the outdoor portion after the dark section as well. Overall, Verbolten is the best dark ride I’ve been on; although not intense, it’s incredibly innovative and fun. 9/10

They've changed the video in the Verbolten queue a bit for Halloween. It's still Gerta doing her "The Black Forest is verboten" schtick, but they've made a few clever changes.

BGW is going to hit capacity today. Whew!

^ Seems like Halloween events are increasing in popularity more and more this year.

The Quick Queue line for Apollo's Chariot was so long they filled an entire train with QQ people.

 

Quick Queue sold out at 3pm, how I know, was one of the last to buy one!

 

If you bought the Quick Queue as soon as you walked in the park, you were standing right next to me. When we got there around 3ish we went to the guest services just inside the front gate to get our Quick Queue and they said there were 6 left and we got 4, then someone to my right got the last two. I was the tall guy in the EPCOT shirt.

Hmmm... I bought mine at the Emporium across from the Globe. Bought mine at 2:45pm

Word to the wise: If you plan to visit Howl-o-Scream on a Saturday night, Quick Queue is essential; in fact, I'd recommend buying the unlimited version, so that you can squeeze in one night ride on Verbolten. Larry and I did this yesterday, and it made the capacity crowd bearable. We also went through all the mazes twice before the park closed at 11:00 pm (and enjoyed plenty of rides on Griffon and Apollo's Chariot).

But despite the huge crowd, HOS was fun last night--the park's team of scareactors was doing a good job (particularly the werewolves that were roaming all over the park).

Quite the crowds yesterday.

One thing Chuck didn't mention was the "Funny Bones" all you can eat Pizza and Pasta buffet. It was $12 and very filling. I'm a pizza snob so I didn't love it but at $12 (including drinks and desert) it was worthwhile.

The smores desert pizza was great.

The Apollo Chariot line had Rows 2 and 7 closed for Quick Queue and they a train devoted to Quick Queue riders only every 15 minutes or so.

We were also the last two people through the Fear Fair maze, so we got the undivided attention of the scare actors.

^Fear Fair is, indeed, a much better experience if you go through it alone. I think the only true "bummer" maze that night was "The Root of All Evil," because we couldn't figure out what it was supposed to be (other than some woman shouting "Don't touch my plants!").

Anyone looking for a final trip to the park this weekend should avoid Sunday if at all possible. While Sundays are usually the only ideal days for BGW this time of season, Tropical Storm Sandy is plowing through and Sunday's forecast calls for a 90% chance of heavy rain with "tropical storm conditions possible".

^It looks like the best day will be Friday.

we are planning on being open Saturday. However, it's too early for us to know if we will open Sunday. We will have to assess the storm track and will open only if the park is safe for guests and employees.

 

With regards to rain tickets, if your visit is interrupted due to weather, since it is the end of the current season, we would be issuing rain day tickets for the 2013 season. Unfortunately, the Rain Day Guarantee does not have a cash value that can be refunded.

Here's a quote from BGW on their FaceBook page, where everyone is running around in circles screaming about whether or not the park is open or closed and the weather is nice or not.

Now that the season's finally over, I'll give my final thoughts on this year's HOS.

Mazes

Bitten: 5/5 - Done 5 times - I can definitely see why this maze keeps coming back year after year. The theming is good, the actors are always on point, and the scares are fantastic. I don't understand why everyone knocks this maze because it's consistently good.

Catacombs: 5/5 - Done 3 times - Another solid maze with some really good scares. The theming isn't as elaborate as Bitten's, but the great actors totally make up for it's shortcomings (a short maze with pretty minimal theming). Luckily it felt a bit longer this year than it did last year.

Deadline: 5/5 - Done 3 times - This maze was definitely improved from last year. They had some fantastic actors and the theming is top-notch (even better than Bitten's). The additional props, special effects, and scareactors really make this one of the most improved mazes from last year.

13: 3/5 - Done 2 times - This maze really needs a bit of tweaking done. The actors are pretty good and some of the rooms are really well-done, but the empty rooms, plus some of the odd scares (waiting room? seriously?) really bring the maze down. I remember it being better last year, but not by much.

Root of All Evil: 3/5 - Done 5 times - This started out as the weakest maze of the season, but underwent some major improvements as the season progressed. I still think some of the scares were really creative and well-done (Am I the only person that likes the water splashing? It's no different from getting spewed with toilet water in an abandoned subway), while others were a bit of a miss. If the park really wants to improve the maze, they should ditch the cheap makeup and come up with some more elaborate props/costumes.

Fear Fair: 1/5 - Done once - I unfortunately was only able to do this once this year, but this maze was pretty weak this year and last. I hear it's improved, but I was only really able to do this maze early in the season. Maybe next year I'll get to do this maze a few more times later in the season.

Roaming Hoards: 4/5 - Like the scare zones last year, the hoards started out pretty weak, but got stronger and stronger as the season progressed. I still think they need to add more people to the groups along with the scare zones sorta like last year's (at least change the makeup for the people in the zones so they don't look like the hoards. The bungee people were awesome though, especially the one in New France.

I guess I can't say much about the shows other than they were all amazing. BGW really pulled out all the stops this year for HOS shows.

Dig It Up: 5/5 - seen once - Like I said before, anything that combines Queen with Star Trek is a winner in my book. The actors are great and the show itself is a lot of fun to watch.

Night Beats: 5/5 - seen once - Fantastic music combined with fantastic acting all make for a great show.

Fiends: 5/5 - Probably the best show IMO. I think moving the show to Ireland was a great idea. It definitely made gave the show a little more of an "adult" feel that the old show didn't seem to have (and I guess that made it a bit more entertaining). I kinda miss Frankenstein though. Maybe they could make him part of the roaming hoards.

Overall, I'd have to put this year's event on par with last year's. The park still needs to tweak the event a bit (starting with closing the children's areas earlier for HOS prep), but I really enjoyed this year's event just as much as I did last year's.

I unfortunately missed out on KD's event though due to some unforeseen circumstances (I couldn't get a ride home), but there's always next year for that.

Root of All Evil: 3/5 - Done 5 times - This started out as the weakest maze of the season, but underwent some major improvements as the season progressed. I still think some of the scares were really creative and well-done (Am I the only person that likes the water splashing? It's no different from getting spewed with toilet water in an abandoned subway), while others were a bit of a miss. If the park really wants to improve the maze, they should ditch the cheap makeup and come up with some more elaborate props/costumes.

 

I think they needed a more coherent "story" for it. The first greenhouse isn't a bad start, and I liked the bit with the pond, but there were too many stretches where nothing happens; the plants themselves are, well, just plants; and the finish was weak (yet another building filled with strobe lights). I was glad to see the "Lady of the Gardens" character in there, but they needed to do more with her. Perhaps they should change it up next year to a possessed garden that's trying to claim your soul (that way, they could still keep the zombie groundskeepers and give the Lady more to do).

Now that Howl-o-Scream is over for 2012, guess what's next at Busch Gardens Williamsburg . . .

One of the Largest Holiday Displays in the Country Opens Nov. 23

 

Williamsburg, Va. (Nov. 1, 2012) – The world’s most beautiful theme park is about to transform into one of the largest Christmas events in the country as Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, Va. celebrates its fourth season of Christmas Town: A Busch Gardens Celebration.

 

This year guests can have themselves a very retro yuletide as the sights, sounds and nostalgic good cheer of a vintage Americana Christmas comes to life. Holiday Hills welcomes guests to a time gone by when holiday traditions were bold, flashy and warm as apple pie. Holiday Hills will open in the park’s Festa Italia section. The new area expands Christmas Town’s footprint and offers guests additional ride and restaurant choices this Christmas season. See below for additional details about Holiday Hills.

 

With the one million lights added to the park to create the new area, Christmas Town: A Busch Gardens Celebration now features more than six million twinkling lights that adorn nearly every building and tree in the 100-acre park. The light count makes the Williamsburg park one of the country’s largest Christmas light displays.

 

The entire family will get in the holiday spirit with dazzling shows, Santa’s workshop and gift ideas for holiday shopping. The parks’ signature 50-foot-tall, animated Christmas tree boasts nearly a quarter-million twinkling lights that dance to a musical score.

 

Many of the park’s world class rides and attractions are also open (weather permitting), including the all new Verbolten, an indoor/outdoor, multi-launch roller coaster which debuted this past spring. The park’s tallest ride, Mäch Tower, will operate in observation mode for Christmas Town so guests can take a leisurely 240-foot ride above the park for a Santa’s eye view of the park. In observation mode, Mäch Tower will then slowly lower guests back to the ground.

 

It takes a 70-person team thousands of hours and just over three weeks to install and transform the park to a winter wonderland. More than 1,500 fresh-cut Christmas trees are placed throughout the park’s pathways and hills, 700 wreaths decorate doors and windows and 20,000 ornaments are carefully placed on trees.

 

Christmas Town opens November 23, 2012 and will continue on select days, through December 31, 2012. For more information, including an operating schedule, visit: http://www.ChristmasTown.com.

 

Holiday Hills (Located in Festa Italia)

 

Holiday Hills adds a nostalgic element to Christmas Town: A Busch Gardens Celebration. Taking inspiration from the mid-20th century Christmas Traditions, the park is transforming its Festa Italia section into an Americana Christmas. The list below provides descriptions of the main features guests will experience when visiting Holiday Hills.

 

Reindeer Run: Have a rockin’ retro ride with the little ones aboard a sized-down sleigh that isn't sized down on fun.

 

Snowman Summit: The winter wind will flow through guests’ hair as this ride spins them to smiling around a snowman and dazzling lights.

 

Jingle Junction: Hidden in the beautiful Holiday Hills, guests can climb aboard one of Busch Gardens’ three steam-powered locomotives at Jingle Junction. Bundle up with the family to enjoy a 20-minute trip through more than 200 acres of lush landscaping with stops in Scotland, New France, and Holiday Hills.

 

Peppermint Twist: No trip to Holiday Hills is complete without a ride on Peppermint Twist. These antique teacups are perfect for the entire family as guests control the whirling, twirling pace around Santa Claus at Busch Gardens’ special version of this classic ride.

 

Frosty Friends Photos: Storefront windows glisten during the holidays, decked out and ready for a photo, step inside our own retro version with the Frostiest of Friends.

 

The Stocking Stop: Take home a holiday gift, ornament for the Christmas tree, or a souvenir to make this a Christmas Town experience never to be forgotten.

 

Dasher’s Diner: Christmas is a wonderful time for tasty holiday treats and a family feast. Dasher’s Diner will feature many Christmas goodies including an old-fashioned, home-cooking-inspired buffet and other holiday treats. This warm and welcoming environment will bring guests back to a simpler time.

 

Fun Facts About Christmas Town

 

Six million Christmas lights adorn the 100-acre park

Eighty-five percent of the lights used at Busch Gardens Christmas Town are energy-saving LED lights

More than 1,500 fresh-cut Christmas trees are placed throughout the park’s pathways and hills

The fresh-cut Christmas trees are turned into mulch at the end of the season and used in the park’s planters and flower beds

25 miles of cables provide power

The park is wrapped in more than three miles of garland

More than 700 wreathes and artificial trees decorate inside areas, doors, and windows

800 lit snowflakes and stars twinkle

20,000 Christmas ornaments are carefully placed on the trees

900 window candles and luminaries light the night sky

Thousands of hours of installation completed by 70-person team

Carolers in England

A Christmas tree at the Festhaus

The Flight of Lights

Santa and, of course . . .

Penguins

Christmas Town opens on November 23 and runs on select days through December 31.

I'm glad to hear Verbolten is going to be open this year, although I kind of wish it were Alpengeist. I'm definitely going to have to try to get to the park for Christmas Town this year!

They ran Alpengeist last year, but there is one issue--it can't be operated if the temperature drops below 42 degrees F (which is rather ironic for a ride themed to a chair lift in a ski area). I'm not sure what the cutoff temperature is for Verbolten, but it makes sense for BGW to run their "New Hotness" for Christmas Town.

I'm glad to hear Verbolten is going to be open this year

Hell yeah! Great to see lil Boltz' get some time in the lime light, especially after its teething problems for its first few months.

Verbolten has been running consistenly well since July. Mach Tower, however . . .