Busch Gardens Williamsburg (BGW BGE) Discussion Thread

A quick rundown of the all the scare zones (now called Terrortories) over the weekend. I wasn't sure how it would work out, but most of them came together well with a few issues.

Ports of Skull - 2/5 - The weakest of the scare zones, they really need to expand this one beyond that little corner. Have it take up the entire garden and the Festa bridge or Pompeii path. The bungee dude was pretty awesome and the actors were alright.

Ripper Row - 3/5 - Actors were pretty good and I loved the headless ladies. I wish they kept the kidnappings, but I can see how it would cause problems. I liked the sets but they looked a tad on the cheap side. They should bring the Scavengers costumes back and add a few victims to the mix.

Vampire Point - 4/5 - This scare zone suffers from a staff issue. I saw a handful of people roaming around but with a scare zone this big, there should be more roamers. The actors were excellent. I love the hotel, Vlad, and his crew. Blood Banquet should be cut back though. Even on Saturday, there weren't many people eating there plus it creates a huge bottleneck.

Demon Street - 5/5 - Like Widowmakers before it chainsaws always win out. Combine that with cool special effects and DJ Satan cranking out awesome jams and you have a fantastic scare zone. I just wish they had a few more of those fire dancers on a few more rooftops and grim reaper wasn't changed into smiling demon. Add some stuff to Griffon's area too.

Overall the scare zones were pretty good for opening weekend. I only hope they continue to get better as they usually do throughout the season. Howl O Scream started off really weak in 2011-2012 and those years ended up being among the best. Maze reviews coming later.

I think my biggest complaint regarding mazes at HOS is the very slow line for 13: Your Number's Up. The path through the Europe in the Air building is very narrow in spots, and you end up being stuck in a conga line.

One interesting request they made during the reception--they asked that we stress in our reports that Howl-o-Scream is not meant for small children. Although it isn't as "intense" as Tampa's event, they have stepped things up a little this year (more aggressive scareactors in the "Terror-tories," for example).

 

Yet you still see a lot of kids in strollers at BGW's Howl-o-Scream.

They been stressing the same thing for HOS at Seaworld San Antonio on their Facebook this year as well. Sounds like they are trying to get all 3 of HOS events at the same level of BGT. It looks like they will have a great event this year at BGW.

I thought for a second that out of the three HOS parks that BGT is highest level and then it hit me that Universal and Disney are a hour and half drive away. Also when they want to retire that red dragon from demon street I'll gladly take that off their hands. That dragon is totally awesome!

I really think BGW should turn HOS into a hard ticket event. They could have the park open on weekends with family friendly Halloween stuff like SeaWorld's Spooktacular and then have a really immersive, scary event at night.

The Halloween themed dining looks great though. Though that's always a draw with BGW. They did such a great job of creating Vampire Point I needed a double take to see what area they transformed it to.

^They have two other themed-dining events, too: "Fright Feast" in Ireland's Castle O'Sullivan and "Buccaneer Galley" in Festa Italia. The menus at each venue are different, too; for example, "Fright Feast" offers currywurst. (But I think "Buccaneer Galley" is just the usual pizza-and-pasta buffet they have all season.)

ladies of "dubious virtue" (some of whom are headless)

If they're anything like the ladies of dubious virtue I see around here, "headless" is an improvement!

Thanks, Chuck, for the photos and Netdvn for the reviews!

I was there on Saturday for my first time and I had a truly remarkable visit. I'm hoping to get my photos up soon! Hollow Scream was fantastically frightening, and I was really impressed with their efficiency in moving people through the mazes!

Looks like a nice event! I'm glad they seem to be expanding it more each year.

Howl-O-Scream was great when I went last Friday and Saturday. It seemed more mellowed out compared to my last visits (2005, 2009), but regardless my friend and I had a great time. We only did two of the mazes, Deadline and Cut Throat Cove. CTC was pretty neat and a nice change for HOS. It had the shortest line for any of the mazes there.

Crowds weren't to bad both days either. Nessie, and Alpengeist had walk-ons through out both days. Also the lights under Nessie's loops were off on Friday, those were some interesting night rides. I also got to ride Verbolten for the first time. It won't replace the BBW for me, but it's still a great ride and definitely what BG needed. The night rides in the rain were great, the blue light and the fog machine under the last drop was awesome. Mach Tower was of course closed. Overall we had a great time and I still have the fun fall card so I might go back before HOS is over this year.

Mach Tower was reasonably reliable earlier in the season, but it seems to be having "issues" again. Oh, well.

Mach Tower ran for most of the day when I was there the 14th. Around the time the Hollow Scream stuff started is about when it closed. Whether or not there is a connection, I do not know.

Quick maze rundown. The mazes are pretty good this year.

Bitten - still as solid as ever. Everyone seems to bash this maze because it's been around for a while. I got a few good scares out of it.

Catacombs - I didn't get many scares out of it opening night, but got some last weekend. It seems like the park changed up some of the maze and made it longer.

Deadline - Actors were alright, but this maze had too many dead areas. Not only that but it was insanely dark inside so I kept running into the people behind me. It was much better last year IMO.

Cutthroat Cove - the new maze. The actors were great, but the maze felt cheap. Hopefully the park upgrades this maze and adds more actors in the coming year.

13 - this maze was the same as last year in terms of scares and theming. There's still dead areas and rooms with no theming. Actors were decent.

Pictures from yesterday!

More here -----> click <-----

Nice pictures, but you're missing pictures of food.

Here ya go, Joey!

How about some grilled feta with pistachios an honey, and a shot of Uozo on the side? (This is from the Food & Wine Festival.)

^ Why couldn't they have kept Greece instead of Crepes?

I also loved what they offered during passholder appreciation day

My guess is that they always planned to keep the crepes as part of the "redo" of the entrance to France. It's nice to look forward to the grilled feta, though.

 

How about some grilled feta with pistachios an honey, and a shot of Uozo on the side? (This is from the Food & Wine Festival.)

They better offer this dish again next year! Soo delicious.

It appears that a new ride is in the works for 2015.

Park files paperwork for 156 foot ride.

Busch Gardens plans 156-foot-tall attraction

By Dave Mayfield

The Virginian-Pilot

© October 8, 2013

WILLIAMSBURG

Busch Gardens Williamsburg has filed an application with the James City County Planning Division to build a 156-foot-tall attraction in its Festa Italia area.

The amusement park’s application, filed Monday, was first reported on the website BGWFans.com.

The Planning Division’s website includes no description of the attraction other than height and location. However, it is referred to as a 2015 attraction.

A spokesman for Busch Gardens, a unit of Orlando, Fla.-based SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, said the company had no further information to provide about the attraction.

The last major ride added to the 383-acre theme park was the Verbolten roller coaster, which opened in 2012.

Interesting. I would of guessed the next ride would of gone in Drachen Fire's old spot.

Could they be buying Time Machine for Drachen Fires old spot?

Festa Italia is over there by Apollo's Chariot right? Maybe there was some truth to those wild wooden coaster rumors after all...

Oktoberfest underwent a "makeover" with Mach Tower and Verbolten, so it's not surprising that the park decided to concentate on another section of the park.