We took a family trip to Williamsburg, VA last week to visit family. While we were there we wanted to take the kids to do something fun. There are plenty of things to do in the area, but we decided to spend the day at Busch Gardens Williamsburg. There is so much to do you need multiple days to get it all in!
Here are just a few reasons why I think it’s the perfect place to take the family:
Theming
The theming behind this park is countries around Europe. The rides, the attractions, and even some of the foods are themed to where they sit in the park. This is an awesome detail that makes visiting about more than just the coasters. The countries featured here are as follows:
- France
- New France
- England
- Ireland
- Scotland
- Germany
- Italy
- Festa Italia
- Oktoberfest
There are a few areas around the park with stages that hold shows during the day. Some of these include:
- Marco Polo’s Marketplace in Italy
- Outdoor seating area with a stage for shows
- Das Festhaus in Oktoberfest
- Indoor seating area with stage in the middle (great for hot days!)
- Small stage in New France (across from Le Scoot and Invadr entrances)
- Individual singing acts
- Royal Palace Theater in France
Finally, there are a number of animal enclosures in Ireland and Scotland. These include:
- Highland Stables (Scotland)
- Clydesdale stables (you can have your picture taken touching one of the horses!)
- Open area for rams and the Clydesdales when they are not posing for photos
- Border Collie
- Barn Owl
- Lorikeet Glen (Ireland)
- Rainbow Lorikeet
- Numerous other birds
- Wolf Haven and Valley (Ireland)
- 2 pairs of wolves
- Eagle Ridge (Ireland)
- 3 Bald Eagles
Roller Coasters (Adults)
I have always been a huge roller coaster fan, so this is obviously my favorite part about going to amusement parks. We got lucky this last time as the longest we waited to ride anything was 20 minutes! This is amazing, especially when traveling with young kids, as we can switch off watching them while the other rides the coasters and the kids are not getting restless waiting.
They also do a Child Swap which is really cool too! If one of your kids is too small to ride, one parent can hang back while the other rides with the child who is tall enough. Once the ride is over, the parent who is waiting can hop on in place of the other parent. This is awesome for the kids too, because they get to ride twice!
Below is a list of my favorite coasters I have ridden, in order of favorites, followed by ones I have not ridden (but in the order I want to ride the most):
Favorites
- Pantheon – Brand new this year. One of my favorite rides of all time. Very smooth ride. I don’t want to give much away, but this ride has an unexpected “twist” in the middle. I would highly recommend riding if you love coasters!
- Griffon – Extremely smooth ride. Shoulder bar harness and open leg ride. Great views of the area and some great movement.
- Tempesto – Really fun, shorter track, but you start off going in reverse.
- Loch Ness Monster – Multiple loops, older so the ride isn’t as smooth as some of the newer ones, but still fun.
Have Yet to Ride
- Verbolten – This is the first ride I have not ridden, but the one I want to ride most. The track is mostly indoors, in darkness.
- Alpengeist – Open leg concept, really want to ride this one next time I go down.
- Apollo’s Chariot – Simple roller coaster, from videos I have watched seems like a normal coaster.
- Invadr – Only wooden coaster in the park. Jocelyn does not like thrill coasters, so this is the only one that she will ride. She said it was a bit rough, but she really enjoyed it.
Things for the Kids
So far, I have written about what there is to do for adults. One of the things that makes this park so great for families is the amount of things to do for kids. Honestly, besides the coasters, this park is geared mostly towards kids. Most of the non-coaster rides are suited for families. There is a Carousel, a Steam Train, three Gondolas, and numerous other children’s rides scattered throughout the park. Graham’s favorite ride is Der Roto Baron (airplanes), because he loves that he can “get it to go high”.
There is an entire section dedicated to small children called Sesame Street Forest of Fun. This area includes:
Rides
- Grover’s Alpine Express (38″ – 41″ must ride with someone 14 or older) – actual roller coaster for kids – Graham loved this one!
- Prince Elmo’s Spire (walking to 42″ must be accompanied by 14 years or older) – Shot-N-Drop ride
- Oscar’s Whirly Worms (walking to 42″ must be accompanied by 14 years or older) – Rock-N-Tug ride
- Bert & Ernie’s Loch Adventure (walking to 36″ must be accompanied by 14 years or older) – Miniature flat flume ride
Other Attractions
- Elmo’s Castle – small splash pad-like area with water play
- Oscar’s yucky Forest – mini playground area
- Stage area where they perform shows multiple times a day
The other area designated solely to children is the Land of Dragons. This area is much more open and better for later in the afternoon when you want the kids to burn off some energy. One of the nice things about this area is it is mostly shaded by large trees and there are plenty of places to sit and relax while the kids play. This area includes:
Rides
- Flutter Sputter (walking to 36″ must be accompanied by 14 years or older) – Fly in a dragon with the ability to control the height of the car you are in
- Bug-a-Dug (walking to 56″ max) – Ride in a ladybug in a circle
- Chug-a-Tug (walking to 56″ max) – Ride in a boat in a circle (in water)
Other Attractions
- Small splash pad
- Giant Treehouse and climbing nets
- Sensory areas for small children
Good Eats
The final reason to go to Busch Gardens with the family is probably the best reason of all…The FOOD! They have so many options no matter where you are in the park. There are a buffet-style restaurants in New France and Oktoberfest. We like the one in Oktoberfest a lot, because it is inside, so it was a nice way to take a break from the heat. There are also tiny shops throughout the park with delicious desserts and other treats.
One of my favorite places is Big Ben’s funnel cakes. They are unbelievably good. They have funnel cakes with your choice of toppings. The one I usually go with is Cinnamon Bun which includes ice cream, cream cheese icing, and cinnamon sugar topping. It’s decadent, and you probably don’t want to eat the whole thing yourself, but it is so good. Jocelyn’s favorite place to grab a mid-day snack is Les Frites, a loaded french fry shop.
Perfect Family Park
We have been to this park 3 times; once for their winter lights, and two summers in a row. It is a place we enjoy so much we will most likely make it a yearly trip when we go to visit family. Other than Disney World, which is on a whole other level, this is by far my favorite amusement park that I have ever been to. In my mind, as the title suggests it is the perfect place to take the family.
Let us know in the comments if you have ever been and what your favorite part of the park is.
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