Busch Gardens

So 2 adults %26amp; 1 child are going to Williamsburg. We are staying for 4 nights. I%26#39;m debating on going to Busch Gardens. I thought we would spend 1 day in B.G. But I%26#39;m really debating if it%26#39;s worth 1 of my days.

My son is 9 %26amp; I know he%26#39;ll enjoy it but for $194 it just seems pointless. I live by 6 Flags Great Adventure %26amp; feel that it might be a waste coming to VA just for an amusement park when we have one by us.

I saw some other things that seemed nice like renting canoes at Waller Mill Park.

I%26#39;m figuring most will tell me that since I have a 9yrs old it will be worth it, but what do I know.

Busch Gardens

Waller Mill is great; we try to hit it every time we go. I don%26#39;t think you can feed the ducks and fish any more, which saddens us, but we still like it.

Personally, I can%26#39;t imagine going to Williamsburg and not hitting BG. But that%26#39;s just me, and we make sure we budget it into our planning. Also, make sure that you shop around for discounts on the tickets.

As for BG vs. SF:GA... Well, I%26#39;m not huge into roller coasters and I still have a blast at BG. Sure a lot of the rides will be similar, but assuming that you like amusement parks, I don%26#39;t think that BG is an experience that you should miss. There are a lot of fun shows and other fun stuff to do that I don%26#39;t think you can do at GA.

If your 9 year old does like coasters and such, I would go. They do have some really good ones.

And if nothing else, the atmosphere at BG is generally more enjoyable and easy-going than SF:GA. Growing up outside NYC, SF:GA was a frequent stop for us, and besides the drive-through safari (is that still there?) I was never really fond of the place. But that%26#39;s just me.

Busch Gardens

What does your son like? We went to Williamsburg last year with a 9 year old boy - Busch Gardens was the best part of the trip for him and we live near a Six Flags too. He really liked Jamestown and he really disliked Colonial Williamsburg. We%26#39;re going back this year and completely ignoring CW and spending multiple days at BG. My son likes history, but he really enjoys hands on stuff rather than people in costumes lecturing him. Is your son a hands on kid?

Some tips - we started CW at the Governor%26#39;s Mansion - it bored him to tears - he started getting antsy and just really never recovered. Unless your son loves history lectures, start at the jail, brickmaker, or some of the other CW spots that are more geared to young boys - you can take the loop connector bus and get off at that end of CW rather than starting at the Mansion. The connector buses are different colors and I%26#39;m sorry I don%26#39;t remember which one drops you at the other end - some of the locals might be able to answer that.

I%26#39;d definately consider Jamestown. It%26#39;s very hands on - I think my son%26#39;s second best memory is that he got to load the cannon here. You can do the outside part early and then do the museum in the afternoon. The cafeteria is extremely pricey, but I think you can be stamped to go in and out. Put a cooler in the car and eat lunch outside and then go back in. You can spend most of one day there.

Thanks for the tips...

1st I should mention that this CW trip was his idea not ours(what we do for our kids!)

Yes, my son also says he likes history %26amp; enjoys hands on stuff. But he can also spend all day walking around the Nat.Hist museum in NY, so I figure he%26#39;ll probably enjoy this.

Anyway, after checking things out I%26#39;m liking the idea more. I did have Jamestown Settlement %26amp; the jail on my list. I printed out all the events they have going on during the length of our visit %26amp; went over it w/ him. He seems to be interested in some of the evening events (if you have any input on them it would be nice to hear).

P.S. monster...yes great adventure still has the safari

I wish I could help on the evening events - we also had a little one with us who had just turned three. He went to bed early so we tended to just stay at the resort and do games rather than go out. I did hear good things about the ghost walk, but didn%26#39;t actually do it.

I%26#39;m wrestling with what to do in the evenings too, the little one stays up longer now, but still not too late.

SheaMe- Just out of curiosity, are you in the NY area?

Yes we are.

I%26#39;m struggling with the same type of issue. We are going with twin 8yr old boys who like history. They are not big on scary/roller coaster type rides. So I thought we should go to BG but don%26#39;t know if it will be worth it. They are certainly past Seseme Street stuff and for some reason I%26#39;m having trouble with the website for BG (maybe because my computer is apple?). What websites are you using to see what else is around the colonial williamsburg area? One of the reservation clerks reported that there are a lot of enactments and child centered things going on during the last week in June leading up to July 4th that she thought kids would like.

NYCindy: for what it%26#39;s worth the only coaster I%26#39;ve been on at BG is the Big Bad Wolf, and I%26#39;ve probably visited the park 10-12 times over 5-6 trips in the past 9 years (I%26#39;ve lost exact count).

Being not that in to coasters I still find a great many fun things to do and see there.

This year we%26#39;re bringing my 10yo niece (a week from 11 at the time we go) for the first time; we%26#39;ve always wanted to bring her and finally are able to. She%26#39;s not too in to coasters AT ALL but she said that she thinks she%26#39;s going to try the %26#39;Wolf with her Aunt and me. And I might man up for once and try Apollo%26#39;s Chariot or Loch Ness.

Enough about my situation though; yes, there are definitely things to enjoy besides coasters. In fact, since those are their ';main'; attractions, it might even take some of the pressure off of the lines for the other rides and attractions.

It also depends on how long you%26#39;re planning on going for. We like to be down there for 6-8 days, so that leaves plenty of time for us to fit in anything that we would want to.

Hi SheaMe,

I think it is absolutely worth it to go to BG for one of your days in the area. In fact, you may find that you wish you went for more than 1 day. BG creates an entire experience unlike any other amusement park I have yet to go to, it%26#39;s not just wall-to-wall rides. The rides are great, the park is beautiful, the shows are captivating, the ambiance is incomparable. I have nothing against renting canoes, I love that myself. But really, you can probably rent canoes nearby to your home too right? BG is something that you cannot re-do elsewhere. If you can manage it into your budget, I would definitely do it.

Thanks, Eliziam1 for putting things in perspective. It is true that we have canoeing where we are I guess I just love nature. I wish our stay was longer so I could go hiking, oh well.

I have decided to go to BG but now I%26#39;m concerned the lines are going to take all the fun of this place. I have reviewed all events in CW %26amp; the best day for us is Sun July 5th. I am not looking forward to this. I did see there is a quick pass sort of thing but it says it%26#39;s only good for the 10 most popular rides.