Busch Gardens Williamsburg Review

Busch Gardens Williamsburg is located in Williamsburg, VA, and is often considered to be one of the most beautiful amusement parks in the world. Many people flock to this park to not only ride the rides but to also take in the atmosphere and the food. However, it is sometimes criticized for not having enough thrills. Is Busch Gardens Williamsburg a high-caliber amusement park, or is it all style with little substance?

Rides

Busch Gardens Williamsburg does have a really good selection of rides. The park has 8 roller coasters. While that is a low number when compared to other parks, there is not a single weak link in that 8. The coasters include Alpengeist, Loch Ness Monster, Verbolten, Invadr, Apollo’s Chariot, Grover’s Alpine Express (a kiddie coaster), Griffon, and Tempesto. 

There isn’t really any one coaster that I would say is the main one that draws in crowds. While they’re all good, they haven’t gotten that one unique rollercoaster that really draws everybody’s attention. They are getting Pantheon this year and that seems to be the coaster that will be a must ride for coaster enthusiasts.

My personal favorite is Verbolten. It isn’t as thrilling as the other coasters, but I love theming and Verbolten is one of the best themed coasters out there combined with a unique layout and great elements. Apollo’s Chariot is another one that many consider to be their favorite and it is definitely one of the best in the park. Loch Ness Monster is the oldest, but it is a classic, even if it is a bit bumpy. Invadr and Verbolten are both perfect for people who are just starting out with roller coasters or don’t like crazy thrills.

Besides coasters, the park has other ways to get thrills. Mach Tower and the new Finnegan’s Flyer are both good flat rides that will do well for people who are fans of heights and drops. If you’re looking for rides meant for little kids, the park has two sections that will appeal to them: Land of the Dragons and Sesame Street Forest of Fun. Both areas have plenty of good rides for kids. 

The park also has three water rides: Escape From Pompeii, a very well-themed, but short, Log Flume, Roman Rapids, which will leave you soaked, and Le Scoot, another log flume. Busch Gardens can often get very hot during the summer, so these are good rides to cool down with. There is also Battle For Eire, A VR motion simulator. This is a pretty cool ride that has good theming and an interesting story. It is also a good way to cool down as the entire attraction is indoors.

In terms of lines, the park can get crowded, especially on the weekends. You can buy Quick Queue, their equivalent of a FastPass, however, it is expensive and Busch Gardens is a more expensive park as it is. It can be worth it, but it really depends on what crowds are like when you’re there. The rides that usually have the longest lines are Verbolten, Invadr, and Griffon.

Atmosphere

As stated earlier, Busch Gardens Williamsburg is considered to be one of the most beautiful parks in the world and it lives up to that. When you arrive at the park, you are immediately placed into beautiful forestry with plenty of plants and colors. The park has a body of water that surrounds it which really makes it incredibly picturesque. 

You can even take a boat around the water or a skyway to get really nice views of the park. At night, the park is beautifully lit and it is nice to just walk around in. The park also has several animal exhibits including wolves and bald eagles.

The park is themed to Europe and each country is themed to a different country and has a specific aesthetic from each country. For example, the Ireland section is themed to the more fairytale aspect of Ireland and the Italy section focuses on the Roman gods. Each section is very unique and is themed very well.

However, I am not a huge fan of the layout of Busch Gardens Williamsburg. The park is absolutely massive and because each section only has about one coaster, you are constantly walking around to different attractions because nothing is close to one another. Also, walking from the entrance to the back of the park can take about 20 minutes. 

The park is a bit of a labyrinth and first-time visitors can get lost very easily. Some pathways are somewhat hidden and can be hard to find. Even when using a map, it can still be confusing.

Food

Busch Gardens Williamsburg has fantastic food. Some of it is traditional amusement park food, but it is still much higher quality than other parks. There are unique food options as well, such as a barbecue restaurant, a pizza buffet, and an Italian pasta buffet. 

It’s all really good, but still expensive as it is an amusement park. All the restaurants are also unique to Busch Gardens. There are no chains or well-known food places at this park. So do not expect to find a Starbucks or a Subway at this park.

Final Thoughts

Busch Gardens Williamsburg is definitely an awesome park. While the ride selection is smaller compared to other parks, there is not a single weak link. The park chooses quality over quantity. Each coaster is really good and I’m excited to ride Pantheon, which will make their coaster lineup top tier. 

The food and the atmosphere just add to the overall high quality of the park. My only complaint is the layout. It is a bit of a maze and it can be exhausting walking back and forth from each ride since none of the coasters are really near each other. Other than that, this is still a great park with plenty to do for the whole family.

Final score: 5/5