A day at Busch Gardens Williamsburg
By Meg Brunson
Our family visited Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, VA, for a day full of rides and fun - and Busch Gardens did NOT disappoint!
We opted to pay a little more for the "VIP" parking, and I am really glad we did. It allowed us to park relatively close to the entrance, which made it easy to make a run out to the car for lunch later in the day. The theme park is divided into sections that are modeled after different countries. The main entrance is in England - then you can journey around to Italy, Germany, France, Ireland, and Scotland - and also visit the Fiesta Italia, Oktoberfest, and (my favorite!) the Sesame Street Forest of Fun!
We started in the Forest of Fun, because it was conveniently near the entrance and I knew the little ones would love the kiddie rides and the characters. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the older kids (and Dad) could enjoy many of the rides in this area as well.
This was also where we learned about the Busch Gardens PhotoKey - which we happily purchased for the day! With the PhotoKey you can register all your photos throughout the park (taken on rollercoasters and/or other designated areas) and then get download rights to them - in the Sesame Street Forest of Fun we started with getting pictures of all four kids on Grover's Alpine Express, then the little two had picturess with Big Bird... as we went throughout the park we got photos at many other rides, and then photo ops with the Clydesdale horses as well! All for one cost - and we didn't have to juggle prints at the park - downloading them was easy from home the next day!
Throughout the day, we explored all the other areas of the park - Dad enjoyed some of the roller coasters, and the kids and I enjoyed the family rides. I absolutely loved the train and skyride. Between the two "rides," navigating from one section of the park to another was easy - and you could avoid a ton of walking - which is essential when you have little ones adventuring without a stroller!
As a full-time RV'ing family with a dog, I also appreciated that Busch Gardens has a pet kennel on site - making it so much easier to enjoy a day of fun without worrying about the pup! I also noticed Nursing Mother rooms throughout the park - I am a firm believer in feeding when/where baby is hungry, but I also know how nice it is to have a dedicated space if you (or baby) wants a little privacy. I was also impressed with the restrooms, which were both clean and cool. It was a warm day at Busch Gardens Williamsburg, and a little AC in the bathroom was a welcomed surprise!
Whether you're thinking about where you want to take your next family vacation, or trying to figure out how to spend an extra day in Virginia - I highly recommend looking into Busch Gardens Williamsburg. They have done a great job of including a variety of rides that will appeal to everyone - and it's simply a beautiful park.
There is also a Busch Gardens in Tampa, if you happen to find yourself in Florida!
Read about some of the other adventures we're having on our Year-Long Road Trip!
© 2019 Meg Brunson
Thanks to Busch Gardens Williamsburg for sponsoring this review. All opinions expressed are my own. See more on Instagram!
Meg is a mommy blogger, Facebook marketer, and much more. She is a mom to four kids who live full-time in an RV exploring the US! As a former Facebook employee, Meg remains a Facebook addict and handles KidsOutAndAbout.com's Social Media Marketing in addition to providing freelance services for other small businesses on how to best leverage Facebook as a part of their marketing strategy. Meg also hosts the FamilyPreneur Podcast, a podcast for parent entrepreneurs raising entrepreneurial children. Learn more about Meg at MegBrunson.com!