BGW Attendance

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RE: BGW Attendance Drops 3.4%

There is also a lot of ignorance by the GP, that they find a way to blame on park management. I had a guy last week tell me he heard that the Park is fighting with the City of Williamsburg and THAT is what is holding up Mach Tower from running. I reminded him that BG is not in City Limits and he just shrugged. I heard another say that the new management is cheap and THAT is why the show in the Abbey Stone is the same as last year. Of course WE all know that they almost always keep shows for several years per run. Point being, that people WANT to think the worst of anything new and Blackstone will get NO free passes with the locals.

I'll be honest, I've noticed nothing remarkably different before and after the Blackstone change on my visits. (other than the Wolf being removed, which was pre Blackstone anyway right?) But I don't have the long term history that some of you do with BGW so my perspective is only for the last 3 and a half years.
 
RE: BGW Attendance Drops 3.4%

^ Agreed.

Blackstone bought the park while it was in a downward spiral. If anything, I'd say that Blackstone has helped the place. They seem to be investing a ton of many into Busch Gardens Williamsburg but sometimes throwing money at the problem just doesn't help. The park has been on this road for a while now. The change is that the GP are starting to notice. Since it's common knowledge that the parks were sold, the GP blames the problems that they're starting to see with the park on the new owners.
 
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RE: BGW Attendance Drops 3.4%

I was just thinking about how they claimed that it was shot at a defintion X times better than HD... Now that I think about it, It's possible... There is the RED camera system. Only problem is that if you shoot it in red, you need it to be projected with a RED projector and you need a RED Ray player. These items arent available on the market yet....
 
RE: BGW Attendance Drops 3.4%

Something interesting I've noticed this summer during Illuminights: the park has a ton of last minute traffic (obviously locals coming just for fireworks) who pile in between 7-9 at night. We even left at 9 one night and the turnstiles were backed up like in was 10:30 on a Saturday morning. I didn't really notice that last year. But the pattern has been pretty moderate crowds during the day, even weekends, then packed at night.

Scary to think what the attendance #'s would be if there was no Illuminights.
 
RE: BGW Attendance Drops 3.4%

I live in Raleigh, we have been going regularly since 1986 and I have been a pass holder as long as I can remember. I currently hold 5 Platinum passes for me and my family. We have not been yet this year and it has nothing to do with the economy, gas prices, etc. In my opinion, since the sale, it has become less Theme park and more amusement park. There just isn't anything pulling on us to drive 200 miles and get a hotel room like there used to be. The Big Bad Wolf's removal hurt some, but just like many others, we'll wait and see what they replace it with. The cheapening and/or removal of the shows is what is keeping us away. The shows and park beauty are what used to set BG apart from the others. The new show in Ireland is good, but it doesn't have that magical appeal that Emerald Beat had. It doesnt beckon us to return time after time. If I see it once a season I'm good. Royal Palace Theater, nuff said. Canadian Palladium - I really miss grabbing an ice cream from France and sitting down to see the American Juke Box. Illuminights (As of last year)- I imagine it has an appeal to younger folks, but not for me. It has a cheap feel to it. Especially the cartooning of the Fest house and the parade.
I haven't seen the new show in Italy, but the reviews are good so I'm looking forward to it.
 
RE: BGW Attendance Drops 3.4%

^There it is.

Busch Gardens used to feel like an escape. Now it kind of feels like a hike around an amusement park.

I may have to take action and save Busch Gardens here soon.
 
RE: BGW Attendance Drops 3.4%

lazerdoc said:
It has a cheap feel to it. Especially the cartooning of the Fest house
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More like the cartooning of all of Oktoberfest! :-/


doctormoneymd said:
Busch Gardens used to feel like an escape. Now it kind of feels like a hike around an amusement park.

I may have to take action and save Busch Gardens here soon.
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BG used to be like visiting Europe, now it's like visiting an amusement park trying to be Europe.
 
RE: BGW Attendance Drops 3.4%

I don't want this to seem like I'm being difficult here for the sake of it. I understand that you guys all feel the park is not what it used to be. But you HAVE been to AMUSEMENT parks right? Like any Six Flags or even good ones like KD or Hershey? BG is nothing like them, even now. Maybe you guys DO need to not go for a while and visit some other parks for a season or two. Maybe you will get a different perspective on what you have at BG. Even if it is not what it was, it is still well above average in the industry.
 
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RE: BGW Attendance Drops 3.4%

Big_Al said:
I don't want this to seem like I'm being difficult here for the sake of it. I understand that you guys all feel the park is not what it used to be. But you HAVE been to AMUSEMENT parks right? Like any Six Flags or even good ones like KD or Hershey? BG is nothing like them, even now. Maybe you guys DO need to not go for a while and visit some other parks for a season or two. Maybe you will get a different perspective on what you have at BG. Even if it is not what it was, it is still well above average in the industry.
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Bingo.
 
RE: BGW Attendance Drops 3.4%

Me and my wife and some of our friends would got o busch atleast once or twice a week and it has gotten to the point where the park is always so crowded it takes the fun out of going.
I mean 2 years ago we would go after work during the week and you could basically just walk on the rides.We have been to the park maybe 5-6 times this year and the only rides we have rode was nessie and the train because of lines.
 
RE: BGW Attendance Drops 3.4%

Big_Al said:
I don't want this to seem like I'm being difficult here for the sake of it. I understand that you guys all feel the park is not what it used to be. But you HAVE been to AMUSEMENT parks right? Like any Six Flags or even good ones like KD or Hershey? BG is nothing like them, even now. Maybe you guys DO need to not go for a while and visit some other parks for a season or two. Maybe you will get a different perspective on what you have at BG. Even if it is not what it was, it is still well above average in the industry.
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I agree with this.....I think the fear is the direction it is heading is going to close that gap. However, the thread is about a reduction in attendance. I posted why *I* don't come as often. Don't take this as bashing, I think most of us agree that our park kicks the others you mentioned to the curb. This is only my opinion, but it looks like others feel the same way. BG will always be nice, and it will always be successful, but it is losing some of it's class in the name of profit. I'm certainly not going to purchase season passes to a different park because BG is still worlds above the others in this region. There is no question about that, you are absolutely right, and familiarity with the park may contribute to this feel. After all, to your point, absence makes the heart grow fonder. But at the same time, I'm not going as much because the things that called me back over and over aren't there any more. I've been going regularly since the 80's and this is the first period of time where we havent planned our summer around trips to Williamsburg.
 
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RE: BGW Attendance Drops 3.4%

Even though it may still be "above average" I don't think it's as stellar as it was before the sale, given that the initial sale from AB to InBev occurred in 2008 then from InBev to Blackstone in 2009. So it's been since 2007 that an entire park season was under AB's watch without a sale/buyout looming -- i.e., in my mind this is the 4th season without AB.

Differences in park cleanliness, landscaping (it's becoming more pedestrian to me, whereas the floral arrangements used to be "wow!" -- intricate and creative in the design elements and flower combinations), degradation in show quality (one example, for me Celtic Fyre just doesn't compare to IT or EB in music or choreography -- used to see IT all the time, EB a lot, once for CF is fine for me this year -- just my opinion of course). Loss of BBW but I do recognize that would've happened regardless of the ownership. The decor changes feel very cosmetic/shallow/on the surface changes rather than feeling organic and integral to the park (this is being very non-concrete and subjective I know) and have a more amusement park rather than theme park look and feel.

I do absolutely agree it is still worlds above a KD or a Six Flags park in terms of themeing and visitor experience, but for me and my family (not just immediate but extended), it's just not the same. Our number of visits have dropped off dramatically.

And we just can't seem to hit a low attendance day so far this year, although I do see/recognize the reports of low attendance and don't doubt them. But we keep ending up like Push The Button -- get there and skip our favorite things because of the lines. But also, we've only been 2-3 times this year when previously we'd be pushing probably 7-8 visits by mid July.

I do think the park will show attendance improvements when MT finally gets up and running and with next year's new ride. But I don't think the same flavor of the park will return, like lazerdoc and others said, esp. the poster who commented on it now feeling more like an amusement park trying to be Europe rather than feeling like being in Europe.

I am glad that others still find the park as appealing if not more compelling than ever, though! I have had many great times there and want it to succeed, but I can't pretend that for me much of the magic just isn't there any more.
 
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RE: BGW Attendance Drops 3.4%

lazerdoc said:
I'm certainly not going to purchase season passes to a different park because BG is still worlds above the others in this region.
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Why not? If BG is dropping the ball for you, you SHOULD be willing to take your business elsewhere. Just because you like BG best, does not mean other parks have nothing to offer. BG does not give you any special treatment for being "Loyal." I hold passes to another park (GASP!) and I enjoy that park as well.
 
RE: BGW Attendance Drops 3.4%

I hold a pass to BG and King's Dominion, I visit KD more, but I thing BG is still the better park. I'm not going to stop going there because the theming has been notched down a bit.
 
RE: BGW Attendance Drops 3.4%

Big_Al said:
lazerdoc said:
I'm certainly not going to purchase season passes to a different park because BG is still worlds above the others in this region.
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Why not? If BG is dropping the ball for you, you SHOULD be willing to take your business elsewhere. Just because you like BG best, does not mean other parks have nothing to offer. BG does not give you any special treatment for being "Loyal." I hold passes to another park (GASP!) and I enjoy that park as well.
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If I wanted to go to another park I would go, so that's not part of the consideration. I made it clear, and you quoted me that I still agree that BG is better than all of the others. Clearly, you are OK with the direction they are going, but for me it's losing it's luster. No where in my response did I say I was going to cancel my passes. Again, back to the original thread, unlike your response to me, I haven't offered an opinion on what others should think or do about it. I'm only was answering why *I* am not attending as often.
 
RE: BGW Attendance Drops 3.4%

It seems like the primary complaint from most of you lamenting the park's decline is the lack of quality and quantity of shows. Is that a fair assessment?
 
RE: BGW Attendance Drops 3.4%

The removal of shows and the degredation of show quality is a major issue for my family. We still visit, but the quantity and quality of the live shows just isn't what it used to be.

Bring back a replacement for American Jukebox and the Canadian Palladium (there used to be two shows in that theater too). Bring back nightly shows in the Royal Palace Theater. Bring back live shows in the Globe Theater. Bring back the Summer Concert Series that used to occur every weekend in the summer, not just an occasional few. Bring back a replacement for Castle O'Sullivan.

It's the live entertainment that my family truly loves and what used to make BGW great. Now it's a nice theme park, but not the great show park it used to be.
 
RE: BGW Attendance Drops 3.4%

I have to agree about the show. In the past couple of years they have taken out 2 regular show plus the nightly show in the RPT with no replacements. That's three attractions removed, yes removing a major attraction like the BBW is significant but I think attendance wise losing three shows is just as big of a deal. We visit a lot in the evening during the week, it use to be we would plan our activities and when we ate around American Jukebox. IMO the only current show worth seeing often is Mix it Up, I like it but there isn't the same atmosphere as there was in the Canadian Palladium.
 
RE: BGW Attendance Drops 3.4%

studiopzp said:
I never realized the shows were that big of deal.
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Something to give you a break from walking and waiting. They are great for a breather for a thirty minutes or so.
 
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