Busch Gardens Williamsburg Christmas Town 2023
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DarKoaster has been opening with the park and all major guest pathways are open except for heart attack hill.
I was GOING to say that I was pleasantly surprised that DarKoaster has transformed into a reliable rope drop experience operations wise but then on the brake run there was this very odd instance of an operator spraying down a car with some type of liquid?
But overall, as my first effort to rope drop it with first timers since opening, a functional experience.
Disappointed at the amount of lights out this past weekend. I can understand a few here and there but large section were just out. outside the park: half the tree signature trees and bushes at the employee entrance, the trees and "broccoli project" sign. Scotland: snowflake balls, half the blue trees, Ireland: most of the green trees, Italy: trees on the path in Holiday Hills and on the path for the light show. Sesame Street: about 70% of the lights were out. Wasn't any better for the Christmas Town Dash or operations on Sunday. I know the weather can have an affect but, it's just disappointing.
Visited on Sunday, overall 8.5/10. It could have been the warmer weather, the fact our kids are getting a little older, or the fact that my expectations were "lukewarm"; But this was the best visit I have had to CT in a long while. Sure, there were some light issues, but I did appreciate some of the updates. Saw a few shows and came away generally impressed. Father Christmas and his friends were GREAT. Taking away .5 for the lights and taking away another point for the food. Still would like to see the food get a little better on track. Overall, VERY GOOD! Was only planning on 1 visit this year... But might return.
Went Saturday for the first time since before COVID and we had a great time. Also noticed some lights out, but with 10 million lights, I'll let some lights out here and there slide, especially in iffy weather. No idea if that had anything to do with it, just pointing it out. Even with some out, the lights still looked great around the park, so what more do I need?
We hit the Pretzel place in Germany a couple times. The first time through, my pretzel was fresh out the oven and was delicious. The second time, I snagged a ham and cheese pretzel sandwich. The ham and cheese were great, but definitely overcooked the pretzel. Oh well.
We always do the dinner with Santa since we're there with my brother, his wife, and my 6 year old nephew. The food is always kinda whack for adults, but it's obviously geared toward kids, so again, that doesn't bother me. Although the red velvet cupcake was surprisingly on point. But man, Santa is always so good in reading Twas the Night Before Christmas and interacting with the kids. When he was talking to my nephew, he mentioned he was very good this year. Santa said "Ahhhh, good. But you know you switch back and forth, right? Yes, yes, I know you do and I think you know too" with a little wink. Got a good laugh and my nephew bought all of it, saying later "How did he know I go back and forth?" He always has a great time at that event.
Father Christmas was a huge highlight. On the way out of England, he stopped my nephew and talked to him for about 5 minutes and gave him a big hug. He told him he knows "Nicholas" very well and would put in a good word for him. Walking out, he was blown away by all of this. "He's gonna tell Santa about me! That's so coooool!" We all really appreciated how committed Father Christmas was to making it special for him and other kids.
Bonus, got to ride Alpengeist and Pantheon (twice) for the first time. Loved both rides. Crowds were pretty light, so Pantheon was like a 5 minute wait, while Alpengeist was probably around 15. Awesome rides.
Overall, I was skeptical after what's been posted here the last few years, but we had a great time. Some flaws here and there, sure, but man, I'm simple. Give me a bunch of Christmas lights to put me in the Christmas spirit, give me some decent food, and put a smile on my nephew's face while he enjoys the magic of the holiday. That's about all I need and I got that. But special shout-out to Father Christmas for topping the night off perfectly.
We hit the Pretzel place in Germany a couple times. The first time through, my pretzel was fresh out the oven and was delicious. The second time, I snagged a ham and cheese pretzel sandwich. The ham and cheese were great, but definitely overcooked the pretzel. Oh well.
We always do the dinner with Santa since we're there with my brother, his wife, and my 6 year old nephew. The food is always kinda whack for adults, but it's obviously geared toward kids, so again, that doesn't bother me. Although the red velvet cupcake was surprisingly on point. But man, Santa is always so good in reading Twas the Night Before Christmas and interacting with the kids. When he was talking to my nephew, he mentioned he was very good this year. Santa said "Ahhhh, good. But you know you switch back and forth, right? Yes, yes, I know you do and I think you know too" with a little wink. Got a good laugh and my nephew bought all of it, saying later "How did he know I go back and forth?" He always has a great time at that event.
Father Christmas was a huge highlight. On the way out of England, he stopped my nephew and talked to him for about 5 minutes and gave him a big hug. He told him he knows "Nicholas" very well and would put in a good word for him. Walking out, he was blown away by all of this. "He's gonna tell Santa about me! That's so coooool!" We all really appreciated how committed Father Christmas was to making it special for him and other kids.
Bonus, got to ride Alpengeist and Pantheon (twice) for the first time. Loved both rides. Crowds were pretty light, so Pantheon was like a 5 minute wait, while Alpengeist was probably around 15. Awesome rides.
Overall, I was skeptical after what's been posted here the last few years, but we had a great time. Some flaws here and there, sure, but man, I'm simple. Give me a bunch of Christmas lights to put me in the Christmas spirit, give me some decent food, and put a smile on my nephew's face while he enjoys the magic of the holiday. That's about all I need and I got that. But special shout-out to Father Christmas for topping the night off perfectly.
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Went last night and it was fine. I do feel CT has lost some of the magic it had in the early years. I'm still not a fan of the train being a "ride" now but I suppose I understand why it needs to be one. Shows were overall good. I miss some of special food they used to have.
One weird thing was the crowd size yesterday was low and with most stores closed it made the experience a bit awkward...like being in a closed park.
Family loved it so that's all that matters to me.
One weird thing was the crowd size yesterday was low and with most stores closed it made the experience a bit awkward...like being in a closed park.
Family loved it so that's all that matters to me.
Lights are mostly working tonight at the park. I will say as someone with roughly 12,000 lights in their yard, keeping lights going sucks. Every year i have to reconfigure and I've got squat compared to them. That said, it's frustrating when the bad nights fall on your visit. Don't know if it was rainy, but that really makes it hard.
Christmas town just blows man. The hot chocolate is bland, theyre out of hot chocolate an hour into opening and many places. Guess in the middle of december on a non busy night its just hard to keep places stocked. Theyve only been doing it for over 10 years now.
MANY lights out. Even on the train after waiting 30min.
No through traffic infront of darkcoaster, sign says go through shop and the shops closed.
The festhause tree is so lazy theres no ornaments no more.
Icing on the cake is god forbid we put a wet caution sign after it rains on the darkoaster test seat. Theres a 6in pool of water where your feet go so now i have a soaking wet foot.
Im just disappointed every single time i come here. Its the same lights since the 1st day it ever opening. Thankfully i got in for free because if I paid as much as it costs id be livid. Thank god for winterfest is right up the road
MANY lights out. Even on the train after waiting 30min.
No through traffic infront of darkcoaster, sign says go through shop and the shops closed.
The festhause tree is so lazy theres no ornaments no more.
Icing on the cake is god forbid we put a wet caution sign after it rains on the darkoaster test seat. Theres a 6in pool of water where your feet go so now i have a soaking wet foot.
Im just disappointed every single time i come here. Its the same lights since the 1st day it ever opening. Thankfully i got in for free because if I paid as much as it costs id be livid. Thank god for winterfest is right up the road
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I don't have a horse in this race as I hate chocolate, but I can attest to BGW's hot coaco being controversial per my chocolate enjoying friends.
They cut the operating hours for this week at the last minute it was originally advertised as 2 PM to 9 PM and in fact, their Facebook events still have those times listed. Now it’s only 4 to 9.
With a short operating hours, 3 of the coasters only ran a little bit tonight. If someone is attending just wants there is no way they can enjoy everything in a five hour span.
The lights are just pitiful anymore. They may have been nice 12 years ago but Winterfest had came along to put them to shame. They may advertise a lot of lights, but there are noticeably less than they had at their peak Plus so many not working.
With a short operating hours, 3 of the coasters only ran a little bit tonight. If someone is attending just wants there is no way they can enjoy everything in a five hour span.
The lights are just pitiful anymore. They may have been nice 12 years ago but Winterfest had came along to put them to shame. They may advertise a lot of lights, but there are noticeably less than they had at their peak Plus so many not working.
Maybe it was just as a kid and it was good, but when Christmas town 1st came out their hot chocolate seemed to have its own recipe, or charm to it.
Now it just taste like a waterd down swiss miss like anything else. BUT I could be getting older and tastebuds chage. Going to winterfest the 18th so we will see. I believe 2 years ago I found winterfests way worse.
I came in the park planning to take pictures, but it wasnt even worth taking my hands out of my warm pockets. Theres literally nothing new in the park besides pompeii.. i guess?
My guess is with how they gotta set up xmas town in the middle of HOS still going on, its just an impossible task to do anything new or revamp it all, and being short staffed. Unless the light decorating team isint short staffed. ( I dont know who does the lighting)
Its literally almost impossible to do everything by 9. Me and my wife got there right at dark (5:30) and we went to the skyride, waited till 6 for it to open (why was it not open if the part opens at what 2?) Land in france, get hot chocolate and go straight into twas the night, get out and go wait 30min for the train, ride it and got off walked staight ti festhause and waited 15min for that show, then leave and walk to verbolten till we hear parks closed. Didnt make it to italy at all, didn't shop but in 1 store or get to try food. Crazy. And we are not slow walkers at all. Were 27
Maybe im complaining to much. Ive just been so annoyed with xmas town the last 3 years and I think my foot being semerged in cold water to then follow up with the main store in germany (infront of darkoaster) to be the only passthrough my enire life going to be CLOSED for god knows what reason to now I have to walk allll the way around that festhause area, put the nail in the coffin for me.
The germany store has to be one of the main money maker stores in the whole park for merchandise. Ive never seen that store closed ever.
Also where the world are all the vendors at in germany? Theyre used to be a whole bunch of them around the arcade area and it felt like a nice little area with all that. Now that whole area feels so dead
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side note - an unpopular opinion we can agree upon
TheCoasterNerd
HAPPY PRIDE! Have I told y'all I'm nonbinary?
It wasn't open due to Loch Ness Monster construction
I don't know what was happening with Alpengeist and Bolt last night, when I went to ride Bolt around 4:40 it was down but saw a 3rd train, empty, come around. The canned message just said they didn't know how long. I moved on. Later around 6 or a bit later I left Pantheon, still open, and speedwalked back to the others and they looked long closed, Alpie with the lights off. Rode InvadR and FF was closed by the time I got around. Talked to friendly employee and he gave the by-now standard story of every ride having its own thermometer. Left the park and weather.com app 40 degrees at 7:10. So this doesn't seem like it was all just temperature. Still, it is annoying that the only way to know what temperature they actually use is to watch when they close the ride. Kind of like a 5% surcharge on weather except worse.
Got hot chocolate for the 2nd time ever since still had BBucks, an awful caramel brulee from the donut shop. Really wanted ice cream more, or an Icee, as usual, but they don't have them now except the funnel cake.
Got hot chocolate for the 2nd time ever since still had BBucks, an awful caramel brulee from the donut shop. Really wanted ice cream more, or an Icee, as usual, but they don't have them now except the funnel cake.
We were sitting on Verbolten when they closed it, and it was the first to go down based on this report (I had presumed Pantheon would go at the same time). Was frankly just pleased that Invadr was open and without a line later into the night when some other friends could join us, and having DarKoaster does offer an additional value in terms of something to do when temps drop.
Anyway, I can’t imagine spending hundreds of dollars to visit the event, but my hot chocolate was good and I had a fine time. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Ah, so I see they still haven’t fixed the temperature sensor. Awesome.