I definitely prefer the ones I had at SFA... I never thought I’d say that about anything.
Christmas Town 2019
- Thread starter Gavin
- Start date
They use Snickerdoodles (if I recall) instead of graham crackers. Also, the marshmallow isn't toasted. So, two of the three flavors are wrong.
It’s definitely not a s’more. But it was warm and reasonably enjoyable. Probably wouldn’t get it again tbh.
... because it’s not included in the meal plan.
... because it’s not included in the meal plan.
That’s really disappointing. I’m trying to remember where I was that used warmed fluff, melted chocolate, and a warmed graham cracker, basically took the warmed GC, dipped it in the fluff, then dipped it in the chocolate.
I took a bunch of folks from work last night. They loved it, and were really wowed by the number of lights and the care taken in theming each area.
The Traditions Tree Maze was a big hit, and we're people in our 20's and 30's. It was fun! And the booth attendants were both enthusiastic and knowledgeable. Twas the Night was by far the highlight for everyone, and was spectacular as ever. We capped off the night riding the Christmas Town Express, singing and enjoying the night.
It was really magical—and I am so glad I got to experience it with them.
?Christmas?
The Traditions Tree Maze was a big hit, and we're people in our 20's and 30's. It was fun! And the booth attendants were both enthusiastic and knowledgeable. Twas the Night was by far the highlight for everyone, and was spectacular as ever. We capped off the night riding the Christmas Town Express, singing and enjoying the night.
It was really magical—and I am so glad I got to experience it with them.
?Christmas?
Went to Christmas town last night as well, and boy was it crowded. I've never had to park in the scotland parking lot across the street until this trip. Overall it was fun, but to me it was not worth the cost of admission (bought our tickets on arrival). "Twas the Night" was the only show we saw and was good. Highlight for me was definitely Finnegan's Flyer (first ride). San Marco had my favorite lights, however we didn't get to Festa Italia section. The bridge to Oktoberfest was amazing, really pretty and peaceful out there. Loch Ness light display was really cool as well.
Something about missing out on the coasters not operating for the event that's hard for me to swallow though. My first Christmas Town will probably be my last, almost exclusively for that reason. I am glad to see it is such a successful event for them though. Waiting in line at the Festhaus all I could think about is how much money they were raking in. Pay to park, pay to enter, wait in line to pay for food… Brilliant.
Something about missing out on the coasters not operating for the event that's hard for me to swallow though. My first Christmas Town will probably be my last, almost exclusively for that reason. I am glad to see it is such a successful event for them though. Waiting in line at the Festhaus all I could think about is how much money they were raking in. Pay to park, pay to enter, wait in line to pay for food… Brilliant.
Trip report?
I went today for the first and likely only time this year. Not the park's fault this kind of event is just not for me. Every year I say I am not going to go the next year, but some how I do go and it always ends up being a mistake. Again usually not the park's fault. This year was no different.
Left the house a bit early. Stopped to get gas looked in my wallet and discovered I left my BGW pass in my desk. Turned around and went back for the pass. Stopped to get some drive through, nothing amiss there.
Traffic was heavy but moving and no slowdown at the HRBT. (small favors AMIRT?)
Then the fun began.
Per usual we we entered through the bus gate and that was fine, the attendant was super nice got our pass and we were on our way until... SCRAPE. Did I just side swipe that pole? Why yes I did. Am I driving Meri's car? Why yes I am! Now we are off to the races. It takes 45 minutes for security to do their (necessary and excellent) job and another 30 for us to finish with Geico.
So now we are parked and on our way! Get up to the scan lady and Beep... wait Meri do you have a basic membership and is today a black out... Why yes, you do, and why yes it is...
So down to Cx service we go. 20 bucks to upgrade, I am okay with that. What I am NOT okay with is my missing debit card, the same one I used to buy gas and food. Where is it? Oh no did it fall out of my wallet when I got out of the car with security? Oh sweet baby Jesus.
Wait, you set up Samsung pay... lets see if it actually works. (this is BGW, of course it will be without flaw) Did it work? Fuck no, it did not work. But we tried again and because magic it worked the second time.
So into the park we go.
Now to wait for our friends... Who as it turns out have basic memberships... and did not chose to listen and learn from our own mistakes when we said to them, "you will need to upgrade before you come in" Because this particular friend never listens and seems to believe at every turn an exception will be made for him (but that is a different matter all together. He means well... I want to kill him most of time, but he is a good and smart person and he means well... also murder is frowned upon)
So another 30 minutes passes as they wait to be scanned and in theory let in because... I don't know... he is special? So shocking conclusion he isn't and ... and another 30 minutes while the7y go down to Cx service to upgrade and come back and try again.
And now it is like 3:30 (mind you we got to the park around 1:45 for a 2:00 rope drop)
The crowds were not horrible I suppose, but well past my comfort level. (yes I know, "Seriously Zimmerman, why the fuck would you go to xmas town if you do not like crowds?" Well I did say up front that I say every year I won't)
The hot chocolate was nice but I think perhaps a poor choice for me and my blood sugar. I do not drink alcohol much anymore... because I am boring and Meri does not drink at at all so while the booze smelled good and my friends seemed to enjoy it, we did not. I did however enjoy a biscotti.
We wandered around and listened to a pianist until she started to sing some horrid Disney sounding thing. Meri looked to be in pain and it goes without saying how I feel about "Disney Voice," so we got out of there.
We did get a good ride on bolt, she was running really well and it was nice to see 4 trains and both platforms running along with reasonable load times.
Nothing special on the food front, I had a ham pretzel sandwich my friends split some sausage, Meri had some sausage thing, and PK had a Pretzel Hotdog.
We tried to go on the Sky ride but it broke down and I got to watch a mother who was freaked out yell at everyone about here 3 children who were trapped on the sky ride without an adult. (none it seems were independently functional and why they were on the sky ride alone is beyond me) this was right after I saw a family of 12 fight with the attendant about why they should ALL be permitted to ride RAP on one RAP card. So while all very disturbing on so many different levels hardly useful.
We did get to round out the day with a train ride that can best be called... bracing. While the train conductor was nice he kept insisting we sing along. It seems I may have expressed my lack of desire to loudly becauste It was announced that he "heard that guy say 'n'o and he would not tolerate Grinches on this train" Well in the words of Gordon Gano,
Now I want to address one thing. I have heard a whole lot of stuff about the lights on the train ride. That the light tunnels are a waste, that the trees look bad, or that the glowy globes are wrong.
sorry. that is all BULL SHIT. COMPLETE AND TOTAL FUCKING BULLSHIT.
The glowy globes are everything. They have done nothing to raise anyone's ire. They are just their looking like they flashed in from a low budget 70s BBC scifi show. Hangin out, glowinig. Just chillin. They are pretty and frankly and a nice dose of whimsy to an otherwise overly serious bunch of crap. Everyone get so intense about this holiday. Even angry if you don't like it. (which I don't) Someone genuine genius decided that some funky glowing orbs need to take a trip on the TARDIS to 2019. THAT IS BAD ASS RIGHT THERE MY FRIENDS.
so there it is.
A completely shit day, filled with shit music, shitty people, shitty weather, but magically saved by the power of set decorations left over from an episode of the Tomorrow People.
I went today for the first and likely only time this year. Not the park's fault this kind of event is just not for me. Every year I say I am not going to go the next year, but some how I do go and it always ends up being a mistake. Again usually not the park's fault. This year was no different.
Left the house a bit early. Stopped to get gas looked in my wallet and discovered I left my BGW pass in my desk. Turned around and went back for the pass. Stopped to get some drive through, nothing amiss there.
Traffic was heavy but moving and no slowdown at the HRBT. (small favors AMIRT?)
Then the fun began.
Per usual we we entered through the bus gate and that was fine, the attendant was super nice got our pass and we were on our way until... SCRAPE. Did I just side swipe that pole? Why yes I did. Am I driving Meri's car? Why yes I am! Now we are off to the races. It takes 45 minutes for security to do their (necessary and excellent) job and another 30 for us to finish with Geico.
So now we are parked and on our way! Get up to the scan lady and Beep... wait Meri do you have a basic membership and is today a black out... Why yes, you do, and why yes it is...
So down to Cx service we go. 20 bucks to upgrade, I am okay with that. What I am NOT okay with is my missing debit card, the same one I used to buy gas and food. Where is it? Oh no did it fall out of my wallet when I got out of the car with security? Oh sweet baby Jesus.
Wait, you set up Samsung pay... lets see if it actually works. (this is BGW, of course it will be without flaw) Did it work? Fuck no, it did not work. But we tried again and because magic it worked the second time.
So into the park we go.
Now to wait for our friends... Who as it turns out have basic memberships... and did not chose to listen and learn from our own mistakes when we said to them, "you will need to upgrade before you come in" Because this particular friend never listens and seems to believe at every turn an exception will be made for him (but that is a different matter all together. He means well... I want to kill him most of time, but he is a good and smart person and he means well... also murder is frowned upon)
So another 30 minutes passes as they wait to be scanned and in theory let in because... I don't know... he is special? So shocking conclusion he isn't and ... and another 30 minutes while the7y go down to Cx service to upgrade and come back and try again.
And now it is like 3:30 (mind you we got to the park around 1:45 for a 2:00 rope drop)
The crowds were not horrible I suppose, but well past my comfort level. (yes I know, "Seriously Zimmerman, why the fuck would you go to xmas town if you do not like crowds?" Well I did say up front that I say every year I won't)
The hot chocolate was nice but I think perhaps a poor choice for me and my blood sugar. I do not drink alcohol much anymore... because I am boring and Meri does not drink at at all so while the booze smelled good and my friends seemed to enjoy it, we did not. I did however enjoy a biscotti.
We wandered around and listened to a pianist until she started to sing some horrid Disney sounding thing. Meri looked to be in pain and it goes without saying how I feel about "Disney Voice," so we got out of there.
We did get a good ride on bolt, she was running really well and it was nice to see 4 trains and both platforms running along with reasonable load times.
Nothing special on the food front, I had a ham pretzel sandwich my friends split some sausage, Meri had some sausage thing, and PK had a Pretzel Hotdog.
We tried to go on the Sky ride but it broke down and I got to watch a mother who was freaked out yell at everyone about here 3 children who were trapped on the sky ride without an adult. (none it seems were independently functional and why they were on the sky ride alone is beyond me) this was right after I saw a family of 12 fight with the attendant about why they should ALL be permitted to ride RAP on one RAP card. So while all very disturbing on so many different levels hardly useful.
We did get to round out the day with a train ride that can best be called... bracing. While the train conductor was nice he kept insisting we sing along. It seems I may have expressed my lack of desire to loudly becauste It was announced that he "heard that guy say 'n'o and he would not tolerate Grinches on this train" Well in the words of Gordon Gano,
Now I want to address one thing. I have heard a whole lot of stuff about the lights on the train ride. That the light tunnels are a waste, that the trees look bad, or that the glowy globes are wrong.
sorry. that is all BULL SHIT. COMPLETE AND TOTAL FUCKING BULLSHIT.
The glowy globes are everything. They have done nothing to raise anyone's ire. They are just their looking like they flashed in from a low budget 70s BBC scifi show. Hangin out, glowinig. Just chillin. They are pretty and frankly and a nice dose of whimsy to an otherwise overly serious bunch of crap. Everyone get so intense about this holiday. Even angry if you don't like it. (which I don't) Someone genuine genius decided that some funky glowing orbs need to take a trip on the TARDIS to 2019. THAT IS BAD ASS RIGHT THERE MY FRIENDS.
so there it is.
A completely shit day, filled with shit music, shitty people, shitty weather, but magically saved by the power of set decorations left over from an episode of the Tomorrow People.
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Saturday night was (expectedly) super crowded. What I thought could have been handled a lot better is the flow of foot traffic. I agree with the person who mentioned the carolers in front of Big Ben.. they need to be somewhere the entire area doesn’t come to a grinding halt. I also didn’t get why the tree maze area (I was unimpressed) only had one in/out.. all I wanted to do was get to Fest Haus that was right there; instead we had to walk all the way back down and around. The food trucks were there but they could have easily made a path. And then we were in the Oktoberfest shop and hordes of people were cutting through. Someone told me the park had blocked off the outside path and people *had* to go though the store to get to the other side. What on earth? So instead of browsing and possibly buying, we got out of there. It just seems like they funnel everyone though less areas and make a crowded park even worse. (And people were really cranky, too.)
Enjoyed the ice skating as usual though. I’m gonna miss that one..
Enjoyed the ice skating as usual though. I’m gonna miss that one..
Are you talking about the gift shop/culinary stand across from DK? Because they have always closed the pathway for the Christmas market. But most people go up toward the festhaus and and come down that instead of through the shop.
I don't recall seeing a generator there last night. Just the backside of the booths from the Christmas market
I think they are both just future additions to the local landfill, but in my opinion the bear is at least cute. I can’t think of what I would do with a coke bottle sock.
To me, free stuff is only interesting, if I have some actual purpose for the items. I like the ormanemts, because I can put them on my theme park tree, and the Coke gloves are my backup park pair. Things like the Spite hat we got years ago however, just sit in the back of my closet taking up space.
Yup, that’s the spot. I didn’t see a generator for myself, but if they do have one I guess that would make a little more sense as to why they couldn’t keep that path booth-free. People were pouring through the store, it was crazy.
I wish I knew about the coke bottle socks. I collect coke stuff in memory or my cousin who loved the vintage stuff.
After experiencing Six Flags America Christmas event, it makes me realize how lucky we are to have Busch Gardens as a home park.
While they did have ham, (something Busch Gardens Christmas Town lacks) it was disgusting. Super dry, cold...worst Christmas dinner ever. The lights were pretty but not worth going again.
Next time I go to Christmas Town I’m definitely going to look at everything in a new light.
While they did have ham, (something Busch Gardens Christmas Town lacks) it was disgusting. Super dry, cold...worst Christmas dinner ever. The lights were pretty but not worth going again.
Next time I go to Christmas Town I’m definitely going to look at everything in a new light.