The State of the Park: Busch Gardens Williamsburg

[Mike541x]

I made my first trip to the park for the first time since 2017. While my family and I had a great time, I definitely understand some of the frustrations I've been reading on this thread. My biggest complaint is by far the pop music playing throughout the park. Not playing the theme music like I remember from before was disappointing and felt like it lost quite a bit of charm to the park. I felt like I was visiting a Six Flags park more than anything. None of the effects were working on Escape From Pompeii was a huge let down and on top of that we can hear the loud PA system for the boarding riders from the ride ops in the building. Verbolten's show building effects also didn't feel as immersive as they used to as well. And finally the food at Trapper's wasn't nearly as good as I remember and it's a shame there's a 5% surcharge on top of that. Other than that, I can't complain about anything else. I know I don't visit BGW as often as KD so I haven't seen all of it's downfalls but I hope things turn around for the better in the future.

 

[Murphy]

Yesterday around 6:15 we set our stuff in a locker at Pantheon. After a couple of back to back rides, we went to retrieve our gear (give or take around 6:30), and they had covered all of the locker stalls for the evening. We couldn't find any employees to help us out, but luckily there were a few other guests that couldn't be bothered to wait, and began ripping down the covers to get to their lockers.

I never imagined that they would be able to close the lockers down without even checking to see if they're all empty, I get that if we had left our stuff in there past park close, but an hour and a half before closing? Also, I swear the closing time was originally 9pm for Sunday, but suddenly yesterday was the only one that had an 8pm close? Lots of locations seemed to be in a rush to shutter early yesterday as well, which resulted in us not buying around $200 of merch (sure, we could have taken advantage of the package pick up, but completely forgot that they reinstated this), and we weren't able to return our "steins" to the Brauhaus because they closed 45 minutes before their stated closing.

We were having a great day up to a point, but hated leaving on such a sour note. Luckily the incredibly friendly, helpful staff member at the photo center turned things around for us as we left for the night.

 

[Thriller]

Yesterday around 6:15 we set our stuff in a locker at Pantheon. After a couple of back to back rides, we went to retrieve our gear (give or take around 6:30), and they had covered all of the locker stalls for the evening. We couldn't find any employees to help us out, but luckily there were a few other guests that couldn't be bothered to wait, and began ripping down the covers to get to their lockers.

I never imagined that they would be able to close the lockers down without even checking to see if they're all empty, I get that if we had left our stuff in there past park close, but an hour and a half before closing? Also, I swear the closing time was originally 9pm for Sunday, but suddenly yesterday was the only one that had an 8pm close? Lots of locations seemed to be in a rush to shutter early yesterday as well, which resulted in us not buying around $200 of merch (sure, we could have taken advantage of the package pick up, but completely forgot that they reinstated this), and we weren't able to return our "steins" to the Brauhaus because they closed 45 minutes before their stated closing.

We were having a great day up to a point, but hated leaving on such a sour note. Luckily the incredibly friendly, helpful staff member at the photo center turned things around for us as we left for the night.

This is how SEAS does business. Bait and switch dishonest advertising of operating hours. Cutting employee pay on the spot.

On July 9 the app says 9pm close on the 10th. This morning they switched it to 8

Any company that operates like that is a horrible unethical company. Karma isn’t going to be good to these crooked execs.

Just like karma but Carowinds star attraction and tanned attendance. Cedar Fair operates the same way

 

[madmax]

Just like karma but Carowinds star attraction and tanned attendance. Cedar Fair operates the same way

Get a grip. Not a fan of the way SEAS runs their parks but there’s a huge difference between cutting park hours and skimping on maintenance to the point where a coaster is about to collapse.

 

[AIR]

It's been a fairly recent change in BGW schedule and it's happening chain-wide. It was recently requested to lessen the operating hours of the park in efforts to decrease running costs and wage costs. This is due to low attendance at the parks across the chain.

I wouldn't really call a recent decision to change a schedule that was published in early 2023, a ploy or a bait. It's just what was decided as necessary for the company. I'm sure once it's all settled, BGW will publish a new calendar with correct operating times and it will seem less "unethical".

 

[warfelg]

I mean - hell call the center I work in "unethical" then because we recently had an employee leave and I have some temporary hours up that reduce them quite a bit which you only see when you come to the center.

 

[Thriller]

Get a grip. Not a fan of the way SEAS runs their parks but there’s a huge difference between cutting park hours and skimping on maintenance to the point where a coaster is about to collapse.

How do we know SEAS isn’t going the same kind of thing? Woukd one have suspected that at Cedar Fair before it happened ?

Carowinds reaped what they sewed with their cutting corners for short term profits. SEAS constant cutbacks will come back to haunt them eventually.

 

[rvadude85]

There's an article today in the WSJ about how Disney World is seeing softer crowds as pent up travel demand from the pandemic has shifted from domestic theme park visits to more international travel. Seeing the park hours shift to an 8pm close during weekdays in the summer would suggest that attendance is softer than the business plan even at BGW. In addition, across regional theme parks this summer there have been other operating challenges including record breaking hot weather in some places and unfavorable June weather in others, smoke from Canadian wildfires impacting air quality, and adjustments to the chaperone policy for certain parks like Cedar Fair. All of which have likely impacted attendance so far this summer for most regional parks.

So it's likely we are seeing some normalization of the pandemic demand beginning to plateau in the forms of softer attendance and intentional business changes like hours being cut to adjust to this challenging environment. Stay tuned for commentary on that topic from management when Cedar Fair and SEAS present 2Q earnings over the coming weeks.

I have been wondering if the pricing model in the last few years from SEAS with significantly higher food, beverage, and merchandise prices, plus the dumb 5% surcharge may already be beginning to backfire as pass members like myself plan less visits throughout the season and opt to also dine and spend outside of the park.

At any rate, we can likely expect more promotions particularly aimed at members over the coming months to offset the softer attendance patterns they are seeing and yes probably more cuts as well. SEAS has already been sort of teasing their playbook in the guest post-visit survey questions about additional member perks and offerings which come in handy when their marketing teams needs to influence demand and attendance. ;-)

 

[warfelg]

To pat my own back for a second I commented early that downturns would change things.

But the sad part for the industry as a whole is it took across the boards downturns for changes. No one got proactive about changing things. I think the first park to turn the tide will see success.

 

[I64 Trekker]

I think the next two years will be telling, in the sense of whether dropoffs in attendance are temporary or more of a permanent/structural change.

Part of me says this dropoff is due to higher prices folks are encountering for everything, and wages not keeping up with increased expenses, but I think there is more to the story.

My teenage son has invited friends to use guest passes in the past at BGW and now at KD, and none of the kids seem interested, which makes me concerned this is more of a longer term problem.

 

[MIKEYT67]

This is how SEAS does business. Bait and switch dishonest advertising of operating hours. Cutting employee pay on the spot.

On July 9 the app says 9pm close on the 10th. This morning they switched it to 8

Any company that operates like that is a horrible unethical company. Karma isn’t going to be good to these crooked execs.

Just like karma but Carowinds star attraction and tanned attendance. Cedar Fair operates the same way

Cutting pay on the spot?
Please provide some kind of proof!!!

 

[horsesboy]

Cutting pay on the spot?
Please provide some kind of proof!!!

I would guess that he is talking about sending employees home early which yes they do do if it's slow rather then actual pay rate cuts which to the best of my knowledge they don't do. Employees also have a minimum amount that the park will pay which I believe is 4 hours so if something happens ad they close 2 hours into the shift you still get paid the 4 that they guarantee you but if you are scheduled 7 and they close at 4 you only get those 4 hours that you worked.

 

[MIKEYT67]

I would guess that he is talking about sending employees home early which yes they do do if it's slow rather then actual pay rate cuts which to the best of my knowledge they don't do. Employees also have a minimum amount that the park will pay which I believe is 4 hours so if something happens ad they close 2 hours into the shift you still get paid the 4 that they guarantee you but if you are scheduled 7 and they close at 4 you only get those 4 hours that you worked.

That makes sense Just like most employers

 

[warfelg]

I would guess that he is talking about sending employees home early which yes they do do if it's slow rather then actual pay rate cuts which to the best of my knowledge they don't do. Employees also have a minimum amount that the park will pay which I believe is 4 hours so if something happens ad they close 2 hours into the shift you still get paid the 4 that they guarantee you but if you are scheduled 7 and they close at 4 you only get those 4 hours that you worked.

Personally - if you take a job that relied on customers in the place to stay open you shouldn’t be shocked by being “cut” if you are over staffed. Most times employees for places like that sign with a minimum hours per week. As long as people are getting that I can’t be too unhappy as a customer.

 

[Mushroom]

I would guess that he is talking about sending employees home early which yes they do do if it's slow rather then actual pay rate cuts which to the best of my knowledge they don't do. Employees also have a minimum amount that the park will pay which I believe is 4 hours so if something happens ad they close 2 hours into the shift you still get paid the 4 that they guarantee you but if you are scheduled 7 and they close at 4 you only get those 4 hours that you worked.

Also worth nothing that if BGW is like most major parks in the area, employees are expressly told before they’re hired that they are “at will” employees and that they can and will be sent home if there is no need for them that day. In my experience, employees are not only well aware of this fact but generally fully accept it.

I think it’s a little ridiculous that anyone would expect any park to remain open in conditions where it makes no financial sense to do so, just to ensure a bigger paycheck for employees. Not saying that I think BGW, KD, etc. are always in the right when they close early, but when it comes to employee pay, they’re not charities.

 

[warfelg]

Also worth nothing that if BGW is like most major parks in the area, employees are expressly told before they’re hired that they are “at will” employees and that they can and will be sent home if there is no need for them that day. In my experience, employees are not only well aware of this fact but generally fully accept it.

I think it’s a little ridiculous that anyone would expect any park to remain open in conditions where it makes no financial sense to do so, just to ensure a bigger paycheck for employees. Not saying that I think BGW, KD, etc. are always in the right when they close early, but when it comes to employee pay, they’re not charities.

Amen to this.

I don’t know if Hershey still does this but when they used to need to cut areas to close early they would typically close smaller rides that tended to lack lines, but send employees to do something like line manage. I remember having a friend that worked the old slides next to Wildcat, and it was regular for her to be told to close up at 7:30, work Wildcats queue for about another 2 hours (mostly telling people what row to go to) and going home at 9-9:30 rather than her scheduled 10.

Personally I would prefer to see BGW/KD to something like that. Last time I was around they shut down the line to InvadR, but kept Le Scoot and the Scrambler open at 8 as walk ons. Made no sense to me. Close Le Scoot and shift employees to InvadR for a little bit to help manage the line and speed it up.

 

[Coasternerd]

On a more positive note, this was installed this morning:
Digital park map! Also advertises whatever event is going on, bottom banner lists park hours and showtimes.

 

[Zachary]

"France Village" is nails on a chalkboard to me. Could they really not have said "French Village?"

 

[cschnizer]

"France Village" is nails on a chalkboard to me. Could they really not have said "French Village?"

They could be meaning it like “France section of the park” because each area is referred to as a village. The Finnegan’s Flyer exit spiel does say “exit towards the Ireland Village.”

 

[Zachary]

Oh, I understand, I just think it sounds idiotic.