The State of the Park: Busch Gardens Williamsburg

[warfelg]

The market isn't one or two day visitors though. I've seen numbers for what percentage of attendance is coming from season-long tickets and it's an ENORMOUS.

This is where SEAS is out of their depth. Orlando and BGT have far more runway before being shitty really catches up to them. The same isn't true in Williamsburg.

I would say you hit the nail on the head with the issue that I have with SEAS as a whole. They try to operate like every park they own is a big national draw. Dry/Water Parks treated as two different entities. Trying to “normalize” things across the park. Charging the prices of a Dis/Uni.

I think even in Orlando and BGT they could do a better job of “differentiating” by being different. Sure you can only get Dole Whip at Disney despite all the knock offs, but what about something you can only get at SWO even within the SEAS umbrella?

Personally I wish they would do less corporate oversight and allow the individual park presidents run their parks for what works in the area. They should come in with new ride investment direction, but otherwise give the parks the budget and allow them to do what they want.

I know Kevin has a deep respect for the history of the park. I would love to see him unteathered with the budget to allow money to flow into spots he sees fit. Based on my few interactions with him I think it would be the type of things that long term make the park a much better place (meaning more money into maintenance and F&B).

 

[rswashdc]

The market isn't one or two day visitors though. I've seen numbers for what percentage of attendance is coming from season-long tickets and it's an ENORMOUS.

This is where SEAS is out of their depth. Orlando and BGT have far more runway before being shitty really catches up to them. The same isn't true in Williamsburg.

If most their visits are coming from season pass holders, then they are screwing up badly not giving them a reason to spend money in the park.

I know for comparison I’m spending much more on food at KD than I did a few years ago when the food was rather marginal at best.

 

[warfelg]

If most their visits are coming from season pass holders, then they are screwing up badly not giving them a reason to spend money in the park.

I know for comparison I’m spending much more on food at KD than I did a few years ago when the food was rather marginal at best.

On the flip, it could be the reason they cut spending because so many members were getting cheap food discounted or “abusing” their dining plans and eating much more than they (SEAS) “budgeted”.

 

[sotomexx]

On the flip, it could be the reason they cut spending because so many members were getting cheap food discounted or “abusing” their dining plans and eating much more than they (SEAS) “budgeted”.

Then why do they throw out Busch Bucks so often as an incentive for members to visit? Or give out 2 Food & Wine items to Platinum members each visit? Why don’t they do what the Florida parks do and have member exclusive sampler cards that include 12 or 13 items for the price of 10?

 

[tursiops]

Then why do they throw out Busch Bucks so often as an incentive for members to visit? Or give out 2 Food & Wine items to Platinum members each visit? Why don’t they do what the Florida parks do and have member exclusive sampler cards that include 12 or 13 items for the price of 10?

I am glad they do the free F&W items, it makes me go more often, but the other way does make more business sense.

 

[Mwe BGW]

Unfortunately they are now playing pop music all over the park for summer nights. Welcome to six flags over Williamsburg everyone!!

 

[ControlsEE]

Unfortunately they are now playing pop music all over the park for summer nights. Welcome to six flags over Williamsburg everyone!!

I mean that's better than the western music I heard around Ireland over the past week...

 

[Murphy]

Unfortunately they are now playing pop music all over the park for summer nights. Welcome to six flags over Williamsburg everyone!!

Out of curiosity, is it all day, or just after a certain time?

 

[Mwe BGW]

Out of curiosity, is it all day, or just after a certain time?

After 5

 

[warfelg]

Then why do they throw out Busch Bucks so often as an incentive for members to visit? Or give out 2 Food & Wine items to Platinum members each visit? Why don’t they do what the Florida parks do and have member exclusive sampler cards that include 12 or 13 items for the price of 10?

I’m not defending them by any means. I’m just saying that the profits might not have been there to justify a high cost F&B program.

 

[ControlsEE]

Also, can I just say, I thought the bowling shirts were bad, but at least they were different in the areas. The generic European polos across the whole park just scream "we don't care."

 

[tursiops]

Also, can I just say, I thought the bowling shirts were bad, but at least they were different in the areas. The generic European polos across the whole park just scream "we don't care."

I can't hardly remember the days of unique themed uniforms. I always loved what they wore at Escape from Pompeii.

 

[ControlsEE]

I can't hardly remember the days of unique themed uniforms. I always loved what they wore at Escape from Pompeii.

I grew up with the old uniforms. I even wore the clown shirts in Festa and the lumberjack shirts in New France before they switched to bowlers while I worked there.

 

[Mushroom]

Unfortunately they are now playing pop music all over the park for summer nights. Welcome to six flags over Williamsburg everyone!!

I can tolerate overpriced food and I can deal with understaffed facilities, but by God, whenever they do this it absolutely ruins the park for me. Pop music in BGW is inexcusable. What makes me the angriest is that it’s not even a cost-saving measure — it’s literally management throwing up their hands and saying they don’t give a rat’s ass about what the park experience is anymore.

 

[CoasterAuditor]

Probably random complaints submitted by people that don’t appreciate culture is a factor if I had to guess.

 

[Zachary]

Probably random complaints submitted by people that don’t appreciate culture is a factor if I had to guess.

You'd be surprised by how much of this stuff is viewed as a good idea by people in power and not based on any actual guest feedback at all.

 

[CoasterAuditor]

Scott Rosss

You'd be surprised by how much of this stuff is viewed as a good idea by people in power and not based on any actual guest feedback at all.

Scott Ross wife: “babe I really think that Williamsburg park is super overkill with the European thing it really needs more black eyed peas nobody thinks Europe is cool my friend at yoga said so”

Scott Ross: “say no more”

 

[Mushroom]

O

Scott Rosss

Scott Ross wife: “babe I really think that Williamsburg park is super overkill with the European thing it really needs more black eyed peas nobody thinks Europe is cool my friend at yoga said so”

Scott Ross: “say no more”

I actually wouldn’t be surprised if this comes from park-level leadership. I know at KD, in-park music is handled entirely by the park’s entertainment department; corporate is completely uninvolved. (Ironically, KD is now the one now playing thematically appropriate soundtracks in each area of the park, while BGW plays pop.)

We’ve seen BGW make questionable music choices before Scott Ross entered the scene too. San Marco lost its classical soundtrack in 2016, and it’s hard to forget the varieties of out-of-place music the park played when Scott Gasparich controlled BGW’s entertainment department in the mid-2010s.

Scott Ross is money-hungry. I blame him for the park’s budget cuts and cheap installations. For tone-deaf “creative” decisions like this, I’m inclined to blame local leadership.

 

[CoasterAuditor]

But blaming Scott Ross is consistent with my echo chambers and makes me feel better!

 

[Zachary]

this comes from park-level leadership

Can confirm.