Busch Gardens Christmas Town -
Williamsburg, VA
During November and December, Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, VA hosts Busch Gardens Christmas Town. There was a limited selection of the rides available as well as some seasonal refreshments. During this time, the park is fully decorated for Christmas and provides many seasonal Christmas shows in its theaters. I think in the summer the focus is more on the rides, but during Christmas Town the focus is on the shows. Consequently, we mostly focused on seeing the shows and decorations during my visit.
Park Features
Busch Gardens is designed where each section has a European country themed, such as England or Ireland, and each area has different, theaters, rides, and refreshments available.
England
The England section had beautiful Christmas decorations in the square around the Big Ben Clock. It also had two shows available. First, there was a small group of carolers that sang Christmas music in the square. Then, the main stage show in the Globe Theater was called Scrooge No More. We did face a very long line waiting to see this show and it started late. Once inside, the theater was pretty spacious with very comfortable seats. It was pretty full but it did not feel cramped and you could see well from anywhere.
Scrooge No More was an abridged retelling of the story of A Christmas Carol with fun original rock musical numbers. The actor playing Scrooge sounded fantastic and I enjoyed all of the songs and choreography. Additionally, there were really cool aerial parts and acrobatics that were impressive. There were several bright lights, loud noises, and fairly creepy ghost elements that could be too scary for young children. Overall, I think Scrooge No More was my favorite show at Christmas Town and I would recommend it!
Ireland
There were not a lot of Christmas decorations in the Irish section, but two shows were available. First, there was a small Irish dancing performance on the outdoor stage. Second, the main stage show was called Gloria in the Abbey Stone Theater. The Abbey Stone Theater is one of the smaller main theaters and can hold a few hundred people. It was completely full when we attended and the seats were a bit old, uncomfortable, and cramped. It is very hard to see properly from the seats on the side of the room so I would recommend seats in the center.
However, Gloria was very enjoyable. I think this was the most religious of the shows available at Christmas Town. This was an artistic reenactment of the Christian Nativity story studded with famous Christmas music performed by good singers. Particularly the actors who played the head angel and Mary had the most outstanding voices. Also, I really enjoyed the high-tech mesh screen and projector set that created really interesting effects. The costumes were primarily sparkly white gospel choir robes which looked nice.
France
The French section had nice decorations and house one show called ‘Twas The Night in the Royal Palace Theater. The Royal Palace Theater is a massive outdoor performance theater with stadium seating. ‘Twas The Night is supposed to be a show of Twas the Night Before Christmas with ice skating choreography. I thought this sounded really cool. Unfortunately, I did not get to see this show so I cannot say how it really is and I thought they handled the cancellation rather badly. The downside to the theater being outside is that it is cold and inclement weather can impact it. It started raining before the show and they waited until the show was supposed to start to cancel it so we waited thirty minutes in the cold rain for no reason. They really ought to have cancelled as soon as the rain started.
Germany
The Germany section of Busch Gardens is home to a market with a huge Christmas tree and the massive Festhaus dinner theater. It acts as a huge dining hall and food court, as well as home to a show. We had dinner at the Festhaus and watched the show called Up On the Haustop. It was a simple but entertaining, enjoyable show. Up On the Haustop consisted of classic Christmas Music performed by singers in very pretty, sparkly outfits with some accompanying dancers. I think it was a good choice to have in a dining hall because you could enjoy it without giving it you full undivided attention if you were eating.
Italy
The Italy section housed the Wisemen show in the Marco Pollo Marketplace. Similar to the Festhaus, the marketplace offers a food court and dining area where you can watch the show. However, the Marketplace is outside so it can be colder in the winter. The Wisemen Show is extremely simple consisting of three male singers performing Christmas music. They had nice voices and were enjoyable but there is not choreography or costumes like you find in the other shows.
Additionally, Italy contains the Polar Pathway: Spectacle of Lights, which is a light show covering the Escape from Pompeii ride that is closed in the winter. The light show is programmed to go along with music and is very fun and energetic. There are some cute polar bear decorations and polar bear benches throughout the area. Seating is pretty limited, so plan to probably stand for the show. But it is pretty brief, so it shouldn’t be difficult.
Who Goes Here?
There are a lot of families, couples on dates, and groups of friends that attend.
Venue
The atmosphere at Busch Gardens Christmas Town was very fun and energetic. There are lots of Christmas lights and decorations to enjoy walking through the park along with the nature and décor of the park itself. When we visited it was very busy so it could be a bit chaotic. However, if you went at a less busy time of the season it would probably be pretty relaxing with less people. I would recommend trying to go in November or early December to cut down on crowds.
Organization & Cleanliness
Busch Gardens is very clean and well maintained. The parking and transportation areas are very well designed and organized. Most of the areas with lines are well designated and organized.
Refreshments
There were refreshments available throughout Busch Gardens. The main dining areas are in Germany and Italy, but there are food stalls throughout the park. The food stalls offer Christmas cocktails, hot drinks, and fair foods. We ate dinner in the German Festhaus. We found it hard to find a place to sit in the dining room because there were many people that were just there to watch the show, but we eventually got seats. They offered German themed food like a sausage, potatoes, and vegie dinner as well as a turkey, mashed potatoes, and veg “Christmas Dinner.” Also, there were a variety of American foods like pizza, mac and cheese, and salad. Additionally, there were a variety of deserts available. I tried the sausage dinner and a red velvet cupcake. Overall, I thought the food was good but very overpriced. Moreover, I would definitely recommend the cupcakes, because they are huge, absolutely delicious, and worth every penny.
Location
Busch Gardens is located in Williamsburg, VA. They have ample, well-designed parking lots available. However, if you are not a park member you must pay for parking. There are shuttles that pick you up from the parking lots and drive you to the entrance of the park. I think they are very efficient and you never have to wait long. The Williamsburg area is very pretty and historic with plenty of hotels and sites to see.
Interested in finding things to do in Virginia?
Summary
Overall, I enjoyed my experience at Busch Gardens Christmas Town. There were a lot of pretty Christmas decorations, lights, and refreshments, as well as rides and shows. I liked going to the different shows throughout the park. It is very difficult to see them all in one visit, so I would recommend making a priority list of the ones that sound best to you. If you live nearby and have a pass it might be nice to just pick a few shows to see per visit. To get the most out of it, I would recommend arriving early and enjoying a balance of shows, Christmas light viewing, and refreshments. Also, try to go when the weather is good! In conclusion, I really enjoyed my visit to Busch Gardens Christmas Town and I would recommend it next Christmas season.
