A Day That Defied Reality: Our Elite VIP Tour at Busch Gardens Williamsburg…read moreThe Beginning: Already Impressed Before We Even Entered Let me start by saying this: I've been to theme parks countless times throughout my life. I thought I knew what to expect. I was wrong. Wonderfully, spectacularly wrong. Our day began at 10:15 AM when we arrived at Busch Gardens Williamsburg for our 11:30 AM Elite VIP Tour. Meeting Tyler: The Man, The Myth, The Legend I can confidently say that Tyler alone would have made this experience worth every penny. His energy, knowledge, and genuine enthusiasm set the tone for what would become one of the most memorable days our family has ever shared. The First Hour: Three Hours Saved. Yes, You Read That Right. Within the first hour, our group of four had ridden the top four roller coasters at Busch Gardens. Let that sink in. Four coasters. Sixty minutes. For context, on a typical busy day at the park, the wait times for these attractions can easily exceed 45-90 minutes each. Based on the posted wait times we saw at each ride, Tyler saved us approximately three hours of standing in lines - just in that first hour alone. This wasn't just VIP treatment; this was time-travel. The "Snacks" Revelation: A Glorious Understatement Tyler explained that "snacks" meant anything any of us wanted, anytime, all day long. Waters? Check. Energy drinks? Check. Icees, churros, soft pretzels? All of it. Throughout our eight-hour tour, our group sampled pretty much every food option the park had to offer. The funnel cakes with ice cream and toppings were a particular favorite. The various cakes, cupcakes, cheesecake, cookies - I'm getting hungry just thinking about it. Tyler took care of everything with a simple tap of his card, never once making us feel like we were imposing or asking for too much. The Moment Everything Changed "This tour lets you ride any ride, without waiting, in any seat you want, as many times as you want." This wasn't just a theme park visit. This was a day where the normal rules didn't apply. A day where "I don't want to wait 90 minutes for that ride" simply wasn't in our vocabulary. Rides, Rides, and More Rides We rode everything. The coaster behind-the-scenes experience gave us an incredible up-close look at the inner workings of these engineering marvels. Feeding the Beast: Two Meals, Zero Complaints Our VIP tour included two full meals, and Tyler made sure we experienced the best the park had to offer. Lunch was at Das Festhaus, and at 6:30 PM took us to Trapper's Smokehouse, where the aroma of smoked meats had been tempting us all day. It did not disappoint. The Verdict: Eight Hours of Perfection Here's what truly made this experience exceptional: Tyler. Yes, the VIP perks are incredible. Yes, skipping lines changes everything. Yes, the all-inclusive food and drinks feel almost too good to be true. But a VIP tour is only as good as the guide who leads it, and Tyler was nothing short of outstanding. His knowledge of the park, his ability to read our group and adjust on the fly, his genuine care that we were having the best possible time - that's what transformed this from a great day into an unforgettable one. This tour was planned as part of a grand send-off for Ben and Jakub, who will be returning to Europe in June after their time with us. They came to America expecting a typical theme park experience. Instead, they got a day where magic was real, lines didn't exist, and every wish was granted before they even knew they had it. Would I Do It Again? In a heartbeat. Without hesitation. This wasn't just a theme park visit. This was an experience that redefined what a family day out can be. For anyone considering the Elite VIP Tour at Busch Gardens Williamsburg, here's my advice: Do it. Not "think about it." Not "maybe someday." Just do it. The Numbers Don't Lie Time saved in lines: Likely 6+ hours over the course of the day Rides experienced: Every operational coaster and major attraction Meals enjoyed: 2 full sit-down meals plus unlimited snacks and drinks Special experiences: 2 (Coaster behind-the-scenes + Animal Encounter) Professional photos: 33 captured memories included Memories made: Priceless Final Thoughts Busch Gardens Williamsburg's Elite VIP Tour is, quite simply, the gold standard for theme park experiences. From the moment we parked 100 feet from the entrance to the moment we left after eight hours of pure joy, everything was handled. Every need anticipated. Every wish granted. To Kate and the VIP Tours team who handled our booking and answered our questions with patience and professionalism - thank you. To Tyler - you're the real MVP. You took what could have been a fun day and turned it into something our family will talk about for years. Your passion for what you do shows, and we're grateful we got to experience it. And to anyone reading this review, wondering if the Elite VIP Tour is worth it: It's worth it. Every single penny.

This is the greatest adventures in the United States and unlike many other amusement parks is that…read moreit is safe and clean. The food is tasty and comes out rather quickly. Lines move and the entertainment is family friendly. Finally, there are rides for all ages!

Worth it: *The…read morewave pool (they have a timer so you can see when the next waves start) *The lazy river, for when you are tired of waiting in line, and just want a few minutes of just relaxing. Even if you are good swimmer, I recommend grabbing a life jacket. Then you can put your feet up and float away. The signs and decorations are so cute too. *Colossal Curl Best slide hands down! There isn't a lot of options for wheelchairs I noticed. Not worth it: *The food *Big daddy falls- we waited FOREVER and it was so mediocre.

Not worth it the first few weeks after opening day almost all the rides are closed for maintenance…read more They charge you full price but you only get half the rides. If you come later in the season it is well worth the ticket

Our favorite place to go here in Virginia! So many beautiful and historic buildings. The food and…read moreshops are fantastic. We always bring family here when they visit us. Favorite things in CW: - Walking down the historic downtown - Seeing the gardens and horses - Visiting the shops - Lunch at the cheese shop - The liberty lounge - Soups and snacks at the bakery (raleigh tavern i believe at the end of the street)

Planned my return visibased on my experience 20+years ago. What a disappointment. Many places were…read moreclosed, only a few had tours and some artisan works. Instead of artisan wares many shops sold kichy stuff. SerI woukd rather oay mk eynfor authentic stuff than mass produced junk. No reenactment, there were some some speeches, which were very good. It really just felt dull and ghosttown vibes. Seriously CW go back to how you were. This was just like walking down a street in an old town, nothing exciting

When you have a toddler that loves the water, you HAVE to take them to great wolf lodge! We've been…read morehere twice now in the last year. The first time was just a day pass in the afternoon which is a great deal if you don't want to stay the night. And most recently we stayed the night and had a great time! We booked the kid cabin suite which can accommodate up to 7 people but I think realistically and comfortably, it would be 5. It comes with balcony access, a pull out sofa bed, a queen size bed, a bunk bed, a full size bed and one bathroom. The room is fairly spacious but could use either a bigger table and or an addition half bath at least to accommodate up to 7 people. This was great for us as we had 4 adults and one toddler. There are quite a few attractions here besides the water park. They have a pretty extensive arcade, glow in the dark putt, bowling, story time for kids, ropes course, laser tag and multiple restaurants! Obviously their main attraction is their huge indoor water park! They have things for babies to adults to try here! But I would say their main water attractions are geared more for small babies to middle schoolers. There are multiple water slides for all ages and there's a HUGE bucket of water that dumps about 1,000 gallons of water every 5 mins! Pretty cool! We added on the breakfast buffet for which I would highly recommend. This isn't your typical hotel breakfast! Their offerings were pretty vast and even included a MTO omelette station! If you want to entertain your kiddos, look no further than great wolf lodge for all your entertainment needs! SN: everyone gets a wristband to wear which grants you access to the water park BUT you can also use it to charge purchases to the room AND serves as you room key! Pretty cool!!

Yall there was bed bugs in my room. I had sooo many bites all over my body. The guest service…read morehandled the situation well but there were holes. On the contrary they refunded my stay except for parking. But it's fine! I'll give them a break before attending again. The water park was fun. My daughter enjoyed her stay all of the sides were opened. The food places don't take cash

The Loch Ness Monster is a beloved classic coaster. Busch Gardens replaced the track a year or two…read moreago, but it hasn't helped the jerkiness. The cars have a lot of space in them where you'll be slammed around inside of. This ride without fail will give me either a headache or a backache. If you choose to ride it, save it for last.

Fun coaster not to rough for an arrow looper fun tunnel 2 amazing vertical loops and fun first drop…read more(rows to ride in) : row 1 and back row)

One of the best coasters in the park, Verbolten has speed, twists, turns and plenty of theming…read more The line is fun to wait in because there's so much to look at and it's all covered. The ride used to have three options inside the "dark forest," but they have needed an update. It is going to be updated soon and I'm looking forward to what it will look like when they're done.

Really fun, different coaster. The ambiance is cool with the idea of taking a trip through a…read moreforbidden forest, the part that some of it is in the dark and there's a bit of a surprise in the middle really kicks it up a notch. A clear example of why Busch Gardens is truly a great coaster park.

Ten of us went to play miniature golf at Go Carts Plus's Gold Rush course this week. We took…read moreadvantage of their Tee for Two Tuesday deal. From 12-5 pm on Tuesdays, two people can play a round of mini golf for $10 total. Such a deal! We had a great time. The course is fun and challenging. It's also covered by trees so you can still enjoy playing on hot sunny days. Now, the trees also drop needles, which need cleaned off the course. The only "odd" part of playing there is that you have to buy a plastic card for $1. They then load your $10 onto the card and you take it to the mini golf booth to have swiped so you can play a round of golf. You keep the card and refill it to enjoy their other amusements or more rounds of golf that day or any day you return. They have sufficient free parking.

Great customer service my family had a amazing time lines weren't long and the cars rode nice some…read morefaster than others but over a great time and the workers all have great attitudes

The best ride in the park. It is a thrill lover's dream. You'll get plenty of air time, the…read morelaunches feel great and every twist and turn is so smooth. Note: this ride does have a size limitation. If you're worried, try the test seat at the front before waiting in line. The line could use more theming along with something to help the line during the hot months.

In my opinion not only the best coaster at Busch Gardens VA, but one of the premier coasters in the…read moreU.S. Its not flashy with staging, but who cares. The ride is smooth and thrilling! On a negative this ride seems to have breakdowns often. I heard this and witnessed two of them within an hour. I can't knock them horribly, but it's annoying. 4.5 rounding up.

Awesome draft brew selection with plenty of take home options. Friendly & accommodating staff.read more

Stopped here to "waste away our day" while on vacation with our young son. The beers are really…read moregood and don't hesitate to try the pickle, great pickle flavor on the front end with no pickle flavor in at the end, a great summer beer. My wife enjoyed the pale ale while our son had the Mott's apple juice while we enjoyed snacks and played some chess at the outdoor seating. The staff was great, very attentive to our son as well as provided a great enjoyable atmosphere.

This was my friends and I first time doing electric bikes and they were so fun! We originally had a…read morestart time for 12pm but we were running late so we called and were able to push it back to the 2pm time. Jill and her husband were super sweet and great! Helmets are required for insurance purposes. Jill gave us a map and had great recommendations on bike routes so we could see the most. It was a really cool experience and definitely highly recommend best way to see Yorktown. Super bike friendly! It was $25 per person so not bad at all.

Me and my wife took a 2 hour Segway tour around Yorktown historical district. First time riding a…read moreSegway but it's real easy to learn and within a few minutes you're ready to go. Great weather and a great guide made for a relaxing and fun 2 hours. Highly recommend this tour with this company