Busch Gardens ≠ Europe

So, uh, last year when I went on my first of two trips... I split it between two destinations. I flew up to Buffalo, New York and hung out with Yatpay for a few days before flying down to Washington DC and meeting up with my family, already there on their own vacation. It seemed to work pretty well. So for 2014 I planned to do it again, only this time it wouldn't just be me doing my own trip and then joining them, this time it was me meeting them back home in Melrose first.... then myself going to Europe... and then back to Melrose (while by that point they'd already be in DC) and then trying to meet them once more... in DC myself. Ok, fun stuff.

Originally I was just gonna day trip down to Kings Dominion (much like I had done last year with Six Flags America) but my mom suggested my dad and I spend the night at the parks onsite hotel and close the place.... Well once the overnight idea was in my head it was pretty hard to not try and add Busch Gardens into everything. I bugged Jeff a bit for a comp ticket and after agreeing not to ride anything or have any sort of fun, he handed over a couple so we could go. I hadn't been to the park since 09 and my dad since 06 and I kinda wanted to see what the deal with Verbolten was....

(and after telling my mom this she wasn't so happy... she still hasn't been a single time, oops!)

Ok, woo.

So after getting up super early, having just come in from Denmark via England and Iceland the night before....I got my stuff together and I was out the door (after playing in my cat a whole lot) on my way to the subway to get to the airport to then fly to DC, find my dad, get a car, drive to Williamsburg and then back to Doswell. ((Who relaxes on vacations?!))

 Ah... time to enjoy my lovely walk back to Oak Grove to get a train to the airport

(Flight #8)
I had also looked at taking Amtrak down to DC and the price was about the same as the flight... but since I'd now be doing both parks and not just  Kings Dominion, I needed the quicker route.

 State Street transfer tunnel.

 Oh hey... back here... like 10 hours later.

 Mmm, Dunkin' Donuts

....I ate a half-dozen :\

 Woo, jetBlue flight 489. My old airline-of-choice. 

(When I lived in Mass I almost always flew JB)

 The Decagon... or something

(yes yes....)

After finding my dad who was waiting for me at the airport, I picked up my rental and drove the two of us down to Williamsburg :D

 Oh man, one of the greatest parks around.. And a former #1 for myself.

Busch Gardens Williamsburg!

(Although it lost a few points after a dramatic/traumatic visit in 2009)

By the time we got to the park we would only have a couple of hours to do things but with myself only needing to do two rides... I was ok with that.

 Stepping into the parks main entrance the first land you get to is Banbury Cross the England themed area... It was at this point I said to my dad, I'm probably the only person in this park who was actually in England in the last 24 hours. I don't know why... but it was incredibly amusing to me.

 Thunder was rumbling like crazy as we entered the park but it wasn't raining yet and it was still sunny but the coasters we saw cycling were running empty...

Kinder Karussel was still running with guests and, well, in maybe 8 visits... I'd never ridden it

(and since everything else was closed?)

Uh, Carousel Credit!

But I was a little annoyed I was so close yet so far from a new-to-me coaster that I might not be getting to ride.

 With the sky getting darker by the minute we walked up and got in line for Curse of DarKastle just making in the enclosed queue as the skis opened.

 We were literally the next two riders to get on when they closed it due to the storm.

Much like SeaWorld they don't seem to have a different weather code for indoor vs outdoor rides... So everything closes in lightning.

We opted for hanging out at the load platform since it was raining anyways and everything else was closed... plus, the AC was on high. After the storms passed we did get our ride... and found out most people had just left the park all together.

I guess it had stormed earlier in the day here as well, before we got here. So people must have just "had it" and gone home.

 We made our way deeper into the Oktoberfest area of the park (passing a closed Mäch Tower) to ride Verbolten

Although it was still closed when we got there, it opened shortly after.

 Each of the 5 car themed trains have license plates that are related to the ride.

The red train has "YLB DR OPN"... hinting at the mid-ride freefall feature.

 The orange train has "WOLF X ING", a shout out to Big Bad Wolf, the coaster removed to make way for Verbolten. (Oh, and the new ride uses the old rides loading station)

 For our first ride, in the front row (a walk on!) we rode the yellow train "BRI DG OUT"

A play on the rides final drop, that copied the old coaster as well.

(the other two trains are "BLK 4 ST" (blue) and "FAL NR OX" (green))

 Meh, sadly. We rode it twice... Once in the front and once in the back (it went down after our first ride but opened again shortly after we rode Mäch Tower) its not a bad ride, I guess but its not anything special either... and the whole midride freefall track just didn't do anything for me (but neither did the one on Thirteen) Now I might get some hate for this but I'll say it anyways... Big Bad Wolf may not have been all people say it was (not worth the legendary post removal hype) but it was certainly a better ride than what replaced it... Sorry Verbolten.

But the public seems to love it and as far as the park goes, that's all that matters.

My dad seemed to be pretty indifferent but he also didn't know it had the freefall or even launch.

 Mäch Tower did end up opening and we were on the second loaded cycle.. Such a strange ride.

Mäch Tower was the first full-sized drop tower to be added to any Busch/SeaWorld park and they went with Moser, an odd choice... it stands at 250 feet tall and with its rotating ride vehicle provided one of the most fantastic views from any drop ride out there.. but sadly, that's all it has going for itself.

 For as tall as it is, the drop is ultra lame... and overly trimmed. The OTSR's are massive and pin you down, and the wheels on the carriage get so damn loud during the drop I had to cover my ears...A first from a drop ride. Despite being pretty awful, sadly, I did ride it a second time.. just to enjoy the amazing view from the top.

 Since I had already broken Jeff's rule about not going on any rides.. I figured I might as well ride Der Wirbelwind... and send him a photo while at it 

(Wave Swingers being among his favorites)

Making our way out of Germany to the first of two Italy areas we visited San Marco

 The Battering Ram was loading when we walked up, so we took it for a ride.

 And then went next door to Da Vinci's Cradle... A ride I hadn't ridden here since 1999

 Um.. and for some reason it now features seat belts.

Those weren't here 15 years ago....

Afterwards we headed into Festa Italia, the secondary Italian land within the park.

 Because, well... this <3

 Apollo's Chariot.

My former #1 steel coaster (and still a top 10 for me)

With no line at all, we rode it both in the front and back rows without having to walk around.

<3 still love this ride <3

 OH MAN! And there were frozen treats to be had!!

 We jumped on the train from Festa Italia to New France.. passing the still wasted space where Drachen Fire once stood.

 Oh hey, Der Katapult in now Le Catapult and hidden in the back of New France near the train station.

 Oh man, a bear! and he has a camera!

 We took a ride on Le Scoot Log Flume... Uh, I didn't remember getting as wet as we did on past rides.. Oh well, we can dry off on our next ride.

Alpengeist, the most love-hated B&M Invert there is? 

 I've had a few so/so rides on it over the years... but most have been really good.

We hoped in the last row and were off. Trains were going out almost completely empty outside of the front row. With only an hour or so to go before park closing we quickly made our way to Aquitaine, the parks actual-french themed area.

 So we could ride Griffon!

I ended up getting to ride it the week it opened back in 2007 but the last time I was here with my dad was in 06 for the closing week of Le Mans (the ride Griffon replaced)

Griffon and stuff...

(SheiKra is still better)

 D'oh!

 a dear!!

 Mmm, +200 foot vertical drop coasters <3
Since, like everything else in the park at this point, there was no line... We were able to quickly ride the coaster twice before hopping on the parks SkyRide and heading to the exit.

 We ended up doing the France-Germany leg and the Germany-England leg of the ride, noting Loch Ness Monster still running with riders in passing.

 Yup, people riding Loch Ness Monster... and stuff.

 After walking from the skyride station to Heatherdowns/Scotland the queue was still opened so we got in the nonexistent line.

  Ah, the rides famous-signature interlocking vertical loops

 Back when the ride ran with 3 train operations, 2 trains would meet together in the loops. I got to witness this myself back in 99, but as newer coasters open in the park the rides popularity has dropped and there is no need for it to run more than 2.

 Yaayyy, the ride is still fun and stuff. 

Now to just drive back to Doswell...

 But first, DUCKS!

Well, kinda.

 Also, again with the self-amusing

The Eye of London!

(because, well.....)

I don't know about that.....

Especially after visiting some of the parks I just went to.

Maybe the most Beautiful Park in the US?

After leaving Busch Gardens we headed back up 95 to Doswell getting to the Best Western at Kings Dominion just in time to see their nightly firework show happening and get some food at the hotels Denny's.

Oh... and I drove us the long-way, back roads, just so I could pick up a couple of extra County Credits <3

Bonus Twitter...things.

The plan. - Tweet

Odd amusement - Tweet

Little Kitty Baxxter - Photo

Meh - Photo

Little Kitty Baxxter via Vine - Video

Loch Ness Monster via Vine - Video

Yeah.