“It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…” And Busch Gardens Christmas Town is twinkling with lights and holiday cheer. November 15, 2024 through January 5, 2025 the park has been transformed into a winter wonderland. In addition to five roller coasters and twenty-five rides; guests are treated to spectacular seasonal shows, live holiday music, festive foods and over 10 million sparkling lights.
The holiday’s are always an extra special time of year. The kids are off from school, and everyone is taking off work to enjoy extra quality time. The stress of everyday life seem to melt away as we bond over traditions. Things like baking cookies, cuddling on the couch while watching Christmas movies and making special visits to see relatives become priority. It’s the perfect time to take a winter weekend getaway. Our family has visited Christmas town as a holiday tradition for the past 11 years. Christmas Town is our favorite place to visit to get into the holiday spirit. Through our years of experience, I hope to share some helpful tips and reasons for why you won’t want to miss a trip to Williamsburg this year!
THINGS TO SEE & DO
CHRISTMAS TOWN EXPRESS: – All Aboard! This is the Christmas Express! Riding the train around the park is always fun for kids. However, it’s even more exciting during Christmas time! Enjoy the view of over a million Christmas Lights on display as you ride around the park listening to holiday music. During normal season the train is a mode of transportation around the park. However, during the holidays the train ride takes you on a trip around the park departing and arriving in New France.
CATCH A SHOW- There are so many amazing shows available at Christmas town. This year the following shows are available this season: “Scrooge No More!” at the Globe Theater, “Gloria!” at the Abby Stone Theater, “On the Haustop” at Das Fest Haus and “O’Tannenbaum” Christmas tree display in front in the Fest HausPlaza, “Wise Men” in Italy, “Twas That Night” ice skating show in France; as well as little side shows like the “Merry Misfits,” “Elmo’s Christmas Wish” and village entertainers in the square. All the shows at Busch Gardens are amazing! There are so many shows to see it is hard to fit them all into one day. We usually pick one or two performances to see, that way we still have time for rides.
LEAVE TIME FOR RIDES- I’m always amazed at all the rides that are open during Christmas Town. My boys love spending a great bit of time in Sesame Street Forest of Fun and The Land of Dragons. In the Forest of Fun is a great kids coaster called Grover’s Alpine Express. The Sesame section can get crowded in the earlier part of day and best to explore towards the end of the night around 7PM-8PM. Thrill seekers daring to defy gravity will enjoy riding the many rollercoaster: Loch Ness, Verbolten, Tempesto, DarkCoaster, InvadR and Alpengeist. For rides that young children can ride alone be sure to visit Italy and check out Davinci’s Little Glider and Little Balloons. The Der Wirbelwind (swings), Kinder Karussel (carousel) and Der Autobahn (bumper cars) in Germany are always another big hit. Another big hit is the Aeronaut Skyride, be sure to ride this one at night so you can see the beautiful lights from above.
BUT WAIT THERE’S MORE- There’s more than lights, rides and shows at Christmas Town though. There are a lot of really cool shops and believe it or not the food options are pretty amazing too. Your options include; Dickens Tavern in England, Ireland’s Grogan Grill, Trappers Smoke House which smells heavenly as you walk through New France, Das Festhaus where you can watch Up On the House Top while you eat, Dashers Diner in Holiday Hills or Marco Polo’s Market Place where you can watch Three Wise Men while enjoying a warm meal. My boys loved the donuts available at the coffee/sweet shop when you first enter the park. They downed a half dozen in a second flat. You will also want to splurge and get some hot chocolate. Christmas Town is famous for their rich, creamy and always hot cocoa!
NEW THIS YEAR- All-New Speakeasy Experience Begins November 15. Behind a sweet façade lies a secret hideaway bar that houses the true spirits of its country. The Hassebier family is embracing the spirit of a holiday cultural exchange! They’ve sent their great-great-great-great-grandfather Friedrich to the USA to discover our Christmas traditions. Meanwhile, they’ve invited a group of Americans into the Hideaway to experience German holiday customs firsthand, including the Christmas Pickle, Nutcrackers, and even the legendary Krampus. Advanced reservations are required- Reservations required for all members of your party.
TIPS
- Tickets- I highly recommend seasons passes. They are affordable and can be used all year long. The best part about season passes is it includes parking and discounts on food and shopping. Be on the look out Groupon sometimes has discounts. Busch Gardens also offers specials so check in on their site frequently. Busch Gardens also offers free tickets and discounts to Military and Veterans so be sure to check out their Waves of Honor program.
- Rides– I love that when you enter the park you can have your child’s height checked. The park lists all the rides they can go on independently or with a chaperone. Use the skyline as fast transportation around the park. Be sure to take the Skyline ride at night so you can see the holiday lights twinkling from above! See the Busch Gardens site for a full list of seasonal rides.
- Shows– Seeing a show is a great way to keep the kids entertained while staying warm.
- Dining– The price range for food and beverage are typical for an amusement park. One thing to keep in mind is that you can purchase refillable cups for fountain drinks and even hot cocoa. Since Busch Gardens is a family friendly park they do allow Snacks from outside the park. We usually pack a few water bottles and snacks for the kids but enjoy dinner at one of the dining halls.
- Lights– Take time to view the lights displays around the park; be sure to stroll through the “cascade” of lights down the Polar Pathway and Peace on Earth display as you cross the bridge that leads from German to Italy.
- Dress for the weather– I think one of my biggest pieces of advice is to dress in layers. We usually dress the boys in layered warm clothing with thick socks, coat, hat and gloves. A few shows and Das Festhaus are indoors, mostly everything is outdoors. Most years when we’ve been it is deceivingly warmer during the day but drops in temperature drastically at night. There are warming stations that you can keep an eye out for too! We’ve gone during heat waves where it feels like spring and other years it feels like visiting the north pole. If you go on a colder day, consider bringing hot hands heat packs for your pockets and a extra blanket for the little one in the stroller.
- Stroller– You can bring your own stroller with you; as there are plenty of places to park and ride. However, if you don’t want to hassle with loading a skyline you can rent a stroller. This way you can park the rented stroller in the designated spots and grab a new one in the next area. They are inexpensive and fit two kids, plus your gear! Since there is a lot of heavy walking you will find little ones can get tired.
- Read The Playful Parents Guide: Everything you need to know about visiting Busch Gardens with kids
INFORMATION
Hours: Park hours vary by day. Check the Busch Gardens Calendar
Address: 1 Busch Gardens Boulevard, Williamsburg, VA 23185
Website: LINK
***The Playful Parent does not receive payment for featuring attractions. All opinions are my own; I like to share experiences and information so that parents have resources on fun family outings. Discounted or complimentary tickets are an advantage but not a requirement. The Playful Parent is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that advocates learning through play and promotes family bonding, all information and photographs are intellectual property of TPP. I hope that these tips help with your planning so that you have a great time during your next Busch Gardens Williamsburg Visit! Thank you for reading…Play, Learn, Grow!***