Busch Gardens® Williamsburg will pop the cork on a new season filled with virtual reality, a new summer show and major milestones beginning March 24. See what is in store for the 2018 season!
Opening early spring, Busch Gardens will unveil its new virtual reality ride, Battle For Eire™—Action VR Ride. This innovative VR attraction is a marriage of a motion-based theater simulator with state-of-the-art 360-degree virtual reality headsets, creating an Otherworldly experience unlike any other in the theme park industry. Riders will be completely immersed in the story of Addie, the last fairy guardian of Ireland, as she tries to recover the sacred Heart of Eire from the evil villain, Balor.
“We can’t wait to share this ride with our guests. It’s truly a one-of-a-kind attraction with so many features and surprises, you’ll want to experience it again and again,” said Kevin Lembke, park president at Busch Gardens Williamsburg and Water Country USA. “And Battle For Eire is just the start of all the fun.”
This summer, an all-new laser light pyrotechnic show debuts at the open-air Royal Palace Theatre. The show takes places every evening starting July 6 through Aug. 12. The high-energy show will feature the best in laser light and pyrotechnic technology that will wow park-goers.
The Williamsburg theme park’s popular events will be bigger and better than ever throughout the year. 2018 highlights include:
Let’s Play Together–March 24 – April 29: come have a play date with your Sesame Street® friends and enjoy a heartwarming show all about the beauty of Friendship. The show is full of good times and will always bring back fond memories, especially when the audience gets in on the act. Join Elmo, Cookie Monster, Grover, Rosita, Bert,Ernie, and of course AbbyCadabby, as they play, sing and dance while learning all about the wonderful things that friends do together. Daily performances in the park’s Globe Theatre.
Shopkins Live! BFF Day– May 5: the No. 1 kids toy in North America is live and on stage in Shopkins Live! BFF Day starring Jessicake, Rainbow Kate, Kooky Cookie, Apple Blossom and more! Audiences are immersed in the world of Shopville through creative onstage characters, custom designed theatrical costumes and interactive performances. With eye-popping choreography and original pop songs, it’s a party of pocket size entertainment not to be missed. Admission is included with park admission.
Food & Wine Festival– May 25 – July 1: the multi-cultural culinary experience grows to give guests a wider selection of worldly cuisines. New savory tastes will include Brazil, Cuba, South Korea and Japan.
Food & Wine Festival Concerts – big name concert acts also will take the stage on select weekends during Food & Wine Festival. Country music sensation Scotty McCreery performs June 9 and pop music star, Andy Grammer, appears on June 30. There’s more to come on other must-see musical acts this year. Concerts will be held in the park’s Royal Palace Theatre and are included with park admission.
Bier Fest– Aug. 17 – Sept. 3: guests will enjoy more than 100 craft beers from around the world. Listen to the tunes of local bands as you raise a glass to toast the end of summer.
Howl-O-Scream®– Sept. 15 – Oct. 28: celebrating 20 years as the area’s most popular haunting event will add an extra weekend of scares for visitors to enjoy. New mazes, party zones, Terror-tories™ and two interactive bars highlight the Halloween event.
The Count’s Spooktacular– Oct. 6 – Oct. 28: for the kids on select weekends, The Count’s Spooktacular returns with more meet and greets and trick or treat stations, and a new Sesame Street® show.
Christmas Town™– Nov. 17 – Jan. 1: holiday traditions come to life in splendid beauty at Busch Gardens Christmas Town now in its 10th season. To celebrate the milestone, Christmas Town will add an additional weekend to celebrate the season and increase its Christmas light count to 10 million, making this the largest light display of any holiday event in North America, and add a themed train experience for families to enjoy.
And the fun doesn’t stop there. Busch Gardens will commemorate the revered Loch Ness Monster® roller coaster this year. This nostalgic coaster has given more than 58 million rides to its fans over the past 40 years.
The best way for guests to enjoy all the fun is with the all-new Membership program that provides an unprecedented level of access to both Busch Gardens and Water Country USA®.
Guests can choose from three plans, each offering admission to Busch Gardens, Water Country USA and Christmas Town, plus benefits for parking, guest tickets and in-park discounts. Membership allows park guests to take full advantage of the parks’ amenities including all of our seasonal events.
For more information on the Membership program or to purchase tickets, please visit buschgardens.com/bgwmembership or call (757) 229-4386. Follow @BuschGardensVA on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Busch Gardens opens for the season March 24, and continues daily operation through April 8 for spring break. My family and I can’t wait to head to the park this spring break! What are you most excited for this year?
