View the official press release from Busch Gardens Williamsburg:
WHAT’S NEW AT BUSCH GARDENS IN 2010
Park Opens March 26
Pass Prices Unchanged; Additional Online Savings
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (Jan. 28, 2010) – Busch Gardens opens March 26 for its 35th year and is celebrating with a new ride, a new show and an all new night-time celebration that will leave families breathless for more. And more is what they will receive. With a host of KIDsiderate options, more than 20 scheduled concert performances and an all new extreme sports event debuting this spring, Busch Gardens has something for everyone in the family this year.
The world’s most beautiful theme park is re-envisioning its Ireland section with a new simulator ride featuring the scenic beauty of Europe and an Abbey Stone Theatre show that pays homage to Ireland’s great storytelling tradition.
“Europe in the Air” swoops guests across gorgeous terrain and past the continent’s most beloved landmarks. Dive low over Stonehenge. Soar past Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany. Float over the Coliseum in Rome. With amazingly sharp video quality and incredible surround sound, this high-tech simulator ride puts our guests in the midst of all the action.
After landing, stroll over to Abbey Stone Theatre and join the celebration as Busch Gardens debuts its newest live show filled with authentic Irish choreography, storytelling, singing, music and the magic of Irish dance. One of Dublin’s favorite innkeepers invites you to experience day-to-day life in this incredibly unique culture. With a cast of singers, Irish dancers and musicians, guests will be clapping their hands and shouting “Erin Go Bragh.”
Busch Gardens also is now home to a stop on the ASA Action Sports World Tour, an extreme sports extravaganza with all the grinds, aerials and freestyle tricks that extreme sports fans have come to expect. During the last three weekends in May, “Ramp Jam” at Busch Gardens will be hosting the top skateboard, BMX and in-line skating athletes performing extreme stunts and tricks on a half pipe built just for the tour at Festhaus Park.
Coming this June, join Busch Gardens for its first ever park-wide summer festival celebration. “IllumiNights: A Busch Gardens Encore” is a new, nightly spectacular that encircles family fun and memories with world traditions. Trees will bloom with color and the night sky will burst with dazzling arrays of light each night during the celebration. Different areas of the park will celebrate IllumiNights in its own way, culminating in a park-wide pyrotechnics extravaganza that will have guests returning again and again.
This year also marks the return of Busch Gardens’ popular free concert lineup. From June 6 – Sept. 6, the park will host 20 different concert performers starting with the contemporary Christian festival, Glory at the Gardens, featuring acts like Steven Curtis-Chapman, Switchfoot, Third Day and Kirk Franklin. The concerts continue every weekend until Labor Day, featuring more bands like the B-52s and Grand Funk Railroad.
While Busch Gardens has a lot of new offerings for its 2010 season, the park is continuing its tradition of offering KIDsiderate attractions, including the second year of Sesame Street Forest of Fun with subtle changes to make guests experiences more comfortable while maintaining the sense of wonder for kids of all ages. Guests looking forward to the 12th season of Howl-O-Scream will have to wait until this fall to see the new scares and frights waiting for them this year. Also, families can look forward to the second year of Christmas Town: A Busch Gardens Celebration with new delights being developed that will leave them saying, “Now this is Christmas.”
Busch Gardens is offering a new way to save in 2010. All season long, guests can save $5 on each single-day ticket by making the purchase at www.buschgardens.com/va. Busch Gardens also is retaining its 2009 pass prices, so a new 2010 one-year pass still costs just $99.95. Guests renewing their 2009 passes will receive additional cost savings. All passes include access to all of the park’s concerts, Howl-O-Scream, free parking, discounts on food and merchandise, and unlimited visits to the park. A single-day ticket costs $61.95. Residents of Virginia can still purchase the Fun Card which also costs $61.95 but is valid for admission all summer long.
SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment operates 10 parks across the U.S. including SeaWorld parks in Orlando, San Diego and San Antonio; Busch Gardens parks in Tampa, Fla. and Williamsburg; Discovery Cove and Aquatica in Orlando; Sesame Place near Philadelphia, Pa.; and water parks Adventure Island in Tampa and Water Country USA in Williamsburg.
The 10 parks play host to 25 million guests each year and employ 26,000 people nationwide. To learn more, visit www.SeaWorldParksandEntertainment.com or call toll-free (888) 800-5447. Additionally, SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment created the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund, a non-profit, private charitable foundation committed to supporting wildlife and habitat conservation, research, education and animal rescue programs worldwide. Learn more at SWBG-ConservationFund.org.
