Busch Gardens Christmas Celebration: a Guide to Virginia’s Best Theme Park
Stroll through eight beautiful villages, sip hot seasonal beverages, and bask in all of the holiday spirit Busch Gardens Williamsburg has to offer. Whether you’re searching for general advice about visiting Busch Gardens during the holidays or specifically looking for info about the 2020 - 2021 holiday Christmas Celebration, you’ve come to the right place! There are a few changes to take note of this year, so you’re going to want to read this Guide to Visiting Busch Gardens Christmas Celebration.
The main entrance and clock tower of Busch Gardens at the English village is always a treat.
Why visit Busch Gardens during the holidays?
Well, because it’s a Virginia tradition like no other! Besides, we could all use an ounce of normalcy during these trying times. Our family of four spent the day (and night) visiting Busch Gardens Williamsburg Christmas Celebration, and even during the COVID-19 pandemic, we had a wonderful time. The park is still immaculate, showing incredible attention to detail, adorned in Christmas decor and cloaked in holiday spirit. During the day, many rides and attractions are running, including Alpengeist, Verbolten, the railway, and many young children’s attractions. At night, the stunning light displays illuminate the facades of old-world style buildings while Christmas trees adorned in detail twinkle in the center of the villages. Our favorite activity is to meander through the authentic European shops, sip delicious glühwein, and listen to traditional live music. Of course, the smell of hot foods and holiday treats follow you every step of the way!
What has changed at Busch Gardens Christmas Town?
First off, what is famously known as Christmas Town is called Christmas Celebration this year. Here are a few other important changes to note:
Busch Gardens Christmas Celebration is now open until January 10th, 2021.
The park is open from 10 AM - 10 PM (closed 3 PM - 5 PM for deep cleaning).
Parking ($25 for regular parking, $40 for VIP) was a breeze this year!
You don’t have to board the train to get into the park this season. No worrying about folding up the stroller, as you can walk right up.
There are temperature checks at the gate. If you have a fever of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or have been exposed to COVID-19, you cannot enter.
Options for purchasing entry tickets include 3 options:
1. Day (10 AM - 3 PM)
2. Night pass (3 PM - 10 PM)
3. Day & Night ticket (all day with a break from 3 PM - 5 PM)
You must make an entry reservation after purchasing your tickets.
The park closes from 3 PM - 5 PM for a deep clean. Many people choose this time to go grab lunch, visit Colonial Williamsburg, or just take some downtime back at their car.
Some of the attractions and regular food vendors are closed.
Roller coasters will close during very cold weather for safety reasons, so check the weather before you go.
The train is running solely for transportation, not as a Christmas night ride display this year.
There are fewer lights in the park than in previous years.
Italy and Fiesta Italia villages are both closed.
Since a portion of the park is closed, the route does not follow a loop per usual. Here’s the map for this season’s celebration.
What’s new & fun at Busch Gardens Christmas Celebration?
Every year, Busch Gardens creates new and exciting attractions for visitors of all ages. Here are some fun activities this year:
15 fan-favorite rides and coasters are open, skip down below to see which ones.
Live entertainment, including Killarney Christmas Trio, English Carolers, and more
Meet Santa in his beautiful workshop (through plexiglass)
A Gingerbread Scavenger Hunt
New meet & greets, including Frosty & friends, and Sesame Street characters
New food & beverage vendors, including vendors in Das Festhaus, Squire’s Grille, Cookies & Cocoa, and more
New quaint and authentic outdoor shops, including Kidsington Palace, Caribou pottery, German Marketplatz, and much more
What rides are open at the Busch Gardens Christmas Celebration this year?
Here’s a list of rides open at Busch Gardens Williamsburg Christmas Town:
Busch Gardens Railway
Der Autobahn
Der Autobahn Jr.
Li’l Clydes
Finnegan’s Flyer
Le Catapult
InvadR
Alpengeist
Kinder Karussel
Der Roto Baron
Der Wirbelwind
Verbolten
Prince Elmo’s Spire
Oscar’s Whirly Worm
Grover’s Alpine Express
What food & beverage is available at Busch Gardens?
Sometimes theme parks have some pretty bland and overpriced food, but that is absolutely not the case at Busch Gardens! While you can always pack your own sandwiches and non-alcoholic beverages, you would be missing out if you didn’t try one of their fabulous meals. New cocktails include after-dinner mint cocktails, warm apple pie cocktails, and cranberry hot toddies, but the classic (and our absolute favorite) is the traditional European Christmas market spiced Glühwein. Beverage options pair perfectly with roast beef frites, Irish nachos, German pretzels, homemade sirloin sandwiches, candied bacon, and a variety of festive desserts. The best way to enjoy the celebration and the food is to purchase a dining bundle that includes admission to the park, plus one entree, one dessert, and one non-alcoholic beverage starting at $49.99. Check out the full menu here.
What are the Covid-19 safety protocols for Busch Gardens?
Even though the coronavirus has caused temporary closure for a portion of the park, Busch Gardens Williamsburg is doing a fabulous job at complying with Virginia phase 2 Covid-19 safety guidelines. We were thoroughly impressed that we were able to socially distance and still have a grand old time!
Coronavirus precautions the park is taking include:
Front-gate temperature screenings, you cannot enter with a temperature of over 100.3
Physical distancing in all lines, including lines for the rides
Face covering requirements
Enhanced cleaning protocols for bathroom and rides seats. In fact, the park closes from 3 PM - 5 PM every day for a deep clean of the entire facility.
Capacity for the event is limited to create ample space for guests to enjoy their experience while maintaining a safe environment.
Here’s a full list of Covid-19 precautions at Busch Gardens Williamsburg.
We were happy with the social distancing and safety protocols in full effect at Busch Gardens 2020 - 2021!
Why purchase a Christmas Celebration evening ticket?
The Christmas Celebration takes on a whole new feeling when the sun goes down. The ambiance and lights are dazzling, especially in the villages of Oktoberfest, Germany, France, and England. The cherry on top of our holiday visit to Busch Gardens was dancing and listening to the Killarney Christmas Trio in village Ireland!
We hope you found our Guide to Busch Gardens Christmas Town helpful and informative. Share with us your favorite memories in the comments!
Thanks Busch Gardens, for all the memories!
In light of such a tough year for everyone, we are thankful to have enjoyed Busch Gardens Christmas Town in 2020 and certainly look forward to our return in 2021!
And the best gift of all, meeting Santa!
