Anyone been there in October?

I am there all the time. :)

I live in Virginia Beach, so I actually have a platinum passport to Busch Gardens Williamsburg, now called Busch Gardens Europe (BGE) and go there every weekend (so, I think I am somewhat of an expert in this park). I'm actually working on writing up some tips, suggestions, and such for this park. The free preferred parking is a nice additional perk to the platinum pass. :) Actually though, I have the platinum pass because it gets me into Sea World Orlando and Busch Gardens Africa in Tampa when I go to Florida (including Disney of course) for a total of about 2 weeks.

October is a good time to go, as the park is somewhat less crowded than the summer season, but keep in mind the park is only open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday only during this time of year, but will be more crowded in the evening, which I will explain below.

If you plan to go in October, I would recommend that you go in the beginning of October, rather than later in the month. The reason is that the park gets more crowded as you get closer to Halloween, as BGE has their seasonal Howl-O-Scream event. During this event, the park is open until 10 or 11 pm, depending on the day of the week.

I would recommend that you go at some point during the last two weeks of September if you are from out of the area. The reason is because the Howl-O-Scream events will have already started (tentatively starts Sept. 14th this year) and the park is practically empty. The past few years, I have literally been able in some cases just to stay in my seat on some of the roller coasters because it was empty.

This year, BGE opened a new roller coaster, Griffon, which is a dive coaster, which boasts a 205 ft., 90° drop, and much more. I definitely you ride that one. :) The waits now average about 60-75 minutes, but, if you are going on as a single rider, check with the cast member in the station house to go to the single rider line. I am a single rider myself when I ride, and I rode Griffon 12 times in less than 3 hours, when the regular line wait was about 75 min for one ride.

Getting back to the question, October is a good time, but I'd do late September if possible, just because the crowds are almost non-existent, probably because all the kids are back in school. :) Plus, then you can stay later after dark and take advantage of the Howl-O-Scream events.

Let me know if you plan to go, and when you know the dates, as I can direct you to where you can save a few $$ on the cost for parking. :)

If you have any questions, or want any additional tips or suggestions for BGE, let me know. :)

Drew