Busch Gardens in Virginia Blog

And the winners are ...

Virginia Williams — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 15:47:07 +0000

Wow! I just finished reading the 100+ emails you submitted for the Verbolten Hard Hat Tour and I can’t thank you enough for your wonderful submissions. It was such a tough decision to choose five people to be a part of the tour that I decided to add five additional fans. So on March 1, a total of 10 fans will join our Verbolten sneak peek. Below are your names and your entries … which have been put into a 500 word count cloud. How fun, huh? The winners will be receiving an email from us with more information on when and where to meet on March 1.

Thanks again to everyone for submitting your entries. If you weren’t selected or couldn’t make it out that day, make sure to follow us on Twitter and Facebook on March 1 to read the tweets and posts from the event.

And don’t be discouraged if you weren’t selected this time, we’re always doing behind-the-scenes events and contests so keep your eye out for the next big contest on our Twitter or Facebook page.

Thanks again for being such loyal followers of Busch Gardens.

Robin Lester
Ryan Johnson
David Wells
Kyle Olson
Alexis Dees
Eliza Epps
Matthew Kyte
Kate Semp
Jodie Cooper
Daniel Charlton

Four Fun Pictures of Snow at Water Country USA

Bruce Wilson — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 17:01:21 +0000

Park blogger, Cynthia, snapped these cool pictures this morning of the snow covering Water Country USA. Now there's something you don't see everyday ...

The New BuschGardens.com

Bruce Wilson — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 18:44:11 +0000

Busch Gardens is launching a new website soon, and we’re letting you, our awesome social media fans, be one of the firsts to check it out. We’d love for you to visit the website, look around, and tell us what you think.

You’re the most important part of this website launch, so if you see something that doesn’t work, if you get an error message or if for some reason Alpengeist’s picture is on the Squire’s Grille page, please let us know. We promise you won’t hurt our feelings.

We want this to be a great website for you to use and to share with your friends when you start planning your trip to the park. So, what are you waiting for? Check it out and then come back here to leave us a comment.

http://seaworldparks.com/buschgardens-williamsburg

I'm a wolf trainer!

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 15:49:21 +0000

For those of you that have been reading Megan’s wolf blogs over the past couple of years, I have some exciting news to kick off our 2012 season.

Megan was recently promoted to Supervisor of Animal Training at Busch Gardens. We're so proud of her and know she'll do great in her new role. Don’t worry, you’ll still be able to see her inThe Secret Life of Predators presentation. With Megan's promotion, that left an opening on our Animal Training Team. I am happy to report I have made the transition from our Animal Ambassador Team to Animal Trainer and I can't wait to start my new challenge. Of course, I was sad to leave the animals I have been working with for the past few years, but I know they are getting the best of care with our team. Since our presentation is all about predators, I did try to convince my manager that a certain green-winged macaw should be considered a predator of fruit and peanuts, but he wasn’t buying it. (You may remember Hook from his YouTube video!)

If you have been to the park to see the presentation, you know that I will be working with more than just our seven grey wolves. A Harris’ hawk, one barn owl, two red foxes, one feisty black vulture and, last but not least, five rats are now part of my training duties.

I began training for my new role this week, and I must say it is a lot to learn. It will take some time before I'm able to train the wolves with “free contact,” which means that the trainer has no barrier between them and the animal. It is very important to build a relationship with the animal first. Currently, I am offering food through “protected contact,” which means there is a barrier between the trainer and animal.

Stay tuned for more updates on my progress. I'll look forward to seeing you this spring.

Wolf Trainer

Training - Getting Ready for 2012

Emily Hoffman — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 15:05:07 +0000

Water Country USA seems empty when I visit the park. No life vests, tubes, water and especially no guests. Still, we are hard at work getting ready for a fantastic 2012 season.

Behind the scenes we start training next week. Five lifeguards are attending a Water Safety Instructor class. This class will certify these guards to teach swim lessons next summer. Starting in June we will be offering swim lessons for ages 6 months and up. Our guards love teaching these classes because it’s important that everyone know how to be safe in the water.

Beginning January 3, another group of lifeguards will begin taking a lifeguard instructor class. These lifeguards will be responsible for assisting in training all the shallow water and deep water lifeguards that work at Water Country USA. Currently we have 14 returning lifeguard instructors and another five coming from this class. During the season we will certify more than 300 guards. These instructors will also offer in-services everyday to review skills with the guards working. Reviewing these skills is important to ensure they stay sharp and prepared to handle any emergency.

Starting in March our instructors will begin training new guards and recertifying returning guards, so on opening day we are ready to greet our guests for another great summer. Think warm thoughts and we will see you then.

The Smells of Christmas

Emily Hoffman — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 20:21:53 +0000

Many of us associate memories with smells. A favorite aroma reminds of us of a loved one and the smell of cookies baking may remind us of home.

Walking around Christmas Town, I enjoy taking in the smells around the park. The smell of Christmas pines overtakes you on several pathways. The Bavarian roasted nuts with sugar in Ireland and Oktoberfest is always tempting. I love the bubble gum smell in the Penguin Paradise. Hot chocolate and other wonderful food scents are found all over the park.

These scents alongside the 5 million twinkling lights and other decorations complete the experience of Christmas Town for me. Do you have a favorite Christmas scent?

Holiday Window Decor

Emily Hoffman — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 14:50:36 +0000

When it’s time to decorate for the holidays, mistletoe and holly come easily to mind when thinking about creating window box arrangements. Here at the park, we have many window boxes and containers to fill. By coordinating the color palette for the individual countries, we can make use of a great deal of plant material we have available at the park.

We have a variety of Juniper, in shades of green, blue and gold. Due to the variety and quantity, we use those as the framework for most of the displays. There are many hollies here, as well, but often the berry-to-leaf proportion is not conducive to extensive use.

Additional material can be collected and used within an arrangement. This year, we’ve made use of Hydrangea heads, grasses, perennial seeds and berries (don’t worry, we left some for the birds), Bayberry and Grapevine. Some plants you may not have expected have appeared in the Italy area, where we’ve made use of palms, palm seeds and yucca. Palm and yucca fronds can be sprayed to keep them from curling and drying too early. I’m sure you’ll recognize other additions to our arrangements, too.

But maybe what we have available throughout the park is not what you have in abundance in your garden. As you’re walking through your garden, try to look at it in a new way to see what you might want to use at your own home. Some invasive shrubs, like Ligustrum and Nandina, have lovely berries would be a nice alternative to the use of hollies. Even your perennials and grasses that have long stems might be able to be stripped to create striking additions to your arrangement. Keep in mind while choosing the plants for your arrangement, choose ones that grow quickly and will accept your pruning gracefully. Don’t forget to keep any cut material away from children and pets because it may be harmful.

How do you incorporate your plants into holiday window box arrangements?

Bones of the garden enhance winter décor

Emily Hoffman — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 14:28:21 +0000

What is planted in your garden that will enhance your winter decor? Many of the elements that are present all year can have a true opportunity to shine at the end of the growing season.

This year’s weather conditions in Williamsburg have given us a beautiful fall season. The trees have turned wonderfully and, in some cases, the winds have blown most of that color onto the ground. But those trees that you have chosen for their beautiful bones, the actual structure of the tree itself, are still sure to please. Large, native trees such as Oak, Birch and Sycamore, as well as, more commercial varieties like Crape Myrtles and Japanese Maple. Shrubs like Red- or Yellow-Twig Dogwood and Oakleaf Hydrangea are all good choices.

The weather is also providing us with surprising amounts of berries this year. Not just hollies, either, but Beautyberry, Juniper and Cedar as well. Some of the park’s Cedars appear blue from a distance instead of green. Perennials and grasses provide many of seed heads, also.

You may want to include some blooming plants in your late fall/early winter garden. One of the evergreen shrubs we have here in the park is the Yuletide Camellia. Its poppy-like red petals and yellow stamens now have a large audience now that we are open for Christmas Town. The waxy, green leaves provide good screening throughout the season.

If you’d like even more color outdoors for your holiday visitors, violas and Pansies are readily available. We plan for our spring guests by planting bulbs first, followed by these reliable winter annuals. You can take advantage of the mild days to work in your yard, but plan to make some time to visit ours.

The Five Christmas Town Must See’s

Emily Hoffman — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 15:45:21 +0000

Are you feeling the Christmas spirit yet? Do you feel overwhelmed with work, shopping, parties and all else that comes along with the holidays? Christmas Town: A Busch Gardens Celebration, offers a great opportunity to rejuvenate and rekindle your love for this time of year.

If you haven’t experienced the park yet, there are a few “must see’s”. My two favorites are the Polar Pathway, along the walkway near Escape from Pompeii and the Ice Palace: A Penguin Paradise. The Polar Pathway offers a fresh display of Escape from Pompeii, lighting up this pathway with a spectacular vision of light. If you like penguins, the Ice Palace has up-close experiences for you.

You could take a break from the chilly air by visiting one of the shows the park has to offer. “Miracles” in Italy is a celebration of the meaning of Christmas with song and dance, while “Deck the Halls” in Germany has more of the upbeat carols that also incorporate song and dance. If you’re looking for something that explains the true meaning of Christmas, you should visit the “Gloria!” show in Ireland.

I can honestly say that walking through our park this time of year really lifts your spirits and puts you in the Christmas mood. How can it not? Everywhere you look; there are lights, carols, song and smiles on everyone’s faces.

I hope to see you this Christmas at our park where we all can take a step back and say, “Now this is Christmas”.

It’s beginning to sound a lot like Christmas

Emily Hoffman — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 16:05:41 +0000

After a thrilling Howl-O-Scream event it’s always difficult to imagine that within a month’s time the park has been transformed into a magical happy place full of snow, penguins and Santa Claus. However, once you start to hear classics like “Here Comes Santa Claus” and “White Christmas” pumping through the park you start to realize the gift that has arrived.

While it’s the season of tingling all of the senses around the world, the sense that spans the globe each year without fail is the sound of Christmas. No matter what time of the year or what country you’re in, you can always break out into a holiday classic and be instantly transported to a time of happy memories with family and friends.

Christmas Town features music from or inspired by each of our countries. Whether it’s caroling in England, folk songs of Ireland or the country styles of New France, you’ll be sure to experience the full magic of Christmas in the air. This year’s repertoire boasts more than 250 tracks of your favorite Christmas tunes, from “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” to “Let There Be Peace on Earth.” That’s more than 13 hours of holiday spirit. Combine that with 5 million Christmas lights, a wide range of shows and attractions, and peppermint hot chocolate we’ve got one magical event.

What are some of your favorite Christmas tunes from your family’s holiday traditions?