Deals Only Available This Weekend!!!

DEAL #1:  Busch Gardens’ Christmas Town

There are a couple of great deals going on this weekend only.

First, Busch Gardens Williamsburg is offering the lowest discounts of the season on Twinkle Tickets (admission with restricted dates) for their annual Christmas Town event.  You can buy unlimited tickets for just $14 each (reg. $30)! 

If you decide to take advantage of this offer, there are a few things to consider before you complete your purchase.  First, scan the list of restricted dates on which you can use the tickets and make sure you’re going to be available for one of them.  No Saturdays are included, so the only weekend dates you can visit are Fridays and Sundays, and there are only a few of those to choose from.

Also, you’ll probably want to go ahead and purchase your parking voucher for $15 just to save you some time at the parking lot entrance. 

Christmas Town offers an amazing dining experience in the Festhaus, where you can enjoy a festive traditional Christmas dinner of turkey, dressing, gravy, cheddar potatoes, and a fresh-baked roll, among other selections.  It’s best to purchase your dining deal voucher beforehand to limit your costs.  You can purchase a Gold Dining Certificate for around $15, which includes a standard meal and one additional side, or a Platinum Dining Certificate for around $16.50, which includes a standard meal with two additional sides.  That one is really the best deal if you like to add a salad and a dessert to your meal for a full-course dining experience.  Keep in mind that the Festhaus, in particular, offers the largest meals in general, so you could even get away with sharing a Platinum meal and still be full.  Not to mention that you can enjoy a great show there while you enjoy your meal.  There are plenty of other places in the park to eat, as well, but you’ll get the best value at the Festhaus.  You can also purchase a Kids’ Meal Certificate for about $6.50. 

Another add-on you might consider is the refillable Christmas Town mug for another $6.  If you purchase one, you can get hot beverage refills of hot chocolate, peppermint hot chocolate, or wassail cider all night long for $1.29 each.  It’s usually cold as the night wears on, so you can save money if you’re likely to drink a lot of hot beverages by buying that refillable cup.  Personally, I’m addicted to the delightfully spicy wassail cider, so it’s a no-brainer for me, and my kids love the peppermint hot chocolate, which has a peppermint patty melting in the bottom of each delicious cup.

There will be five holiday shows to attend this season, one of which is an all-new ice show.  It’s also lots of fun to visit the penguin exhibit.  After all, where else will you get to see baby penguins playing and swimming together?

A limited number of rides will be open, as that’s not the main attraction for Christmas Town.  Mostly, it will be rides in Octoberfest and Festa Italia.  A couple of them may close if the temperature gets too cold. 

All in all, it’s a great time to be had and a wonderful way to get yourself into the Christmas spirit, complete with fake snow that rains down upon you in parts of the park and plenty of places to huddle under outdoor heaters while you listen to festive carolers that roam about.

Be sure to wear your long johns and a good hat and gloves, as everything has long outdoor lines, even for dining. 

Just be prepared for the costs to add up.  By the time we purchased 3 tickets for myself and my two older children, plus 2 Platinum Dining Certificates and one kids’ meal, plus a parking pass, I was over $108.  Thankfully, we already own several of the refillable cups, so I didn’t have to add that to our list of purchases.

Also be prepared for a huge wait to getting into the parking lot.  I’ve seen the line of cars back up all the way onto I-64 and move at a snail’s pace.  It can take an hours and a half just to get to the parking gate, and there are times when the park reaches capacity, and a flashing sign will turn you away.  So the moral of that story is to allow yourself PLENTY of extra time to get in line at the parking gate long before the park actually opens, and if you want to see all of the shows, be sure to plan your day accordingly and plan to stay until closing time.

Deal #2:  Buy One Get One Free Starbucks’ Holiday Coffees

This weekend only (extended to Monday for Rewards members), you can BOGO FREE on any of Starbuck’s Holiday coffee drinks, which includes Caramel Brulee Latte, Peppermint Mocha, Gingerbread Latte, Chestnut Praline, Eggnog, and Teavana Gingerbread Tea Latte.