So I got into Williamsburg around 2:30 pm, dropped my stuff off in my hotel room and headed to the park. I got there around three, had 6 hours to kill before they closed at 9pm. I did not expect it to be so dead that I would have done every coaster in 3 1/2 hours! That includes 2 water rides too and 2 of those 4-D movie rides (which made me a bit ill, that combined with a lack of food).

I did not take my camera today, I figured I’d do that tomorrow, which I will. That way Zan and I can have photos together and take them of each other. The problem is my camera is bigger than the norm micro digital camera’s, but it should fit okay into my side short pockets. I will have to locker it for any water rides though.

I browsed shops and perused for souvenir and gift ideas. One thing I saw that I wanted were this funny garden gnome statues, but these are shiny metallic and just uber-gay. But I didn’t want to lug them around with me or be bothered to locker them up. I thought I’d get them tomorrow near the end of the day. Then I found out I could by them and have them held for me at the front gate. Doh! I saw a pink shirt with glitter that just screamed at me to get the BF, but i only saw one in an xtra-large size. I’ll have to look in other shops for it tomorrow.

Honestly I kinda would rather spend my money at Jamestown at the glass house or in Williamsburg, but I can’t remember what you can buy there aside from kitchy historic crap like books aimed at kids and tin whistles to drive adults batty. I might have to just splurge and get some things at Busch Gardens, which has nice stuff in a lot of their gift stores. Then if i see something at Jamestown, just get it too. Birthday’s and Christmas will be here before I know it!

If you’ve never been, the park in Williamsburg is modeled after Europe, well kinda. That’s the meaning behind the title of this and the previous post. Just as Disney divides its parks up into worlds, Busch Gardens divides theirs into countries. I’ve been going to Busch Gardens for a loooong time, I remember when they only had England, Scotland and Ireland actually. They’ve since added Germany, France and Italy. France I think might have actually been original come to think of it, because of the log flume there.

Scotland has the classic Loch Ness Monster coaster, which I still love. It turned 30 this year, I can’t believe I’m older than it! I rode it 3 times today, the third a fluke as we pulled into the station and 2 people were left waiting to ride before the park closed; so we all got to go again. One thing I was disappointed with, okay two . . . . first they took the lights off the side of the coaster, which looked really neat at night. There are of course now two new coasters behind it, which don’t have lights, so maybe this is why they did it. Second, they took the projection of the Loch Ness Monster off the wall in his cave you go through near the end of the ride. It was cartoonish and silly, but it has always been there. Why? Maybe it was a fluke and he’ll be there tomorrow, otherwise I’m asking 😛

France’s new coaster, the only one added since I had been there last, was The Griffin. Holy hell is this one monster of a coaster! It really puts almost all the other ones in the park to shame, except maybe Apollo’s Chariot, which is a close second. I’ll have to take a movie of this sucker tomorrow for you all to see as word’s can’t really describe the insane vertical drop it does, after it dangles you at the top before letting you go.

Other changes have been made since I’ve been too. For example Germany got a 4-D movie ride called Dark Castle, which in fact works exactly like the Spiderman 4-D ride at Universal if you’ve ever done it. This replaced the old Draken Fire coaster, which I think was set up where this new ride is. That coaster was great, but gave them so much trouble because it was a rough ride and you got jerked around, some people were actually hurt on it (neck injuries and stuff). After a few years of tinkering, adding pads, even taking one loop area out; they just closed it. In England the old simulator ride Questor (which was like Droid Wars at Disney), got a complete upgrade to 4-D as well and isn’t confined to a small enclosed box, it’s in a large area and has more movement.

The classic Big Bad Wolf is still there, but this one is really showing it’s age. It was one of, if not the first, suspended coasters. Compared to the new relatively new Alpengeist, it doesn’t compare. However if you are at the park when it hits dark, it’s still one of the best coasters to do in the dark because it’s set back in the woods and you can’t see a think except when you get to the final drop.

Okay, I’m tired, I’m going to bed. Pictures will follow tomorrow, since I should be taking some. i’ll definitely have photos on Thursday when we hit the historic stuff.