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It’s easy as theme park fans to just focus on the top players. Consistent news arrives daily from Disney and Universal about their latest updates, even during the pandemic. However, that approach does a disservice to other great parks around the world. A perfect example is Busch Gardens Williamsburg, which goes well beyond our expectations for a regional park. Originally called Busch Gardens: The Old Country, it opened in 1975 and has continued to grow ever since.
My guest on this episode of The Tomorrow Society Podcast is Mary Kwiatkowski, who is an expert on Busch Gardens Williamsburg. She’s a podcaster who talks frequently about pop culture for the Kowskicast and Rob Has a Podcast. Mary regularly visits her home park and has experienced the changes there during the pandemic. Her recent visits for the Christmas Celebration offered an up-close example at the updates.
During this episode, Mary describes the history of Busch Gardens Williamsburg and why it deserves more attention from theme park fans. We also talk about her favorite attractions, including the B&M hyper coaster Apollo’s Chariot. Mary also covers lost attractions and memorable rides like Verbolten and Escape from Pompeii. We close the show with a fun game where I test Mary’s knowledge of her home park. I really enjoyed talking about Busch Gardens Williamsburg and can’t wait to visit there.
Show Notes: Mary Kwiatkowski
Follow Mary Kwiatkowski on Twitter and Instagram and listen to her talk about pop culture on the Kowskicast and Rob Has a Podcast.
Learn more about Busch Gardens Williamsburg at the official website.
Watch Defunctland’s YouTube video on the history of Drachen Fire at Busch Gardens Williamsburg.
So this is crazy. Just days ago, my family made plans to go to Busch Gardens Williamsburg later this year for the first time. Then in the same week, you release this episode on the same park (which I’ve never seen covered on another podcast). Great timing! Also, I like the format of interviewing a local who can talk about a regional park that may be unfamiliar to many of us. Maybe you could interview someone from the Netherlands who could talk about Efteling? I’d love to hear that.
Nice! Doug, I think it’s a great idea to cover more regional parks, especially parks that I’d love to visit like Efteling. I can’t promise anything, but it would be a lot of fun. I’m glad you enjoyed the podcast!