Williamsburg-based theme park Busch Gardens Europe was named “World’s Best Theme Park” Monday by Theme Park Insider, an online consumer guide for theme park enthusiasts. Busch Gardens — which draws much of its attendance from the Washington area and the entire mid-Atlantic region — beat out the country’s bigger parks, such as Walt Disney World and Universal Studios in Orlando, Fla., for the annual award.
“This is a tremendous honor for Busch Gardens Europe and all of its employees because it acknowledges not only our great rides and shows, but also our beauty, theming, dedicated world-class guest service and overall park experience,” Donnie Mills, general manager of Busch Gardens, said in a statement.
Busch Gardens consistently wins awards from the amusement industry despite its smaller size and lower profile, said Tim Baldwin, an archivist for Amusement Today, an Arlington, Texas-based trade publication. The reason, he said, is the park provides an experience for the whole family in a clean atmosphere — something its local competitors, the more roller coaster-focused Paramount’s Kings Dominion in Virginia’s Hanover County and Six Flags America in Prince George’s County, don’t always do.
“Busch Gardens has a phenomenal reputation for offering a quality product,” Baldwin said. “They offer a great, well-rounded experience contained within a day.”
The fact that guests can see the park in one day is a major reason Busch Gardens relies on its drive-in guests. The park typically sees between 2 million and 3 million visitors per year — many of them coming from within 100 miles of the park.
“Any theme park outside of worldwide destinations are dependent upon their local base,” Baldwin said. “Your local market is who you’re going to cater to the most.”
