User:Naigel51/Busch Gardens Williamsburg
 | This is the sandbox page where you will draft your initial Wikipedia contribution.
If you're starting a new article, you can develop it here until it's ready to go live. If you're working on improvements to an existing article, copy only one section at a time of the article to this sandbox to work on, and be sure to use an edit summary linking to the article you copied from. Do not copy over the entire article. You can find additional instructions here. Remember to save your work regularly using the "Publish page" button. (It just means 'save'; it will still be in the sandbox.) You can add bold formatting to your additions to differentiate them from existing content. |
Article Draft (My additions are in bold)[edit]
Ireland[edit]
Formerly known as Hastings, England, this section of the park was re-themed in 2001 as Ireland, the newest country in over 20 years. With the addition of this country, the park's attendance was boosted by 17% in 2001 after the grand opening and was awarded a top prize by the Themed Entertainment Association.[1] This area features Celtic Fyre, at the Abbey Stone Theatre, a celebration of Irish dance. In 2021, Celtic Fyre was named the number one Best Amusement Park Entertainment by USA Today, adding to the collection of awards and praise already collected by Busch Gardens Williamsburg over the years.[2] Previously, the theatre housing Celtic Fyre was named the Magic Lantern Theatre and housed some of the best theme park musical revue in the United States.
St. Patrick's Day (new section)[edit]
Starting in 2021, Busch Gardens Williamsburg celebrated their first St. Patrick's Day celebration. This event celebrates Irish culture in all ten hamlets, and spans across the month of March. The event features Irish-themed cuisine, music, live entertainment, and special events, as well as having the park's various rides in operation. Those attending Das Festhaus will be able to view the various Irish stepdance performances that have been shown in the park over the years, including the award-winning Celtic Fyre. Appearances from Virginia's Irish Dance Schools can also be seen in the San Marco Theatre. For the children attending, there is a scavenger hunt hosted by Busch Garden's leprechaun, Clancy, who is also available throughout the day for photos. For the adults, there is a variety of brews available throughout the park, various Guiness products, and green beer. There will also be an exclusive day for Busch Gardens Williamsburg members during the event.[3]
Night of Oktoberfest (new section)[edit]
Night of Oktoberfest is an annual event that started in 1976 and is a 21 and up event hosted in the Oktoberfest part of the Germany. This event includes German inspired food, alcoholic drinks, a DJ, games, raffles, and use of some select ride attractions in the Germany hamlet of the park.[4]
Awards and recognition[edit]
In 2021, the park was also nominated by USA Today to be the fourth best amusement park in the country.[5]
| NAPHA Survey: Most Beautiful Park | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
| Ranking | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| NAPHA Survey: Most Beautiful Park | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | 2020 | 2021 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ranking | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NAPHA Survey: Favorite Theme Park | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2021 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ranking | 1 | 1 | - | 1 | 2 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
References[edit]
- ^ O'Brien, Tim (2000). "Ireland comes to Busch Gardens Williamsburg". Amusement Business. 34 (1) – via ProQuest.
- ^ "Amusement Park Entertainment Winners (2021) | USA TODAY 10Best". 10Best. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
- ^ "Erin go bragh: Busch Gardens brings St. Patrick's Day festivities to the 'burg". Williamsburg Yorktown Daily. 2021-02-26. Retrieved 2023-03-08.
- ^ "Night of Oktoberfest at Busch Gardens | Visit Williamsburg". www.visitwilliamsburg.com. Retrieved 2023-03-08.
- ^ "Best Amusement Park Winners (2021) | USA TODAY 10Best". 10Best. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
- ^ "Member Survey". www.napha.org. Retrieved 2023-02-15.