"Ebb and Flow, Up and Down" ~or~ "The Dumbing Down of 'Europe'"

Busch Gardens Tampa (nee Busch Gardens Africa, nee Busch Gardens: The Dark Continent) hasn’t had the easiest time blossoming into her adulthood. In her infancy, she was no more than a series of botanical gardens adjacent to a brewery, but she aspired to be more. In her first decade alone, a full-service restaurant, an exotic safari and a suspended monorail were added on the opposite side of the brewery from the gardens. As she entered adolescence, a railway was added for additional viewing of the many exotic animals and lush plants. Throughout her teens, her additions cemented her destiny: a flume in ’73, the Moroccan village in ’75, and in ’77 the Python rollercoaster… as well as the moniker “The Dark Continent.” At nearly two decades old, the new task at hand was to unify a property that, through fits and starts, had gone from a Brewery and its “dressing” to being a full-scale player in the game of Amusement – an industry that seemingly everyone had a hand in at the time, from Warner Brothers to Marriott. She’s had her growing pains, her challenges and her competition – and she’s flourished.

An early view of the Tampa brewery and gardens.

Like a tale from Greek or Roman mythology, Busch Gardens Williamsburg was seemingly born into adulthood. Cool, confident and brimming with possibilities, she was carefully planned from the beginning: She was to be located on a lush, gorgeous piece of land replete with hills, valleys and springs; her mission, to have beautiful “villages” reminiscent of old-world Europe, with rides, attractions and shows integrated throughout. Where her Tampa sister’s niche was being “a park-with-animals,” (including 2 animal-show venues: the “Bird Circus Theater” where “Pets Ahoy” now stands, and the “Tanzania Theater,” now known as “Stanleyville Theater”), the Williamsburg park’s specialty was to be truly theatrical in nature. Throughout her initial six areas (Banbury Cross, Heatherdowns, Hastings, Aquitaine, New France and Rhinefeld), she was to have five designated performance spaces (The Globe Theatre, The Magic Lantern Theatre, the Three Musketeers Theatre, The Canadian Palladium and the Rhinefeld gazebo), as well as numerous roaming costumed actors and performers. The next few years saw the additions of Oktoberfest, San Marco and DaVinci’s Garden, bringing with them two more show venues: Das Festhaus, an authentically recreated Munich-style beer hall, and Teatro Di San Marco, an outdoor stage surrounded by tables for al fresco dining. Time marched on, and her teens brought even more areas: Threadneedle Faire and Festa Italia. Her confidence grew and she, too, flourished.

Left and Center, photos of the real Oktoberfest in Munich. Right, Das Festhaus.

As with people who grow up facing adversity and challenges, Tampa learned her strengths, embraced her uniqueness and carefully observed the successes of her sibling. Without wavering, every addition has reinforced her African theme and she continues to exceed expected attendance and revenue. Her shows, however, may not all be African-themed, but they don’t need to be. They are shows of quality, and they target different age groups without ever being inappropriate. Today she offers one children’s show (A is for Africa), two family shows (Iceploration & Critter Castaways) and two shows directed pointedly at adults (the fiery Let’s Dance & the soulful Men of Note). Something for everyone.

And then there’s Williamsburg…

Like a person raised without challenges, without having to ever “find” her way, Williamsburg eventually gave in to insecurity, questioning her direction and second-guessing her mission. “I must make things simpler. At the risk of losing all that makes me unique, I must become more accessible," she thought. "To win the guests of King’s Dominion, I must become more like them and appeal to the lowest common denominator.” An ill-conceived combination of conformity and pandering became her solution: away went the names of Hamlets on her park maps and literature, only to be replaced with the names of the countries they represented, and park landmarks followed suit. Her trains were no longer spoken of by name: station conductors now referred to Der Hochbeinege simply as the “red train,” the Balmoral Castle as “blue” and the Alpen Express, “green.” Castle O’Sullivan, a ride-enclosure-turned-show venue, is now home to ill-placed character dining. The Three Musketeers Theatre, upgraded and renamed The Royal Palace, now sits dark (outside of special events). The Canadian Palladium is now a ride pad. The stage in Land of the Dragons (a 'subdivision' of Germany) also sits dark.  The rich Bavarian hues of Oktoberfest have given way to the candy colors of any Cedar Fair park. 

And then, most recently came this:

WILLIAMSBURG, VA (March 8, 2012) – Busch Gardens delves deep into Bavarian folk lore in a new musical stage production debuting at Das Festhaus on March 24. Entwined: Tales of Good & Grimm transforms the park's 2,000-seat restaurant into a forest wonderland where fairy tales come to life...

Entwined replaces the park's long-running This is Oktoberfest show, which ended its 35-year run at the end of Busch Gardens regular 2011 season. [Vice President of Entertainment Scott] Gasparich said Entwined is Busch Gardens' response to guests asking for fresh programming.

Gone.

The show that encapsulated the very spirit of Busch Gardens Williamsburg is now gone.


Gone as well is the authentic Oktoberfest stage that never failed to elicit goose bumps on my arms when it lifted the live oom-pah band high above the crowd, that same stage that consistently drew audible gasps from those seeing it raise for the first time.  For three and a half decades, the entertainment department understood that both the show and the stage were sacred, they were symbolic. As Shamu is synonymous with SeaWorld, This is Oktoberfest was synonymous with Busch Gardens Williamsburg.

Mind you, the show "as it was traditionally performed” actually ended one year earlier. For the 2011 season, all references to the history of Munich’s Oktoberfest, as well as the popularity of polka music in America, were removed only to be replaced with cheesy dialogue, mugging and sexual innuendo. It was the public’s displeasure with this version that led to cries for change: the people wanted it changed back, but Gasparich took advantage of this outcry and used it as justification for removing a show that he obviously grew bored with shortly after his arrival.


This also marks the removal of one more show aimed at adults.


Now, just to avoid any confusion, I don't mean "adult-oriented" (like Howl-O-Scream 2011's "Fiends of the Festhaus" which some unsuspecting parents stumbled upon and found a bit too adult), what I do mean is "aimed at adults, but still friendly for any age."

"Adult-focused" (This is Oktoberfest, left, and Starlight Orchestra, center)
versus "Adult-oriented" (Fiends in the Festhaus, right)

Some perspective: in 2005, team Williamsburg offered two straight-up children's shows (The Fairy Lore Players and A Trio of Three in Land of the Dragons), three shows for the whole family (Secrets of Castle O'Sullivan, Pet Shananigans, and the cirque-style Imaginique), and five different shows that were aimed directly at the grown-ups: Irish Thunder, American Jukebox, This is Oktoberfest, Holiday in Roma and The Starlight Orchestra.

The "Land of the Dragons" stage: the ideal home for a fantasy/fairy-tale show.
Photos courtesy of RyanActor.com

Now let's take a quick look at the park's online show schedule for 2012. We have five live sit-down shows. Total. Only one show for the adults (Celtic Fyre) , three shows for the whole family (the fever-dream fairy-tale Entwined, the slapstick Mix it Up, and the perennial Pet Shenanigans), and one for just kids (Sunny Days Celebration).

Busch Gardens Williamsburg is offering five live sit-down shows for the 2012;
'The Secret Life of Predators' is viewed on-foot in the sun, 'Pirates 4-D' is a film 

I have no children, nor do I see myself ever having children; I do enjoy spending time with my nieces, but I also enjoy the freedom to travel as part of an adult couple. As such, we have the luxury of being able to buy the higher-ticket souvenirs (German steins, Irish sweaters, Tyrolean hats, Venetian masks, etc.) without fear of them being marred by little hands. Of the two of us, my other half is the coaster-enthusiast-park-aficionado, whereas I simply love the park for the immersive experience - the architecture, the landscaping, the food and the shows. I 'm a Leo, but I'm able to recognize that the world isn't all about me... However, I find it hard to believe that I'm the only person with a disposable income that's starting to feel unwanted by the park.  For us, its a six-hour trek: we usually drive down, check in at the hotel, head to the park, grab a show-schedule/map and plan our next few days around the shows and meals, leaving the rides as filler. Although the relatively recent addition of Illuminights (a peak-season assortment of evening entertainment) is admirable, one well-produced nightly sit-down show in the Royal Palace Theatre (a-la Imaginique or Kinetix) would be much more pleasurable than a handful of hit-or-miss street performances throughout the park, especially at the end of a long day. Quality and consideration trump quantity.

Some colorful former residents of the now-dark Royal Palace Theatre:
The cirque-style Imaginique (left 2) and the high-energy Kinetix (right 2)

This too, in theory, shall pass. Everything is cyclical. The ebb and the flow, the rise and the fall. As much as the Tampa park has slowly wound me around her little finger through increased variety and an unwavering pride in her history, I'm equally saddened by Williamsburg's descent into mediocrity, denying her roots and pushing away her most loyal suitors.


Here's hoping Williamsburg soon remembers her calling; it's high time she started acting her age.

"Good times and bum times, I've seen 'em all and, my dear...

...I'm still here."


My deepest, most sincere apologies. The blog, like a princess from some Neuschwanstein-like castle, lies asleep.


Sadly, it's nothing poetic like a spindle or an apple.  Just life in general.


Hang in there. The journey will be magical.


Peace, love & gingerbread,


~me