I'd do it for sure, good place to stop on the way. It will be hot but it's the summer and supposed to be hot.

Busch Gardens is our favorite amusement park Its easily the most beautiful amusement park and they have surprisingly good food.
If you're going on a Thursday the crowds won't be as bad as they are on the weekends. They have lots of shady spots, a lot of the lines for roller coasters are under cover with fans that keep the air circulating. If you go I hope you have a great time!

We go to BG multiple times every summer. My boys favorite cool off activity is to hang out ( in bathing suits) on the deck by Escape from Pompeii. they get absolutely drenched when the ride comes down the big hill at the end. They love it! Ride whatever you really want to ride before 1:00. Roman Rapids is a fun, get drenched ride too.

I would do Water Country instead

Anonymous wrote:Hershey park has a waterpark section.

Sorry. Just realized you're heading south. Duh.

Hershey park has a waterpark section.

Anonymous wrote:Hard to think of anything more miserable than an amusement park in summer. I say, blindfold kids when you hit Richmond, so they can't see the signs, keep driving.

This is what I would do. Schedule a trip to Busch Gardens when it is not miserably hot. Is there a waterpark you can hit instead?

Hard to think of anything more miserable than an amusement park in summer. I say, blindfold kids when you hit Richmond, so they can't see the signs, keep driving.

Lines shouldn't be bad on a weekday, and Busch Gardens is one of the "better" amusement parks in terms of having actual shade. There are a few water rides (the flume, Escape from Pompeii, and a river rapids one that gets you pretty soaked), and if your kids are little, there are 2 splash areas, one at the front in the Sesame street area and one at Land of the Dragons.

It will be fun. Also if you need a break, see the Pet Shenanigans show, it's really cute.

It will be hot, the lines will be reasonable on a weekday and your kids will have a blast.

We are thinking of stopping at Busch Gardens en route to our annual trip to the outer banks this July. We'd be there on a Thursday because our house is a Fri-Fri rental. Is it just miserable to be there in the deep summer heat? If you can't tell I don't want to go, but my kids beg for this every year when we pass the signs on the way to the outer banks ... DH and I finally are ready to cave, in large part to break up the drive! But I am concerned it will be disgustingly hot and sticky with long lines and the kids will be disappointed.