4. Christmas Town at Busch Gardens Williamsburg

Both Busch Gardens parks put on the holiday event called Christmas Town. However, Busch Gardens Williamsburg comes out on top with its offerings. There are over 10 million lights decorating the park on select dates from November 11th to January 8th. The event features holiday shops, meet and greets with Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph’s Winter Wonderland, special treats and drinks, and even Santa’s Workshop.

You won’t want to miss the 20+ rides and coasters open during the event, especially Verbolten which wizzes through festively decorated terrain. After a ride on one of the coasters, you may choose to relax on the Christmas Town Express holiday train ride experience. (It is important to note some rides and coasters may not be available in colder temperatures.) Last but certainly not least, be sure to check out one of the incredible shows like Twas the Night, a holiday ice skating spectacular or Scrooge No More, a musical version of A Christmas Carol.

By far, the best offering at Christmas Town at Busch Gardens Williamsburg is Santa’s Fireside Feast. This special dining experience includes an all-you-care-to-eat meal while Santa himself tells Christmas stories with Mrs. Claus and the elves. Better yet, the meal includes a complimentary photo, and children under three are free. If you are visiting the park, this is surely an experience you will not want to miss. Just be sure to make reservations in advance.

5. An Old Time Christmas at Silver Dollar City

An Old Time Christmas is presented by Humana and runs select dates from November 5th through December 30th. This festival features over six million lights, 60 shops, Rudolph’s Holly Jolly Christmas Parade, and the Christmas in Midtown light spectacular.

There is an abundance of live entertainment offerings including a living nativity scene, a musical adaptation of A Christmas Carol, and the new show Coming Home for Christmas the includes performances of over a dozen holiday songs and a live band. Kids will enjoy Tinker Junior’s Toy Shop which includes a talking Christmas tree. The festival wouldn’t be complete without trying one of the tasty holiday favorites such as Christmas prime rib, caramel apples, and even wassail.

Honorable Mention: Six Flags

This year, six of the Six Flags theme parks are hosting a holiday event called Holiday in the Park. These include Six Flags Magic Mountain, Six Flags Fiesta Texas, Six Flags Over Texas, Six Flags Over Georgia, Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, and Six Flags Great Adventure. While they do have some exciting holiday activities and events such as open rides and coasters, lights display, live entertainment, and visits with Santa, we didn’t feel they quite topped the other parks on the list. However, they are worth mentioning and if you live near one of these parks you might want to check out Holiday at the Park.

Which do you think is the best theme park to visit in the winter? Let us know your thoughts by leaving us a comment below or on our Facebook page.