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A MODERATE DAY

If you'd been here on a weekend like this,
you'd have had to pick your battles.

May 16, 2026 landed at a 6/10, the threshold where you start needing strategy. Crowds dipped to a 1 out of ten for 2 straight hours between 10 AM and 12 PM.

PLANNING A TRIP?
Pick your dates on the crowd calendar and we'll show you how this day compares to your window.
6
/10
Moderate
AVG WAIT24m
PEAK100m
RIDES OPEN11/10
WEATHER81° Clear
Busch Gardens Williamsburg crowd report infographic for May 16, 2026
Tap to enlarge

The day, hour by hour.

10 AM to 9 PM · crowd level 1–10
1
10 AM
1
11 AM
6
12 PM
8
1 PM
8
2 PM
7
3 PM
7
4 PM
5
5 PM
5
6 PM
7
7 PM
7
8 PM
7
9 PM
10 AM to 10 AM
Be at the gates before they open

Touring strategy starts here. DarKoaster climbs steeply through the morning on moderate days.

11 AM to 1 PM
Eat before 11 or after 2

Quick-service queues stack between 11:30 and 1:30. Plan around them.

10 AM to 12 PM
Mid-afternoon dip is real but brief

The window around 10 AM is your friend. Use it on DarKoaster or whatever you've been putting off.

8 PM to 9 PM
Closing rush is your friend

Lines drop sharply once the night winds down. Wait it out, then re-ride.

Every ride, by average wait.

19 rides · avg wait shown
DarKoaster
63m avg
peak 100m · 100% uptime
Loch Ness Monster: The Legend Lives On
50m avg
peak 50m · 68% uptime
Griffon
31m avg
peak 50m · 100% uptime
Alpengeist
24m avg
peak 35m · 100% uptime
Apollo's Chariot
24m avg
peak 30m · 100% uptime
InvadR
17m avg
peak 25m · 100% uptime
Finnegan's Flyer
15m avg
peak 25m · 100% uptime
Tempesto
14m avg
peak 20m · 100% uptime
Der Autobahn
11m avg
peak 25m · 100% uptime
The Battering Ram
8m avg
peak 15m · 100% uptime
Escape From Pompeii
Closed all day
Grover's Alpine Express
Closed all day
Le Catapult
Closed all day
Le Scoot
Closed all day
Pantheon
Closed all day
The Big Bad Wolf: The Wolf's Revenge
Closed all day
The Trade Wind
Closed all day
Turkish Delight
Closed all day
Verbolten
0m avg
peak 0m · 39% uptime
8 rides were closed all day
Escape From Pompeii Grover's Alpine Express Le Catapult Le Scoot Pantheon The Big Bad Wolf: The Wolf's Revenge The Trade Wind Turkish Delight

Weather that day: ☀️ Clear, high 81°F, low 52°F, no rain.

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Busch Gardens Williamsburg crowd report infographic for May 16, 2026
SHAREABLE LINK
https://rideready.app/parks/busch-gardens-williamsburg/crowd-calendar/2026-05-16/
FOR YOUR TRIP

This is the day,
but live, in your pocket.

Days like this are won and lost on timing. Ride Ready turns live waits into drop alerts, walk-on windows, and what-to-ride-next picks, free.

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WHAT YOU'D HAVE GOTTEN ON THIS DAY
10:15a Drop alert: DarKoaster 100m to 44m
2:42p Walk-on window: InvadR + Finnegan
3:55p Smart pick: pivot while a queue resets
7:15p Re-ride window opens late
5 drop alerts · 4 picks · 2 skip suggestions