William and Mary Alumni Magazine | Spring 2008, Vol. 73, No. 3
Photo by CS/P
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In February, Busch Gardens is very quiet. The flowers and trees that typically adorn the landscape are resting peacefully in greenhouses or have lost their leaves for the season. Passers-by on Interstate 64 can't see Apollo's Chariot racing down its 210-foot drop -- the park is closed.
This isn't, however, the whole story. Behind the facades of Aquitaine, in the shadow of Alpengeist, there is a series of small, unassuming buildings that house Busch Gardens Europe's management. They're much like ordinary office buildings, with corner offices, cubicles and water coolers. Here, they're still working hard on the business of managing fun, even in the off-season.
One of these corner offices belongs to John Reilly '90, executive vice president and general manager of Busch Gardens Europe and nearby Water Country USA. Reilly has been with Busch Entertainment for 23 years, but his career didn't start in a corner office with an impressive title. It began when he was 15.
"My first job here was as a cashier at the Loch Ness drink stand, so I sold popcorn and soft drinks," he says. That was 1985, and now Reilly is back to running the park where it all began after seven years elsewhere in the Busch companies.
"Busch Gardens Europe is very special to me," he says. "I grew up here and worked at the park for 16 years. I am honored to return to the park now as part of a dedicated team of professionals working to make the park the best it can be. For me, that makes the park a special place to work. Plus, I think it really is just a stunningly beautiful park, which makes Williamsburg a little bit special to me and a little bit different."
Growing up so close to the park and attending school in Williamsburg made it easy for Reilly to continue on the path he began at age 15. "When I came here, it really was a summer job," he says. "There were a lot of opportunities here, in terms of becoming a supervisor. Attending William and Mary allowed me to continue those opportunities, but I really didn't know it would be my career at that point." Working at the park on the weekends meant a lot of time studying on weeknights, but Reilly still made time for the Flat Hat and the Spanish and history honor societies. All the while, he said his experience at the College and his first years at Busch Gardens were "intertwined."
After graduation with a degree in modern languages, Reilly spent a summer away at graduate school, but the pull of Busch Gardens was too strong. He took the first opportunity he could to come back to the park and has been with Busch ever since.
"That was when I realized that I missed the park; I missed the activity of the park, I missed the excitement, I missed the fun atmosphere," he says. "An opportunity opened and I came back." Along the way, he served as corporate vice president of merchandising for all of Busch Entertainment and as vice president of merchandise for Busch Gardens Africa in Tampa, Fla.
"I left [Williamsburg] in 2001, before Ireland opened, before Griffon and before the new interchange off I-64," he says. "The park is just tremendously different." Still, he says his return to the 'Burg in November 2007 is "the greatest memory from my career."
To get back, he's worked his way up the ladder: now, he gives new employees the same speech he received 23 years ago. "I remember sitting in that same seat in 1985: I know what my concerns were and what my excitement level was. It's great to talk to those team members -- almost every one of them has visited the park as a guest," Reilly says.
His experience at all levels of Busch Gardens Europe helps him lead his team of over 4,500 workers. He's not just some faceless bureaucrat; Reilly has been there and remembers the feeling. William and Mary helped him translate that experience into his current leadership position.
"The focus at William and Mary at that time of a quality liberal arts education has really helped me. The faculty at the College constantly focused on critical thinking and analysis," he says. "That really helps you as a leader, because you have to be able to sort through a lot of information, analyze and interpret it, and have it make sense."
There's no rest for Reilly, even when the coasters aren't running. Crews and staff are working every day to prepare the park for the 2008 season, which will feature a big concert series and the 30th anniversary of the Loch Ness Monster roller coaster. The goal this year, he says, is to maintain the powerful momentum from 2007.
"Certainly, 2007 was a hugely successful year for tourism in Williamsburg," he says. "There were a lot of factors that contributed to that: Jamestown 2007 was one of them. Griffon was a tremendously successful addition to our parks, and that benefited the destination as well." Busch Gardens leadership had worked with College administration on the Jamestown 2007 welcoming committee and hopes to extend the teamwork: "I think all the parties in the community need to keep working together to continue the cooperation that we had in 2007."
With the Loch Ness Monster turning 30 this year, Reilly hopes to promote the park's classic roller coasters alongside newer thrills like Griffon and Apollo's Chariot. "I can remember riding the Loch Ness Monster for the first time and waiting in line with my younger sister and my father. We got up to the ride and I rode, but my father had to take my sister through the exit because at the last minute she changed her mind.
"I can remember in probably 1978 or 1979, coming up here with my parents and my sister and having lunch in the Festhaus, so I have great memories of coming here," he says. "I would say the Festhaus is probably my sentimental favorite. The traditional German show that we have and the dining experience is great fun. To me, that's my best memory of Busch Gardens."
Currently though, in his new position at the head of his favorite theme park, Reilly is devoted to helping today's generation of Busch Gardens guests form their own fond memories.
"You can go out of your way to find something that a guest needs, or personally escort them to an attraction," he says. "It's amazing to me how making their experience more personal and doing something for them directly can impact their day."
