Busch Gardens and Water Country USA in Williamsburg, Virginia have announced a two-year multi-million dollar expansion plan, which represents the largest investment in the parks history. The expansion will offer something for everyone in the family, including new rides, a re-envisioned village theme and an expansion to one of Busch Gardens’ newest events.

The changes will begin this year and extend into 2012, starting with an expansion of Christmas Town: A Busch Gardens Celebration. Beginning November 26, guests will experience the flair of an Italian Christmas as the Italy section of the park has been added to the Christmas Town experience. The Italy portion of the park will have a golden color scheme, traditional holiday flare, graceful angels and a “Peace on Earth” theme.

Busch Gardens and Water Country USA are beginning construction on new rides that will tower above the competition and offer spectacular views of the James River. Mach Tower, located in Busch Gardens’ Oktoberfest, will be the tallest ride in the park and will lift riders 246 feet in the air. After rotating at the top of the tower and getting a few seconds to take in the view, riders plummet at a breathtaking speed. State-of-the-art special effects will enhance the Mach Tower ride. The ride is set to open in the spring of 2011.

Mach Tower is part of a complete renovation of the park’s Oktoberfest. The park is updating the look and atmosphere of this iconic area with new or redesigned restaurants, games and performance areas. Plus, a new beer garden is planned, complete with canopies of colored maypoles and festive banners that depict the rich heritage of Bavaria.

Over at Water Country USA, guests are in for the ride of their lives as the new drop slide Vanish Point serves up fun at all-new heights. The crest of this 75-foot tower challenges guests with two wave paths. They can step into a skybox and take a plunge when the floor drops out beneath their feet, or they can get horizontal on a 300-foot speed slide that drops them straight down as soon as they enter. Both ways are pure liquid adrenaline.

The Big Bad Wolf ride will be replaced by a new state-of-the-art launch roller coaster that will propel riders through a high-speed thrill ride packed with twists, turns and other surprises. Although details are currently sparse, the ride is set to debut in the spring of 2012.

Busch Gardens tickets are on sale now.

Busch Gardens in Williamsburg Virginia is gearing up for their annual Howl-O-Scream event, where the park transforms into a Halloween-themed haunt, full of ghosts, goblins and ghouls. Howl-O-Scream operates on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from Friday, September 24 through Sunday, October 31, 2010. The Howl-O-Scream events will take place from 6pm to 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays, and from 6pm to 9pm on Sundays through October 3. After that, the park will stay open until 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays and 10pm on Sundays.

This year’s Howl-O-Scream event features six haunted houses and five shows. The theme for this year’s event is “The Scare is Everywhere.” There are no separate scare zones, as the entire park is considered a scare zone this year.

The Haunted Houses include Bitten, a maze set in eastern Europe in the 1800s and has the theme of vampires and the undead; hunted, an attraction set in 1800s Germany inside a hunter’s cabin; Harvest Hollow, a journey through some of your worst nightmares; Revenge of Pompeii, where the missing are lurking at every corner, waiting for you; Catacombs, a ruined cemetery where the dead show themselves; and Cursed, where the witches of the woods come out to play.

The Howl-O-Scream shows include The Count’s Halloween Spooktacular, a kid-friendly show located at Sesame Street’s Forest of Fun; Jack is Back, a street show featuring jack-o-lanterns, singing, dancing, and music; Frankenrock, located inside Das Festhaus, this show has a group of monsters that have every intention to rock; Monster Stomp Revamped, located in the Abbey Stone Theater, witches, skeletons, mummies and other characters come out to play to the sounds of your Halloween favorites; and Movies of the Macabre, where black and white movies are shown on the big screen.

Some of the scare zones that will be available at Busch Gardens Williamsburg includes a Victorian funeral themed England section; France will be plagued by rats; Festhaus Park will be home to “The Field of Screams,” where the buried come to life; and Italy will feature “Bewitched & Bewildered.”

Howl-O-Scream events are included in regular priced Busch Gardens tickets.