As Orlando Informer is your trusted source for official discounted tickets, we’re here to break down everything you need to know when snagging admission for your night full of chills and thrills!

Where to Buy Discounted Howl-O-Scream Tickets

Orlando Informer offers discounts on Howl-O-Scream tickets for both SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. By purchasing your tickets through Orlando Informer, you can save up to $89 off the gate price of $122.99. That’s a deal so good, it’s scary!

Explore ticket options here.

Why Buy Howl-O-Scream Tickets Early?

Howl-O-Scream is one of Florida’s most intense Halloween events, returning in 2025 with blood-curdling haunted houses, roaming scare zones, live shows, and pulse-pounding rides in the dark. As ticket prices rise closer to the event dates, it’s crucial to buy early for the best savings.

2025 Discounted Howl-O-Scream Ticket Options

There are several types of discounted Howl-O-Scream tickets available through Orlando Informer.

SeaWorld Orlando

• SeaWorld Orlando Single Day Howl-O-Scream Ticket: Any Day – Valid for one visit on any event night between September 5 and November 1, 2025.
• SeaWorld Orlando Single Day Howl-O-Scream Ticket: Blockout Dates Apply – Valid for any night except September 6, 13, 20, 27 and October 4, 11, 18, 25, and November 1

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay

• Busch Gardens Tampa Single Day Howl-O-Scream Ticket: Any Day – Valid for one visit on any Howl-O-Scream 2025 event night.
• Busch Gardens Tampa Single Day Howl-O-Scream Ticket: Blockout Dates Apply – Valid for any Thursday, Friday, or Sunday night.

Click here to explore and purchase discounted tickets for both parks.

Howl-O-Scream 2025 Event Dates

Mark your calendars! Howl-O-Scream takes place on select evenings from September 5 through early November. Here’s the full event schedule for each location:

SeaWorld Orlando Howl-O-Scream 2025 Dates

• September: 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20, 26, 27
• October: 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17, 18, 19, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31
• November: 1

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay Howl-O-Scream 2025 Dates

• September: 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20, 26, 27, 28
• October: 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17, 18, 19, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31
• November: 1, 2

What’s Included with Your Howl-O-Scream Ticket?

Your ticket grants access to haunted houses, scare zones, live entertainment, and more. SeaWorld and Busch Gardens each offer unique themes and terrifying experiences. Some attractions have already been revealed—check them out:

• SeaWorld Orlando Howl-O-Scream Guide
• Busch Gardens Tampa Bay Howl-O-Scream Guide

We’ll keep these pages updated as more experiences are announced, so be sure to bookmark them.

Don’t wait for ticket prices to rise or your preferred dates to sell out. Grab your discounted Howl-O-Scream tickets today and prepare for a night you won’t forget.

Discuss this exciting event with others on our SeaWorld Community on Facebook. Be sure to follow Orlando Informer on TikTok, Threads, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest news, tips, and more at Universal Orlando, Walt Disney World, and other Orlando attractions.

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The first and most important one is paying the full cost of admission. Side-step this mistake by snagging discounts on Busch Gardens Tampa Bay tickets from your trusted source at Orlando Informer.

Once you have your admission, let’s move on to the other ways to make your first visit as smooth as possible.

First-Time Visitor Mistake: Not Planning Your Transportation to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay

It may come as a surprise that Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is about an hour or so from Orlando, Florida. If you’ve got a car, it’s an easy drive — but if you’re traveling without one, it’s important to plan ahead. Ride-share options like Uber or traditional taxis are available, but be prepared: they can get pricey. A one-way Uber for up to four passengers typically ranges from $65 to $120, not including potential surge pricing. Taxis? They can run as high as $200 one way.

Thankfully, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay offers complimentary round-trip shuttles to Orlando with Mears Transportation. In addition to being at no cost, there are convenient pick-up locations throughout the International Drive area, including from SeaWorld Orlando and the Doubletree across from Universal Orlando Resort. Just remember that there is only one pick-up and drop-off time each way, and reservations are required, which cannot be made day-of, but can be reserved well in advance.

Don’t Forget to Hydrate and Dress for the Weather

It might sound like a no-brainer, but it’s a common mistake for guests to make when visiting Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. Hydration is important, especially when visiting a park that’s mostly outdoors. If you’re spending time here during the summer months, temperatures can get pretty high. The heat can take a toll and potentially put a damper on your day if you’re not careful. Our best suggestion here would be to bring a refillable water bottle to help avoid this, since there are plenty of water stations available.

On the other end of this, Florida is tropical weather at its finest as the state’s rainy season runs from May until mid-October, and tends to be unpredictable. While this offers a break from the heat, thunderstorms and downpours can derail your plans without proper preparation; there’s also the resulting humidity to consider. Here, it’s important to pay attention to the weather percentages on the day of your visit and dress in a way that’s both comfortable and suited to the day’s conditions. Packing a poncho wouldn’t hurt either.

One Common Mistake: Not Checking Busch Gardens Tampa Bay Operating Hours

Since Busch Gardens operates on seasonal hours, it’s important to check the operating times to ensure they are aligned with the date of your visit. It may seem like stating the obvious here as well, but this mistake is made all too often. Those wanting to visit during a less busy time, like early November, following the Halloween season, or January and February, may be caught off guard by the park’s limited hours.

Although it might make sense to visit the theme parks during the slower season, anyone booking their vacations during this time will want to be especially aware that Busch Gardens tends to close earlier at around 6 PM on weekdays. With this in mind, plan to head to Busch Gardens on the weekends in this time of year. While the crowds might be a little busier, the park will typically be open later.

Go During a Special Event to Maximize Your Day

Planning your visit during one of Busch Gardens’ annual events, like Howl-O-Scream or the Busch Gardens Food & Wine Festival, works in your favor on a few levels: The event season typically grants those aforementioned later hours, which helps optimize your time. This is especially true when combining day admission for Busch Gardens alongside Howl-O-Scream, when many popular rides like Iron Gwazi and SheiKra will be open.

Of course, going during one of these events may mean the park may be a little busier, but it’ll be worth it. Any of Busch Gardens’ events can potentially help create those lasting memories. Aside from experiencing its attractions at night, this could also be done by catching can’t-miss live performances, and uniquely created food and beverages to partake in.

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Before we start planning your weekend at SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, let’s talk tickets. The best way to start? Snag a multi-park ticket that gets you into both parks—and save while you’re at it with discounts from your trusted friends at Orlando Informer.

Now then, let’s get into the fun stuff.

Transportation Options to Visit SeaWorld and Busch Gardens in One Weekend

With park admission out of the way, the next step is figuring out Orlando’s transportation options, especially when it comes to SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. Of course, there’s always the option of ride-share services as they’re plentiful in our city.

It’s also worth checking if your hotel of choice offers complimentary transportation. Similar to other theme parks, the closer you stay to SeaWorld Orlando, the better the chances are that hotels in the area do.

On the other hand, Busch Gardens may not be as easy, given Tampa’s distance from Orlando and the possible traffic when driving there. Thankfully, there is free transportation for ticket holders from select points throughout Orlando, including a pick-up time from SeaWorld Orlando. It’s important to know that this option does require reservations, and the shuttle may need to make some stops along the way. However, those reservations can be made well in advance, and the shuttles typically still only take one to two hours to get to Busch Gardens.

Why You Should Plan a Separate Day for Each Park

When it comes to experiencing SeaWorld and Busch Gardens, it’s best to dedicate a full day to each park. This gives you ample time to account for transportation between the two cities and align with each park’s hours of operation. This is especially important for Busch Gardens, as travel time from Orlando—whether by car, shuttle, or ride-share—can take a bit longer, and the park often operates on a shorter schedule than SeaWorld.

If you can, try to plan your visit during one of SeaWorld and Busch Gardens’ year-round events. Yes, it may mean an increase in crowds, making it busier than usual, but events like Howl-O-Scream and SeaWorld’s Seven Seas Food Festival can grant extended operating hours, thereby maximizing the amount of time you have to enjoy the parks.

Enhance Your Weekend at SeaWorld and Busch Gardens

SeaWorld and Busch Gardens have a variety of ways to make the most of any visit to their parks. When it comes to maximizing your time, the best option to see everything is by upgrading your admission with a Quick Queue Unlimited Pass. This grants the leisure of unlimited, front-of-the-line access to each participating attraction. These attractions include Manta and Mako at SeaWorld Orlando, and roller coasters at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, like Cheetah Hunt and SheiKra.

Of course, combining the admission with an All-Day Dining Plan can also save you money on dining at SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. You can also enhance your visit with a variety of behind-the-scenes tours, offering exclusive access and unique experiences that go beyond the typical day in the park. These add-ons are perfect for anyone looking to create unforgettable memories and take their adventure to the next level.

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Busch Gardens Tampa Bay’s Wild Oasis introduces Tree Top Drop, a family-friendly drop tower that offers 35 feet of free-fall fun! The ride has a height requirement of 38 inches with an adult or 42 inches to ride alone, making it perfect for kids and parents to enjoy together.

That’s not the only way Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is taking things to new heights! Canopy Climb is a towering, multi-level play structure that lets you see the jungle from all-new perspectives. Navigate 45-foot-tall climbing towers, weave through a 200-foot-long net course, and take on a vertical climbing maze and suspended swinging bridge.

Beat the Florida heat at Enchanted Falls, a splash pad packed with fountains, geysers, jets, and a waterfall—guaranteed fun for kids (and refreshing for parents, too!). Plus, plenty of shaded seating ensures everyone can take a break and recharge.

Wild Oasis isn’t just about thrills—it’s also home to a multi-species habitat featuring capybaras, giant anteaters, squirrel monkeys, and a variety of tropical birds. 

“One of the things that I am most looking forward to is showing off how animals live in harmony,” Kayla Wendzel, a Busch Gardens Tampa Bay Zoological Curator, said this morning. “No matter what color, size, or different type of behavior they generally display, they can all live together cohesively to benefit their environment.”

This isn’t your typical habitat—you’ll be able to see capybaras up close in an underwater viewing area and get an aerial view of squirrel monkeys and exotic birds from the Canopy Climb!

Plus, put your exploration skills to the test with Rainforest Quest, an interactive scavenger hunt that takes you on an educational journey across Wild Oasis. Each station is themed to animals from the rainforests of Central and South America, helping guests learn about the unique ways these species connect to each other.

Wild Oasis is set to open in Spring 2025, bringing a whole new level of adventure to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. Don’t miss your chance to experience it—score discounted admission through Orlando Informer and be among the first to explore this wild new world!

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SeaWorld Orlando: Family Halloween Activities in Central Florida

Halloween Spooktacular at SeaWorld is a yearly celebration that takes place on select dates from now until November 3 and occurs between 12 PM and 5 PM. The event features a harvest maze, scarecrow dance parties, mermaid meet-and-greets, and story time for the little ones in the pumpkin garden. As part of SeaWorld’s Halloween celebrations, guests are welcome to dress in their favorite costumes with a few minor exceptions. Please keep in mind that costume masks and hoods aren’t allowed for those ages 13 and older, and face painting is only permitted if done by park artists.

Spooktacular is included with park admission to SeaWorld Orlando, but anyone wanting to make their memories extra special has plenty of options at an additional cost. Treat lovers can participate in the candy trail, made up of parkwide trick-or-treat stations, by purchasing a reusable SeaWorld trick-or-treat bag from many of the park’s merchandise locations, such as the SeaWorld Store. Additionally, the treasure hunters in the family can earn a special prize by completing The Spooktacular Scavenger Hunt Map, which can be bought at Coconut Bay Traders.

Our favorite of the add-on options is the Shamu and Crew Spooktacular Breakfast. The buffet-style meal takes place at Seafire Grill and features Shamu and his friends decked out in their Halloween attire along with great menu items like two choices of scrambled eggs (that’s regular and Western omelet style for those keeping notes), sausage gravy, biscuits, French toast sticks, and more. It’s important to know that this is specific to Saturdays and Sundays, meaning space may be limited. Those interested will want to reserve their spot ASAP!

Busch Gardens: Top Family Halloween Fun in Central Florida

Halloween Harvest at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is a family-friendly festival that takes place from now until October 27 (plus Halloween Day!). The event captures the spirit of Fall in rich, seasonal colors, features a plethora of pumpkins, and Kandy’s Sweetacular Celebration. This weekend-only event is hosted by Kandy, a witch-in-training who loves sweets and conjures up fun, kid-friendly activities between 12 PM and 4 PM every Saturday and Sunday at the Festival Walkway.

As part of Kandy’s seasonal magic, guests can find many things happening throughout Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. Kandy’s World is a show where Kandy shares her story of loving candy and becoming a real witch — which may coincidentally involve the time she accidentally turned her friends into frogs. There’s also Kandy’s Sweetacular Celebration Costume Parade, where every kid gets a moment to shine in a vibrant parade of costumes, and Taffy Twist’s Black Cat Dance Party, where guests can groove and show off their moves in a bubble-filled, high-energy dance party.

Sesame Street friends are also joining the Halloween excitement with even more dance parties, storytimes, scavenger hunts, and a special radio show hosted by the one and only Count von Count!

Orlando Informer offers discounted admission to some of the best family Halloween activities in Central Florida, such as SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, as well as Howl-O-Scream for older kids. Click here to access savings!

Other Family-Friendly Halloween Events

Halloween fun isn’t limited to the major theme parks—Central Florida communities are getting in on the action, too, offering plenty of family-friendly events! Fall festivals happen at many local establishments. One of our favorites is over in Clermont at Southern Hills Farms. The 9th Annual Fall Festival runs Thursdays through Sundays until November 17, offering an incredible selection of things to do. Included in the admission price—$22 on weekdays and $25 on weekends—are a petting zoo, face painting, wagon rides, a 5-acre corn maze, yard games, and a dedicated kid zone. For additional fees, families can explore a u-pick pumpkin patch, stroll through sunflower and zinnia fields, and enjoy a food truck garden, a beer shed, and a market offering farm-made goods.

Those staying in the International Drive area have an excellent option at the Sea Life Aquarium at Icon Park. Now through November 3, the establishment takes the entire family on a seven-seas tour of pirate history in their Pirates of the Haunted Seas experience. Guests can learn about pirate lore, discover the incredible sea creatures at Sea Life, and snag some candy loot at their education stations. Sea Life’s Pirates of the Haunted Seas event takes place Fridays through Sundays in October, as well as from October 29 to November 1. The event is included with admission, which ranges from $29.99 to $39.99 plus tax.

Just minutes from International Drive, Harry P. Leu Gardens is hosting its Happy Frights experience daily until October 31. As part of the event, the entirety of Harry P. Leu Gardens is redone in a seasonal makeover with sections ranging from a murky, mysterious swamp to a crazy clown carnival. While strolling the gardens, guests can experience a hedge maze, a hip-hop dance party with aliens, live music, and eight trick-or-treat stations. Adult admission is $28.00 and includes entry to the experience, one alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverage served in a commemorative LED cup, plus the option between a commemorative bucket of popcorn (with one free refill) or a Phat Ash Bakes chocolate chip cookie, along with onsite parking for one car. Children ages 3 to 11 are $26.25, which includes entry, one non-alcoholic beverage, and the choice of a commemorative bucket of popcorn (with one free refill) or a Phat Ash Bakes chocolate chip cookie. It also includes one selection from a variety of merchandise items, excluding the event’s Shoulder Bat.

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Designed to spark the imagination and engage the senses of all ages, Wild Oasis plans to captivate guests with the sights and sounds of the rainforest. Experience the adrenaline rush of a newly reimagined drop tower with cutting-edge digital and sound effects, splash around in an interactive water-play area, and explore a multi-level climbing canopy. Plus, get up close with fascinating wildlife in a brand-new, multi-species animal habitat.

The President of Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, Stewart Clark, shared his excitement about the new addition: “The all-new Wild Oasis truly offers something for everyone – whether you love the thrill of the ride or learning about animals, getting wet or climbing high, or just cooling off under the shade of the rainforest canopy.”

Don’t miss out on this incredible adventure! Secure your visit with discounted tickets available through Orlando Informer here. 

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Crafted by Bolliger & Mabillard, the engineers behind attractions like SheiKra and Kumba, Phoenix Rising is a family-friendly suspended rollercoaster. Riders will ascend aboard the legendary Phoenix, gliding through the Pantopia section of the park. This coaster reaches speeds of up to 44 miles per hour and soars along 1,831 feet of twisting track, peaking at 80 feet above ground.

The experience begins the moment you enter the queue, where you’ll be introduced to the personalities of the four phoenixes, each setting the tone for the adventure ahead. During your ride on Phoenix Rising, you will essentially take flight with one of these fantastical creatures. Here’s a glimpse into each phoenix:

Aqua: Protector of the ocean realm

Ignis: Protector of the desert realm

Glacius: Protector of the mountain tops and glaciers

Terra: Protector of the rainforests

What truly sets this ride apart is its unique onboard audio system. Each train, seating 20 passengers across 10 rows, features original audio tracks tailored to each phoenix. This audio perfectly synchronizes with every twist and turn, making every moment on Phoenix Rising truly unforgettable. An added touch we appreciated was the under-glow lighting on each ride vehicle, which matched the colors of the phoenix we were riding with.

During our visit, we had the pleasure of riding twice—first with Aqua and then with Glacius. Though the soundtracks for each ride slightly differed, common elements like the flapping of wings on the lift hill and various phoenix cries throughout the journey added a magical touch.

Our experience on this new coaster was nothing short of fantastic. It strikes a perfect balance between thrilling and family-friendly, making it an excellent introduction to the park’s more intense rides, like the nearby suspended coaster, Montu. 

Experience the magic of Phoenix Rising at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay once it opens on July 21, and ignite your savings by securing discounted tickets through Orlando Informer here!

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Embrace the legend of the phoenix on this family-friendly suspended thrill ride. Busch Gardens invites guests to glide over the Serengeti Plain while reaching speeds of up to 44 miles per hour and covering a distance of 1,831 feet of track. Elevating the experience, Phoenix Rising is the first coaster in Busch Gardens Tampa Bay to feature onboard audio, providing riders with a one-of-a-kind soundtrack that enhances their journey.

Check out our sneak peek of Phoenix Rising, which includes additional attraction details and an onboard POV of the ride.

Phoenix Rising opens at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay on DATE. Prepare for this epic ride by purchasing discounted admission to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay through your pals at Orlando Informer here.

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Gather your bravest friends and face what lies in the fog. What nightmares lurk in the shadows of the handful of haunted houses? Which ghastly creatures roam the numerous scare zones waiting for you? 

This year promises extra excitement at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay as they mark the 25th anniversary of Howl-O-Scream. To commemorate this occasion, they are introducing a dedicated scare zone where the past 25 years of Howl-O-Scream nightmares come to life. This promises to be an epicenter of terror, inviting guests to walk through a quarter-century of the most memorable scares.

For those fearless souls among us, we at Orlando Informer are offering a deal that’s too good not to scream about. Score your Howl-O-Scream tickets at prices starting at $40, saving up to $79.99 in the process. Click here, if you dare, to claim your ticket to an evening of frights. 

Embrace the darkness and gear up for a night at Howl-O-Scream that you won’t soon forget!

Discuss this exciting event with others on our SeaWorld Community on Facebook. Be sure to follow Orlando Informer on TikTok, Threads, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest news, tips, and more at Universal Orlando, Walt Disney World, and other Orlando attractions.

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Manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard, creators of coasters like SheiKra and Kumba, Phoenix Rising offers an exciting, family-friendly adventure. Embark on a mythical journey aboard the legendary Phoenix, soaring above the Pantopia section of the park. Experience the exhilaration of gliding at speeds up to 44 miles per hour along 1,831 feet of twisting track, with the highest point reaching 80 feet above the ground.

Phoenix Rising isn’t just about speed and height – it also places an emphasis on an immersive experience from the moment you enter the queue. As you make your way to the ride, you’ll encounter one of four unique phoenixes, setting the stage for what’s to come. Each train, accommodating 20 passengers in 10 rows, is equipped with onboard audio to enrich your journey. Original audio, distinct to each phoenix, syncs with your twists and turns, elevating the adventure and making every moment on Phoenix Rising truly unforgettable.

Check out this on-board POV of Phoenix Rising, paired with a look at some of the show scenes within the loading station:

Before you strap in for a ride on the new Phoenix Rising coaster this spring, there are a few key details to keep in mind. Riders must meet the height requirement, with a minimum of 42 inches and a maximum of 77 inches. Additionally, you can enjoy this exciting experience at a reduced cost thanks to discounted admission available through Orlando Informer. Prepare for an unforgettable ride without breaking the bank! 

Prepare to take flight later this spring on Busch Gardens Tampa Bay’s Phoenix Rising!

Discuss this latest addition with others on our SeaWorld Community on Facebook, and purchase discounted tickets here. Be sure to follow Orlando Informer on TikTok, Threads, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest news, tips, and more at Universal Orlando, Walt Disney World, and other Orlando attractions.

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Discover a world of fun in this multi-level, interactive water-play attraction that offers a splashing good time for everyone in the family! Castaway Falls will be packed with over 100 play elements, like four waterslides, soakers, flow pipes, hose jets, spray jets, water shooters, water curtains, tipping troughs, spinning and sliding buckets, and the can’t-miss two giant tipping buckets that will dump over 1,300 gallons of water combined.

Castaway Falls is part of Adventure Island’s largest expansion since the waterpark opened its doors in 1980. The park has been working to modernize its offerings with its recently opened Shaka-Laka Shores, water slides Rapids Racer and Wahoo Remix, the renovation of Captain Pete’s, the popular full-service Hang Ten Tiki Bar, and new lounging areas and cabanas.

Stewart Clark, president of Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and Adventure Island, said, “With the unveiling of Castaway Falls, the largest expansion in the water park’s history continues, adding attractions, dining options, and events to enhance the guest experience.” 

Embark on your Castaway Falls adventure beginning in Spring 2024. Splash into savings on discounted Adventure Island admission here!

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This family-friendly, suspended coaster will make its home in the Pantopia region of the park, neighboring attractions like Falcon’s Fury, Scorpion, and the park’s most recent addition, Serengeti Flyer. The park’s 10th coaster, manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard, will have coaster enthusiasts reaching speeds of up to 44 miles per hour while covering a distance of 1,831 feet on the Phoenix Rising journey. Setting it apart from the rest, Phoenix Rising will be the first Busch Gardens Tampa Bay coaster to feature onboard audio that will have you riding to a one-of-a-kind soundtrack.

President of Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, Stewart Clark, was quoted saying “Phoenix Rising will be an extraordinary journey for our seasoned coaster enthusiasts and younger thrill-seekers alike.” With a minimum height requirement of 42 inches, families can create thrilling memories together on this new adventure. 

Get ready to lower your lap bar and prepare for this epic ride by purchasing discounted admission to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay through your pals at Orlando Informer.

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Overview

Trek through our ranking of some of the wildest thrills at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. Start your coaster count by purchasing discounted tickets to Busch Gardens here.

Jump to

• Iron Gwazi
• Sheikra
• Montu
• Cheetah Hunt
• Kumba
• Tigris
• Cobra’s Curse
• Scorpion
• Air Grover

There’s no doubt about it – Busch Gardens Tampa Bay knows their thrill rides! While it wasn’t the park’s original focus, over time they’ve become experts on the matter and home to a number of unique and award-winning roller coasters. Anyone considering adding a trip to SeaWorld Orlando’s sister park while visiting Orlando should do so, especially with the premiere of their newest thrill ride, Serengeti Flyer! On that note, it’s worth stepping back for a better look at what they offer in the name of thrills – namely, roller coasters.

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay features 10 roller coasters across its property. While those like Sheikra or Cheetah Hunt can seem intimidating, the park offers a level of coaster for just about everyone. It was actually here that this author was indoctrinated as a roller coaster fan. As such, along with the rankings, I’ll guide any readers who may still be on their path to coaster fandom. The coasters will be ranked in descending order of their Thrill Factor – that is to say, each coaster’s intensity – with the lowest ranking being “1” and “5” as the highest, naturally. It’s worth highlighting that the level of thrill doesn’t determine the overall enjoyment of each attraction, as every ride promises a truly memorable experience.

Now then, strap in and join us on the safari!

Iron Gwazi

Location: Morocco
Peak: 206 feet
Max Speed: 76 miles per hour
Thrill Factor: 5

Between 1999 and 2015, Gwazi was a dual-track, all-wooden coaster inspired by a “battle between a lion and tiger.” The coaster’s trains followed similar paths to each other in opposite directions in a “dueling” fashion until its closure in 2015. Flash forward to 2022, and after much anticipation, Busch Gardens confirmed its return as Iron Gwazi.

Iron Gwazi received several upgrades from its former state. It is now a wooden-steel hybrid with hefty increases in its speed, peak, and overall track length. As it sits, its current stats earn it the title of tallest hybrid coaster in the United States. Although it’s tied for that same ranking globally, it does stand as the fastest, steepest coaster of its kind in the world. This makes perfect sense, given its introductory 91-degree drop from its 206-foot peak! Upon its redesign, Rocky Mountain Construction added in a few new additions to its feats, such as a zero-g stall and a downward barrel roll, the latter of which helps Iron Gwazi in staying true to its bestial theme of a crocodile. As Busch Gardens is all about conservation efforts, the queue features related data and information about the aquatic reptile.

This thrill maintained a spot among the Top 50 rankings for Top Wooden Roller Coaster in its former state between 2002 and 2007 and again in 2010. When it officially reopened, Iron Gwazi received Amusement Today’s Golden Ticket Award for Top Steel Roller Coasters of 2022.

Sheikra

Location: Stanleyville
Peak: 200 feet
Max Speed: 70 miles per hour
Thrill Factor: 5

If you ever find yourself in Stanleyville at Busch Gardens Tampa, it’s likely that you’ve come within inches of being soaked from a certain hawk-themed coaster. Sheikra would be that culprit, and you’d be remiss not to get seated on the giving end of that trailblazer. The dive coaster’s namesake, “Shikra,” is a hawk known for its downward dive upon its prey, which the ride mimics wonderfully.

After boarding the train, the floor drops as it begins its climb to the 200-foot peak, where guests are dangled precariously in Sheikra’s talons. The train is then released 195 feet at a 90-degree angle into its flight. The experience features an Immelmann loop, deep curves, a tunnel descent, and an all-too-familiar splash-down finale. Oh – did we mention you endure a 90-degree plummet twice?

Sheikra is an exhilarating roller coaster and not for the faint of heart. Since opening in 2005, it tied for 4th as Amusement Today‘s Best New Ride and has been consistently found among the Top Fifty Steel Roller Coasters between 2005 and 2014. Stanleyville’s star attraction is also considered to be North America’s first dive coaster and, in turn, the first to feature a 90-degree drop. It also introduced splash-downs, which are common among water rides, to the coaster genre. When it opened in 2005, Sheikra stood as the tallest, fastest, and longest dive coaster ever built and only lost that title in 2007 to Griffon at the park’s Williamsburg sibling.

Montu

Location: Egypt
Peak: 150 feet
Maximum Speed: 60 miles per hour
Thrill Factor: 4.5

Montu draws its name from the Egyptian Falcon-God of War. While it’s difficult to mimic anything resembling a diety, especially one meant to represent war and the burning rays of the Sun God Rah, this ride hits the marks to do its namesake poetic justice. As it’s a floorless coaster, Montu makes its riders feel as if they’re soaring above an Egyptian village.

The track begins at the ride’s 150-foot peak, descending into a 128-foot drop. Guests will endure seven inversions, including a 90-foot Immelmann loop, a unique 60-foot batwing inversion, two vertical loops, a zero-g roll, and a corkscrew. Its movements portray a protective warrior patrolling over its people. While that’s clearly in a figurative sense, Montu is sure to give its guests a breathtaking experience.

Upon its debut, Montu broke records and won the hearts of park-goers almost immediately as it won Third Place as Amusement Today’s Top 50 Steel Coasters. It opened in 1996 as the world’s tallest, fastest, inverted coaster and was the first coaster to incorporate an Immelmann loop into its scheme. Since Amusement Today‘s inaugural issue over 25 years ago, Montu has even been found among its top thirty Steel Coasters, giving it a bit of a legendary status among its peers.

Cheetah Hunt

Locations: Edge of Africa
Peak: 102 feet
Maximum Speed: 60 miles per hour
Thrill Factor: 4

Cheetah Hunt is a multi-launch coaster that utilizes a Linear Synchronous Motor system (put simply, anyone unfamiliar with it can think “magnetic launch system.”). From the beginning, guests are propelled into the ride experience at 30 miles per hour, then to the ride’s maximum of 60 miles per hour to reach its windcatcher tower segment, and once more from 25 to 40 miles per hour thereafter. The roar of a Cheetah signals each launch and occurs across 4,425 feet of track, part of which crosses into the Serengeti Plain portion of the park.

Moving on to the technical aspects, Cheetah Hunt performs several S and over-banked curves as well as a heartline roll, which allows it to mimic a cheetah on the prowl. Towards the end, the train sways across a shallow embankment as if imitating a cheetah chasing its prey across a shallow embankment that was once part of the former home to Rhino Ralley.

Cheetah Hunt is a solid intermediate-level coaster as it holds some impressive accomplishments: It placed Second as Amusement Today’s Golden Ticket Winner for Best New Ride of 2011 and has ranked among the prestigious magazine’s Top Fifty Steel Roller Coasters from 2014 to 2019 and again in 2021. It’s also one of two roller coasters in existence to feature a windcatcher tower as part of the ride’s track.

Kumba

Location: Congo
Peak: 143 feet
Maximum Speed: 60 miles per hour
Thrill Factor: 3

When Kumba was first announced in 1993, Busch Gardens Tampa’s goal for their third roller coaster was to set standards within the industry– and boy did it! Upon opening, it featured seven inversions and held the industry record for the tallest vertical loop at 114 feet found in a roller coaster for its time and debuted as Florida’s tallest, fastest, and longest roller coaster. Kumba held these titles until the opening of Montu a few short years later. Among its list of inversions, riders will partake in a cobra roll, a zero-g roll, interlocking corkscrews, and a helix. As if that didn’t satisfy your inner adrenaline junkie, Kumba’s ride experience also includes moments of weightlessness.

Aside from its physical traits, Kumba has an impressive reputation that precedes it. After it opened, park attendance increased by about 13%, and park management praised it highly as it also consistently maintained high placements in the rankings among its peers. It took Fourth Place in Amusement Today’s Top 50 Steel Roller Coasters the year it premiered and can often be seen among their Top 30, similar to Montu.

Comparing it to its siblings, Kumba can be called an intermediate coaster. It’s not very intense but still holds some exciting traits, which makes it the perfect crossover for anyone wanting to take their coaster fandom to the next level.

Tigris

Location: Stanleyville
Peak: 150 feet
Maximum Speed: 62 miles per hour
Thrill Factor: 3

Tigris is the youngest coaster among its siblings and offers a simple, yet enjoyable experience for park guests. It utilizes a launching function and back-and-forward motion to propel their guests through an in-line twist and non-inverting loop. The attraction provides a fun experience as it completes its loop in either direction, the reverse of which feels as if you’re being sent into the thrilling unknown.

When it was first built in 2019, Tigris stood as the tallest launch coaster in Florida. While that isn’t the case any longer, it still holds a very close second, given its 150-foot peak. This would be a great beginning coaster for anyone venturing out of the “family-friendly” genre and wanting something just a little more thrilling.

Cobra’s Curse

Location: Egypt
Peak: 70 feet
Maximum Speed: 40 miles per hour
Thrill Factor: 2

As one of the park’s latest thrill attractions, Cobra’s Curse is Florida’s first family spin coaster and is unique in its own right. It’s likely the most heavily themed attraction on the park’s property as it features its own backstory based on King Venymyss. Put simply, Venymyss was the snake king who ruled over his kingdom benevolently. He provided his people with many blessings and was beloved until he eventually became corrupted. His people turned on him, breaking the magical statue that imbued him with his power leading him to curse anyone who would rebuild it. Flash forward to the current day and, as per theme park lore rules, guests have found themselves on an archeological expedition to do just that!

Where Cobra’s Curse’s family-friendly focus lacks in intensity, it more than makes up for in just about all of its other stats. In addition to its heavily themed queue, the ride’s housing includes a 400 cubic foot section meant to educate visitors about snakes. This can be found in the same projection room where King Venymyss narrates the ride’s backstory. After entering the ride, guests face with an 80-foot tall, 30,000 pound likeness of the snake king before enduring his curse. Once on their perilous journey, the trains’ unique spinning capabilities rely on the weight distribution within each cart, making every ride experience distinct from the other.

Since it is a family coaster, this is a great introductory ride for those visiting the park with the little ones or anyone looking for low-level thrills. It provides an incredibly fleshed-out backstory and an experience that can be different each time guests ride.

Scorpion

Location: Pantopia
Peak: 61 feet
Maximum Speed: 41 miles per hour
Thrill Factor: 2

Scorpion holds the title as the park’s oldest standing roller coaster as it’s been in operation since 1980. This gives it a legacy as Pantopia’s opening attraction back when the park section was known as Timbuktu. Considering its age, Scorpion has always maintained a status as a guest favorite, which makes sense. The Pantopian beast features a 39-foot vertical loop and self-entwined pretzel twists as well as a 900-degree helix, all of which impressively within its compact footprint of 1,818 feet.

I may be biased on this one as it was where I dipped my toes into the thrill-ride fandom, but Scorpion is arguably the perfect beginner-level coaster. Its ride duration isn’t very long, or too extreme as it only has a single inversion, a fun helix, and the speed will match the car ride home. If one of these attractions were to welcome you into being a coaster fiend, this would be the one to do so.

Air Grover

Location: Sesame Street Safari of Fun – Africa
Peak: 24 feet
Maximum Speed: 22 miles per hour
Thrill Factor: 1

Located in the park’s Africa section, guests and their families will find the Sesame Street Safari of Fun. Within that division is a junior coaster themed after everyone’s favorite self-described “cute, fuzzy little monster” – Air Grover! Take flight with the little ones and Grover as your trusted pilot as you embark on a fun jaunt over the desert plains. After departing the hangar, the biplane-themed train ascends to the ride’s 24-foot peak and begins its tour. The track has some fun curves and tricks in its short duration. Guests will experience a 22-foot drop, tight turns at a 45-degree angle, and two helixes at 540 and 360 degrees, respectively.

It tickles me that it features Grover giving a “thumbs-up” at the head of the train as if reassuring us despite his well-intended-yet-erratic nature. As there are zero inversions and goes at a tame speed, this is another excellent family coaster attraction.

Create your own ranking of Busch Gardens Tampa Bay coasters by experiencing them for yourself with discounted admission purchased from Orlando Informer!

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The post Ranking Every Busch Gardens Tampa Bay Roller Coaster appeared first on Orlando Informer.

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Overview

We are here to dish all about this year’s Food & Wine Festival at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. We will let you in on our biggest secret – you can enjoy this offering at a discount through Orlando Informer by purchasing your tickets here! Let’s dig in!

Jump to

• Menu
• Entertainment

It’s that time of year when Busch Garden’s Food & Wine Festival brings a world of flavor to Tampa Bay! If experiencing extraordinary coasters or swinging on Busch Garden’s newest attraction, Serengeti Flyer, wasn’t enough reason to visit, the Food & Wine Festival provides a great addition to any trip to Tampa Bay’s resident park. Plan your trip between March 10 through May 21 on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday to partake in this flavorsome event. Even better, Orlando Informer offers discounted admission to Busch Gardens so that you can save on your visit! 

On the eve of this celebration, we had the opportunity to taste some of the menu items available this spring to share our thoughts with you. Let’s go!

Busch Gardens Food & Wine Menu

Trek Through Africa

Vegetable Samosa with Peppadew Tomato Chutney

Our venture through the menu starts off hot – literally! The Vegetable Samosa with Peppadew Tomato Chutney was one of my first bites of the evening and became one of my favorites. This samosa had a crunchy exterior with a warm, delicious interior full of potatoes, onions, and peas, creating a surprising, delightful kick that achieved the perfect amount of intensity.

This dish is vegetarian and vegan, a theme you will notice when glancing at the Food & Wine Festival menu. The variety of vegetarian options was prevalent throughout the fair, and I am sure that the increased variety is greatly appreciated.

African Vegetable Curry & Naan Bread

Another delectable vegetarian option warmed our hearts and stomachs. Dipping naan bread into the hearty stew made from zucchini, yellow squash, cauliflower, red bell peppers, tomato, peas, and onions satiated our hunger reasonably well for being a sample size.

I have a tip for whoever dives into this dish – this plate gives you the perfect opportunity to stop and enjoy the festival pathway, as it can be a bit messy when eating on the go. If you are looking for a quick treat while on your way to Iron Gwazi, there is no need to worry, as plenty of handheld options are still available – like our next serving!

Moroccan Market

Berbere Spiced Chicken Batbout

This batbout makes for an excellent handheld as the bread performs as an edible container that the seasoned chicken comfortably rests in before chowing down.

Moroccan Couscous with Roasted Vegetables

Adding to the vegan and vegetarian lineup is the Moroccan Couscous with Roasted Vegetables. Carrots, parsnip, turnip, beets, garlic, cumin, coriander, cardamom, and cilantro topped the pearled, toasted pasta. While I adored this plate, it was even better as a side dish with a wide array of options to pair with.

Greek Isles

Stuffed Grape Leaves with Tzatziki Sauce

If your traveling party is searching for something to share, look no further than the Stuffed Grape Leaves with Tzatziki Sauce. You will receive at least three grape leaves filled with rice, ground beef, herbs, and spices partnered with tzatziki sauce. This was a first for me when it came to eating grape leaves, and I was left pleasantly surprised! Busch Gardens Food & Wine Festival is the perfect opportunity to try new things when it comes to cuisine, and you may walk away with a new favorite!

Lamb Lollipop with a Mint Demi-glaze

A meaty lollipop was an excellent choice on Busch Garden’s part to provide a savory option that is great to gnaw on in a theme park setting. The lamb was well-cooked and seasoned with Mediterranean spices and herbs, served with a beef and lamb stock reduction.

Baklava

The baklava finishes off the almost miniature three-course meal available at the Greek Isles stand. With flaky crusting whose layers evoked a hint of cinnamon and honey, this goody made its way to the top of my dessert ranking.

Dessert & Sweet Wines

Island Grove Wine Company, Blueberry Moscato

While I am no sommelier, this wine was very sweet and encapsulated Florida inside of a corked bottle. It was heartwarming to see Florida represented by Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. While this festival is a celebration of food from afar, it is nice to know that there was a spot held for our very own Sunshine State.

Chocolate & Port Bar

We loved this dessert a choco-lot! Puns aside, if you have a hankering for chocolate, look no further than the Chocolate & Port Bar. Sink your teeth into a fluffy cake, garnished with icing and crunchy, pearl sprinkles. While the baklava was my personal favorite sweet confection, this plate comes in a close second.

European Delight

Pierogies & Peas

I am originally from Pennsylvania, so I dashed toward this Polish dumpling dish. I mentally listed this as my most anticipated item in this year’s lineup with hopes of having a taste of the Keystone State, and it did not disappoint! These pierogies were filled with potatoes and sauced with caramelized onion puree, combining to resemble a home-cooked meal.

Mushroom Ravioli with Truffle Cream Sauce

This pasta plate has our taste buds traveling to Southern Europe and enjoying a bite of Italy. Stuffed with ricotta cheese, garlic, and shallots, this Italian dumpling is smothered in a mushroom sauce. The hint of black truffle in this plate amplified the flavor and almost made me forget that I was standing inside a theme park, not a trattoria.

Tiramisu

This airy, sweet treat was the perfect finale for our small tour of Europe at the European Delight booth. Sinking our forks into this dessert proved its cloud-like consistency joined with a delicious sweet and bitter flavor harmony.

This listing of plates just scratches the surface of all the offerings available at this year’s Busch Garden’s Food & Wine Festival. With so many delicious options, the Food & Wine Festival Sampler is worth checking out, which can be purchased for 10 or 15-item redemptions and saves you a bit of dough.

Busch Gardens Food & Wine Entertainment

On most Saturdays and Sundays this spring, live musicians will perform on the festival field to allow guests to eat to the beats of pop, rock, Latin, country, contemporary, and classic music. Busch Garden’s Food & Wine Festival concert lineup for 2023 can be found here. I can assure you that I will be making a return for the baklava and the sounds of Flo Rida. 

Outside of those dedicated concert days and times, live tunes will still be playing and filling the atmosphere as you fill your stomach. For example, a cellist will be performing periodically during the cuisine-inspired celebration. It was indeed a highlight when we could hear them play during our sneak peek of the event.

Head over to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays between March 10 and May 21 with discounted tickets from Orlando Informer to experience all that the Food & Wine Festival has to offer!

The post REVIEW: 2023 Busch Gardens Food & Wine Festival appeared first on Orlando Informer.

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Overview

Serengeti Flyer lands at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay on February 27! Read our thoughts below and purchase discounted tickets to experience it for yourself!

Jump to

• Stats & Experience
• Review

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay’s newest thrill, Serengeti Flyer, will be opening on February 27 to offer a swinging good time over the Serengeti Plain. This experience was officially announced in October 2022, and we have patiently waited to soar above Busch Gardens since. We at Orlando Informer had the opportunity to fly high in the sky and check out this attraction before its official opening so we could divulge all the details about this wild ride for you!

Serengeti Flyer Stats & Experience

You’ll notice that this ride stands tall in the skyline of Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, with its purple frame and green dueling arms that achieve a maximum height of 135 feet and reach 68 miles per hour at its peak. With back-to-back seating across the two gondolas, Serengeti Flyer can simultaneously hold 40 guests who are over 48”. Once strapped in, you will begin your journey toward the sky with the attraction’s movement replicating a childhood swing. With each smooth, back-and-forth motion, you venture higher and higher while experiencing negative g-force multiple times throughout the ride’s duration.

Our Thoughts on Serengeti Flyer

We loved this experience and are excited that this ride brings even more variety to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay’s lineup. This is an excellent option for guests craving thrill but do not gravitate toward coasters like Cheetah Hunt or Tigris. Guests can clearly see the ride’s path, which doesn’t include any stomach-turning twists, loops, or surprises. You may be astonished when you look straight ahead and are horizontal to the Earth, but this won’t last long as you will be grounded shortly following this sensation. 

Your position on the ride’s gondolas also slightly impacts the ride experience. Facing away from Serengeti Flyer’s attraction entrance, you will get a breathtaking view of the Serengeti Plain and its residents. However, sitting in the opposite direction, you will get a new perspective of Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. This is a great excuse to ride again and again!

Serengeti Flyer is the second attraction that Busch Gardens Tampa Bay has opened within the span of a year, as award-winning Iron Gwazi opened on March 11, 2022. With two imaginative creations revealed to the public in close proximity to one another, Busch Gardens has proven that the sky is the limit when it comes to innovation.

Want to try Serengeti Flyer out for yourself? Purchase discounted admission to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay through Orlando Informer!

The post Serengeti Flyer Opening Soon at Busch Gardens appeared first on Orlando Informer.

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Overview

There’s almost always something going on at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay! Between the coasters and animal habitats, take a gander at all the fun events this park has to offer this February. Purchase discounted admission from Orlando Informer and start prepping for a visit!

Jump to

• Mardi Gras
• Real Music Series
• Sesame Street Kids’ Weekends

In our opinion, one of the best times to plan a trip to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is in February. While you are bound to have a wonderful time visiting Busch Gardens year-round, the sweet combination of cooler weather and various events included with your admission make for a fabulous visit to this theme park.

Mardi Gras

Venture beyond the bayou to one of the best Mardi Gras celebrations outside of the “Big Easy.” Busch Gardens Tampa Bay hosts an incredible celebration on select Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from January 14 through March 5 that is filled with delicious, cajun cuisine and high-energy, jazzed-up entertainment.

A true Mardi Gras carnival isn’t complete without a parade, beads, and jazz. You’re in luck, as Busch Gardens Tampa Bay has got you covered for all three. The Bird Gardens become filled with the spirit of Mardi Gras as performers, stilt walkers, and musicians celebrate with guests during the Mardi Gras Parade. There is also a brass band playing some jazzy tunes, as well as a “Bead Balcony” where the key accessory of Mardi Gras celebrations is tossed to guests. Make sure to check park hours before your visit, so you don’t miss out on these offerings!

With plates such as crawfish etouffee and beignets, your taste buds will travel to Bourbon Street and back. While food is not included with your admission, Busch Gardens offers a five-item and a ten-item food and beverage sampler to help you save some dough when tasting the flavors of their New Orleans carnival. The five-item food and beverage sampler pass is $40.00, which amounts to $8.00 a plate, and the ten-item sampler at $60.00 equates to $6.00 per dish. The sampler pass can be used on certain fun, specialty cocktails as well!

Learn more about Mardi Gras at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay here and purchase discounted admission here.

Real Music Series

Check out the longest-running concert series at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay that celebrates various eras in music. In February, you can catch the likenesses of famous performers and groups at the Stanleyville Theater, such as Elvis and (my personal favorite) ABBA. Be sure to take a peek at park hours for Real Music Series showtimes and check out the full musical line-up here. 

Sesame Street Kids’ Weekends

Are you traveling with little ones? Get on your way to where the air is sweet because we will tell you what is happening with Sesame Street! On Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from January 27 through February 12, kids and grown-ups can join their favorite Sesame Street pals at the Sesame Street Safari of Fun for storytime, dance parties, and crafts. There will also be a pirate treasure hunt, a fuzzy Valentine’s party, and a celebration for Elmo’s birthday! This play date is included with your admission, which can be purchased at a discounted price through Orlando Informer. 

If the renowned attractions at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay weren’t enough, these are three additional reasons to visit this February! Don’t forget to purchase your tickets ahead of time and check out our other Busch Gardens guides!

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Overview

Does the idea of a barrel roll make your stomach turn? No need to worry about missing out at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay! We have created a list of the best things to do that will keep you fairly grounded and have a day filled with fun!

Jump to

• Animal Exhibits
• Tours & Safaris
• Concerts
• Festivals and Events
• Non-Coaster Attractions

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is home to some of the best roller coasters in the country and is one of the hottest vacation destinations in Central Florida. However, even if roller coasters are not your thing, this theme park still has so much to offer. There are plenty of activities and thrills to check out.

Animal Exhibits

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay does not just have rides; it also has spectacular animal exhibits. From sloths to penguins, and tigers to gorillas, there are plenty of animals throughout the park to see. Take advantage of the gorgeous Florida weather and check out the array of different species that call Busch Gardens home.

Insider Tours and Safaris

Want to get a close-up look at some of your favorite animals? Take one of the many insider tours and safaris Busch Gardens Tampa Bay has to offer. These experiences allow for a personal encounter for an additional fee. One of the most popular animal experiences at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is the Serengeti Safari. Passengers get to hop on an open-air vehicle and come along for a thirty-minute safari through the Serengeti Plain exhibit. There is even an opportunity to hand-feed some of the giraffes.

In the span of 30 minutes, you can get a behind-the-scenes tour regarding the care of the animal of your choosing. From elephants to hippos, there are many options to choose from for your tour. Want to see what it is like to be an animal keeper at Busch Gardens? They have that opportunity as well! This four-hour, backstage tour allows you to get up close with multiple different animals and talk with some of the animal care specialists that work on site. Keep in mind that this tour comes with an additional fee on top of admission. Be sure to check out the Busch Gardens Tampa website for availability and prices for each of these exciting experiences.

Concerts

Did you know you could catch a concert while visiting Busch Gardens Tampa Bay? You sure can, and access to these musical performances is included in the price of admission. So far this year, artists including Maddie & Tae, Dustin Lynch, and Flo Rida are scheduled to perform during the Food and Wine Festival, occurring from March 11 through May 7. Be sure to check if any acts are slated during your visit.

Festivals and Events

Throughout the course of the year, there is, more often than not, a festival, celebration, or event going on at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. One of the first happenings of the year is the Mardi Gras celebration, running from January 14 to March 5. Guests during this time will be able to experience delicious Cajun foods and festive performances. Immediately following the Mardi Gras celebration, the annual Food and Wine Festival kick off on March 10 and continues until May 21. Guests will have the opportunity to chow down on some delicious snacks, try out some cocktails or beers (for those 21 and up), and even enjoy some concerts. The fun continues later on in the year with the annual Busch Gardens Bier Fest that will take place from July 21 through September 4.    

One of the most well-known events that Busch Gardens puts on is Howl-O-Scream. Autumn is not complete without a visit to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay for Halloween. Whether you get startled in the haunted mazes or by the many actors scattered throughout the park, you are sure to have a scary good time. Not really into the Halloween horror? No problem! Busch Gardens Tampa Bay also offers Spooktacular, a family-friendly way to enjoy the occasion. Both of these events take place on select dates between September 8 and October 31.

Ready for the holidays already? Busch Gardens celebrates the holiday season with their yearly Christmas Town extravaganza. Guests are able to watch some festive shows and divulge into sweet treats while taking in the cheery atmosphere. This special offering runs November 13 to December 31.  

Did you know that Orlando Informer offers discounted admission to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and their Busch Gardens Tampa Bay Howl-O-Scream events? Check out here for more information!

Non-Coaster Rides

Not into roller coasters but still want to experience some thrills? You are in luck! Busch Gardens Tampa has plenty of non-roller coaster offerings and even a brand-new attraction coming Spring 2023.

Needing a way to cool down during a hot Busch Gardens day? Hop on the Stanley Falls Flume ride or enter into a raft on the Congo River Rapids. Both are fun and sure to get you soaked.

There are also some more relaxing rides to check out. The Serengeti Express is a tranquil train ride that takes riders through the Serengeti exhibit to get close to the grazing animals. The Skyride is another calm experience that brings riders into the air and provides beautiful views of the park.

A new non-coaster thrill is just around the corner! Serengeti Flyer will soon be opening this coming Spring. This swing-like attraction will take riders higher and higher with each pass and eventually gets up to 135 feet at 68 mph. This will give amazing views of the Serengeti Plain below and incredible thrills to the passengers on board. You can read our initial announcement here.

No matter the level of thrill you are looking for, Busch Gardens Tampa has something to offer everyone.

Ready for a Busch Gardens Tampa Vacation? Discounted admission can be purchased from Orlando Informer here. Be sure to follow Orlando Informer on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest Central Florida Theme Park news and tips.

The post Top Things to do at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay for Non-Roller Coaster Riders appeared first on Orlando Informer.

This ride is making its home in the Nairobi area of the theme park and adds to the Busch Gardens skyline standing at 105 feet tall. Serengeti Flyer will have two gondolas, holding 20 guests each, that will swing opposite one another to a maximum speed of 68 miles per hour and reach a height of 135 feet in the air. In this morning’s media event, Neal Thurman, Park President of Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, noted that Serengeti Flyer would be the tallest and fastest swing-style attraction with multiple negative-G force moments. With this level of thrill, this high-flying swing will have a 48″ height requirement.

Engineers drew inspiration for Serengeti Flyers from SeaWorld San Antonio’s Tidal Surge and thought it would be a fantastic experience to bring to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay guests. Construction on this project began in January 2020 but was halted until April 2022 due to COVID-19. The Busch Gardens Tampa Bay team is ecstatic that this project’s development has resumed, as it will allow guests who may not gravitate toward rollercoasters to have the opportunity to experience a thrilling ride in a different format.

We can’t wait to experience this ride for ourselves in Spring 2023! Want to have a swinging time at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and experience the excitement for yourself? Purchase discounted theme park admission through Orlando Informer!

The post Busch Gardens Tampa Bay Serengeti Flyer REVEALED appeared first on Orlando Informer.

Iron Gwazi was built on the same site that once housed Gwazi, a twin coaster (think Dueling Dragons/Dragon Challenge here) named after a corporately-created mythical creature with the head of a tiger and the body of a lion. One coaster was “Lion,” the other (predictably) “Tiger.” That ride was retired a few years back, and the land was cleared and construction for Iron Gwazi began. 

In November of 2020, SeaWorld released a POV video of what it would be like to ride Iron Gwazi, an attraction that flexes the startling facts that it is both the tallest hybrid coaster in North America and the fastest and steepest hybrid coaster in the entire world. (Hybrid coasters are those which are built using both steel and wood.) The video showcases a 206-foot drop and a number of rolls and maneuvers on the coaster that reaches speeds of nearly 80 miles per hour and barrels down a 1,242 meter track. All of these stats point to the fact that this coaster promises to be a behemoth. 

Just a couple weeks ago, SeaWorld announced that Ice Breaker, the newest roller coaster in Orlando, would open on February 18, 2022 at SeaWorld Orlando. We can’t wait to get on both of these coasters and let you know what we think! 

Which one are you most excited about? Check out our SeaWorld Center to plan and get tickets for your perfect vacation to SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay.

The post Busch Gardens Tampa Bay Announces Iron Gwazi Opening Date appeared first on Orlando Informer.

There is a whole umbrella of new experiences coming to Busch Gardens Tampa, and one can’t help but notice the recurring usage of the words “ignite,” “spark,” and “electrifying” all throughout their descriptions – language which isn’t too dissimilar from SeaWorld Orlando’s own summer initiative, actually, which also got revealed today. The descriptors are meant to convey a certain level of energy and a visual motif both, and it would seem that the company is – so far, at least – successful on both fronts.

Everything starts with the so-called Pre-Party on the Festival Pathway, which inundates the titular Festival Pathway with glowing lights that are strung throughout the trees. When combined with the live music that will be performed here, Busch Gardens promises that this “stunning visual journey […] will spark the spirit of summer in everyone.” And going hand-in-hand with this music will be DJ Block Parties, transforming the area into a giant dance party come nightfall. The company wants you to think of this as a type of pre-game, a warm-up to the big event that is to come later in the night.

Before we get there, however, we first need to eat. Luckily, Busch Gardens has us more than covered here – a new summer seasonal menu, inspired by backyard cookouts, is also set to descend during this period. Look for both old and new locations to pop up throughout the park, including the first-ever Giraffe Bar, which will be located on the second floor of Serengeti Overlook and which seems to be the perfect spot to take in the sunset and all those strung lights. Even better than the views, however, will be the food itself: the company will serve up snacks, desserts, a “walkable take” on grilled classics, and, of course, libations. (Speaking of which, one of the most intriguing new items at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay this summer is a brand-new range of glow-in-the-dark cocktails, which sound like they just may become the de facto accessory to have for the nightly proceedings, helping guests to ignite their inner sparks.)

There’s one last feature to check out before we can send out the summer night in style. Called Cirque Electric, it’s an exclusive production, designed specifically for Busch Gardens, that will combine acrobatic stunts with a “fascinating act on wheels that cannot be missed.” It will debut on May 28 at the Stanleyville Theater, and amongst all this talk of death-defying feats of balance and strength, it sounds as if it will be one of the highlights of the theme park’s new seasonal proceedings.

Finally, we arrive at the crux of the summer fun-filled evening: an epic- and unique-sounding nighttime show that is the biggest in Busch Garden Tampa’s history. Spark! A Nighttime Spectacular will boast an “explosive” amount of fireworks and other pyrotechnics, along with a whole host of supplemental special effects, ranging from pulsating lasers to water elements. Expect this to run every weekend, and a few other select dates, at 9:15 pm.

Guests will be able to experience all this – along with a slew of returning favorites, including the Turn It Up! Ice-skating show and open-air block parties – for over 100 nights this summer, which come replete with extended hours. But in order to go, you’ll first need to secure your tickets – and we can help you with discounted admission right here.

Which new summer offering are you most excited for? Compare your electrifying thoughts with other die-hard vacation-planners in our newly formed SeaWorld Community on Facebook.

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Follow along with us below as we highlight some of our favorite sights, bites, and beverages from this year’s event! (And then be sure to get your tickets to all the fun here.)

Busch Gardens Food & Wine Festival 2021: the atmosphere

A majority of the Food & Wine Festival’s happenings take place in one corner of Busch Gardens Tampa (near Bird Gardens and the Festival Field), which creates a very convenient setup for hopping from venue to venue without walking long distances in between. We particularly enjoyed the ambience at the heart of the festival, located through the arches pictured above, which emulated a tranquil garden. Elegant violin music drifted through the air, and leafy garland strung with cooking utensils zigzagged above us.

Many of the food and beverage venues we encountered had some sort of light theming – one that particularly caught our eye was the Giraffe Bar, which served up a few speciality cocktails, wine, and beer. Each cabin was individually inspired by cuisine from a geographical location, a sponsored brand, or a specific genre of food. We enjoyed this deviation from the typical “every booth is a different country” setup that is prevalent among most theme-park food festivals today.

Busch Gardens Food & Wine Festival 2021: the food

We were notably impressed with the variety of dishes Busch Gardens had to offer this year. A few homestyle classics, such as the Fried Chicken & Biscuit Slider and the Boujee Bacon, returned for the season, while 22 new culinary creations – like the Hummus & Parmesan Garlic Fries and the Drunken Shrimp Tostada – made their debut.

Out of the many mouth-watering foods we sampled, the Lollipop Chicken Drum from the Southern Kitchen cabin was one that really stood out. These savory cuts of chicken were coated in a sticky honey-whiskey glaze, which brought a touch of sweetness to an otherwise fiery dish. We were blown away by just how much heat and flavor these little bites brought us – a must-have for spicy food-lovers.

Another honorable mention is the Korean BBQ Pork Ribs from the Hog Heaven booth, which are slow-roasted and fall-off-the-bone tender, glazed with tangy BBQ sauce, and topped with daikon slaw. As someone who is not a huge fan of pork or slaw, I enjoyed this dish a lot more than I assumed I would and would recommend it to anyone looking to treat their taste buds with something different.

Of course, we had to indulge in a few desserts along the way, of which the choices were many. We saw more than a few creative twists on classic treats, such as the Kahlua and Cream Strawberry Waffle Cone Sundae and Drunken Bread Pudding. There was also a surprising variety of cupcakes, doughnuts, and milkshakes this year, which turned the festival into a sweet-tooth’s personal heaven.

Our favorite indulgence was the Señorita Sangria cupcake from Sweet Sips, which boasted decadently thick icing and carefully placed fruit atop a fruity, vanilla cake base. “Yummy” would be an understatement.

Busch Gardens Food & Wine Festival 2021: the drinks

Alongside this year’s plentiful plates were over 50 different wines, beers, and seltzers to sample, ranging from small, local brands to originations from across the globe. Those of us who enjoy a refreshing cocktail rejoiced at the 20+ hand-crafted mixologist recipes available, including innovative concoctions like the Frozen Hawaiian Pineapple Express or the Puffin Punch, which comes in a pouch that you can wear around your neck.

Our top-rated mixed drink of the day was the Iron Gwazi Gimlet from Coaster Cocktails (which has awesomely named libations, by the way). This ruby-red refresher – featuring Hendrick’s Gin, pomegranate juice, and a splash of pineapple – was pleasantly tart and fruity without being overly sweet, and quite easy to sip on.

Don’t worry – we didn’t forget about the “wine” part of the Food & Wine Festival! Bottles were abundant and carefully selected from all over the world. Some of the finest varieties could be found at the Napa Nook and Vino, Vidi, Vici booths, which specialized in wines from Italy and California, respectively.

The sample that stole our heart was the Proud Pour “Save the Bees” Pinot Noir, a beautifully balanced red that was rich with cranberry and black-cherry notes. To make it even more special, this wine comes with the added benefit of helping 3,600 native bee species across the country. Each bottle goes towards saving their habitats and replanting wildflowers on local farms!

We also made sure to explore the vast beer offerings around the festival, many of which were from local breweries. Everything from dark, chocolatey porters to fruity blonde ales could be found. One of our top picks was the Graffiti Orange from the Giraffe Bar, a creamsicle wheat beer with a vanilla base and a fruity twist. Its crisp flavor and subtle tang made it a real crowd-pleaser.

Busch Gardens Food & Wine Festival 2021: the entertainment

Scrumptious food and beverages weren’t the only highlights of this event – the live entertainment, including stilt walkers and music from local bands, made for the perfect backdrop to our tasting experience. Although we didn’t attend on a concert date (concerts take place every Saturday on the Festival Field Stage), we were still able to enjoy all-day performances by various music artists at the Coke Canopy.

The biggest surprise of the day ended up being the tall, leafy performers we found in a grassy area near the Living Fountain. These unusual-looking figures slowly took on various shapes and poses to the sound of ethereal music, creating a strangely mesmerizing performance. They served as yet another unexpected and unique contribution to the great experience we had overall.

Do you plan on joining in on the foodie fun at Busch Gardens? Which menu items from this year’s Food & Wine Festival have your mouth watering? First secure your tickets, and then share your must-have dishes and drinks with 150,000+ other theme-park lovers in our Orlando Informer Community on Facebook.

Finally, be sure to follow Orlando Informer on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest news, tips, and more at Universal Orlando, Walt Disney World, and other Orlando attractions.

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More interested in beverages than bites? You’re in luck! Alongside this year’s delectable dishes will be over 50 different wines, beers, and seltzers to try, from local brews and vineyards to the top picks from across the globe. Or, if a refreshing cocktail is more your style, you’ll have 20+ hand-crafted mixologist recipes to choose from, such as the Falcon’s Fury Lemon Drop with Milagro Tequila or Cutwater frozen margarita popsicles.

Of course, we can’t forget to mention some of the dreamy desserts you’ll be able to find. Have you ever tasted a maple bacon cinnamon roll? How about a sangria cupcake? Or bourbon bread pudding? If not, now is your chance! These creative twists on classic treats are the perfect way to complement your tasting adventure through the park.

Just in case your stomach isn’t growling yet, we have a few of our most-anticipated menu highlights to show you below:

Chicken Biscuit with Bourbon Blackberry Jam

Lobster White Cheddar KRAFT Mac ‘n Cheese

Five-spice Duck Lettuce Wraps with Asian Pear Coleslaw and Plum Sauce Drizzle

Oh, and one more thing – you’ll be able to enjoy your favorite food and wine samples to the beat of live music! Concerts, which are included with theme-park admission, will take place at the Festival Field on select dates in March and April. While acts are yet to be announced, nationally recognized bands are expected to make an appearance. Additionally, guests can experience local bands and artists at the Coke Canopy stage beginning February 20, where open-air, socially distanced seating is available.

Which dishes and drinks are you most excited to devour? Be sure to share your foodie bucket list in our Orlando Informer Community on Facebook – and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to feast on the latest announcements and updates.

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After originally being revealed by SeaWorld in September 2019 for a debut sometime in the spring of 2020, the roller coaster went dark alongside Busch Gardens Tampa, its mother park, when it closed on March 16 due to the coronavirus pandemic. And the timing couldn’t have been worse – the hyper hybrid coaster had just started testing on March 9 and was, of course, forced to stop when the theme park did (“testing,” in this case, meaning that empty ride vehicles were cycled through the track as trial runs). After spending some time deliberating on what to do, Busch Gardens management eventually opted to push the grand opening back by a full year, to spring ’21, when they hoped a (more or less) normal vacation season would be gearing back up.

(Busch Gardens Tampa, unfortunately, wasn’t the only location in SeaWorld Entertainment’s theme-park portfolio to have its headlining attraction for that year be delayed – Ice Breaker at SeaWorld Orlando, Pantheon at Busch Gardens Williamsburg, and Emperor at SeaWorld San Diego were also bumped to ‘21.)

All of which leads us to today. After recommencing testing on the formidable Iron Gwazi’s track back in August, fans have today been gifted something far bigger and far more exciting: the first-ever point-of-view video of the entire ride experience – and it really is something to be seen.

Just as a reminder – and just in case that POV wasn’t clear enough – Iron Gwazi will be, when it opens in the spring, the tallest hybrid coaster on the continent and the fastest and steepest both in the entire world. (Need a refresher on the terms “hyper” and “hybrid,” as well? No problem – hyper refers to the fact that it will be over 200 feet tall [a rarity in Florida], while hybrid means that it’ll be constituted of both wooden and steel components. Hybrids are something of a new trend in the coaster industry, and they’re certainly one of the most fun.)

Iron Gwazi debuts at Busch Gardens Tampa in spring 2021.

Are you excited to hop on Florida’s most intense coaster? Share your enthusiasm with 150,000+ other Central Florida die-hard fans in our Orlando Informer Community on Facebook.

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The theme park’s annual Christmas Town event, which is included with normal admission, will kick off for a special preview weekend on Saturday and Sunday, November 14 and 15 – look for some holiday light displays and “select entertainment elements” to be up and running. Then everything goes into full swing – and normal daily operation – starting on Friday, November 20, running all the way through Sunday, January 3.

There are a few other new additions for this year, as well: Spark the Night, a fireworks show, will be held at the Festival field, allowing guests to socially distance while watching “festive bursts of Christmas color” overhead. Then there’s the food-and-drink menu that was personally helmed by a chef and mixologist, the latter of which includes such all-new cocktails as the Winter Wonderland Hot Toddy (made with winter cider, honey whiskey, and a chai infusion) and Spiked Hot Coca (gingerbread crumbles, caramel, and whipped cream). The food portion, meanwhile, brandishes a Christmas Town Sampler Lanyard, which – not unlike Universal Orlando Resort’s Mardi Gras celebration – allows guests to sample a number of bites for one flat price (starting at $34.95 for a five-punch lanyard).

The returning portions of Christmas Town, meanwhile, consist of the millions of twinkling Christmas lights, holiday shopping (with some exclusive merchandise for 2020 thrown into the mix), the Holly Jolly Express train ride, and a trio of shows: Christmas on Ice (the long-running ice-skating production), Elmo’s Christmas Wish (a sing-and-dance-along), and Three Kings Journey (a musical retelling of the traditional story), which have all been moved to outdoor venues to allow for social distancing.

Speaking of social distancing, all of the traditional meet-‘n-greet opportunities have been made contact-less and remote – Santa Claus and his elves, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Clarice, an assortment of Sesame Street characters (decked out in their yuletide best, of course), and a panoply of Christmas Town personalities, including the Sugar Plum Princess, Ice Princess, Poinsettia Princess, and some “jolly” snowmen.

It’s important to note here that not every holiday feature will be available on every date, so be sure to check Busch Gardens’s website before you make your plans – and park reservations, which, yes, are still required for entry. Indeed, all of the now-standard safety protocols will still be intact for the annual event, such as enhanced sanitation, temperature checks, and reduced capacity.

Christmas Town runs from November 20, 2020 through January 3, 2021 at Busch Gardens Tampa.

Have you been to Busch Gardens Tampa’s Christmas celebration before? How does it stack up to the other theme parks’ events? Tell 150,000+ other Central Florida die-hards in our Orlando Informer Community on Facebook.

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Iron Gwazi is the “evolution” of the original Gwazi, which originally opened in 1999 as Florida’s first wooden dueling coaster and which subsequently closed in 2015. SeaWorld is not only aiming to produce the single best coaster experience in the state, but also – just possibly – in the entire world; the new hyper hybrid coaster (so named because it’ll be a 200+-foot-tall steel-on-wood monstrosity) will stand at a record-setting 206 feet, go top speeds of 76 mph, and feature a 91-degree drop. This eclipses the previous world-record-holder, the 2018 Steel Vengeance located up at Cedar Point, and it also bests that formidable titan in one other key way: a lower height requirement – just 48 inches to Vengeance’s 52, allowing more members of the family to climb on board. (The also-announced-today Ice Breaker at SeaWorld Orlando similarly will come in at 48 inches, which puts these new rides – just for the sake of context – in the same ballpark as Universal Orlando Resort’s brand-new Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure.)

Busch Gardens Tampa’s 10th coaster will also fit the company’s new mandate of having each new attraction somehow tie into or otherwise be emblematic of its parent company’s nature and conservation ideology; in Iron Gwazi’s case, its thematic torchbearer is the slender-snouted crocodile, of which there are only a few thousand left in the wild (two were born at the park in 2018, with another two having arrived this year). The dual nature of the croc, which has evolved to become the world’s largest living reptile either on land or in the water, will be reflected in the coaster’s hybrid identity, of which 40% will hail from the original wooden structure and the remaining 60% will be comprised of the new steel track.

This all-new layout will boast three inversions, 12 airtime hills, and 4,075 feet of track, putting it on the more thrilling end of the family-friendly spectrum (which will allow it to stand in contrast to the slightly-less-intense Ice Breaker).

Just as with the SeaWorld media event this morning, which Orlando Informer was also invited to, the Busch Gardens presser featured one extra bit of news, as well: yet another new attraction, this time coming to BGT’s sister water park, Adventure Island. Called Solar Vortex, it will carry the distinction of being the country’s first dual-tailspin water slide, careening rafts through “high-banking rotations and rapid descents” at a top speed of 20 mph. In a nifty touch, it’ll also use the hot Florida sun to generate different color-swirl patterns on its walls, helping to finish explaining the meaning of the slide’s name.

Both Iron Gwazi and Solar Vortex will debut at their respective parks in spring 2020.

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This brand-new, as-yet-unnamed coaster is yet another hybrid coaster from manufacturer Rocky Mountain Company, which has quickly obtained a sterling reputation for laying new steel track over the original wooden one (hence the term hybrid) and, as such, making wooden roller coasters do things that were never previously possible, like soaring to far greater heights and performing all kinds of different types of inversions. Busch Gardens’s new entry ups the ante here considerably, becoming the tallest hybrid coaster in North America, and the fastest and steepest one in the world.

Just to place this in a bit of context, Gwazi was not only Florida’s first dueling wooden coaster, but also the largest and fastest one in the Southeastern United States, when it debuted on June 18, 1999 (just one month after another major dueling coaster, Dueling Dragons over at Universal Orlando Resort, also bowed). It gained immediate acclaim but also started to quickly accumulate a large amount of wear and tear, which ultimately resulted in a less-than-ideal ride experience; after years of struggling to keep up with its maintenance, Busch Gardens eventually opted, in 2012, to close one of the two tracks in a last-ditch effort to salvage the $10 million ride itself (its attendance continued to drop while its guest dissatisfaction score continued to rise). Just three years later, the second track followed, placing Gwazi in a type of perpetual purgatory ever since.

Well, only a sort-of limbo – last September, when Busch Gardens held a press conference for its 2019 coaster addition, Tigris, it teased, in a playfully heavy-handed way, that something was going on with the massive wooden coaster, as well, announcing an opening date of 2020 and all but confirming that Rocky Mountain was going to be behind the new development. Seeing what the company had managed to pull off with such hybrid conversions as 2018’s Steel Vengeance at Cedar Point (it broke 10 world records, including being the very first hyper-hybrid ride [a coaster that reaches 200 feet]), the fan community was nothing short of ecstatic – and was left to wait with baiting breath.

From the looks of it, we don’t think this new one will disappoint.

Busch Gardens Tampa’s unnamed coaster will open in summer 2020, taking over the former Gwazi plot and track.

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In late August, it was announced that its former CEO, Jim Atchison, is under investigation by the Department of Justice for insider trading. A few weeks before that, it was revealed that the company’s national attendance for the first half of the year was down by 353,000 compared to the same period in 2016, with an accompanying net loss in revenue of $237 million – and 2016’s numbers weren’t very good to start with. And just before that, SeaWorld’s long-time chief financial officer abruptly quit, fanning the rumor flames that the corporation was in the process of being bought out, either in part or in whole, by some big-name competitors. (All of which, of course, doesn’t even touch upon the Blackfish controversy from 2013, which started this ever-more-deteriorating situation.)

Now, a new report out suggests that things might be getting worse for SeaWorld – but also, potentially, much better.

Bloomberg yesterday threw its hat behind the acquisition rumors, stating that it has received confirmation that Merlin Entertainments, the second-biggest theme-park operator in the world (and the owner of The Orlando Eye and the Sea Life Aquarium and Legoland chains here in America, among several others), has made a bid for part of SeaWorld – most likely, the Busch Gardens parks, given Merlin’s preexistent policy of not keeping whales or dolphins in captivity and given the company’s previous comments on the record that it is certainly interested in the “good-quality assets” that are the Busch locations.

Despite the claimed hiccup in the negotiations – SeaWorld is said to want an outright sale, instead of acquiring yet another large shareholder – the deal could potentially be very advantageous for both parties. For the beleaguered SeaWorld, it could net somewhere in the ballpark of $1 billion for selling all the Busch Gardens, along with their attached water parks, across the country, helping to fund its continued renovation of its core SeaWorld parks (giving them a bigger emphasis on traditional rides and attractions as opposed to orca-focused performance shows) and helping to shore up its current market valuation of $1.3 billion. And Merlin, which is valued at $6.1 billion, would continue to expand its international footprint, increasing its global edge over Universal Parks and Resorts and helping to compensate for a continually-down domestic market in the United Kingdom, which has seen a consistent drop in visitors to its amusement parks (and other tourist destinations) thanks to the recent terrorist attacks in Manchester and London.

The move would certainly be an extreme one for SeaWorld, but it’s becoming increasingly clear that just such a development may be necessary in order to keep the company up and running; during its latest quarterly earnings report, it said that it had learned the painful lesson that continual (and substantial) advertising was necessary in order to keep the SeaWorld brand alive in consumers’ minds. That represents, of course, a not-inconsiderable strain on its finances, and when coupled with the company’s interest in designing revolutionary new rides, expanding its Sesame Street presence, and, even, creating a major footprint overseas, it’ll need as much cash on-hand as possible.

It should be no surprise, then, that the Bloomberg piece also mentions that Merlin is just one of several interested parties – and several possible deals – that SeaWorld is currently considering; without such aggressive plans, current CEO Joel Manby’s belief that the company would wither and die is, more than likely, correct, for better or worse.

We should expect to see some real news on this front sometime in the near future.

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Important and fun – and while most of the exhibits keep you separated far from the animals for everyone’s safety, there are several spots where you can get up close and personal with them. These are undoubtedly the most fun, and I’m going to tell you which are also the best.

#5 – Elephant Interaction Wall
The Elephant Interaction Wall is an area that gets you as close to elephants as you can while still maintaining your safety. Here, the elephants will come right up to the gate to interact with their trainer and receive treats in exchange for demonstrating behaviors for the crowds.

Each time you stop here, you could see a different member of the elephant herd, as they come to the gate of their own free will and are never specifically selected to participate.

#4 – Serengeti Express
The Serengeti Express Railway is not only an excellent way to rest your feet after walking the park for a while, but the section of the train ride between the Nairobi and Congo stations takes you right through the Serengeti Plain. This is an area of the park where the animals roam freely, and you can see herds of animals strolling close to the train. Sometimes they’re so close, they even have to stop the train to wait for the wildlife to cross the tracks!

While you shouldn’t reach out to touch any of the animals (they repeatedly warn you to stay seated with arms and legs inside the train), you sometimes come close enough to the animals that it’s quite the temptation.

Unfortunately, due to construction for an upcoming attraction, the Serengeti Express is closed for the remainder of 2015.

#3 – Tiger Pop-Up
The Tiger Pop-Up, in the Jungala area of the park, is an amazing spot where you can safely get very close to tigers. They’ve designed this exhibit to have a small area, enclosed in very strong plexiglass, where, after climbing a short ladder, you’re actually inside the exhibit with the tigers themselves.

The tigers seem to be oblivious of this intrusion into their space (most of the time) and will walk right next to the pop-up. Quite often, I’ve even seen them lay down to sleep on top of the plexiglass box, allowing you to get closer than you’ve ever been to a tiger!

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#2 – Walkabout Way
Walkabout Way is one of a handful of exhibits where you can feed the animals. Here, guests can purchase cups of grass (or, at certain times, bottles for the younger ones) and feed kanagroos and wallabies. They even have helpful signs offering advice on how to feed them.

While you’re still separated from the animals by a fence at this exhibit, most of the animals found here have been hand-raised by humans and have no problem being touched as you reach through the fence. While at times these are some of the laziest animals I’ve seen in the park – and they tend to sleep far out of reach from your hands – the moment the food comes out, they’re very attentive and anxious for your attention.

#1 – Lory Landing
Lory Landing takes my top spot for animal interactions, hands down. This is a bird exhibit where you enter into the enclosure, and there is nothing between you and these colorful little birds. If you stop to purchase a cup of nectar, these birds will have no fear of you whatsoever (and, sometimes, you can even trick them into trusting you with an empty cup of nectar someone has left lying inside the exhibit). My family has personally had several birds at one time land on them and even fight amongst themselves to be the one drinking from the nectar cup!

They’ll land on outstretched arms, fingers, shoulders, and even the top of your head. My advice is to visit this enclosure as early as possible, as the birds will fill up on the nectar throughout the day and become less friendly as the day wears on.

Honorable mention – Serengeti Safari Tour
All of the experiences I’ve mentioned are really amazing, but the most engaging animal interaction experience in the park doesn’t come included with the admission fee. The Serengeti Safari Tour is a separately-priced experience that takes you out into the Serengeti Plain while standing in the back of an open-air truck. Your guide will take you right out into the animals, and you’ll be given food to feed the giraffes.

I’ve seen the giraffes stick their heads all the way into the truck to receive the food, giving everyone ample time to have the once-in-a-lifetime experience to actually pet a giraffe. While they don’t guarantee you’ll experience the giraffes up close every time (they occasionally choose to ignore a truck), I’ve yet to see a truck out on the plain not be surrounded by the animals looking for a handout.

While the price varies based on the season (and, yes, Annual Passholders receive a discount), these tours always sell out very quickly. Busch Gardens recommends purchasing tickets early in the day so no one gets left out.

So the next time you’re at the park, racing along at 60 mph on Cheetah Hunt or hanging 200 feet in the air on SheiKra, remember to stop by one of these exhibits and experience some of Busch Gardens’ amazing animals.

Have your own favorite spots to interact with the animals at? Leave a comment below!

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  About the Author Salina is a Florida native that has gone to theme parks all of her life. Even with the busy schedule that comes with having children, Salina and her family make it a priority to visit the parks several times a month. Quality family time should always include a roller coaster or two! More articles by Salina

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In Busch Gardens’ defense, this is an attraction like no other. At 335 feet, it’s the tallest free-standing drop tower in North America, and the only one of its kind to rotate the seats so that you’re looking at the ground as you fall. It’s a technically complicated behemoth, to put it mildly, and with a complicated ride comes lots of challenges.

My family and I have watched this attraction being built from the beginning, and as the size of the structure grew, so did our anticipation to ride it. With Falcon’s Fury up and running now, we decided to go check it out. My husband (the biggest adrenaline junkie in the family) was so excited that he’d finally get to ride this, he could hardly contain himself on the drive to Tampa.

I had declared quite a while ago that there was no way I’d ever get on this thing, so my husband and daughter began quickly emptying their pockets of anything that might fall and handing them over to me for safe keeping. (I like a good coaster, but racing downward at 60 mph while watching the ground approach? That’s just way too far over the line of comfort for me.)

My family later told me that signs inside the queue repeatedly informed you that if you didn’t take loose items out of your pockets and they fall from the ride, you could face ejection from the park. This ride is so high up in the air that they’re really serious about this!

As they stood in line waiting their turn, watching group after group ride before them, my husband’s excitement increased… but my daughter was beginning to have second thoughts.

When they finally stood at the gate, being next to board the ride, the fear was evident on my her face. But she decided to go through with it – “I’ll never know if I like it or not if I don’t ride it,” she said. And after being strapped into the ride, and as the car began to ascend, the fear was plain on my daughter’s face, and the joy of finally riding it plain on my husband’s.

Once you near the top of the tower, the seats tilt downward and face you towards the ground. Once those seats start tilting, the screams of the riders echo through the park. (I’m not sure which is louder – the screams or the ride itself!) You hear a very loud click as they lock into place. After that, you spend anywhere from one to five seconds – it’s random each time – before you plummet towards the ground.

While Falcon’s Fury itself has begun providing the option the purchase a picture of your descent, with a good zoom on a camera you can see your family members’ faces at the top of the ride as well. True to their characters, my family’s facial expressions weren’t a surprise. The look on my daughter’s face was pretty clear – she was terrified. And my husband’s face had a grin from ear to ear.

But after the four-second delay and the subsequent drop, my daughter’s face changed to one of delight – and once she let go of the restraints to throw her hands in the air on the way down, I knew she had conquered her fear. She came off the ride jumping up and down with excitement and couldn’t wait to ride again.

They said that, as the ride goes up, it is peaceful and offers a beautiful view of the Tampa area… but as you look out over the park, you begin to realize you’re heading higher than any of the other rides. They both agreed that as you pass the top of Sheikra (at 200-feet-tall), your heart starts beating a bit faster.

Once you’ve reached the top of the tower and the seats began to tilt, that’s when the adrenaline kicks in. They said you can really feel the safety harness holding you in place – and the longer you hang there, the more time you have to realize that the safety harness is the only thing holding you there in mid-air. And they both agreed the actual plunge as the ride speeds towards the ground is the best part by far.

When I asked them to describe it, they both were tongue-tied and explained that “awesome” doesn’t begin to cover it, and that there really aren’t words to adequately describe it – it’s just something that has to be experienced.

We started to head out of the Pantopia area. However, my family noticed the line for Falcon’s Fury was the shortest we’d yet seen. We even checked with the employees at the ride entrance to make sure it was still open, the line was that short. They confirmed it was, and that my family members had better get on fast to take advantage of the short wait. Once again I was left holding everything as they took off into the queue.

When they came off Falcon’s Fury for the second time, they again declared how awesome it was.

With it being Busch Gardens’ newest ride, the lines are bound to be long most of the time. And with it being the first attraction of its kind, there are bound to be technical issues from time to time. But both of my family members have decreed that it’s well worth standing in line for, and that it’s worth the inconvenience of a few technical problems every once in a while just to be able to have the chance to ride.

Have you already ridden Falcon’s Fury? Try to describe the experience to all the rest of us in the comments below.

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The post Riding Busch Garden’s Falcon’s Fury for the first time appeared first on Orlando Informer.

As we entered the park, we stopped to pay our respects to Gwazi. Busch Gardens is permanently closing this coaster on February 1, and since that was only a few days away, lots of people flocked to take one last ride on the wooden giant.

It was Florida’s first wooden coaster when it opened in 1999, but now it’s become too expensive to maintain – it takes an entire maintenance crew six hours every single night to double-check every inch of the track and each and every bolt. And now that the ride isn’t drawing in the guests that it used to, it’s just not cost-effective to operate anymore. Since both my husband and I had ridden it before, and since both of us remembered very vividly how much the wooden coaster rattled our bones, we chose not to ride it one final time; we just stopped by and bid it a farewell.

As we continued down the path, we found more signs of change at Busch Gardens. The pathway had detour signs up just outside the Xcursions store, which redirect you through Gwazi Park. While we could clearly see the construction beyond the walls (they’ve completely torn the building down where the “Critters Castaway” show used to be), it wasn’t clear exactly what was going to be built in this rather big area. There is also a large metal frame for a new topiary coming for the Food and Wine Festival in March, but as it doesn’t take up all of the space they’ve cleared, it’ll be interesting to see what fills in the rest.

The path still takes you by the flamingos (which were defending their territory against a large group of seagulls while we were there), and to Walkabout Way and Sesame Street’s Safari of Fun – it’s just slightly rerouted, is all.

As we walked past the Sesame Street area, we were delighted to see Grover and Cookie Monster out greeting guests – even without our children clamoring to see them, it was neat to see them interact with the children there. With the crowd levels so low, there were several times where they weren’t being hugged or talked to by a child and just danced to the music playing in the area, or came up behind children to surprise them. It was quite entertaining to watch.

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More signs of change and construction could be found in Pantopia. The Pantopia Grill has been closed for renovations until early summertime. This restaurant was already repainted and renamed to coincide with the opening of Falcon’s Fury, but now it’s getting a major overhaul: the park has confirmed that when it reopens, it’ll be a food court-style venue similar to Expedition Café at SeaWorld Orlando – but, much to my husband’s disappointment, it doesn’t appear that the corned beef sandwich he loved so much will be returning to the menu. There’s also going to be a Starbucks added to the food court, as well, so that, at least, is great news for coffee lovers!

(With the Pantopia Grill currently closed, though, be aware that lines at the other restaurants are longer than usual. When we stopped for lunch at the Zambia Smokehouse, we were quite surprised to find all four serving lines open but that there was still a 20-minute wait to get our food.)

Busch Gardens Tampa has also added a new food truck to the area. The Pantopia Food Truck is actually the same one seen at last year’s Howl-O-Scream and Christmas Town, except now it says “Pantopia Food Truck” on the side. No one in my family is a big taco fan, so we’ve yet to try the food from here, but I have heard many people say that the tacos and taco fries are tasty.

We also found that photographers are now taking your picture as you ride Falcon’s Fury, a fact that my husband was quick to try out. (Such a significant sacrifice for him to ride his favorite ride just so we could see how the picture came out, right?) Right now, you only get your photo taken if you sit in rows one, three, five, or seven, and it’s only a temporary test that they’re running, but they do come out great.

They take one picture as the seats tilt towards the ground, and then another just as it starts to drop, so you can choose which one you want. The pictures are $16.00 for one, or they’ll add it to your Photokey for you. I won’t be surprised if this becomes a permanent thing, as we saw everyone coming off the ride check out their photos, and hopefully you can eventually get your picture taken no matter what row you’re in. (Until then, though, if you ask to sit in one of the designated rows, the team members will make sure it happens without an issue.)

We left Pantopia and headed to see the gorillas – I was excited to see the new baby gorilla, named Enzi, as we haven’t been to the park since he has been born. While we couldn’t see him at all when we first got to the area, the trainer soon showed up and began to feed the gorillas, and mom and baby quickly emerged from the back. This little guy is so cute, but – man – is he hard to get a picture of since he’s so small! (I circled him in the photos below to help point him out).

With another gorilla (Mary) expecting a baby this spring, the gorilla exhibit is sure to be a crowded one this year.

After a quick ride on Cheetah Hunt (only a five-minute wait!), we headed out of the park. While my husband is still upset over the loss of his corned beef sandwich, I just can’t wait to see the results of all these changes. This year will definitely be an exciting one at Busch Gardens Tampa!

Will this be the greatest year yet for Busch Gardens Tampa (especially since it’ll be such a quiet one for Universal Orlando), or is the park on a permanent downward slide? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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The post What’s New at Busch Gardens Tampa (February 2015) appeared first on Orlando Informer.

After over 35 years as Timbuktu, the land has been completely revitalized and is now called Pantopia.

Dramatic orange, purple, and blue paint colors really set Pantopia apart from the rest of the park. Your old favorites are found here (the Scorpion rollercoaster, the Sand Serpent, the Phoenix, Busch Fliers, etc.), and, later this summer, the new Falcon’s Fury will be opening to add to the rides located in this area.

But there’s so much to be found here that’s brand new – and utterly captivating.

Pantopia: The backstory and a quick tour

In a time long forgotten, a strange and mystical Key Master dropped from the sky at this very spot. The legendary doors of Pantopia tell the rich history of the travelers that have both come before – starting with the mysterious Key Master himself – and that are currently still residing in this land. Guests can explore these doors and learn all of the area’s myriad secrets. (If you look around, you’ll see thousands of keys placed throughout Pantopia – in the walls, in the artwork, on the statues… everywhere.)

The excitement builds as you make your way through Transportation Plaza, where the caretaker here has created sculptures from the tuk tuks, trucks, planes, bikes, and wagons other travelers have left behind.

And just around the corner is Botanica, an oasis of intricate botanical sculptures that captures the flowing patterns of animal feathers, fur, and scales, representing all the elements of Pantopia.

Finally, the last of the new stops is the Sitting Place, a modern-day watering hole whose trees are covered in twinkling lights and lanterns.

Pantopia: The new shows

The Pantopia Grill (formerly known as the Desert Grill) has the same great food on hand, but an all-new show to go alongside it. “Burn the Floor: Untapped” is a new production set to music that will get you dancing in your seat. There is such a variety of music (they go from the Italian hit “Volare,” to an amazingly good version of “Stairway to Heaven,” to Brian Setzer’s “Jump, Jive, an’ Wail”) that there’s sure to be something for everyone. And depending on where you sit, you might even find yourself up close to one of the dancers! (Hint: look for tables near the front with “Reserved Seating” signs on them and no benches – that’s where the dancers will be.)

The Pantopia Theater has had many names and seen many shows over its many years at Busch Gardens, and now it’s home to an all-new animal performance. The animals from the long-running “Critter Castaways” are taking on showbiz now and are starring in “Opening Night Critters.” The premise is simple – two stagehands are trying and break into show business, and all the animals are there to help them – but the animals’ behaviors are anything but helpful: there are dogs sweeping the floor, birds singing into microphones, cats running amuck… and, surprisingly enough, there are even skunks, pigs, kangaroos, and emus to help lend a paw.

Pantopia: The new foods

A new grab-and-go snack area has emerged in Pantopia: Kettle Corn. Don’t let the name fool you – it has much more than just kettle corn: soft serve ice cream, Loaded French Fries, hot dogs, salads, and one of the largest Icee selections in the park. Located next to the Pantopia Theater, it’s a great place to grab a snack while waiting on the next “Opening Night Critters” show.

The main food attraction in Pantopia, though, is Twisted Tails Pretzels. I know what you’re thinking: pretzels have been in theme parks forever – what in the world could be the attraction here? Trust me when I tell you that these are pretzels like you’ve never seen before: hot dogs wrapped in pretzels, pizza pretzels, and, best of all, the Bacon Pretzel Fury – and this just begins to scratch the surface of what they offer.

In the interest of making sure I could accurately report on this place for you, my family tried many of the different selections here, and I can honestly say that not only was there not one bad thing on the menu, but also that you have to try the beer-cheese dipping sauce for their pretzel nuggets – it was amazing!

Busch Gardens has truly outdone itself with this newly revitalized area, and once Falcon’s Fury opens, this will be the place to be in the park. If you haven’t been to Busch Gardens recently, you need to come back to experience the magic of Pantopia as soon as humanly possible.

To read all of our Busch Gardens Tampa articles, be sure to to check out the OI Blog Archive. Or you can chat away about this and all the other Central Florida vacation destinations in the OI Community Forums.

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The post Pantopia at Busch Gardens Tampa: Tour the park’s newest land and learn its secrets appeared first on Orlando Informer.

As we walked through Busch Gardens trying to figure out what to do first, we saw a sign we couldn’t believe – Rhino Rally had reopened! After all this time of waiting for it, we of course moved quickly into the line and discovered – no line! We hopped right on the truck that was sitting there waiting for us.

As the bumpy ride started, we saw the elephants, and then we got to see a water buffalo actually in the water (much to our guide’s delight). After passing the Invisible White Rhino (that’s what the guide called it – and since we couldn’t see the rhino, we chose to believe her), we reached the end of the rally.

All in all, it was a short ride, but we’re very pleased to see it back again.

We headed over to Pantopia to check out the construction progress on Falcon’s Fury, and we found another surprise – the walls were down around the queue, so you can see all the way up to the ride itself now. And they even have a test seat out now, which, of course, my husband had to check out.

While news has come out that the ride won’t be open until late this summer, they have started to paint the tower itself with a flame-like pattern. I’ve heard rumors that the final painting will resemble a sunset in its coloring, so we’re excited to see the final result.

We strolled around the park riding the Montu (there was a small delay because someone lost their shoe – really, people, how many times do they have to tell you to take them off?), walked through the Edge of Africa exhibit (saw the cutest baby deer-like animal… with no sign, we had no clue what kind of animal it was, but it was really adorable), and watched as gorillas seemed to defy gravity while sleeping.

Finally, as sunset approached, the Summer Nights activities throughout the park began to kick off. Various DJ booths enticed kids to hula hoop in one of the most unusual hula hoop contests I’d ever seen (the small kids didn’t understand “you’re out,” so it was a hysterical, never-ending contest where, finally, they declared everyone a winner). In between the contests, the DJ played crowd-favorites for everyone to dance to (“Cha Cha Slide,” “Cupid Shuffle,” etc.) and really got everyone’s party energy started.

At 8:00pm, they opened the gates to Gwazi Field, where the main Summer Nights festivities were being held. Lots of food and beer booths lined the pathways, as well as vendors with squid-like hats (not sure what they had to do with summer or Busch Gardens, but they were everywhere you turned) and an assortment of light-up wands, necklaces, and headgear.

For some reason, though, they only had two of the food booths open. We’d planned on having dinner from the food here at the field, so we were highly disappointed by the lack of selection and ended up just getting popcorn to get us through the show (all the other restaurants in the park had already closed, so that wasn’t an option, either). When I asked about the food booths, I was told it was just a miscommunication that night and that they weren’t staffed to have the booths opened. They said that wouldn’t be an issue on any other night.

As we moved in to find our seats for the show, the pre-show had already started. There were people in Summer Nights outfits dancing throughout the audience, and a DJ with a wireless mic walking through the crowd. To continue the party that was started outside the gates, they again played “Cupid Shuffle,” “Cha Cha Slide,” and other party favorites to get everyone psyched up for the “Kinetix” show to come.

This pre-show kept every kid entertained – and with an hour wait and lots of children around, it obviously worked very well, because I didn’t hear one child complain about being bored while waiting.

After the Summer Nights group danced their way off the field, a countdown began… and then the “Kinetix” show began. I’d never seen this before and was excited to see if it lived up to all the hype I’d heard about it. Within the first five minutes of the show, I could see that “Kinetix” exceeded the hype. High-energy acrobatics set to energizing rock songs – and even a man that balanced on a stack of chairs. I can’t imagine anywhere else that you could get a combo like that in one show. It was amazing and mesmerizing.

And right on cue, as the show ended, the fireworks began right behind us – big, booming fireworks, perfectly timed to the music booming through the speakers. And the finale, while very short, was blindingly good.

The high-energy music and fantastic shows kept us dancing and talking all the way to the car. This was our first Summer Night celebration at Busch Gardens, but it won’t be our last.

Thanks for reading my trip report! To continue learning about Busch Gardens Tampa, check out the BGT archive on the OI Blog. Or you can catch up on all our trip reports.

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The post Busch Gardens Tampa trip report – July 2014 (Summer Nights extravaganza, Rhino Rally reopens, Falcon’s Fury more beautiful than ever) appeared first on Orlando Informer.

Since we had arrived in time to hear the National Anthem (all SeaWorld parks start their day with the National Anthem), we made a dash for Cheetah Hunt as the rope dropped. It turned out to be a great call, as we only waited five minutes before we got our chance to ride.

After the thrill, it was time to introduce our friend to the birds of Lory Landing… and they didn’t disappoint us at all. The two girls had a blast as the birds hopped back and forth between them to drain their cups of nectar.

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As we exited Lory Landing, we noticed maintenance workers standing on the top hill on SheiKra. Obviously the ride had some sort of issue, and we wondered how long it would be before it was fixed.

As we waited, we explored the new Refresh Market that had opened adjacent to the Stanleyville train station. We found they serve several different types of flavored lemonades (they even had a watermelon lemonade) and different Gold Peak Teas (finally – diet sweet tea in an amusement park!)… and they all work with the 99-cent souvenir cup program.

As we oohed and aahed over the new flavors, they began to run empty cars through SheiKra. The girls decided the lemonade hadn’t cooled them off enough and that it was time to cool off in the water spray from the coaster’s empty cars. (It’s amazing how wet you can get just by standing there!)

Since the wait dragged on for the coaster to allow riders again, and since the girls were already wet, we opted to take a quick, no-wait ride on the nearby Stanley Falls Flume, which is a classic flume ride with one short and one big drop. The girls came off complaining they didn’t get very wet – and I got off absolutely drenched. Just more proof that you never know how wet you’re going to get on a flume ride.

After I made the parental decree that everyone was wet enough, we decided to take a quick Skyride over to the other side of the park to get some lunch at Crown Colony. Our chicken fingers and pizzas were quickly scarfed down as we enjoyed the view of the Seregenti Plain.

After lunch (and since we were mostly dry at that point), we decided to go see “Iceploration.” In all the times we’ve been to the park before, we always said we wanted to see it, but we’d just never managed to actually do it. Wow – what we had been missing!

Ice skaters, acrobats, and actors all blend this show together wonderfully. The live animals that pop up from time to time in the show (real huskies pulling an actual dogsled across the ice, for instance) just make it that much more exciting. And, afterwards, we got to meet some of the cast that came out front and even got to pet one of the sled dogs!

We went from “Iceploration” to check out the changes in Pantopia (the area formerly named Timbuktu). With the land having an official opening date of May 1 – Falcon’s Fury is delayed, but everything else is still on track – we weren’t disappointed in the amount of changes since our last visit. Everything has bright new colors, and lots of little details have been added throughout the area. Signs are changed out (Desert Grill has become Pantopia Grill, Timbuktu Photos is now Pantopia photos, etc.), and murals and artwork abound.

There are still many construction walls at this point, but it does look like the area should hit its opening date without a problem.

The biggest change we noticed is in the centerpiece of Pantopia – Falcon’s Fury. The construction walls still surround this massive structure, but there are quite a few peepholes where major changes can be seen. Signage is in place (including the rules of the ride), and I was even able to see their testing dummies strapped into the seats!

While the ride opening has been delayed due to some technical issues (we did overhear one park employee say they were shooting for a mid-May or early June opening date), I knew test runs had been happening for several weeks now. So while the children went off for carousel rides and a trip down the Sand Serpent, I waited and hoped for a test run… but no luck.

Having seen how much our friend was enjoying the animal exhibits, we decided she had to ride the Serengeti Express train. Giraffes and zebras came so close, the train had to stop.

But the biggest attraction came when, in the distance, we could see Falcon’s Fury rising for a test run. The animals were quickly forgotten as most of the train was mesmerized by the new attraction.

The seats rose slowly to the top, at which point an obvious bounce was seen as they locked into place. A few seconds later, they were plummeting towards the earth. The train as a group let out a very loud “Oh!” in appreciation for just how quickly this drops, and ended up startling the nearby animals. We all got to see two such drops – an exhilarating surprise on this otherwise uneventful train ride!

Curious (or terrified of) what this experience will look like for the riders? Thanks to Busch Garden’s newly published point-of-view video, you can see exactly what it’ll be like:

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As we left the park after trying once more to ride SheiKrah (it had come back up and was accepting riders earlier but had stopped running again due to more mechanical issues), our friend just gushed on and on about how wonderful Busch Gardens is, and how she really hoped to come back again sometime to see the things we just simply ran out of time to do… and to ride Cheetah Hunt once more, of course.

To continue learning about Busch Gardens, check out the BGT archive on the OI Blog. Or you can catch up on all our trip reports.

Busch Gardens Tampa trip report – photo gallery

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The post Busch Gardens Tampa trip report – April 2014 (Falcon’s Fury test runs, Pantopia progress, “Iceploration” & the new Refresh Market) appeared first on Orlando Informer.

We arrived five minutes after the park opened and found very little crowds. We all decided Cheetah Hunt needed to be the very first stop before the wait time got too long. What a smart move that was – a zero-minute wait time was posted, and we could have literally walked right onto the coaster, but we decided to wait the whopping five minutes and stand in line for the front row. I’ve loved this coaster since the first time I rode it – but riding it in the front row was absolutely breathtaking. I came up over the hills, and it looked just like I’d fly right off the track!

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Noticing the crowds were still low, we headed over to SheiKra to check the line there. With a posted five-minute wait time, my family quickly raced off to ride on it. As they exited the ride, they were bouncing with excitement – the wait time had been overestimated and ended up being no wait at all. So, as we had on Cheetah Hunt, they waited the five minutes and rode front row. While my husband said it was the best ride ever, my daughter explained that the five-second wait at the top of the hill was a bit much as she looked straight down the drop. So, apparently, the front row of SheiKra is only for true daredevils.

We decided to try somewhere different for lunch and ended up at the Crown Colony Cafe.

With the current passholder deal of two meals and dessert for $20, our entire lunch (including drinks) was only a pleasing $50.Everyone agreed the pizza and chicken fingers were delicious, and the view of the animals from the deck was amazing. We’ll definitely be back here again.

As we waited for our food to settle, we wandered the park, checking out the animals as we went. As we came to the Animal Care Center, we stumbled onto the end of a procedure they’d been performing.

A wild pelican had been brought in by officials with a broken wing, and while Busch Gardens was checking it out, they also discovered multiple fish hooks stuck in his stomach. When we came in, the pelican was waking up from anesthesia, and the vet was explaining to the crowd that, after the pelican recovers from the three-hour surgery it had just endured to put pins in his broken wing, they will do a second surgery to remove the fish hooks.

She said it would take time for him to heal but was optimistic about his chances to be released back into the wild again.

Happy to hear the bird would do well, we then headed over to check out the Falcon’s Fury construction. The crown is now in place at the top of the ride, and what appears to be support beams are now in place down the sides of the tower. This ride makes everything else in the park look tiny – it’s absolutely huge!

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The entire Timbuktu area of the park will be converting to Pantopia with the addition of the new ride, and we could definitely see the progress they had made in that direction.

The new paint colors are going up all around, and the construction walls have expanded to include a majority of the area.

Unfortunately, when they moved the construction walls, one of my peepholes into the construction area was removed. I spoke to a nearby employee to see if another one had taken its place, and he explained that not only was the peephole gone now, but so was the employee’s path to the main office.

In the course of this conversation, he said several employees had complained about the much longer walk to the office, but that management had told him it would only be for two months. I walked away wondering if that had just happened – did he really just tell me that the construction walls will be down in two months’ time? This would put Falcon’s Fury with an opening date of mid-April. That would be incredible! (Later in the day, I also talked to another employee who hadn’t heard of the mid-April time frame, but he did tell me they would absolutely be having events for passholders to ride it before the general public!)

It was almost time for the elephant interaction area to open (it only opens two or three times a day), so we decided to check that out. This area provides guests with an unique opportunity to see the elephant trainers work with the animals on their behaviors. Rosie the elephant came over to the wall and performed some crowd-pleasing displays for us, and the favorite was when she sprayed water on the crowd.

As the crowd thinned a bit, I took the opportunity to talk to the trainer about the male elephant that recently arrived at the park but is not on display yet. She let me know that Spike should be out with the herd in the next two or three months. She explained that the elephant enclosure was designed for female elephants, and now that there is a male, there are several changes that need to be made to ensure everyone’s safety (exterior walls need to be raised to an eight-foot height, the moat that separates the public from the elephants needs to be deepened, etc.).

I asked if these modifications were the reason that Rhino Rally was closed – it’s been closed for “refurbishment” for many months now, but there are no signs of any work being done to it at all – and she replied that she was “told just the other day that Rhino Rally will be reopening on Memorial Day and staying open through Labor Day.” They are still debating on whether the track for the area will be modified with the new enclosure, or whether the enclosure will be modified around the current track that is there. Either way, though, I was happy to know the ride will reopen, as it’s a great way to get closer to the animals.

Deciding we’d had enough fun with the usual park stuff, we headed over to the Bands, Brew, and BBQ area. 30 different booths of craft beers, and many of those booths with four or five different brews to try – what’s not to like about that? We stood in a quick line to get our unlimited beer sampling wristbands and sampling cup ($30 for the wristband and a four-ounce sampling cup versus the $6.95 per 10-ounce beer charge) and started sampling. We found some really good brews from some breweries I’d never heard of and found some really bad beers from other breweries.

The barbecue sold in this area was delicious (the grilled corn on the cob won our favorite of the night). They even had a photo-op set up in the field where you could take your picture appearing to hold up Falcon’s Fury in the distance, which the kids found really cool.

We watched some of the Marshall Tucker Band concert but soon decided that, with school and work the next day, it was time to start the drive back home. But we all agreed – we’ll be back to celebrate more Bands, Brew & BBQ before the event ends on March 9.

Thanks for reading my trip report! To continue learning about Busch Gardens Tampa, check out the BGT archive on the OI Blog. Or you can catch up on all our trip reports.

To see who is performing at Bands, Brew & BBQ this upcoming weekend, visit the official site.

Busch Gardens Tampa trip report – photo gallery

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The post Busch Gardens Tampa trip report – February 2014 (Bands, Brew & BBQ, Falcon’s Fury construction & Rhino Rally reopening) appeared first on Orlando Informer.

Last time we were at Busch Gardens, an Animal Care employee in Lory Landing told us to visit the exhibit early in the morning because the birds were hungrier then and more interactive. So we tested that advice, and it proved to be more accurate than we could have imagined. Not only were the birds hungrier, but we also found the Animal Care Team was handing out cups of nectar for free (usually $3 each). So the entire family found themselves with nectar cups in their hands, and birds all over them. They jumped on our arms and heads, and sometimes we even found ourselves with multiple birds on our arms fighting over the nectar. What a delight!

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As we continued our journey through the park, we found signs of construction in unexpected places. The Stanleyville train station has a large section surrounded by construction walls – no signs said what was coming there, so that was quite the surprise to us. We also found the pool that fuels the SheiKra’s tidal wave effect had been significantly lowered. A staff member nearby informed us it was due to the cold weather.

But the biggest construction we saw during our visit was the expected: Falcons Fury. The column sections providing the height are now all in place, and this thing is massive! You can see it from anywhere in the park, and it absolutely looms over every other ride.

We noticed that crews have scaffolding in place that surrounds the tower itself, and it raises and lowers up the tower as they work on it, much like a window washer’s workspace on a high rise building. We could not only hear the sounds of construction when we were right next to it, but the bangs and clangs can be heard throughout the park as well.

In addition, everywhere we went we could hear guests talking about it, and opinions ranged from the amusing versions of “no way will I ride it” to the excited “I can’t wait!”

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Stopping for lunch at the nearby Desert Grill proved to be quite the treat for our pocketbooks. With the 30% discount for Pass Holders this month, our lunch for seven people only cost us $60.00!

And for that $60.00 we got plates piled high with delicious food, including a turkey club sandwich and the big corned beef sandwich I mentioned in November’s trip report.

After eating, we decided to let our food settle before attempting any more coasters, so we walked to several animal exhibits.

To our surprise, we found out that Jambo Junction actually housed unique animal exhibits; we had always thought this building, tucked back into the trees, was a restaurant. As we walked through, we even stumbled upon a group that was feeding the flamingos housed there. I’ve never seen flamingos run towards people the way these birds ran towards this group of people with their metal buckets. A few of the flamingos were checking out the crowd at the rail as well, apparently thinking we’d have some extra food ourselves, and came right up to us. Trying to touch them proved unfruitful though, as they would easily duck our attempts. We all got some good laughs as we tried, and discovered that flamingos are really loud when they’re that close to you.

As we walked through the Edge of Africa displays, we came across a group of Animal Care employees standing inside the meerkat exhibit.  They explained to us that only one meerkat was on display at the moment as the others were “elsewhere”.

Unfortunately, being alone meant the meerkat had no one else to cuddle up with to stay warm in the frigid temperatures that are expected over the next few nights. So they were setting up a warm place for her to sleep. This consisted of a small animal carrier set on the ground filled and surrounded by straw, as well as a warming lamp setup above it.

With our food now settled, it was time for more rides!

The Montu was only a quick 15 minute wait, but we weren’t so lucky with Cheetah Hunt. Its wait was over 50 minutes long (and was still at that when we checked 20 minutes before park closing). As we waited, we could see the queue for Cheetah Hunt had even been redesigned to hold more people. Since the redesign consists of temporary plastic barriers, we speculated whether this was a permanent change or just a temporary measure for the recent holiday crowds.

My family has ridden SheiKra many times, but I had never been brave enough to try it. Whether it was the good mood of having such a great day, or possibly the beer I’d consumed, something made me finally decide to go ahead and try this coaster. For those not familiar, it goes up a hill to start, just like any other coaster, but instead of sending you screaming down the hill right away, it has a unique twist: the car reaches the edge of the plunge, then it stops there for five seconds before sending you speeding on your way.

That’s five seconds of sitting there dangling over the edge – it may seem like a short time, but when I was hanging there, I got WAY too much time to reconsider my decision to ride this coaster!

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If you like the feeling of free fall, you’ll enjoy this coaster. It truly felt like I was falling out of the sky as I came down that first hill. While I enjoyed the breakneck speeds and fast twists of this coaster, free falling isn’t an experience I enjoy. So I’ll let my family continue to ride this one without me from now on.

With my dignity still slightly intact, we left the park as it closed. Having the extra family members made it much more enjoyable, and we’re already talking about who else we could bring this month with our remaining free tickets. For other Busch Gardens Pass Holders, if you’re interested in getting your free tickets, visit this page. Oh, and if you’re a SeaWorld Orlando Pass Holder, they are offering the same thing.

Thanks for reading my trip report! To continue learning about Busch Gardens Tampa, check out the BGT archive on the OI Blog. Or you can catch up on all our trip reports.

Busch Gardens Tampa trip report – photo gallery

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The post Busch Gardens Tampa trip report – January 2014 (hungry birds at Lory Landing, Falcon’s Fury construction, first ride on SheiKra) appeared first on Orlando Informer.

I got to the Busch Gardens two hours before the daytime scheduled closing time, only to find that I had grossly overestimated the crowds on this weekday night (this was Thursday, December 12). The parking lot was mostly empty, and the park wasn’t crowded at all. Not wanting to waste daylight, I hurried over to check the progress on the construction for Falcon’s Fury, Busch Gardens’ new 335 foot drop tower that will plunge guests to the earth face-down at 60 miles per hour.

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The plastic covered fencing surrounding the construction area has been removed, and sturdier wooden walls are now in their place. But even those walls can’t hide the fact that Falcon’s Fury is rising into the sky! Three tower pieces have now been installed, and roughly 100 feet of steel has risen.  It’s already casting shadows on the nearby palm trees, and yet it’s only one-third of the eventual height. It’s clear that this ride will tower over everything at the park. A few workers were present, but no construction was being performed when I was there. Still, it was quite a thrill to see the ride taking shape.

UPDATE: Busch Gardens published a new construction video to YouTube, which you can see directly below this text. It’s followed by two of my photos shot during my visit last weekend.

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With an hour left until the park closed to transition to Christmas Town, I found myself in an unusual position – time to kill in a nearly empty park.  What to do?  Ride the coasters with non-existent wait times, of course! I stored my stuff in a locker (only 50 cents per use with no time limit) and rushed over to ride my favorite coaster in the park – Cheetah Hunt. After an amazingly short five minute wait, I was off and racing at Cheetah speeds. After that, I raced to the Montu, where I was able to walk on the coaster with no wait at all.

Another welcome surprise came with the park closing announcement. Turns out, if you have a Christmas Town ticket, you don’t have to leave Busch Gardens for the hour time gap; you can simply visit one of the designated locations to wait. With no rush to leave, I wandered around. It was a surreal feeling walking through such a large amusement park with what seemed like only a hundred other people. No lines anywhere, no crowds, and plenty of opportunities to enjoy the Christmas lights coming on as the sun was setting.

Snow World, the first part of Busch Gardens Christmas Town that I explored, opened up early at 5:30pm, and I was among the small crowd that was let in just as the gates opened.

This is the first place I’ve seen in Florida where you can play in the snow – REAL snow, not the bubble snow usually found this time of year that my family commonly refers to as “Florida snow”. There are targets that you can throw snowballs at, slides where guests race fellow park-goers on tubes, and an area for just playing in the snow. How they manage to get all that snow in one tent and not have it melt quickly in the unseasonably warm temperatures we’re having is a mystery to me – but watching the kids play like they’re really at the North Pole made me completely forget that I’ll start sweating again as soon as I step out of the tent.

Important tip: They do not allow flip flops or sandals in the snow at all due to concerns of frostbite (it’s real snow after all). However, they offer a “shoe exchange” program where they’ll loan you a pair of boots while they hold your warm weather shoes — and all for no extra charge!

The Christmas lights and music everywhere got me in such a Christmas spirit. Every area of Busch Gardens has its own Christmas-named theming: Timbuktu becomes Holiday Hills, Nairobi becomes Penguin Point (complete with African penguins), and Bird Gardens transforms into an overload of neon pink that anywhere else would be considered tacky – but here is breathtakingly beautiful.  (Turns out those new flamingo statues I admired last month are actually part of the Christmas lighting.) Every Christmas “town” even has their own themed music. I couldn’t help but sing along and dance to the music as I walked through the park.

Feeling so festive, at this point I suddenly had an overwhelming desire to go visit Santa at his house.

The magic of the house is so uplifting that I found myself smiling and giggling as I talked to Mrs. Claus while waiting to see Santa Claus. And I didn’t even have my children with me!

Along with the beauty of all the lights, there are lots of specialty Christmas shows during the Christmas Town event. I chose to see “Angels on Ice” – a mix of ice skating and aerial acrobatics. While that might seem like an odd mix, it turns out that mixing them ends up with an impressive display of talent.

I also got to enjoy the Carol of the Bells light show with fantastically timed lights to an awesome arrangement of Carol of the Bells that I’ve never heard before. After the two photos below, see the full 5-minute show in my video.

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Roughly two hours after the official Christmas town opening, the crowds were really starting to pick up  The entire park isn’t open during the event, and the limitations on available walking paths became quite obvious as more people arrived to experience the winter wonderland. The park started to implement a waiting list and pager system for the more popular attractions (Snow World and Santa’s House), reinforcing what I’d noticed myself – the crowds were getting much heavier as the evening progressed.

I opted to keep the joy of the event fresh in my mind and leave before the crowd levels became frustrating.

My time at Busch Gardens filled me to the brim with the holiday spirit, and with a determination that next year I’ll bring the whole family to experience this magical event.

Official website for Busch Gardens Christmas Town 2013

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Thanks for reading my trip report! To continue learning about Busch Gardens Tampa, check out the BGT archive on the OI Blog. Or you can catch up on all our trip reports.

Busch Gardens Tampa & Christmas Town 2013 – photo gallery

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The post Busch Gardens Tampa trip report – December 2013 (Christmas Town special event, Falcon’s Fury update) appeared first on Orlando Informer.

Now let’s see what’s new at Busch Gardens…

My family and I spent an animal-filled day at Busch Gardens Tampa on Sunday. While the crowds were lower and activity slower at the park, the animals were really active as they enjoyed the great Central Florida autumn weather. And seeing the Christmas decorations was a wonderful reminder that the holidays are almost here!

The highlight of the day was the Busch Gardens’ Animal Care Center. At this building guests can watch animal care workers prepare foods for all the animals in the park, and guests can also view any veterinary procedures being performed. My children were lucky enough to be asked to help make banana fish popsicles for the gorillas.  The “banana fish” part of the popsicle turned out to be mashed up bananas frozen into fish-shaped ice cubes, then stuck onto a larger block of blue-colored ice that contained whole bananas.

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As my kids proceeded to “decorate” the larger block of ice with the fish shapes, the Animal Care workers explained that foods like this are designed to stimulate and entertain the animals at the zoo. They explained that, just like children, animals get bored, and anyone with kids knows that a child left bored for too long will find creative methods to relieve the boredom. Foods like this help the animals find constructive ways to alleviate their boredom while at the same time meeting their nutritional needs.

Just as we thought this activity would be the most memorable of the day, one of the keepers came from the back to announce that a wildlife emergency had just come in and the vets were on their way. We shuffled to the next room to see the Busch Garden vets in action. As we waited, the education staff brought out a large python (well, they called him small, but I still insist he was large!) for the children to touch — it was a fantastic way to keep the children entertained while waiting.

Finally the vet arrived, and we learned that a wild Osprey had been brought in by local law enforcement after hitting a power line. We got our first glimpse of the bird as the veterinary technician brought him in and put him under anesthesia so he could be checked out. We watched through the glass wall as the vet checked his wound and cleaned the large hole in his wing. Not only could we see everything going on through the glass wall, but there were cameras throughout the room to show more detailed images of the bird. They even displayed the x-ray for everyone to see!

After the procedure, the vet put on the microphone and explained to everyone that the bird had not broken any bones, but he would be kept under Busch Gardens care until the wound in his wing healed. The vet then fielded questions from the crowd that had gathered, patiently providing answers everything from the detailed “Were any primary feathers injured?”, to the simple, “How old is the bird?”.  They then brought the bird up to the window for everyone to have a closer look — absolutely breathtaking to see their animal rescue program in action!

After such excitement, a relaxing lunch was in order. We chose the Desert Grill and weren’t disappointed: quite a variety of food, and the pricing was excellent — our group of 4 ate for less than $40. I highly recommend the corned beef sandwich; it had more delicious meat on there than at most delis!

In the spring of 2014, Busch Gardens will have a new attraction: Falcon’s Fury. This drop tower will take you up 335 feet, rotate so you’re facing downward, and then dive towards the ground like a falcon at 60 mph. While other members of my family can’t wait to ride it, I’m just excited to watch the structure go up. Once complete, Falcon’s Fury will be the tallest free-standing drop tower in North America, and the first one to have the seats rotate so you face the ground!

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We stopped to check on the construction and discovered all the previously seen steel posts have been hammered into the ground now. With all the previous work now underground, the area looks almost empty except for a few construction vehicles. I know the steel tubes that will make up the main shaft have been delivered to Busch Gardens already, so I’m really hoping the tower starts going up soon.

As we continued our tour, we next saw tiger cubs lying about in the sun, then we got some great views of the adults from the tiger pop up area.

After that, we stopped by to feed the birds at Lory Landing. With nothing between us and the birds, these little guys climbed all over everyone to get something to eat.

At our next stop we found some new flamingo statues had been installed around the flamingo enclosure next to Walkabout Way. These statues were placed all around the area and our personal favorite were the statues of the flying flamingos.

For us no visit to Busch Gardens is complete without a ride on Cheetah Hunt. This incredibly smooth coaster launches you three separate times as ride down an impressively long track (three-quarters of a mile!). The elaborate African theming on this ride is really detailed, almost making it a shame that the ride’s speed prevents you from being able to appreciate it all. Cheetah Hunt is definitely a favorite of our family, and the 30 minute line (the longest one we encountered during our day) was well worth the wait.

As we left the park, the advertisements for the upcoming Christmas Town events really got us excited about our next visit. We spent the car ride home wondering aloud just how amazing the park will look when all the holiday decorations are up.

To continue reading about Busch Gardens, check out the BGT archive on the OI Blog. Or you can catch up on all our trip reports.

Busch Gardens Tampa trip report – photo gallery

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The post Busch Garden Tampa trip report – November 2013 (hands-on at the Animal Care Center, Falcon’s Fury construction & more) appeared first on Orlando Informer.

The tour begins at 8:00am, which, on most tour days, is a full hour before the park opens. It costs $64.95 plus tax, and park admission is not included nor is it required. Participants are led in the special entrance to the park near the Crown Colony Restaurant, escorted around the park throughout the length of the tour, and led out of the same gate at the conclusion of the tour. Participants must be able to walk, though for those aware of the size of the park, it requires significantly less walking than one might think (more on that later).

The tour includes the five most popular coasters in the park, three of which are manufactured by Bolliger and Mabillard (B&M), which should be a coaster manufacturer familiar to fans of Orlando parks. They created Islands of Adventure’s Incredible Hulk Coaster and Dragon Challenge, as well as SeaWorld Orlando’s Kraken and Manta. The tour began with Montu, the park’s B&M Inverted Coaster. Then it was on to SheiKra, the world’s first B&M Dive Coaster to hit 90º vertical. Next was Kumba, the world’s first B&M Sitting Coaster. Then we rode Gwazi, a pair of dueling wooden coaster made by Great Coasters International. The tour ended with Cheetah Hunt, the park’s new launched coaster and the first Intamin coaster in Florida.

Each tour begins with some sample facts about the coaster, primarily the make, the model, its height, number of inversions, etc. They then describe the mechanics of the coaster, like the lift mechanism (or in the case of Cheetah Hunt, launch mechanism), braking systems, emergency evacuation procedures, history of the coaster, etc. The tour guides, Norman and Gabe — two of the nicest guys in the world — will answer any question to the best of their ability, and they were very capable of answering the questions. I tried to throw them a few curve balls, but each was met with an accurate, thorough, and insightful response.

Next, the tour guides lead the group to the maintenance area, where they get an up-close and hands-on look at how these coasters work. Sometimes, primarily early in the morning, the tour group might be able to see a coaster train added to the track circuit. This is done by using a transfer track, a piece of track, typically just behind the station, that conveys the coaster train from the maintenance area to the track. Down in the maintenance area, coaster safety systems are explained, such as the anti-rollback mechanism (the click-click-click heard as the coaster train rises up the hill), magnetic braking, and the restraint system. Many coaster parts are available for show-and-tell, so to speak, and it should be noted that some of them are quite heavy. For many of the coasters, the tour group gets to see a train that is in the middle of having its annual, that is, annual inspection. An annual is when a coaster train is completely disassembled, inspected for integrity and replaced if needed, and reassembled. It is a great opportunity to see the parts required in maintaining safety and comfort on a thrilling ride.

At the end of touring each coaster, the group gets the opportunity to experience the coaster firsthand. For any roller coaster fan, it is the perfect build-up to the ride itself, because understanding the effort it takes to make such a thrilling machine operate makes the experience so much more enjoyable. For those wishing to make the ride even more memorable, SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment has recently allowed GoPro video camera recording on its rides, though it does require a chest-strap mount in order to carry it onto the ride.

Regarding the aforementioned ease of getting around, often the same trucks used for the animal interaction tours are used for getting around the massive park. Busch Gardens Tampa hides its infrastructure in the center of the park, so riding past administrative offices, wardrobe departments, and culinary centers is a fun look into how such a large operation is performed on a daily basis.

Special thanks go out to Norman and Gabe again, because they really did a fantastic job. For anyone interested in learning more about roller coasters, this is the perfect tour to do so.

Learn more and book the tour

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The post Busch Gardens Coaster Experience Tour: Central Florida’s best kept secret for coaster lovers appeared first on Orlando Informer.

On a recent visit, our group spent the day enjoying the various animal exhibits and shows as opposed to the thrill rides. Guests who enjoy these aspects can easily spend an entire day catching the different shows and seeing all of the different habitats and species within them.

The largest area dedicated to animals is the Serengeti Plain, which features a variety of species roaming throughout the habitat, including giraffes, zebras, and ostriches. Perhaps the best way to see the plain up close is the Serengeti Safari, but that comes with a price tag. At $33.95 plus tax per person on top of what you already paid to get into the park, it’s more than a bit steep for a family on a budget. The experience does allow you to get up close to a number of the animals, including the giraffes, which you can feed right from your hand.

You can get a bit of the safari experience by riding Rhino Rally, which is included with regular admission. The storyline of this safari vehicle ride is hokey, and it’s over before you know it, but it does give you some up close views of the rhinoceros and elephant areas. Inevitably, those who have ridden Kilimanjaro Safaris at Animal Kingdom will compare the two attractions, but Rhino Rally just isn’t in the same league as Disney’s version.

Great views of the savannah can also be had by riding the Skyride and Serengeti Railway, both of which spend a portion of their path going over or through the area. The only species we didn’t get to see up close, either by walking along the paths or on the Skyride or Serengeti Railway were the giraffes, which stay closer to the center of the plain where the Safari vehicles pull up to feed them.

Near the Serengeti Plain is the Myombe Reserve, home to the park’s gorillas and chimpanzees. We spent some time here both in the morning and afternoon exploring the pathways and viewing these majestic creatures. Some slept, some foraged for food, and a few sat and posed for the passers-by.

In this area of the park is Cheetah Run, where trainers put the animals through their paces at least once a day, showing off their incredible speed. Unfortunately, on the day of our visit PBS was shooting at Cheetah Run for an upcoming documentary, and we didn’t get to see the cheetahs perform their runs in the morning. Later in the day, the trainers fed the cheetahs “blood pops,” which were frozen animal blood cubes that got them moving in the hot sun for spectators.

Elsewhere in the park are a number of other habitats featuring a wide variety of species from different continents. In Jungala, guests can see tigers and orangutans. On our visit, the afternoon sun had lulled the orangutans to sleep, but the tigers were up and about in their enclosures. The paths here wind in between, under, and over the tigers, giving a number of great spots to view and photograph the endangered species.

Bird Gardens, with a huge aviary featuring tropical birds, and Walkabout Way, with Australian animals including the wallaby and kangaroo are just two of the other exhibits that are positioned throughout the park.

Animals even get into the act at two different stage shows. At Critter Castaways, see a number of rescued animals perform trips in a fast paced, fun filled show. In Iceploration, Busch Gardens has combined ice-skating, animals, and live theatre into an amazing show performed several times a day. Everyone in our group felt Iceploration was a great show, and getting off our feet and out of the hot Florida sun into a well cooled theater was even better.

Between the animal exhibits and shows we saw on our visit, we filled our entire day without going on any of the thrill rides. It’s a whole different side to the park which is also known for its line-up of roller coasters, and one well worth exploring.

Animal encounters at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay – photo gallery

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I had a goal in mind to visit every major animal attraction and ride in one day. It was just my wife and I traveling so we skipped the kid rides/attractions for the most part. In order to accomplish my goal, I designed what I thought to be a pretty comprehensive touring plan for the park — to view a PDF copy of our plan, click here.

Being roller coaster enthusiasts we wanted to get to Cheetah Hunt first thing. We got on right away, and since it’s relatively close to the entrance to the park it was a sensible choice. Cheetah Hunt is a very good coaster; in fact it’s probably the smoothest coaster I’ve ever been on. It features three separate speed boosts throughout, reaching speeds of 60 mph, and is much longer than it looks.

From there we moved across a good section of the park to SheiKra, the fastest and in my opinion best coaster in the park. This ride reaches speeds of 70 mph which definitely tops any other coaster’s speeds in the Central Florida area. The signature drop on SheiKra is a 90 degree angle and as you get ready to drop the coaster stops and hangs you over the edge facing the ground for about 5 seconds before abruptly dropping you into a free-fall. For thrill-seekers this coaster is not to be missed!

After riding two coasters to start the day we moved onto an animal area – Jungala. There are two sections in Jungala of note: the Orangutan Outpost and the Tiger Trail/Lodge. The Orangutan Outpost is an indoor air conditioned area that allows for up close viewing of the orangutans in their habitat. They have a few levels that orangutans can access including one below the floor where there is glass to allow for a pretty cool view.

The Tiger exhibit is one of my favorite animal exhibits in the park. The Tiger Lodge is indoors and similar to the Orangutan Outpost, it’s air conditioned, and has some decent views of the tigers. There are multiple white and orange Bengal Tigers in the exhibit. The crown jewel here though is the Tiger Trail, which is outdoors but circles around the tiger’s habitat. It allows for many up close views and I was able to get within six inches of a tiger on multiple occasions for a very cool experience. There is also a pretty nifty “pop-up window” area where you climb a small ladder and the floor of the tiger’s exhibit pops up here to allow for your head to be inside of the exhibit while enclosed in the pop-up. Generally there are multiple tiger’s right there allowing for a surreal and awesome up close and personal interaction with one of the coolest and most beautiful animals on the planet. There is a small queue area for the pop-up so you can’t spend too much time there hanging with the tigers.

From here we made our way to the Congo area for Kumba, a slightly older but still fierce coaster. This one reminds me of a faster, wilder version of IOA’s The Incredible Hulk. It reaches speeds up to 60 mph and definitely has a bit more thrill than the Big Green in IOA. It’s similar in its style of a multitude of loops including sharp turn and drops. I thoroughly enjoyed this coaster even though I felt a bit beaten up afterwards, a must for thrill seekers!

From Kumba we made our way to Ubanga-banga bumper cars. It’s exactly what you would expect bumper cars to be, and still just as fun as they were when I was a kid.

After bumper cars we stopped in Timbuktu for a quick snack, and made our way to Sand Serpent. It’s a kiddie coaster, similar to Disney’s Primeval Whirl in Animal Kingdom. It doesn’t have the spinning of Primeval Whirl, but has similar sharp turns, and better drops. It was a surprisingly good kiddie coaster, although a bit jarring. Next we did Phoenix, a classic boat ride that swings back and forth until going upside down a few times … I enjoyed these more when I was younger, but still fun. We followed with Scorpion, an older coaster that takes you through a 360 degree loop and reaches speeds of 50 mph. One thing my wife noted is that this is the only coaster she’s ever been on where it does a loop and has no shoulder harness, only a lap bar. This one beat me up a bit, as it was a little jerky, probably one I’ll do every so often, but not a must-do.

From Scorpion we headed over to Nairobi for Rhino Rally. This is somewhat similar to Animal Kingdom’s Kilimanjaro Safari’s although sadly after doing Kilimanjaro just a week or two before this wasn’t even close to being as good. The story is bad, you only see a handful of animals, it’s pretty short, and the views are worse. Unless it’s a walk-on like it was for me, skip this one. Something else to note is that a lot of the animals seen on this attraction are visible elsewhere in the park in other exhibits that give better views.

After Rhino Rally we made our way back to Jungala to eat at Bengal Bistro. It was a pretty simple counter-service place, but still good. We had a fish wrap, and a meatball sub. Slightly different than your normal theme park grub, which was definitely a welcome option for me.

After lunch we were still on schedule from my plan, and it was time for some water rides. We made our way to the Congo River Rapids first, which is a typical white water raft ride. We got soaked as expected. I’d rate this one better than Kali River Rapids at Animal Kingdom, but worse than Bilge Rat Barges at IOA. The theming wasn’t great, but the rapids, falls, etc. were decent.

From there we did Tanganyika Tidal Wave, which is somewhat-like Jurassic Park River Adventure at IoA, but with little to no theming and a slightly worse drop. We got a bit more wet on this one than Jurassic Park River Adventure, but outside of the one drop at the end you basically just float along to no theming. Stanley Falls Flume would’ve been our next target, but it was closed during our visit for renovations.

After that we went to the car to change into some dry clothes and made our way back to the park. Since most of what we had left was along the base of the park (Egypt, Morocco, and Bird Gardens) this allowed for an easy path during the second half of our day. We focused on Cheetah Run first, which is the Cheetah animal exhibit that is next to Cheetah Hunt. Here we were able to get some up close shots of the cheetahs. Roughly four times/day the caretakers present facts on the cheetahs and actually show them off where they have a line with a mechanized object for the cheetah’s to chase, this allows you to see the cheetah’s running in action. There is also a dog as part of the exhibit who was the companion for the baby cheetah Busch Gardens took in before the attraction opened in 2010. The dog and cheetah grew up together and can be seen at times when visiting the attraction.

Following Cheetah Run we made our way to Montu in the corner of the park in Egypt. Montu is a steel floorless coaster with seven inversions throughout and was the first coaster in the world to incorporate an Immelman loop (a combo loop and roll). Montu reminded me a bit of Dragon Challenge at Universal’s IOA.

After Montu we did a bunch of animal attractions in the Egypt/Nairobi area. Edge of Africa was our first area which is a walking path including a variety of animals. The lion’s habitat was under construction so they were not present which was a slight disappointment was for us. We did get to see the meerkat’s in action though as there was a black snake in their enclosure they were hunting down as a group. This was a pretty cool thing to see as they cornered the snake.

From Edge of Africa we went to the Animal Care Center, where you can watch veterinary procedures being done if there are any scheduled. There were none when we went so we moved on. We saw Curiosity Caverns next, a cave-like exhibit with creatures that prefer a darker living area. We were able to see some newborn lemurs here which were very cool as well as bush babies, snakes, bats, sloths, monkeys, and more.

Following that we did the Elephant Interaction Wall, which allows close viewing of the elephants while they eat and ultimately perform. Their performances aren’t coordinated, but as you watch them grabbing a branch with their trunk and flailing it about, or throwing a coconut against a rock to get at the insides it truly does feel like a performance. There are a few scheduled times each day where the trainers will do presentations on the elephants and also put food out.

Jambo Junction was our next exhibit which features a large variety of animals. We saw a baby aardvark, lemurs, various snakes, exotic frogs, lizards, birds and more. There were quite a few animals in this exhibit and we spent a good portion of time here. On the way out there are otters in a tank along the path area that you can see as well. They are super playful and cute, making them some of the most fun animals to watch.

After Jambo Junction we made our way to Myombo Reserve which houses Chimpanzees and gorillas. This is another area similar to the tiger exhibit where you get multiple up close window views of the animals within.

After doing a bunch of animal exhibits in a row we made our way to Gwazi, the only wooden roller coaster at Busch Gardens. Gwazi features more passes than any other “dueling” coaster. There is a “Lion” side which is curvier, and a “Tiger” side with more drops. Unfortunately for us only “Lion” was open on our visit as “Tiger” was undergoing refurbishments. It was a jittery ride as both my wife and I had slight headaches when getting off, but it was still a blast.

From there we made our way to the Bird Gardens, a screened in area with a multitude of various birds to see. Next we did what was probably the best animal attraction of the day, Walkabout Way. Within Walkabout Way is “Kangaloom,” an interactive kangaroo, wallaby, an exhibit where you can get up close and personal being able to feed and pet the kangaroos within. The feeding portion happens four times per day and costs $5 for the food, lasting for an hour each time. Being able to interact with such unique animals was a lot of fun for me, and since there are probably over 50 in the enclosure it’s not hard to be able to reach them.

From Walkabout Way is Lory Landing another interactive exhibit, this time with birds. There are many different kinds of birds here and you can buy nectar for $5 to feed them as well. The “Lorikeets” are the most prominent birds here and are very brightly colored. They will land on your heads, hands and arms, so be ready for some very up close and personal interactions with them.

From Lory Landing we did the 4:30 showing (check the daily park map for show times, or the Busch Gardens website for show times up to a week in advance) of Critter Castaways. It is similar to Seaworld Orlando’s Pets Ahoy and was very good. There were condors, macaws, dogs, cats, rats, a pig and more doing all sorts of crazy tricks and stunts all to the act of shipwrecked group of people. I highly recommend it, especially if you love animals.

After this we ate dinner at Crown Colony, the restaurant most consider to be the best in the park. There is a pub and café section on the second floor, but we elected to eat at the sit-down section overlooking the Serengeti Plain on the third floor. The cool thing about this is the ability to see giraffes and other animals while eating your dinner. The food was quite good and reasonably priced (~$15-$20 entrees). I enjoyed my coconut shrimp and hush puppies, while my wife enjoyed her salmon.

Following dinner we went to the 6:30 showing of Iceploration, Busch Gardens Tampa’s newest show. It tells the story of a grandfather showing his grandson how to enjoy nature and get outside. They visit a variety of continents, each one including dazzling figure skating (the stage is coated in ice to allow this) and stunts by the “animals” involved. There are a few live animal appearances as well, including Siberian Huskies, which was extra special for me since I own a Siberian Husky, and they’re my favorite dogs. After the show I took a moment to meet one of the Siberian’s they brought out to meet the spectators.

With just under 1-hour left we made our way over to the Skyride entrance next to Cheetah Hunt to get aerial views of the animals and the park. This is a cable-car style ride where you get in your own car that runs along a cable overseeing various areas of the park. It allows for some great views of the animal’s habitats.

To end our day we squished one last ride in, the kiddie coaster Air Grover. I personally feel a need to ride any coaster-type ride I find so I didn’t want to miss it. Since the Skyride exit from getting on at Cheetah Hunt is in Stanleyville, this allowed us to walk right by to squeeze Grover in. It was a typical kiddie-coaster, but enjoyable nonetheless.

Following Grover, our day was finished. We ended up getting to see loads of animals, and enjoy some great rides. I would also go as far to say that Busch Gardens Tampa has the best selection of thrill rides in Central Florida at any one park, and also includes the best “zoo.” Considering this great park is just over one hour from Disney, Universal, and SeaWorld, it is definitely worth it to add to your itinerary when visiting Orlando. Plus, if you visit Discovery Cove on your trip you can choose to go to Busch Gardens Tampa as many times as you like over the following 14 days from your Discovery Cove visit. For SeaWorld annual passholders, it is also very economical for you to upgrade your annual pass to include Busch Gardens for, it’s only $43!

We were able to see all that Busch Gardens had to offer in a single day, and by following this Busch Gardens Touring Plan (PDF File) I created, you can too. A main point to note is that we encountered virtually no lines on our trip and long lines would definitely hamper the ability to see everything in one day. If you are visiting at a busier time (President’s Day, Spring Break, summer, Thanksgiving, or Christmas), I would alter the plan to do the main ride attractions first-thing and then move to the animal attractions from there as they don’t typically involve waiting.

Official site: http://seaworldparks.com/en/buschgardens-tampa

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