- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Busch Gardens
Rating Details »
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
50 reviews for Busch Gardens
My home park is the Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, VA, but I recently went to the park while in Tampa for a few days. The landscaping in some parts of the park are outstanding, but in other areas (like beside Montu) it doesn't live up to the standards set in my mind by it's sister park in WBurg.
What this park lacks in landscaping in some areas is made up by the great attractions they have. Kumba is a ride not to be missed. It continues to retain it's smoothness while also being one of the most forceful coasters you'll ever experience. It's fast and it keeps it's speed through the terrain.
One thing I can tell you is that the loaded cheese fries are awesome, but make sure you don't eat them near any birds, they will dive bomb your snack.
All in all, if you get a chance to make a trip here, do it, you won't be disappointed.
I have never been to a Busch Gardens before, but I LOVE amusement parks and roller coasters. My husband and I were lucky enough to go on an overcast day, so we basically walked right into the park and onto every ride.
The first ride we went on - SheiKra - was by far the best of the day, and possibly the best roller coaster I've ever been on! The first drop, where you're basically hanging vertically at the top? Whoa Nelly!!!
We didn't get to go on every ride, as it started raining about an hour and a half before the park closed and one or two were closed for maintenance anyway (note to park employees: do NOT tell guests that a ride is having technically difficulties and that it will probably be open later in the day!). Beware the River Rapids: we thought we'd get a bit soaked but ended up DRENCHED. We looked as if we jumped in. We were so uncomfortable, we ended up buying a change of clothes at the park! (Only to then get rained on...)
Our biggest complaint was the employees. You could tell that most of them did not want to be there/did not care about their job/were just waiting for the day to end. No one was mean, but most of them were just very nonchalant and sort of brushed us off and went back to their cell phones/friends.
Our other complaint was that there's no quick way to get around. When it started pouring, we had to run back to the locker where we'd stored our stuff. Yet to get to the locker and back to the exit, we basically had to walk the ENTIRE park. There should be one or two "shortcut" trails for situations like this. I wouldn't have minded the long walk - it's good to get exercise - but it was annoying in this situation.
Another complaint: you can't bring bags on ANY rides, so you need to pay for a locker. If you don't want to pay 50 cents every time you go on another ride, you can keep your stuff in the same locker, but then you are without everything and have to run back to it every time you need something. VERY annoying.
Ultimately we had a great time and the rides were good (one or two were great), but we don't feel the need to ever go back.
Busch Gardens makes me feel happy. It's a reminder of my first ever foray to the USA. I came to Orlando to sate my appetite for roller coasters.
I had been based in Orlando and enjoyed the Disney and Universal parks but was looking for bigger coasters to ride. I had planned a day trip to Tampa to Busch Gardens and at the time, it was my longest drive in the USA
The parking lot is huge and a little confusing at first but I've since got the hang of it. Busch Gardens has a nice feel to it. Slightly less corporate than Disney though that may just be an illusion.
I wasn't disappointed by my wish for larger coasters. On my first trip, I truly my brain truly scrambled by multiple rides on Kumba, Montu and Gwazi. Since then, I've also returned to ride the awesome drop coaster Sheikra, which is probably now my favourite ride in the park as I love that drop sensation.
There are also gentler rides and I love Rhino Rally, which is a cross between a safari jeep ride and..... SPOILER ALERT...... a section where the jeep is swept away down a river by a flash flood. Great fun.
Besides the rides, there's also an interesting zoo, which is well worth a visit as well as shows. It's a nice family park but with some big rides to interest coaster addicts like me.
I have been living in Florida for twelve years, and had never been. I know.. you are thinking "WHAT?" but I love, love, love Orlando and its parks, Disney, Universal, Sea World... but I have a new found love for roller coasters (who knew?) and was told this was the mecca.
Finally we made it here. We got in late - an hour before closing, so we got the tickets for the rest of the season and decided to roam around to get to know the park so we could hit it early the next morning.
OK, call me an idiot, but I was walking around going "Busch?" and pointing out to my hubby that the logo to Anhauser - Busch logo was on the faucets in the bathroom (bear with me, we had been driving for hours, were tired and it was 8PM). We saw the documentary "Beer Wars" recently and I was like dude, is this an AB park? As I walk around with my Stone Brewery t-shirt that says "Fizzy Yellow Beer Is For Wussies".. I swore I was going to get kicked out. Who knew? Not me.
So next day I carefully avoided said tshirt..... man, this place rocks. On Tuesday night we did try out Gwazi (not a fan, I realized I HATE wooden coasters) and Montu. Which is now on my top 2. LOVE IT!
The park is very nice, you don't feel like you are in a 'park' most of the time. More like a zoo. Unfortunately the next day there was a tropical storm in the morning and flooded a couple of things so we couldn't go on the train or the Rhino ride, but hey - NO PROBLEM.
I got to see the Clydesdales (they are soooo sweet), the animals, and we rode SheiKra, Montu (YAY), Kumba (awesomeness) and the sky ride.
The park is virtually spotless, and the attitude of the employees is for the most part very good. The food as in any park is overpriced but hey, what do you expect. I do love a park that encourages beer drinking!
The few cons though, getting around is a bit confusing and long, and the decor is very kitch Lion King 90's.
Otherwise, I AM A FAN! I will be back very soon to ride Montu and Kumba.
Why do I love Busch Gardens/ Adventure Island? I am biased, it is close to my house, this is true. My sister comes down from Chicago once a year and we always spend the week at BG. She and her kids love BC head over heals over 6 flags.
I would agree the park is big, but that is because of the zoo aspect. They have large areas, including a huge plain, for animals to roam. The rides are grouped in clumps for the most part, making each section a destination in itself. Be prepared to do some walking, or take the train or sky ride.
I can go all year for $99.00, including parking. That doesn't pay for a meal at Disney. If you are going to be here more than a few days, get fun card, it is a steal.
It is Six Flags Great America as far as rides go? No, but then I have never waited 3 hours for a ride at BG either. Often there is no line at all (except on weekends, naturally). At 6 Flags you can never even get to the rides, you spend all day waiting in line.
Summer nights are awesome. The park stays open later, the night is cooler and the lines are shorter.
It is much cleaner than any 6 flags I have ever been too. The one near Chgo is filthy. It is not as spotless as Disney, but no place is.
Is it hot? Well, it is Florida duh. Complaints about this aspect are really ridiculous lol.
The food at Busch is a notch above amusement park food, better than Disney.
The animals are fun and a great diversion. They have expanded the animal exhibits greatly over the last few years. You can get up excellent up close views.
The help is no where near as friendly as Disney, but that is standard anywhere outside the Magic Kingdom.
All that being said, the Busch family is gone, the parks are up for sale and who knows what the new owners may pull. Let's all hope nothing changes.
How to make Busch Gardens an enjoyable experience:
1. Buy a quick queue pass. You can easily see the entire park in one day and ride all the good rides if you spend the extra 25 dollars (per person).
2. Rent a locker and pack lunch. The food is overpriced (for Florida) and neither healthy nor good. We tried the BBQ and the brisket was gross.
3. Drink LOTS of water, especially if you go during the summer - lawdy, it was HOT! I can easily picture people passing out from heat exhaustion here.
4. Wear shorts that cover your thighs. It is so incredibly gross to actually touch the ride seat since it usually covered in sweat and/or pee.
5. The alligators and tigers are awesome. Go see them!
On a side note, the orangutan gave us a good show. He dropped a deuce in front of a bunch of onlookers and then decided to salvage his waste by reliving himself into his hand. He put everything into a pile and saved it. We were just glad he didn't fling it at us.
Last time I went to BG, I spent about five hours drawing landscapes and animals. Everyone gathered around me like a freaking attraction. These people should have better things to do in an amusement park, and I should be somewhere that they'll leave me alone. I wasn't really into the large crowds, the sweltering heat, or the rickety attractions.
Nonetheless, that was also quite a few years ago.
I plan to go back and rethink my decision at some point.
From the POV of a tourist / parent of two girls, ages 7 & 8: we had a *great* day at Busch Gardens.
Jungala was a BIG hit with my kids. They easily spent 2.5 hours climbing around. They rode the treetop zip line gliders a dozen times. And the animal experiences in this area are *amazing*: Get face-to-face - literally - with a tiger, just inches away behind a thick plate of glass. Ditto for a gharial (like a crocodile), flying foxes (huge bats), gibbons. Really, really cool.
TIP: if it's hot and you have kids, have them wear bathing suits under their clothes. There are two water play areas in Jungala - one for tots and one for older kids.
The park was really quiet overall, especially (I have to guess) for spring break. Granted, we weren't going on big rollercoasters, but our longest wait for anything was under 10 minutes. Many things we just walked right on. My advice would be to arrive later (10-11ish) and stay til close. Ride operators indicated that the crush of "Orlando people" tend to come at open and leave by 4. There was literally " -0- minutes wait" for even the big roller coasters toward the end of the day.
OTHER TIP: Safari experiences cost extra, and they didn't look worth it. After having spent $300 on admissions & parking, we were not interested in dropping another $50 on a jeep ride. No one in our party had a lesser time because of it. We felt we got good peeks at the "Serengeti" animals via the skyride & train.
Only downside was that the entrance to each "land" is not super-obvious, and the wayfinding leaves a bit to be desired. Pay good attention to your park map, or you could really miss a lot or waste tons of time seeking out bathrooms.
Great overall. Clean, well maintained, beautiful greenery & lots of shade, Jungala area fills the bill for ages 6-10. Yay, BG!
PS: Yeah, brewery appears to be gone, and your no-longer-free Bud will cost you $7. The Clydesdales are still there, though, which are the only bits of the Busch legacy that my family was interested in.
Busch Gardens has great deals for admission. It's a great place to see some cool animals, drink beer and waste a lazy afternoon; however, if you're not a little guy, don't expect to ride the roller coasters!
We took advantage of their annual pass promotion, so the ticket price was fairly inexpensive. We have found their meal plan to be a great deal if you're planning to spend the entire day at the park. For about $25/person, you can enjoy unlimited food and beverages at designated restaurants and eateries. It was worth the $25 alone just for unlimited bottles of water!
The animals in the park are kinda cool to see and if you're a beer drinker there's a vendor on every corner, but the shows are kinda lame - I found the pirate show to be a joke. The roller coasters are very plentiful, but they are NOT designed to fit everyone. In fact, while I looked around the park, there were MANY, MANY people who did not fit in the seats of the roller coasters - Disney needs to give them some tips on designing rides!
The wooden roller coaster hurt to ride - roller coasters shouldn't hurt. I had several bruises on my legs from the wooden coaster.
Overall, I am really not impressed with Busch Gardens....but Disney on the otherhand, now there's a park!
I grew up going to Busch Gardens...
We almost always had season passes, and I began to take it for granted. I went a couple times during college and fell in love with it allll over again.
BG is pretty much like an above-average zoo that also has roller coasters. It definitely feels quite a bit less "fake" than the parks in Orlando.
I DO have to get on a soap box for a minute:
There used to be an actual Anheuser Busch brewery in the middle of the park! I have found memories of smelling the sweet malt exiting the smokestacks and taking the tour and watching the tremendous canning/bottling lines.
Then they closed it to save money.
You could still get 2 free samples of beer at the park though, which was quite nice.
Now, as of a few weeks before this writing...that too, has ceased.
Anheuser Busch's new owners (InBev, a Belgian brewing conglomerate) saw too it that the free beer samples were nixed. The "beer school" is over now too :( I hear they are now looking to sell Busch Gardens.
What a sad story of what used to be the biggest American brewery. They used to have notices posted throughout the park reminding you that they were the only 100% American-owned large brewery in the US.
Hey, not a bad place to chill for a day in Tampa. No where near as colorful and big as Disneyworld, but its a good (and cheaper) alternative. Check-in gates should be shaded because the lines can be long and the sun can be brutal. We give Busch Gardens a little hug, not a big juicy hug. Verdict: 3 stars.
As amusement parks go, it's a great place for the price...esp if you're a Florida resident. They have great deals for annual passes. Sadly they removed the beer tasting area of the park :( ..but the shows are fun and the rollercoasters are great! Food is overpriced, but that's to be expected out of any amusement park. If you get an annual pass as a FL resident it includes parking, otherwise I believe it's 10.00 a day to park.
Imagine (for you Chicagoans) Lincoln Park Zoo with roller coasters and you have Busch Gardens. Better than Santa's Village, worse than Six Flags. Since there's not much in Tampa entertainment wise, I give Busch a rather lukewarm 'Thumbs Up'.
After you outgrow Disneyland/world, you come here. The coasters are sweet and all have their redeeming points. I believe I did them all and had a great time. Lines get long starting in early afternoon, but we didn't wait longer than 30min during peak time. I suggest getting there early, doing as much as you can, and when things get crowded do the gondola, and or enjoy some food. I like that you can walk around drinking a beer.
Speaking of beer, I would also suggest signing up early for the beer tasting class offered. This caps out later in the day and you usually have to sign up on session in advance, but free beer! Also, at the main hub you can get 2 free mini beers. Careful hitting the coasters after both of those...
There are a lot of great amusement parks out there, but for so many reasons, this is my #1 all time super greatest most favorite one of all. Why is it so great? In no particular order: (1) the rides (2) the atmosphere (3) the animals (4) the food (5) you can go all year long!
(1) The rides:
Montu (one of my top 10 steel coasters - when there's no line, it's like heaven for me)
Sheikra (awesome thrills and theming - even better than its big brother, Griffon at BGE)
Gwazi (lion and tiger and rumble rumble rumble rumble until you've gone silly)
Kumba (one of lots of people's favorites - great layout and so smooth)
Python (RIP)
Cheetah Chase!! (I love wild mouse rides!!!!!!!)
Water rides - Congo River Rapids, Stanley Falls, Tidal Wave (that cold water feels so good during the summer)
Scorpion (a little rough but fun)
Rhino Rally (the drivers are sort of cheesy, but I love this ride through the animal habitat)
(2) The atmosphere: this park (along with its sister park in Williamsburg) is so well-kept. The trees and plants are gorgeous, the walkways are clean, the bathrooms are as clean as you can expect when thousands of people are using them, the animals and coasters are well cared for, the staff is generally friendly, there are lots of shows, etc. - happy happy happy
(3) The animals: these little (and big) guys are probably why this is my favorite park - combining two of my favorite things (roller coasters and animals) was GENIUS. The habitats are really nice - you don't feel sorry for any of the animals at this park - and there are lots of learning opportunities for the little (and big) ones in your group.
(4) The food: man I don't know what it is about the Desert Grill, but that turkey sandwich with potato salad drives me crazy! It's the greatest thing to keep you going during a long day at the park. The food isn't cheap, but you get A LOT. Other food in the park is also really solid, but I usually hit that smorgasboard (and avoid the Crown Colony) for lunch.
(5) You can go all year long!: I was born and raised in Florida, so I love some warm winter weather - especially if it means more time to ride coasters! Almost every time we're visiting family in Florida, we make the short trip to Tampa - it's always worth it!
Busch Gardens is not exactly conducive to families with little kids, despite it's many zoo attractions, simply because almost all of the rides are rollercoasters. However if you are a thrill master (or have a bunch of teenage kids) this place is a must visit!
The Good:
Thrills not found anywhere else: This place has some amazing rollercoasters, including the most amazing SheiKra. This rollercoaster simply cannot be described. It has a completely 180 degree drop where you can't even see the track. It is truly exhilarating, and I have been to several thrill parks in my day. Trust me, this one ride is worth the ticket price for thrill seekers.
Great Zoo attractions: Although this place is primarily known as a thrill destination, their animal attractions are equally amazing, especially the new Jungala attraction, which features monkeys, alligators, and tigers, oh my!
Free Beer: Go to the hospitality center, check out the horses and knock back a cold one. What more could you ask for??
I love going to Busch Gardens, and even though my daughter is not tall enough for most of the thrills, she still enjoys the different zoo attraction, and I love tag teaming with the husband on the rollercoasters.
Overall 8.9/10= Busch is Best!!
We went because the admission was included in the package we got with Discovery Cove. We were there for only about 3 or 4 hours before we got bored and left. Certainly not worth the 2 hour drive from Orlando.
One good thing about Busch Gardens is that if you have a mix of rollercoaster enthusiasts and chickens in your group, everyone will have something to do. The downside is that everyone will only have something to do for a few hours. There are only a handful of rollercoasters, all of which are pretty tame compared to 6 Flags Great America and are REALLY short. Then, once you've taken the Serengeti Express to see the animals, you've pretty much done it all. There's an aviary and a cave and a few other exhibits tucked around the park, but definitely not enough to fill up the entire day.
This park is HUGE, but most of it is filled up with carnival games and souvenir booths. So you have to walk forever through the sweltering heat to get to anything of any consequence. There's a 4-D theater, but it's cheesy and the sound didn't work half the time.
Whatever you do, DO NOT go in May. This place was SWARMING with school groups... you know, 30 kids supervised by 2 adults, hopped up on sugar and excitement, running around with giant carnival prizes, cutting you off, screaming, jumping around, running into you...
This place is probably a blast if you have little ones and want to play with them in Busch Garden's giant (and really cool looking) kiddie play areas. But if you want to ride rollercoasters, just go to 6 Flags... there will be more and better rides, and you won't get bored so quickly. If you want to see animals, go to a zoo... you'll see more animals and you won't have to walk around such a sprawling park to see them and you'll be far more comfortable.
Bottom line: Do it once, if you must (just not in May). But otherwise, I wouldn't recommend it. There are better theme parks out there.
EXCELLENT. Perfect.
I rode every single roller coaster they have and i just loved it. The "Sheikra", with a 90 degree fall, is absolutely frightening.
i also love the animals they have ( tigers, crocodiles...)
It REALLY is a nice place to visit with a group of friends or with family members. You'll definitely have a lot of fun.
I suggest you get the "fast pass" .The regular line lasts about 90 min. With the pass you get ahead of the line and it takes you only about 10 min.
Am I the only one not impressed with Busch Gardens? Free beer is great. Mondu is an amazingly smooth and fun coaster. Sheikra has a great drop, but after that the ride is uninspired. And there is nothing else of importance. The other coasters are shaky and not smooth rides (and I love rollercoasters). The kids' section is not nearly as good as Disney or Universal or even Cypress Gardens. Every time I've been, there are several rides shut down due to malfunctions. The animals look nice from afar, but Lowry Park Zoo is better. All in all it's ok but there are several options close by that offer bigger and better attractions. The only thing Busch Gardens has going for it is the free beer.
Edited: Now that free beer is no longer offered, I see no reason in going here.
This is the best amusement park. PERIOD. There is something for everyone. There aren't many places you can go with a kid, adult, and senior citizen, and everyone have a blast.
There are great, I mean GREAT roller coasters. There's a zoo and safari ride. There is FREE BEER. Yup, free beer. There are amazing grounds, and the price is less expensive than most of the other parks in Fla.
This place has figured out how to add value to fun and that's awesome in my book.
Going to Busch Gardens really wasn't a priority for this trip. The only other time I've been to Tampa was on a day trip to go to Busch Gardens back in 2000 so I didn't feel the urge to return. My ever-so-charming host and Tampa native lives literally next door to Busch Gardens. After breakfast at Waffle House, it was 9:30am on Sunday morning and I didn't want to kill time until noon when stores opened up in Hyde Park. Since Busch Gardens was open, we figured we should spend at least part of our day there. It was great that we could just walk 4 blocks to the park entrance.
Tickets are $65 but they're like a season pass. I get free entry no matter how many times I return between now and the rest of the year. It's a nice added-value in case I do return to Tampa this year.
I love rollercoasters and Busch Gardens has some of the best. The SheiKra features a 90 degree, 200 foot drop. The car stops right on the curve for 10 seconds so you're looking straight down and then you plummet. This is one of the best rollercoasters ever.
I loved riding the Montu back in 2000 and got to go twice this time. You get to go really fast in inverted loops and your feet get to dangle. The Gwazi is an intertwined, double wooden rollercoaster - shaky as hell but that's part of the fun. The Kumba has a few long drops and a huge 360 degree spiral. The adrenaline was pumping after going on all these rides.
My favorite water ride here is the Congo River Rapids. You're on a 12 person circular raft and you're hit by water cannons, huge rapids and go under a waterfall. It's bumpy and you'll get drenched.
I really only wanted to go on the thrill rides but I was convinced to go on the Rhino Rally. It's set up as a safari ride in a land rover and we drive around looking at the different animals. In the middle there are some theatrics where we've steered of course and then we're floating in a river. It's cute and a good option for families.
The park was busy but there didn't seem to be much of a wait for many of the rides. Maybe 15-20 minutes at most. It also helps when you can navigate the park with ease when your host knows Busch Gardens like the back of his hand.
I couldn't leave the park without having me some Dippin' Dots. I do love those Dippin' Dots.
Immaculate park, gorgeous animals and buildings, plus the MOST FRIGGIN AWESOME ROLLERCOASTERS! The day we were there it was not busy at all, so we were able to go on a few more than once. And while they were all good, SHEIKRA (or Shakira, as we called it) and the wooden rollercoaster (I forget the name) were by far the best. I was just sad the "safari train" wasnt running that day and so we didnt get a chance to take advantage of that. Food is decent but typically overpriced as most amusement parks are.
Seriously, you like rollercoasters, this is the place for you. I almost cried coming off of Sheikra it was that flippin bad-ass.
i miss the free beer!!!!!
Waste of money for this God-forsaken place, if you're wanting to try a Busch, go to Williamsburg. This amusement park did not have that many roller coasters to begin with, and definitely not as clean as its partner. While the animals were enjoyable, that is basically all this animal lover would come here for. Be cautious of the aggressive seagulls that will peck your head and steal your funnel cakes.
We always go here when visiting the grandparents in Florida. It's never been out of control crowded but we always go during the week. The highlight is the safari ride for the whole family. My 7 year old got to sit in the front seat this time and I'm sure he'll remember this ride for his whole life. Too fun. This is probably the cleanest, prettiest amusement park we've ever been to. Except maybe the Disney parks. But very clean and well maintained nonetheless.
There are BIG roller coasters for my older 2 kids but they still enjoy going to the little kids' area with my 3 year old. The animals are fun to look at. All in all a good time.
This is one of the best amusement parks ever.
Mostly because it is home to my favorite rollercoaster: SheiKra
I love rollercoasters, (the bigger the better), and I have a sister that won't go near them. Busch Gardens is a great place for the both of us. It doesn't disappoint.
The wildlife is really well "displayed", if you will. Habitats look nicely maintained.
Speaking of well-maintained, their bathrooms are also pretty clean, which is a major plus for places like these.
If you are in the Tampa area, definitely hit up busch gardens.
Oh yea, and I didn't even mention the FREE BEER. It's owned by busch, what else would you expect? (go to the hospitality center)
This is my third five star review in a row. Go spend your last moments before the Earth plunges into the sun with your family and loved ones.
Busch Gardens is completely awesome as theme parks go. You have... what the hell is a dragon-themed area doing in a zoo? Ah well, that's for the kiddies. Lots of rides, attractions, and a couple of playgrounds for children, and the animals are sure to delight. There was even a saddled elephant kids could ride around a short circuit, though that space was empty last I was there.
For the teens pretending to be gangsta while they wait for their mothers to pick them up in their wagovans, you have the intermediate stuff. Mostly water rides, a log flume and that one huge circular raft thing, not sure what you call it but they spin around on a huge artificial river and you can laugh when the tourists across from you get soaked by random gushers. And a sizeable arcade, if that's your thing.
And finally, there are the roller coasters. Let it be known that, if you are ever in Florida and you love roller coasters, you owe it to yourself to come here. Some of the newest, most high-tech, take-your-spine-out-back-and-rape-the-shit-out-of- it coasters. They're the pride of the park, and they even have teasers set up for coasters they're in the process of building. My personal favorite; The Montu. At least, I think that was... oh hell, it was the one near the entrance, the hanging coaster. You can find it.
At the time I went, seasonal passes were two dollars more than a single day pass. Somebody at the corporate office was chewing the wacky tocacky, but you shouldn't complain. You should take advantage of the hippie stoner.
Areas are also themed. You'll explore incredible facsimiles *coughcough* of the Congo, Egypt, Africa, and many other places close to the cradle of civilization. Shows of various nature occur all over the park, and the restaurants are grand. My date and I ate at what might be the nicest restaurant there, and they were very accomodating with my request; we had a window seat over the savannah, specifically near the giraffes and lions. The more basic food court resembles a bazaar, complete with glass blowers and trinket shops.
Go off-peak if you can. This place can get pretty crowded.
Also nearby, in fact across the street, is the all-water theme park Adventure Island. If you're taking a full day out and you have powerful sunscreen, it's a nice way to spend the latter part of your day.
Now get off my lawn.
I'm told that, according to the Travel Channel, the ShieKra is the #1 roller coaster in the country. I must say that IT...WAS...AWESOME!!! Pretty scary to look at, with the 90 degree drop I almost wussed out, but after some name calling by my supportive friend, I had to give it a shot!
The rest of the park is almost like a zoo...lots and lots of animals (turtles...YAY!!!) to look at and learn about. You also have the opportunity to look at the famous Budweiser Clydesdales and Sprint, the Budweiser donkey from the commercials.
The other couple roller coasters that I went on were really fun, as well. They rode very smoothly, which is always a plus in my book. You also have a chance (which I missed) to sample beer...for free...and become and Anheiser Busch Brewmaster. I was really looking forward to this, but the timing was all off. And we had a really small child with our group. It makes me sad.
Food is expensive and not great, so be prepared to sacrifice an arm, leg, and some other valued body part perhaps. Or, snack throughout the day so you don't have to go for the full meal.
I'd visit again, even if only for the free beer!
I'm giving it four stars because we didn't get to ride any roller coasters because we were traveling with little kids who were too small to do them with their parents... and we only had about 6 hrs at the park.
I think the kids area, Land of the Dragons, was incredible for the itty-bitty set! My three yr old LOVED every minute there. If your traveling with little ones, make sure you bring their bathing suits with, there's a little water park in there too... we didn't know that so our little ones didn't get to partake...
Anyway, this is a great park to visit and we do plan on going back! The most disappointing part was that one of the ride we could actually take both of our kids on, Rhino Rally, was in part broken down... the water wasn't working on it so we didn't get the full effect. But the kids loved seeing all the animals on the rides!
We will totally go again when the kids are older and can enjoy much more of it!
I love this park. I went for Thanksgiving weekend and had so much fun. We went for today passes and paid for the safari trip to feed the giraffes and see the rhinos up close. It was amazing. The weather was great, the parking was easy, even the food was good for a theme park. We took great pictures of the animals and did the beer tasting.
My favorite exhibit was the Lori's Landing. Those birds are crazy for nectar. They were all over my head arms and shoulders. I am an animal lover so this was a dream come true...I recommend coming here it's lots of fun!
The beer tasting was fun, very professional, informative and the selection of beers actually surprised me (and my taste buds). Likewise, the complimentary beers from the Hospitality House were great (Bare Knuckle Stout was my favorite).
The rest of my park experience (sky train, safari train, bumper cars, water rapids, ANIMALS!) was also neat. I went on a weekday, in May (considered to be off-season). I'm fairly sure that my experience would have been much different had there been more traffic in the Busch Gardens.
I must say, from the first visit here, this park is truly filling those shoes with distinction. Busch Gardens is a lot of fun and has many of Cedar Points famous features with a few extras, while Cedar Point is in turn the same way. I will love them both the same. There is truly a lot to do, see, and enjoy @ Busch Gardens, so if you are planning a FL trip you will NOT be disappointed by this park, and I will enjoy for many years to come
you can get a discount by using a coupon from here - http://www.themeparkco...
Busch Gardens is a great tourist attraction, with enough roller coasters and lines to keep you occupied for most of the day. The theme park experiences a very different number of visitors each day, so some days you may not have to wait at all for rides, then other days you may be waiting for an hour or maybe more time than that.
The season passes are a pretty good deal, but you will get tired of the rides pretty quick, and it's hot everywhere around this park, it's mostly outdoors. There's a big section for little kids to play in, the biggest playground I have ever seen.
Service is pretty decent in the park and you really do not need to interact with workers too much, unless you are buying something to eat. The shows that they have are great for tourists or if you need to cool down under the air conditioning.
The food is delicious, but you'll have to fork over a ton of money for it. My favorite thing to get is the corn dogs and french fries in Timbuktu with a drink, which can total seven to ten dollars. They also have a restaurant inside this huge establishment that is pretty good, though still pretty expensive. They adopted an awesome buffet about a year ago.
The biggest attraction is the fairly new ride Sheikra. It is pretty exciting the first couple of times you ride it, especially the first time so don't miss it. Kumba and Montu follow in ride quality. The main thing people like about Montu is your feet hang so it feels different.
Ah...my old friend Busch Gardens. I loved it here. The lines were short on a weekend! We rode a ton of rides! I don't think that has happened in the existence of theme parks. The weather was terrific, the crowds weren't obnoxious and I saw other Asians in Florida! I didn't think they made it that far down south.
The ride, which I call Shakira, was awesome, shakira, sharika, what a beautiful liar! Just kidding. We paid $50 for the season pass and went twice in a month and the rides were still awesome. And how about the animal reserve. Well....I did fall asleep on that one from drinking the night before, but it was a nice nap.
This place has gotten a lot better over the years. Admission for adults vary depending on the discounts you can find. AAA, Florida resident or Season passes are the best deals if you're into it. They also hold special events like Howl-O-Scream for Halloween. I've been a couple times after hours when they close the park for private corporate employee, friends and family.
Now filled with some great rollercoasters, it is definitely a local attraction. Sheikra, Kumba, Gwazi, and Montu being some of the newer ones. All giving you a different kind of roller coaster thrill.
The zoo portion it fairly attractive and strange to have in the middle of Tampa, but what the hey? Its a very kid friendly park with great shows.
The only complaint I ever had was how bad the area smelled late at night (3-4amish) when they are brewing the beer. eew.
This is an amazing park and the best in Florida with some of the biggest and fastest roller coasters around i been coming here sense i was a kid and always love to come here and ride the roller coaster plus this park is owned by Anheuser-Bush the makers of Budweiser and other beer's you want to ride some good roller coasters and scream allot this is the place, i recommended it to anyone.
I was born in Florida, and spent a lot of time at this park. It was a great loss to leave it behind for the snow ridden lands of northern Michigan, let me tell you.
But upon my return some fifteen years later I realize it has not lost any of its magic. The shows that they run around the clock are wonderful from the bird shows to the Celtic dancers. I wouldn't have had it any other way.
There is a train that chugs you around the grounds, gondola that shows you the animals from the a bird's eye view, and roller coasters that will blow your mind. I spent a lot of time waiting in the lines, but trust me, they were worth it.
Make sure you go with some friends, especially ones that will wait in lines with you (my brother bailed quite early), so you don't get bored, but other than that, it's a fun filled time.
(P.S. They're day to day prices are great, but their season passes are even better!)
Fun way to spend the day with the family. A little bid of everything for every age. Not quite as good as Williamsburg, but lots to do just the same. A must do if you live in or are visiting Tampa.
Freak yeah! Busch Gardens is by far the best theme park and concept in the US. Don't get me wrong, it does not have the quantity like your Six Flags but definatly the quality. For those who haven't been there its a Six Flags mixed with the Zoo. There are animal exibits in between walking from attraction to attraction. The rides are awesome and intense. The price is no as bad as Disney parks but are more fun IMO. This location used to have a albino alligator in captivity that was probably the coolest thing ever!
A great deal to get the year pass in the beginning of the year when its the regular ticket price. A nice location and venue to just pop over for an afternoon taking a half day at work or something. Go over on a hot afternoon and hit the water rides. :)
