Sunday, June 30, 2019

Busch Gardens – Tampa Bay, Florida


It’s always a thrilling experience to go into a place that offers you a lot of choice. You know it’s like it reminds you of when you’re a kid and you go to the amusement park and whether it be Disney World or Six Flags you know that thrilling moment when you first enter and you know you’ve got all these possibilities for the day and it’s really a … it’s a wonderful feeling.”
Sheena Iyengar

















After loading up the van with all the young-ins, stroller, water, sunscreen, hats, and snacks we headed to Tampa to go to Busch Gardens. We were all very excited about this day. We bought our tickets on line and Joe and I got the all you can eat pass. After parking, we walked to where the shuttle takes you to the park. Since we got there just as the park opened, it was a breeze and they were very accommodating with helping Jeannine get the two child stroller on board. The children were excited as this was their first ride of the day. In no time, we were entering the park.
























When we arrived at the entrance, the two boys were put into the two child stroller and the girls lined up behind their Momma in order. As we walked around they stayed in order unless holding either Grandmom or Pop Pops hand. As you can see, we were all coordinated in wearing our tie-dyed
t shirts Jeannine has made. That really helped with keeping track of everyone.  The tree house was great fun for the children.   They loved climbing all around it exploring. 

















The first thing we noticed while strolling down the beautiful lanes was the beautiful tropical gardens along with all the exotic birds and animals. The parrots were beautiful and seemed to be enjoying their surroundings. The Toucan was impressive to see with the large colorful beak and the kids joked about the Fruit Loop cereal and wondering he he wanted to eat some.



















We came here on a Thursday in April and it was perfect. The weather was ideal for walking around and there were no crowds. We only had to wait at the Log Flume but not long. The adults in our party only went on a few rides since none of us are roller coaster fans. We weren’t fans but the girls were. The twins went on one as they were just tall enough and Mary, the four year old wanted to go on one badly but wasn’t tall enough. We asked if there was one she could ride beside the kiddie one and they guided us to another one that she was tall enough to ride. We got her and the twins set on it and away they flew. After it left, we looked up and thought - “Oh No.” The roller coaster had a loop where they would go upside down. No problem. They got off and were very excited about the ride and wanted to go again. We couldn’t believe little Mary got to go on it and liked it so much.













The children's section of the park had great rides for the little ones and they enjoyed running from one ride to the next. Everything in the park is brightly colored and is just pleasing to your eyes. There are nine roller coasters that for us were fun to watch but not participate in riding and there are two water rides.












The first place we got food was the Zagora Cafe. We got a burger, fries and a drink. It was not that great. We started thinking the all you could eat pass was not great if all the food was like that. Then after getting bottled water wherever we were and finding the barbecue restaurant, Zambia Smokehouse we were thrilled. There food was fantastic and they gave us a large plate of food that was more than enough for Joe, I, and Jeannine and her kids. It was huge. Later, we got pizza and soda and it was good also. We recommend buying the pass again if you plan to stay all day.






















The Topiaires were beautiful throughout. Our favorites were the tourist taking pictures and the Sesame Street characters. The gardens were all over the park made walking from one venue to the next a pleasure.

























We watched two shows when we were there. One was the Sesame Street Show which was wonderful for the children. The characters come out and sit in the audience and Grover came and sat right next to me, giving me a high five before sitting down. What fun. The kids were all laughing and enjoyed the show. After the show, they got to go up on stage to hug the characters. It was just precious. If you are taking children to the park, don’t miss this show.











We also went to see the ice skating show at the Moroccan Palace. The Ice Show was fantastic. The performers were all very talented and we all enjoyed the show. After the show the stars of the show stood by the doors so you could meet them and get pictures taken with them. The children were smitten.























We decided to ride The Sergenti Express, a steam train that circles the back of the park stopping at the Nairobi, Congo, and the Stanleyville themed areas. The ride was wonderful seeing lots of wild animals just roaming around. It was a joy seeing all the exotic animals who were active that day. The steam train was nice as it brought you back to another time watching the steam pouring out of the engine. I loved hearing the sound of the engine and the whistle blowing through the woods and fields. It was an amazing ride. I felt like I was in Africa.




















We stayed until closing and we all enjoyed the park immensely. Busch Gardens was once known as Florida Busch Gardens Africa and Busch Garden the Dark Continent. There are 335 acres in this park and they have kept it the African animal themed park. The park is owned by Sea World and opened on March 31, 1959. This park is open year round. Check them out at: https://buschgardens.com.

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