Adventure Is In Tampa! (Busch Gardens (Tampa Bay, Florida))

Member Name: Peter2002

Product:	Busch Gardens (Tampa Bay, Florida)
Date:	20/01/02 (551 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great Rides, Animals, Not very Busy

Disadvantages: None

Bush Gardens Tampa Bay Florida. Many people when going to Florida are staying in the Orlando area. So many overlook Busch Gardens as a place to visit. I have been going to Florida for a while now and every year I have visited Busch Gardens. I discovered a really great place to go for a quieter day out than the busy attractions such as Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando.

Many people see it as a problem driving all the way down the Interstate 4 to Tampa, but as Busch Gardens is there it is well worth the trip down. You can get to Busch Gardens by your rent a car or by a courtesy bus that leaves from Sea world at 9:00am daily.

As Busch Gardens and Sea World are owned by the brewer Anheuser Busch tickets can be bought from either Sea World or Busch Gardens. But many people buy there tickets from own to save queuing at the ticket booths and wasting time on what promises to be a great day for all the family.

In case you didn't know Busch Gardens is a zoo and a theme park seamlessly mixed in together, and what a great job they have done of it. As you have passed through the ticket booth you find yourself in your first destination Morocco. This place is wonderfully themed out to look authentic, there are market stalls lining the street which sell many hand crafted items and old tribal instruments like drums etc.

There are some great places to eat here in Morocco such as the full service restaurant that sells everything, but its main meals are sandwiches of all varieties. If you like Turkey then it's a must to try on of the Turkey Subs from this restaurant they are great.

Morocco has its own marching band which perform many times during the day usually at the restaurant but sometimes just around the market. They are a brass band which performs fast paced and upbeat music, to raise your spirits even further.

The land of Morocco also has its own theatre, called the Moroccan Palace and seats app
roximately 1200 people. Shows are performed throughout the day and they are musical extravaganzas that should not be missed.

I am next going to give you description of each area; this allows you to see if there is anything at Busch Gardens that you would be interested in and whether or not you should go.

Nairobi
This is the home to no rides, but many animals. Here in Nairobi there is an amazing elephant exhibit. As the elephants are so well looked after they constantly show off to the spectators. This makes the guests happier as there kids love it and they do too.

Nairobi is the home of one of Busch Gardens animal nursery and all the baby animals that are currently in need of care (just born) are there. Over my many years of going here I have been Lucky enough to see a large amount of baby animals. Two memorable ones I have encountered are a baby White Bengal Tiger and A Baby Koala Bear.

The animal medical staffs who work in the Nairobi area care for more than 330 species of animals and there work is sometimes allowed to be viewed through the glass. There are also a guide who walks round the care centre and answers questions about what the vets do there and what you are watching.

There is the Myombe Reserve The Great Ape Domain, which contains mostly endangered Apes, gorillas etc, in a man made natural habitat. At Busch Gardens they have worked so hard for the animal's habitats to be perfect in everyway for them. They carefully consider each species needs and meet the requirements with some added extras to great increase the animal's happiness.

The Alligator and Crocodile is also a great exhibit you won't want to miss. But be snappy or it gets busy :?).

The one ride that is located in the Nairobi area is the duelling wooden roller coasters Gwazi. The rider must decide which track they would like to ride either the tiger or the lion. The best track by far is the Tiger i
t is much more exciting than the rather relaxed Lion. The trains have about six near miss points at a crossing speed of 100mph and a single train speed of 50mph. This ride is a good addition to the already great roller coasters in place at Busch Gardens.

Serengeti
This area is where there are loads and loads of Savannah animals such as the Giraffe, all three types of Zebra, Thompson?s Gazelle?s and the endangered species the Scimitar-horned Oryx.

The Serengeti Plain as it's called is an enclosure of 60 acres so the animals have plenty of space. Busch Gardens have created this exhibit again with the savannah animals in mind. They have created a perfect enclosure which contains all the correct water holes, shelters and foliage required for that type of animal.

You can view the animals on the plain either by the train which goes all around Busch Gardens, but part of the tour goes around the Serengeti Plain. On the train at the back is a tour guide who runs a commentary whilst the train is passing different areas. As the train passes the Plain they tell you all about the animals and there habitats, diets and many other things great learning experience for the kids.

Or you can take the suspended Monorail around the plain which is no where near as interesting as the train as the windows sometimes spoil the view.

Around Busch Gardens there are several Zoo Kitchens where all the nutritional needs of 3000 animals are met everyday.

Timbuktu
This is an area where you go for some rides, but mainly if either you love arcade games or fair ground games. This area is great for the kids if they love the above or even adults. Just be warned if you're planning on winning a prize on one of the many game stalls win one on your way out. This is due to the sheer size of some of the prizes and trust me you don not want to be carrying a 3ft high white Tiger around all day :?).

The arcade that is loc
ated here in this area is quite big. If you or your family fancy checking out some of the latest and greatest arcade machines then be sure to check out the Sultans Arcade.

There is a dolphin show here in Timbuktu named Dolphins Of The Deep. Although not as good as the Sea World show it is defiantly worth you watching the show as it is only a 15 minute performance.

Timbuktu is also the home to a few rides. There is the Phoenix, this ride is like a prate ship with a roof and goes over a complete 360-degree loop again and again and again. Then there is the small kid's rides called Sandstorm, The Carousel and The Busch Flyers.

The Areas main attraction is the Scorpion roller coaster. This ride although quite small is still quite a good coaster. One thing that makes this ride unique is its one of the only roller coasters that does not have an over the shoulder restraint, but a lap bar, that goes upside down. The inversion is one small 360-degree loop. The ride also contains some tight spirals whilst going downwards giving some quite strong vertical and lateral G's although nothing to challenge this parks other coaster. The ride picks a top speed of about 45mph, which is quite slow for a coaster.

Timbuktu has one other delight to offer it too has its own theatre called Das Festhaus. It seats 1200 people and is a dining an entertainment facility. The shows performed here are dancing shows and a band with some quite amusing performances, more for adults kids will tire.

Congo
This area lies just after Timbuktu and is an area packed with rides and animals. This area is home to Claw Island and this is a must for anyone who loves White Bengal Tigers. If you have never seen one before they are great, the children find them fascinating. I think that these creatures have a great home at Busch Gardens and are kept on a breeding program as they are an endangered species. The thing that makes them white is the
recessive characteristics are bred giving a milky white coat, chocolate brown stripes and stunning blue eyes. Just shows what can happen in genetics and how beautiful they can be.

The rides here are the Congo River Rapids and the Python and Kumba roller coasters. Starting with the Congo River Rapids. This ride is more of a family ride than the other rides in this area. It's a long twisted, wet journey down the Congo River in a big 12 person raft. Let this be your warning you will get soaked and at the end of the cave there is a surprise waiting???. Good luck.

The next attraction is the Python roller coaster. This attraction is smaller than the scorpion coaster and a lot less smooth. The ride it self is not bad a quite impressive first drop followed by two corkscrews, once you are up to the top of the drop and on your way down the ride lasts little over 30 seconds. As this ride is the oldest roller coaster in the park it is very jumpy. If you can't keep your neck straight then this ride is guaranteed to give your ears a good bashing and they will hurt. You should only ride this ride if you are tall enough to get your head above the "cushioned" over the shoulder restraints or can keep your neck dead straight. By far the worst roller coaster in the park, trust me.

The next ride in this area is Kumba. When I first went on this ride I just knew that it was going to be great and how right I was. This is one of the Southeast's biggest steel coasters and its sure does show. The first drop is an awesome experience as you soar from about 135ft to speeds of 65mph and enter one of the worlds' largest vertical loops standing at 109ft high. This ride is around 4000ft long, has seven inversions which are a vertical loop, four corkscrews, a diving loop and a cobra roll. The rides speed never gives up and remains at 60mph+ until the mid brake run, but it soon picks up speed again after this. After its around 1m
in 30 run time you will know why this coaster is one of the greats. It pulls about 3.7 gs at the most, this means you become 3.7 times your normal weight and there are also some great sections of airtime and weightlessness.

There is a train station in Congo too one which takes you all around the park including The Serengeti Plain. One other ride that is in the Congo is the Ubanga Banga Bumper Cars. Great family fun as long as the adults drive and not little children ;?).

Stanleyville
In Stanleyville all the rides are water rides and this is the area to visit if you want to get wet. There is a theatre in Stanleyville where shows are put on regularly throughout the day. There is also a Stanleyville train station as well.

The first ride I would visit is the Tanganyika Tidal Wave. This is a River adventure ride and the boats you sit in are very similar to the ones sued on Jurassic Park River Adventure at Islands Of Adventure (Universal Orlando). This ride takes you round a tour of the Amazon River until you get to the final plunge. This section of the ride is great as not only does it soak you if you are on the ride, it drowns the people watching on the bridge as well. This is very funny when the people on the bridge have no idea why it is soaking wet until the boat comes down and hits the water. One Brazilian Tour group who where there at the same time as me and my family, where out on the bridge UN aware. They all had their Video Recorders out waiting for the next boat and............. Well you can guess the outcome, very funny.

Then there is the small Log Flume called Stanleyville Falls. This is a great ride if you have little kids who are getting used to the idea of rides, take them on this they will love it. Many people make the same mistake when riding Stanleyville Falls they think because its small then they are safe from getting wet..... wrong.

The Bird Gardens and Dragon Land.
The Bird Gar
dens have many hands on experiences and exhibits with many varieties of tropical birds. For example there is Lorikeet landing. You can either walk through this empty handed or buy a pot of nectar and feed the birds. Once they realise you have some nectar you have them landing all over you. But be warned these birds will fell free to relieve themselves down your back, arms etc ;?).

Dragons land is a large play ground for the kids in which they can spend hours whilst you sit there and play the day away. There are also some reptile exhibits in this area such as Iguanas and Komodo Dragons.

In the bird gardens is also a show put on by the specialist bird keepers in the area and it;s a very fun show to watch and the birds really enjoy it.

Around these two areas are two very special exhibits. They belong to the ambassadors of endangered animals the rare, Giant Pandas and also there are some Koala bears. Both these animals have state of the art exhibits. You can view these animals in their exhibits via a moving walkway.

The Parks Newest Area Egypt
This area has no animals and is just rides and shops. The rides in this area are Ali Akbars Adventure Tours, Montu and King Tut?s Tomb. Firstly Ali Akbars Adventure Tours is a motion simulator. In this Ride Ali Akbar is having all his possessions taken away until he takes the bailiff on a magic carpet ride through Ancient Egypt, in which he invites you to come along to. This ride contains many shocks and some scenes may be unsuitable for young children.

King Tuts Tomb is a walk around experience which is suitable for people of all ages. You just go into all the different rooms and learn about Egypt and the tombs, with some surprises.

This ride is by far the best ride In Busch Gardens and by no means is for people who are faint hearted. Montu is one of the largest inverted roller coasters in America. The ride boast a 145ft first drop, Seven inversions two
of which have never been seen before hand (the batwing and the immelman), speeds in excess of 65mph, 4gs pulled making you 4 times your original weight, great airtime and some weightless sections to boot. This ride is an absolute must for thrill seekers and will leave you wanting more. This ride certainly makes you realise just how great rides can be and how much of a buzz they can give you.

The other things that are in Busch Gardens that are worth a mention are the Stables and Anheuser-Busch brewery. At the stables you can visit, and have your picture taken with the beautiful Clydesdale Horses. At the brewery you can have a guided tour around it and then relax at the hospitality centre in which all Anheuser-Busch products are available to the over 21's!

Busch Gardens Is an amazing experience and should not be missed just because of its distance from Orlando. The drive will seem entirely worth it.

Everytime at this park seems more magical; than the last, the rides are great, the food is great and the animals and range of them is also great. Great, great, great ........great!

New attraction for 2001 season:
Rhino Rally
An extremely unique experience in which you go round and 8 minute ride in a real jeep and it's a safari of Rhinos and similar species. Then you arrive at an old looking bridge and decided to cross it????. Not wise. This leads to a terrific ending to a fabulous ride. Don?t miss this immense experience for the world. One more thing Good Luck! You will need it :?). A truly great day out and a visit to Florida Should have at least a day here at this fantastic Zoo/Adventure Park. WOW

Get a More than one day pass to maxamise fun and have a great day

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