- glasford
- First Reviewer
- 4 out of 5
- Avg. Member Rating
- 9
- Reviews
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126
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Take the Elite Adventure Tour!
- April 14, 2009
- Rated 5 of 5 by
timburke41 from Naples, Florida
I recently visited Busch Gardens and decided to spend the extra money on the Elite Adventure Tour. If you have never been and want to see the park in one day I suggest this option. You do have to pay extra for it but it is well worth the money. Our tour guide was a nice guy named Chad. If you go try to get him to be your guide. When I visit next time I will be requesting him. He treated my family great. He was fun to have around with us. By the end of the day he was like one of the family. It was sad to leave him. He took us to all the rides in park. We even were able to ride on the front row. He held all of our bags while we rode the rides. We had lunch at the Crown Colony House it was fantastic!! They even had a piano player while we ate. The restaurant overlooks the Serengeti plains where you can see Zebras, Giraffes and many other animals. Aftr lunch we did the Serengeti Safari. It was amazing to feed the giraffes. If you have never been to the park and want to see it all in one day I suggest taking the Elite Adventure Tour. It is well worth the money!!
Editor Pick
Serengeti Express: A Train Ride Through the Wilds of Africa
- February 5, 2009
- Rated 4 of 5 by
Troobabiee7 from Brooklyn, New York
The Serengeti Express is the train ride through Busch Gardens. It's not just a typical train ride though, it's a train ride through the Serengeti Plain in the middle of the park. The Serengeti Plain is the home of the park's lions, tigers, giraffes, zebra, ankole cattle and more. If you're there for the animals, this is where to find them. You can get an up-close look at the same animals from the Edge of Africa walk-through attraction, but this is a great way to be directly in the center of the action. You can get up-close and personal with some of the biggest and most majestic animals in the world, without having to see them through glass or off in the distance.
The open-air train makes stops in the Nairobi, Congo and Stanleyville sections of the park. You're free to get off at any of the stops if using the train for transportation, but staying on for a full-loop will give you the best views of the animals and surrounding theming. A big clock near the entrance of each station tells you when the next train will arrive and four or five people can fit in each row of the train. Each train is also huge, leaving loom for lots of guests to embark on each ride.
Our trip was definitely a fun one. When the train left the station we made our way over to Egypt and went right over the Montu tracks. It was awesome seeing the coaster fly by below us. We then went through a small tunnel, and when we emerged we were in the middle of the African savanna. What an amazing view! I've been on a lot of safari rides and this was by far the best. There wasn't some big elaborate storyline or anything, but we got unbelievably close to the animals. We had to stop a few times to wait for the rhinos to cross the tracks, the giraffes were just lounging in the grass, and the zebras were practically at arms length. It was a great experience.
The Serengeti Express takes around 40-minutes to travel through in a complete loop. It's definitely worth taking the time to complete the loop as it gets you closer to the animals than anywhere else in the park.
From journal Busch Gardens Tampa: It's a Wild World
Myombe Reserve: An Amazing Encounter With the Great Gorillas
- February 5, 2009
- Rated 5 of 5 by
Troobabiee7 from Brooklyn, New York
The Myombe Reserve was one of my absolute favorite parts of Busch Gardens Tampa. Home of the chimpanzees and gorillas, it's an exotic and magical walk-through attraction where you can come face-to-face with these gorgeous creatures in a unique and inspiring atmosphere. Have you ever dreamed of trekking through the jungles of Africa, mist billowing through the trees and humidity filling the air, as gorgeous gorillas frolicked through their natural habitat? I know I have, but a trip to Africa is still a long way off for me, so the Myombe Reserve was as close as I was going to get. And I wasn't disappointed.
The Myombe Reserve is located near the front entrance of the park, in it's own uniquely themed land. There's nothing else in the Myombe section of the park outside of the reserve, making your experience seem even more realistic. No, it's not as authentic as an actual trek through the jungles of Africa, but it really is close. Lush, exotic forestry surrounds the trails as smoke billows around every corner and the sound of chirping birds and far-off waterfalls fills the air. The chimpanzees are playful and an absolute blast to watch, while the gorillas are large and majestic, although usually resting quietly. The highlight of our trip through the reserve was when one of the Gorilla's laid right up against the glass of their habitat, giving us a face-to-face view of an animal most people only dream of getting so close to.
The Myombe Reserve is not to be missed. It's a truly majestic and exotic part of Busch Gardens, and no trip to the park is complete without it. Since it's a walk-through attraction you don't have to worry about crowds, and the flowing layout keeps crowds low anyway. Plan to spend at least a half-hour in the area in order to watch the animals and take in all the special touches and theming. The chimpanzees and gorillas are most active early in the day and the reserve closes at sunset (usually around 6:00) so be sure to visit as early as possible. It's a great experience!
From journal Busch Gardens Tampa: It's a Wild World
Editor Pick
Busch Gardens
- August 13, 2007
- Rated 5 of 5 by
kathyjohanna from Stratford, Wisconsin
Busch Gardens – Africa in Tampa Bay Florida is an adventure for the whole family. One of the reasons that I really love Busch Gardens over all theme parks is that it has a great combination of attractions (rides) and animal habitats. So when you need a bit of a break from rides (and you will) you can enjoy the African animals and their beautiful spacious habitats. Or maybe you’d like to savor free samples of beer at the Hospitality House.
The park is broke down into seven different themed areas (Morocco, Bird Gardens, Stanleyville, Congo, Timbuktu, Nairobi, and Egypt). Each area has original rides and animals. Each area is worthy of some of your time.
Some of my favorite rides Congo River Rapids (prepare to get wet) and Shikra. My favorite animal habitats include the Edge of Africa and Myombe Reserve.
A few tips…wear light clothes that dry easily. Check the weather report, because if it rains everything shuts down and it takes a couple hours to get everything going again. And watch the times of when things close down, because some of the habitats (i.e. bird gardens) actually close a couple hours before everything else. And check their website for the exact times for the day you’re going because there are different times for different days of the weeks as well as for different seasons. And my final words of wisdom are, if you have a weak stomach do NOT ride Montu.
In my opinion, one entire day at the park was enough time, although we didn’t actually have enough time to go on every ride. So if you want to enjoy have corner of the park there are some great rates on two-day passes. But if one day is plenty, check out the “Be a Kid Again” package on the Busch Gardens website, because you can purchase an adult ticket and the child’s price. This is what I did, and it worked out perfectly.
From journal Soaking up the Sun on Fort Myers Beach
Editor Pick
Busch Gardens-Tampa
- June 11, 2006
- Rated 4 of 5 by
lharri from Townsend, Massachusetts
Busch Gardens is an animal park that I really enjoyed. One main reason for this is the multiple vantage points for viewing the animals.
A monorail and cable cars ride above the park, while a train rides around the park all at a pace that allows you to photograph the animals.
With an African theme, and many different animal exhibits, there is much to see. There are thrill rides, restaurants, water rides, and of course the Clydesdales. There is something for everyone. If you are looking for an animal park you have come to the right place. The animal exhibits allow you to feel up close without infringing on the animals' space. Like other Busch Gardens Parks there are interactive experiences to be had for an additional fee. The price for a general admission ticket is a little high, over $40 for children as well as adults. The thing I like least about this park is the location. Now mind you it has been a couple of years since I have been there but it was in an area of town that I would not have chosen as my vacation lodging. We did stay overnight in a hotel nearby, but were not completely comfortable with the surrounding neighborhood. I know they have not moved the park, but maybe the surrounding area has improved.
From journal Animal Parks of Florida