Busch Gardens /Adventure Island
- Tideone
- First Reviewer
- 4 out of 5
- Avg. Member Rating
- 9
- Reviews
-
156
- Photos
A Fun Walk-Through Attraction
- February 8, 2009
- Rated 3 of 5 by
Troobabiee7 from Brooklyn, New York
Tut's Tomb is a fun walk-through attraction located in the Egypt section of Busch Gardens Tampa. An exact replica of the real King Tut's Tomb that was uncovered by Howard Carter in 1922, it's a unique experience to walk through the winding halls and hidden passages as you take in the sites and sounds of an ancient tomb. There are replicas of the artifacts, gems and works of art found in King Tut's Tomb, as well as a realistic replica of the king's sarcophagus. All tour's are self-guided, but there are several places to stop along the trail for narrated information on King Tut and his actual tomb. The attraction is unique but small, so you really only need to allot 20-minutes to the entire experience.
From journal Busch Gardens Tampa: It's a Wild World
Editor Pick
Sheikra: One of the World's Most Unique Roller Coasters
- February 8, 2009
- Rated 5 of 5 by
Troobabiee7 from Brooklyn, New York
Sheikra was a main draw to Busch Gardens for us. The park's newest coaster, it's also one of the most unique roller coasters in the world. Painted in deep reds and blues, Sheikra brings riders 200-feet off the ground before sending them plummeting back towards the earth at a complete 90-degree angle. As you fly down the drop, there's nothing to look at but the ground right in front of you. Sheikra is the name of a mythical red and blue bird, making it the perfect name for this "flying beast" of a roller coaster.
The most entertaining part of the ride is the fact that the car stops at the tip of the main drop, leaving riders staring straight down at the ground. Other guests can stand right beneath the tracks, looking up into the faces of riders as they dangle 200-feet above the ground at a 90-degree angle. The ride's not only fun for riders, but also for observers! Each car also flies through a large pool of water, leaving riders dry but any observers standing too close to the ride completely soaked!
Sheikra is one of the most fun, unique and thrilling rides in the world. There's nothing quite like being dangled over a 200-ft edge at a 90-degree angle, before flying around the track at 70-miles and hour and feeling the pool of water swell up around you at the end of the ride. It's a great time! Understandably, Sheikra is the most popular ride at the park. Lines tend to be relatively long, unless you ride early in the morning or late at night. If Sheikra's the top priority for your visit, then definitely head over there first. Located in the Stanleyville section of the park, it's centrally located and easy to get to.
From journal Busch Gardens Tampa: It's a Wild World
Editor Pick
A Journey Into Africa
- January 29, 2009
- Rated 3 of 5 by
Troobabiee7 from Brooklyn, New York
Edge of Africa is the true heart of Busch Gardens. It's a walk-through attraction right in the middle of the park that houses the major animals that people come to Busch Gardens to see - lions, giraffes, zebras and more. As soon as you walk through the entrance to the preserve you're transported into a whole different continent entirely. It really does feel as if you've stepped out of Florida and right into Africa. If you're looking for an authentic experience without the expensive airfare, Busch Gardens is the way to go!
Located in the Nairobi section of the park, the entire area was set up to look like the camp of African researchers who were on a special safari through the savanna. The first thing you'll see on your "tour of Africa" is the pelicans, flamingos, and other birds located in a big pond at the entrance of the exhibit. The birds were all very unique and colorful, and a lot of fun to watch. Right next to the birds are the meerkats. My brother and I always watch Meerkat Manor on the Discovery Channel so it was fun to see them in person. They were adorable and playful, and lots of fun to watch.
Across from the Meerkats was a lone vulture. At first its head was tucked under its wing so it looked like some headless beast, but it eventually lifted its head and was really cool to see. Also in the area were an array of zebras and giraffes; I love those zebras and giraffes! They were beautiful and fascinating to watch. They're both so graceful and gorgeous.
As you make your way farther into the Edge of Africa you'll eventually come across the lions. Regardless of what zoo or theme park we're in, the lions are always just lying around and this time was no different. The lioness was lying right up against the glass of the exhibit and it was amazing to see her up close. This was the closest I've ever gotten to see a lion and it was a great experience. A few feet away was the hyena exhibit, and this hyena was just lying on his side, sleeping. It was very strange seeing the hyena so close - you always think of them as scary scavengers, but they looked just like really big dogs!
The last part of Edge of Africa is a giant tropical fish tank. The water was crystal clear and perfectly blue, and there were hundreds of colorful fish swimming around in various schools. It was gorgeous! Floating on top of the water were a few big, lazy hippos that were fun to watch. It was a beautiful area.
The Edge of Africa simply cannot be missed on your trip to Busch Gardens. It's a colorful, exotic and mysterious walk-through attraction full of amazing animals, excellent theming, and a few unexpected surprises. The Serengeti Express train ride brings you through the heart of the savanna, but there are different attractions worth seeing here. Be sure to do both for the complete experience, and allow at least 45-minutes here to see everything.
From journal Busch Gardens Tampa: It's a Wild World
Editor Pick
A Gorgeous Array of Color
- January 24, 2009
- Rated 3 of 5 by
Troobabiee7 from Brooklyn, New York
KaTonga is a show located right by the entrance to Busch Gardens, in the Morocco section of the park. A Broadway-style production, KaTonga is a multi-million dollar display of light, color and sound, in what is sure to be a memorable experience. The theater is set up to look like a majestic Moroccan palace, with multi-colored glass and bead work winding up the windows, banisters, and sides of the stage. The seating is over-sized, plush and comfortable, set in tiered rows so that everyone in the theater has a good view. If you want to be in the first few rows, make sure to arrive at the theater early as seating is on a first-come, first-serve basis.
KaTonga is the story of five Griot's all coming together around the fire to tell stories of the jungle, and the animals that live in it. Each Griot tells the story of a different animal - a monkey, a frog, a snake, a bird and a caterpillar. With each animal, big and small, the theater completely transforms itself in front of your eyes. The set and props are all normal-sized for the monkey's story, whereas they're all gigantic for the caterpillar's story in order to make the audience feel like they've shrunk down to the size of a caterpillar. It's a fun effect that kid's and adults alike are sure to be delighted by.
The story is a musical and I liked the singing much more than I did the dancing. The actor's all had amazing voices! It was hard to believe that they were singing at a theme park rather than on Broadway. Even if there wasn't an entire production, I would have enjoyed just listening to the amazing singer's voices. The dancing, however, was very cheesy. The moves were generic and over-the-top, reminiscent of a bad high school show rather than a multi-million dollar performance. The singing more than made up for the dancing though, so we didn't mind.
All in all, KaTonga was an entertaining and visually appealing show. The colors and color-effects on stage are awe-inspiring in themselves! The show is 30-minutes long and usually runs every 2-hours, but the times change according to season. Make sure to pick up a Time's Guide as you enter the park to check the schedule on the day of your visit. The theater is entirely air-conditioned and there are bathrooms available on the first floor, making the show a comfortable respite from both the heat and rain.
From journal Busch Gardens Tampa: It's a Wild World
Editor Pick
Busch Gardens Tampa: An Overview
- January 21, 2009
- Rated 4 of 5 by
Troobabiee7 from Brooklyn, New York
My family and I are big theme park fans. Ever since my brother and I were little, we've all always loved the excitement and non-stop action that theme parks provide. No, they're not exactly authentic experiences, but there's nothing quite like the thrill of roller coasters, giant pretzels and people in big, furry costumes on a warm summer day. In fact, of all our yearly family vacations, not a single one of them didn't involve a theme park in one way or another.
On a family trip to Williamsburg, Virginia in 1995, we spent a day at Busch Gardens and loved it! The rides were great, the food was good, and the theming was unique. The Busch Gardens in Williamsburg is themed after Europe, with each section of the park representing a different country. We loved it and looked forward to the day when we could visit Busch Gardens Williamsburg's sister park in Tampa.
In 2005, my family started taking yearly trips down to Orlando, Florida, the theme park capital of the world. We love the atmosphere and excitement of the entire city, and we love the endless amount of fun and entertainment around every corner. While our trips to Orlando usually consist of Disney World and Universal Studios, the two major theme parks of the world, in 2006 we decided to try something a little different...
We decided to add Busch Gardens Tampa into the mix, and I couldn't have been more excited! I'd watched many Travel Channel specials on the theme park, and the entire theme really appealed to me. The Busch Gardens in Florida is themed after Africa, with each part of the park representing a different country. Another huge aspect of the park is that it's primarily an animal park - not a zoo, but live animals are incorporated into many different attractions and up-close encounters available to guests. It's always been a dream of mine to visit Africa, and I love animals of all kinds, so I was thrilled to check the place out. As of now, it was as close to Africa as I would be able to get!
If you're staying in Tampa, the theme park is right in the middle of it all. You won't miss it. However, if you're staying in Orlando you have a bit of a drive ahead of you. We took I4, the main road to cut across Orlando from east to west, to Exit 9. We then got onto I75 North which took us up into the heart of Tampa. It was an hour and 15-minute drive with one bathroom break, which wasn't bad at all. If you don't have a car available on your trip, there are shuttles that leave from most major Orlando hotels, excluding the Disney and Universal Studios resorts. If you don't mind the extra cost, your best bet is renting a car or taking a taxi. Just make sure to arrange transportation back to your hotel at the end of the night.
As for tickets, we purchased ours in advance. You can always buy your theme park tickets at the gate, but it saves both time and money to buy online. AAA offers great discounts on theme park tickets, and you could even use your American Express Rewards points for free tickets to the park, depending on how many points you have available. Busch Gardens' website itself offers several great deals, including a "Pay One Price, Get a Second Day Free" special. They're currently running a promotion where you can buy adult tickets at children's prices - you get two-days of admission (within a 7-day period) for only $60 each, both adults and children. These same tickets are available at the gate for $70 for adults and $60 for children. Busch Gardens is owned by the same company as Sea World, so you can also find combination tickets to both parks.
Once you get into the park, security is tight. We found that the security was much more thorough at Busch Gardens than it was at any of the other Orlando theme parks, including Disney. They not only looked in our main bags, but they looked in my makeup bag and my father's camera bag. It wasn't at all intrusive, and I thought they did a great job keeping everyone safe. Just be sure to either arrive early or at an off-beat time to avoid long bag-check lines.
Also unlike at Disney World, you can't bring food into the park. You're allowed in with water bottles and other small drinks, but don't plan on having a picnic lunch. All food eaten in the park must be bought in the park. However, Busch Gardens has many different kinds of restaurants to choose from (both counter service and sit-down) with great food at slightly cheaper prices than the Orlando theme parks. Everyone will be able to find something they like, and you can find restaurant menus on several different Busch Gardens fan sites.
We loved our day at Busch Gardens Tampa and had a great time! It's not quite Disney, but it was definitely on-par with the awesome Universal Studios. If you love roller coasters, animals, or just fun days out with the family, I highly recommend the park. Located only an hour away from Orlando, it's a great supplement to any central Florida vacation!
From journal Busch Gardens Tampa: It's a Wild World