Busch Gardens Tampa: It's a Wild World

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!

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.

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.

Montu is a fun upside-down roller coaster located in the Egypt section of Busch Gardens. Painted in deep blues and bright whites, the coaster fits perfectly in the Egyptian landscape of that section of the park, shining brightly amongst the golden artifacts scattered around the area. Montu is the name of an Egyptian War God, setting the stage for the theming of the ride. Montu was built in 1996 and was meant to be the biggest, fastest and most thrilling coaster in the world, and it was for several years. The roller coaster not only flips, twists and turns, but it also dips down into several trenches and goes through dark tunnels, leaving rider's feet dangling only inches from the ground.

As exciting as Montu is, it's old. It's gone from being the most exciting coaster in the world over 12 years ago, to being just another run-of-the-mill ride. That's not to say that it's not still fun, and it's a great introduction to upside-down coasters for young riders. Since Montu is one of the older rides in the park, it stays relatively uncrowded throughout the day, especially in the morning. The line never really gets longer than 10-minutes, except on especially busy days. There was a 10-minute wait on the day of our visit, but unfortunately there were technical difficulties. The car in front of ours got stuck on the lift hill for fifteen-minutes, but we waited it out and the ride was up and running again in no time.

Montu is a fun, if slightly old-fashioned, roller coaster. There is a 54-inch height requirement so make sure that all riders are tall enough to ride before getting on line. There's nothing worse than a child getting excited for their first big roller-coaster ride, only to be turned away at the platform. There are also specialty seats for larger guests, which provide double-seat belts and is something I've never seen offered on a roller coaster before. You can't bring loose items with you due to the thrilling nature of the coaster, but free lockers are provided on the platform for you to safely store your belongings for the duration of the ride.

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.

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!

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.

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.

The Crown Colony House is one of the most beautiful restaurants we've been to on all our trips to Florida. The first floor of the restaurant is a low-key counter service restaurant offering pizza, burgers, sandwiches and salads of different kinds, as well as a variety of cold drinks. It's similar to the other counter service restaurants in the park where you can order food for cheap at a kiosk before bringing it to your own table, and serving yourself. The foods affordable and tasty, but nothing out of the ordinary.

What makes the Crown Colony House special is the full-service restaurant on the top floor of the building. Upscale yet affordable, the restaurant offers various seafood, steak, pasta and chicken dishes, as well as a full variety of Anhauser Busch beers and international wines. We decided that we wanted to try the restaurant before we even got to the park, so we sought it out soon after arriving early in the afternoon on the day of our visit. In order to get in the restaurant we had to walk up three flights of stairs, which was rough in the heat. There's also an elevator for anyone with mobility issues. When we made it upstairs we gave our name in at the podium and were told that there was a fifteen-minute wait, which wasn't too bad.

There are two different rooms that make up the Crown Colony House restaurant - a giant room covered in floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the African savanna, and a rather plain-looking room with no view. Honestly, the only reason why I had wanted to eat here was because of the view, so I was nervous about where we'd be seated. We needn't have worried, though, since we were seated after only five-minutes at a table right up against the window overlooking the savanna and rest of the park, and the view was outstanding! If you visit the restaurant, be sure to ask for a window seat even if there's an added wait. It's worth it!

The dining room itself was gorgeous. It was bright and open, painted in different shades of beige with clean white sheets draped along the ceiling, gently flowing in the air-conditioned breeze. The chairs were made of light-colored wicker and there was also a piano player playing a few classic tunes. The atmosphere was amazing. The table was a bit cramped since the other tables surrounding us were right on top of each other, but it wasn't too bad. We had a great view of the giraffes, zebras and elephants grazing on the savanna, as well as of Shekira, one of Busch Gardens main roller coasters.

We looked over the menu and ordered our food and drinks quickly, before passing the time snacking on the rolls and butter on the table. As crazy as it may sound, this was the best butter I've ever had! It was very light and fluffy, and it tasted almost like whipped cream.

The service here wasn't good. We waited and waited and waited, and it took forever for our food to arrive. When the food finally came we were surprised since it just wasn't what we were expecting. My mom got a giant salad with grilled chicken, but there was only a tiny cup of salad dressing and our waitress had disappeared before she had a chance to ask for more. She didn't get salad dressing for another 15-minutes, but it was good once it arrived. My dad got a grilled chicken sandwich which he said was plain but good, and my brother got a grilled vegetable platter. He thought that the vegetables would come in a salad or something, but it was just a few vegetables thrown on a plate. It definitely wasn't what he had expected.

I was the only one who really liked my food. I got a special coconut shrimp platter that came with two hush puppies, fries, coleslaw and watermelon. It was a good mix of foods and everything tasted great. I had looked into the Busch Gardens restaurants in advance and had learned that we would get a 10% discount at the Crown Colony restaurant with our AAA card, so we gave it to our waitress and waited for the bill. With our discount the check came to $60 which wasn't too bad, but it wasn't great for the food we had gotten. Oh well. You live, you learn.

The Crown Colony House was gorgeous and the view was truly breathtaking, but the food wasn't all that good. It really is the kind of place that you'd go to for the atmosphere more than anything, and the atmosphere more than made up for the so-so food. If you're a AAA member, don't forget your card and to ask about the 10% discount. However, if you're on a budget or just don't want to spend a lot of time eating, better food can be found for a lot less time and money elsewhere in the park.