Quote: 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.
From journals Busch Gardens Tampa: It's a Wild World

Quote: 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 journals Busch Gardens Tampa: It's a Wild World

Quote: 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 journals Busch Gardens Tampa: It's a Wild World

Quote: 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 journals Soaking up the Sun on Fort Myers Beach