busch gardens tampa bay

Kick off the Summer at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay!

30 May 2019 by Chris Ryan Leave a Comment

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay’s fabulous summer-long event, Summer Nights begins this weekend! This means extended park hours every night through August 11th and fireworks every Friday through Sunday. Be sure to take advantage of the limited-time Memorial Day Sale to get the best deals of the season.

Starting next Friday, May 31, the thrills go late and the fun lasts longer at Busch Gardens® Tampa Bay with the return of Summer Nights.

Dance the night away with music and more

Music, entertainment and more create a vibrant nightlife atmosphere surrounding Florida’s best thrill rides. In addition to fan-favorite coasters, thrill seekers can now take on Tigris, Florida’s tallest launch coaster, in an exciting new way after dark. The triple-launch coaster takes thrills to new heights as riders face a 150’ upward surge, dramatic heartline roll and top speeds exceeding 60 miles per hour through the night sky.

Park guests can also enjoy special-edition menu items that feature a new twist on traditional summer fare.
Classic popcorn gets a makeover with an infusion of buffalo ranch and white cheddar flavors.

Summer tastes sweeter with a churro sundae or a fireworks ice cream slushy.

The grilled cheese of childhood memories is transformed as a mac and cheese melt, also available with lobster.

Grown-up indulgences include colorful handcrafted cocktails and pop-tails (new frozen treats with alcohol) in addition to the continued free beer offer as a part of the park’s 60^th anniversary celebration.

Enjoy fireworks each Friday, Saturday, and Sunday

Memorial Day Sale:

Now through June 2, guests can enjoy limited-time offers for the best value of the summer season.
Busch Gardens Single Day Ticket – SAVE UP TO 60%!
Price: $49, must visit by June 23
Add Adventure Island for only $10 more

Busch Gardens Fun Card – SAVE OVER 30%!
Price: $65
blockout dates apply

Busch Gardens, Adventure Island & 4-Park Annual Passes
5% off Bronze
10% off Silver
20% off Gold

For more details on limited-time offers, visit BuschGardensTampa.com; Restrictions apply. Be the first to know about new events, special deals and future announcements by following Busch Gardens Tampa Bay’s blog and social media channels on Facebook,Twitter and Instagram.

Facebook Fans Name Busch Gardens Tampa’s Lion Cub Sisters

5 July 2013 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

FACEBOOK FANS NAME BUSCH GARDENS’ LION CUB SISTERS

Shaba and Shtuko - Lion Cub Sisters - Busch Gardens Tampa 3

Tampa, Fla.– Busch Gardens® Tampa recently welcomed three lion cubs to the park, one male and two unrelated females. After a week long poll, 6,000 Busch Gardens Tampa Facebook fans voted to name the two lion cub sisters. The winning names for the three-month-old cubs are Shaba, meaning “brazen”, and Shtuko, meaning “twitch”.

The Busch Gardens animal care team has started introducing the cubs to the Edge of Africa attraction at the park, where guests can see the cubs all summer long and beyond.

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More information and updates about the progress of the new cubs will be posted on BuschGardensTampaBlog.com.

Celebrate Fourth of July at Busch Gardens Tampa-Extended Hours and Fireworks All Week

3 July 2013 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

Extended Hours and Nightly Fireworks Lets Guests Celebrate All Week Long!

Tampa, Fla. – Don’t wait until July Fourth to celebrate Independence Day. Get a head start on the Fourth of July festivities at Busch Gardens® Tampa.

Summer Nights lets guests celebrate the red, white and blue all day, and even after dark, all summer long with an energetic acrobatics show, live entertainment and much more.

And test your courage as you take on Busch Gardens’ world-class roller coasters in the dark, including Florida’s first triple-launch coaster Cheetah Hunt®.

Plus, Busch Gardens lights up the sky during Summer Nights, including July Fourth, with an incredible nightly fireworks display. The best views are in Gwazi Park, right after the nightly Kinetix show, but the fireworks are visible from all over the park.

Additionally, SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment™ is honoring the men and women of the U.S. armed services through its Waves of Honor™ military salute program. Waves of Honor provides one complimentary admission per year to one of the SeaWorld® or Busch Gardens® Parks, Sesame Place®, Adventure Island® ,Water Country USA® or Aquatica® San Diego (weekdays only) for the service member and as many as three of his or her direct dependents through 2013.

Any active duty military, activated or drilling reservists, or National Guardsman representing any of the five service branches is entitled to one complimentary admission to one of the participating parks under the program. For more information and to register for the program, visit wavesofhonor.com.

While you’re at Busch Gardens, take in all the excitement of brand-new shows and animal encounters, including:

Madagascar Live! Operation: Vacation

Madagascar Live! Operation: Vacation is Busch Gardens’ newest live musical featuring DreamWorks Animation’s beloved characters Alex the Lion, Gloria the Hippo, King Julien, Mort and everyone’s favorite cohort of penguins. Located in the newly-renovated and air-conditioned Stanleyville Theater, the original musical showcases singers, dancers and a live band that will join the Madagascar characters on their full-throttle Busch Gardens adventure.

Lion Cubs

Busch Gardens roars with excitement this summer with its newest additions. Three lion cubs, two females and one male, arrived at the park in May, and guests can see them at various times throughout the summer in the Edge of Africa area. Busch Gardens’ Facebook fans recently voted to name the sisters Shaba, meaning “brazen”, and Shtuko, meaning “twitch”.

Park hours for Summer Nights are extended until 9 p.m., and Summer Nights is included with daily admission or any annual pass. For more information on Summer Nights and Busch Gardens, visit buschgardens.com or call 1-888-800-5447.

The hottest ticket this summer is the 3-Park Summer Sizzler. This new, limited-time offer lets guests enjoy unlimited admission to Busch Gardens Tampa and unlimited weekday (Monday – Friday) admission to Adventure Island™ and Aquatica, SeaWorld’s Waterpark™ Orlando, now through Labor Day for only $99. Florida’s best resident summer value is valid from the date of purchase through Labor Day, Sept. 2, 2013. Valid for Florida residents only (photo ID required); price is $99 plus tax. Take advantage of the Summer Sizzler online at Buschgardens.com, by calling (888) 800-5447, or at the front gates at Busch Gardens, Adventure Island™ and Aquatica, SeaWorld’s Waterpark™.

Busch Gardens Premiers a Fun New Madagascar Live Show

20 May 2013 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

Last week a brand new live music show premiered at Busch Gardens in Tampa. Madagascar Live: Operation Vacation brings all your favorite Madagascar characters to the stage, with original high-energy songs and dance numbers. The show is held in the Stanleyville Theatre, right near the Sheikra coaster. When we saw it, the theatre was filled with school groups, who were super excited about the show and really enjoyed it. The songs are catchy and you can’t help but want to get up and dance, no matter what your age. Of course, King Julien’s signature number “I Like to Move It, Move It” is played as well, which makes the crowd go WILD (pun intended).

“We are thrilled to partner with DreamWorks Animation to bring the hugely popular Madagascar characters to Busch Gardens,” said park President Jim Dean. “Both Busch Gardens and DreamWorks share a core the mission to provide quality entertainment to audiences. This show is certain to have families engaged and amused and will round out the triple play of amazing shows, thrilling rides and unique animal encounters that our park delivers.”

The lively stage show encourages families to sing, clap and dance along to original songs and party favorites on a 20-minute musical adventure. Singers, dancers and a live band join the rollicking Madagascar characters as they amp up the party to full throttle. And as part of each show, guests can meet the characters following the performance in Stanleyville Theater, which has been renovated and is now an enclosed and air-conditioned theater.

Here is a gallery of show images to get you excited. Be sure to add Busch Gardens to your summer “must-do” list this year!

Busch Gardens is fast becoming one of my favorite parks to just hang out in. I’m not a huge coaster person, but there is still so much to do here from animal habitats to shows to sky rides and train tours. It’s a great place to make a day trip over to, and don’t forget Adventure Island water park next door to cool off!

Busch Gardens Opens State-of-the-Art Animal Care Center With Guest Access

12 January 2012 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

I was unable to attend the media preview of this new facility at Busch Gardens, but it sounds fabulous so I wanted to pass along the news to my readers. It looks like a must-visit area for our next trip to Busch Gardens and it’s great to know the wonderful care the animals are receiving.

TAMPA, Fla. (Jan. 12, 2012) – Busch Gardens welcomes guests to closely observe and even take part in the animal care experience when the Tampa park opens its new Animal Care Center on Jan. 23, 2012. From nutrition to treatments, X-rays to surgeries, much of Busch Gardens’ animal care will be conducted in guest view in this new state-of-the-art facility.

“We are proud of the care we provide our animals,” said Mike Boos, vice president of zoological operations. “We welcome the opportunity to share our level of care with our guests, and to continue our mission of connecting guests to animals and the natural world. No other zoological facility can offer the unique, up-close experience that this new facility will provide.”

The major guest components of the new facility include a nutrition center, treatment rooms, a clinical lab and an interactive diagnostic activity. The nutrition center will feature a kitchen similar in set-up to a cooking show on television. Educators will lead demonstrations several times a day on the planning and preparation of animal diets. Guests will even have the chance to assist in preparing and doling out the range of food the park provides its animals, from fruits and vegetables to crickets and mealworms. Nutrition demonstrations will take place during scheduled times each day.

The treatment center will allow guests to watch as Busch Gardens’ skilled vets do preventative checkups, treatments and surgeries on animals. Guests will be able to see into the rooms through glass walls, and audio capabilities will allow guests to talk to vets working behind the glass. Cameras placed over the exam table will show unique vantage points to guests who can watch on monitors. During treatments and surgeries, zoo educators will also be on hand to talk about what’s taking place. Since it is a working center, procedures will vary daily, and will not take place during all scheduled park hours due to field work, office work and other projects requiring the vets’ time and attention. Daily schedules will be subject to change.

BG Animal Care Center Anteater Cardiology Exam

In the clinical lab, staff will perform tests on samples collected from the animals, such as blood, urine, and feces, using the same types of laboratory equipment used in human hospitals and veterinary clinics. A camera connected to the laboratory’s microscope will allow guests to see exactly what the staff who are looking under the microscope see.

Guests can also participate in a diagnostic exercise by scanning an interactive activity card at several stations as they follow an animal from diagnosis to treatment to blood and lab work to a final outcome.

In addition to the guest views, the new facility will also include animal recovery and holding rooms and vet offices. The new, nearly 16,000 square-foot facility replaced the rhino exhibit in the Nairobi area of the park. The park’s former animal care center was located behind the scenes.

Busch Gardens, and its parent company, SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, are world leaders in animal care, caring for more than 60,000 animals, one of the world’s largest zoological collections. Busch Gardens Tampa cares for more than 2,000 animals representing 307 species. You can learn more about visiting either park at BuschGardens.com and SeaWorld.com

SeaWorld and Busch Gardens PreSchool Pass-FL Kids 5 and Under FREE!

5 January 2012 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

CHILDREN AGES 5 AND YOUNGER CAN EXPERIENCE
FAMILY ADVENTURE FOR FREE AT BUSCH GARDENS & SEAWORLD
The New SeaWorld and Busch Gardens Preschool Pass Offers Kids
Unlimited Admission With No Blackout Dates Through 2012

The folks at SeaWorld and Busch Gardens just sent over this press release and I’m excited to get one for my little guy!

– It’s an awesome time to be a preschooler! Children ages five and younger can now explore the wonders of Africa and the depths of the ocean for FREE with the new Busch Gardens & SeaWorld Preschool Pass. Little ones will experience kid-size thrills at Busch Gardens’ Sesame Street Safari of Fun and SeaWorld’s Shamu’s Happy Harbor play areas, get up close to their favorite furry and feathered friends, and see new shows brought to life.

The pass is valid for all of 2012 at both SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. Kids are welcome to experience all there is to do for the preschool set, including seasonal events such as Summer Nights at Busch Gardens, SeaWorld’s Halloween Spooktacular and festive holiday events at both parks. New this year, Busch Gardens will delight guests with its biggest ice show ever, Iceploration, premiering Feb. 2. And SeaWorld is introducing an all-new festival this year, “Just for Kids!” featuring concerts by Lazy Town, Max & Ruby, the Doodlebops and Choo-Choo Soul, along with plenty of family-friendly fun and activities on Saturdays Jan. 14 through Feb. 4.

Parents and older kids can join in on all the excitement with a Fun Card, which invites guests to pay for a day and play all year through Dec. 31, 2012, with no blackout dates.

“Must-see” preschool attractions at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay

Preschoolers will delight in Sesame Street Safari of Fun, a sunny, funny play land, filled with moments that your family can share for the first time — like a first coaster experience aboard Air Grover. And everyday smiles can be repeated again and again: clapping along to original shows, splashing in an expansive water play area and enjoying kid-size rides.

Also available in Sesame Street Safari of Fun, families can Dine with Elmo and Friends on select days and enjoy special event dining experiences with the characters to mark holidays, character birthdays and more. Beginning in March, opt for the Family Fun Buffet, offered on select days. It’s the perfect way to feed your hungry family during your busy day and not miss out on any of the fun! Enjoy an all-you-can-eat buffet along with the chance to meet beloved Sesame Street characters between 12 and 4 p.m. on select days in the Sesame Street Safari of Fun Dining Pavilion. Reservations are not required.

In February, children’s imaginations will go wild when Iceploration takes the ice. The all-new, 30-minute show combines ethereal ice skating, larger-than-life puppets, amazing costumes and even animal stars. Iceploration opens Feb. 2, 2012 with shows daily in the Moroccan Palace Theatre. Another family favorite at Busch Gardens is “Critter Castaways,” in which a cast of unlikely characters – including dogs, cats, parrots and exotic animals – come together to create a side-splitting show with surprise twists that will have the whole family laughing.

There are plenty of animal encounters and pint-sized rides for families with young children to enjoy as well. In Jungala, families can connect with the jungle through a three-story play land, enjoy a water play zone and come face to face with exotic and endangered animals. At Jambo Junction, guests can have up-close interactions with animals such as flamingos, lemurs and sloths. And in Timbuktu, a carousel and other junior rides will delight those not ready for the major coasters. And what preschooler doesn’t enjoy a train ride? You and your little one can journey across the Serengeti Plains to view zebra, rhino and giraffes aboard the Serengeti Express.

Some additional features that Busch Gardens offers families with young kids include stroller parking and reduced prices on kids’ meals in 2012. Parking spots are available within our preferred parking area designated strictly for guests with strollers, so they can bypass the tram. No additional fee is required, and spaces are available on a first-come, first-served basis to guests who request them at the parking tollbooths. At the park’s restaurants, kids’ meals are now just $5.99, including a drink, making it even more affordable to not only entertain, but also feed your little ones at Busch Gardens.

SeaWorld loves kids, too

And don’t forget that this awesome new FREE Preschool Pass also includes admission to SeaWorld Orlando. Just a short hour’s drive away, SeaWorld’s littlest guests can enjoy the wildly popular 4-acre play area, Shamu’s Happy Harbor. It’s a kid’s dream come true, complete with kid-size rides, a 4-story net climb, and a great place for parents to relax in the shade. The park’s first family-oriented roller coaster, Shamu Express, can be found here, along with many other kiddie rides to explore.

And that’s in addition to all the wondrous animal encounters at SeaWorld. Your family can meet penguins, dolphins, fish, rays, sharks, and, of course, Shamu!

Sign up today!

The Free SeaWorld and Busch Gardens Preschool Pass is an online-only offer, available at BuschGardensTampaBay.com or SeaWorldOrlando.com. It is exclusively for Florida residents ages 5 and younger and is valid for unlimited admission – with no blackout dates – through Dec. 31, 2012 at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and SeaWorld Orlando. The Preschool Pass does not include parking or Premium Passport discounts or benefits.

After registering through either park’s website, registrants can pick up the Preschool Pass for their child by bringing a printed confirmation and a certified copy of the child’s birth certificate to any ticket window at Busch Gardens’ or SeaWorld’s front gate.

For more information on the Free SeaWorld and Busch Gardens Preschool Pass, visit BuschGardensTampaBay.com or SeaWorldOrlando.com.