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Details Announced for The 6th Annual Busch Gardens Tampa Bay Food & Wine Festival

11 February 2020 by Chris Ryan Leave a Comment

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Busch Gardens Food and Wine Festival

Earlier this week we got some exciting new details for the upcoming Food & Wine Festival at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay coming this spring.  From concert dates to fun new food items, here’s what we know so far!

DATES!

The fun begins with a Passholder exclusive event!

Busch Gardens Food and Wine Festival

Feb. 28:                Pass Member Exclusive Preview with “Eaglemania: The World’s Greatest Eagles Tribute Band!”

This exclusive event is available ONLY for Pass Members to preview the all-new menu of sips and samples at the 6th Annual Food & Wine Festival.

Be sure to visit Busch Gardens’ website to learn more or purchase your Annual Pass to gain access to this VIP opportunity!

Additionally, we’ve received information with more concert dates during the festival!

Feb 29:                Collective Soul
March 1:              The Commodores

March 7:              Chase Bryant & Danielle Bradbery
March 8:              Rachel Platten

March 14:            Ezra Ray Hart
March 15:            THREE DOG NIGHT

March 21:            LOCASH 
March 22:            Fitz & The Tantrums

March 28:            Home Free
March 29:            Taking Back Sunday

April 4:                 Third Eye Blind
April 5:                 KC & The Sunshine Band

April 11:               38 Special
April 12:               Micah Tyler & Austin French

April 18:               Lee Brice
April 19:               Clint Black

April 25:               El Gran Combo
April 26:               Toad the Wet Sprocket & The Verve Pipe

Fans of these groups will be excited to know that there are VIP packages available for each act “including reserved concert seating and a 5-item Food & Wine Festival Sampler Lanyard.” And new for 2020, you can upgrade to the Unlimited Food & Wine Festival VIP Seating Package for the ultimate concert-going experience. This new opportunity includes VIP seating for EVERY concert of the 2020 festival!

NEW TREATS!

Busch Gardens Food and Wine Festival This year’s event highlights a tasty new dining lineup too! Designed by the award-winning new Executive Chef of Busch Gardens Ernie Reyes, the festival’s menu features 25 NEW food items, and over 80 wines, beers, and cocktails. Here are just a couple of the new dishes to expect:

·        The ALL-NEW Chef’s Corner cabin: featuring three signature dishes carefully crafted by the park’s head chefs – arroz con pollo, pork belly taco with kimchi slaw, and pork tenderloin with champagne watercress sauce.

·        NEW Iconic Coaster Cocktails: including Iron Gwazi Gimlet, Falcon’s Fury Lemon Drop, and Tigris Tea

·        NEW Pick-A-Barrel tasting: create your own flight of liquors and wines from around the world

Guests can also already view the entire remaining menu online, and decide ahead of time what their must-eats are. From there, guests can also upgrade or purchase their Food & Wine Festival Sampler Lanyard. Busch Gardens writes that “Guests can purchase a 5, 8 or 12-item sampler lanyard to use at each festival cabin to explore sample-sized dishes and drink offerings with ease, starting at just $32. Pass Members can purchase an exclusive 15-item sampler for the same price as a 12-item sampler and SAVE 20%!”

COMING THIS SPRING!

Busch Gardens Food and Wine Festival The 2020 Food & Wine festival at Busch Gardens begins this spring, running every weekend from February 29-April 26. While you’re there, be sure to check out the incredible new IRON GWAZI attraction opening Spring 2020.

Best Way to Play:

Visit Busch Gardens Food and Wine Festival and year-round events is with an Annual Pass that includes 12 months of unlimited visits, FREE parking, FREE Serengeti Safari, merchandise and dining discounts¹, and special limited-time perks throughout the year. Or for a limited time, buy a Busch Gardens Tampa Bay 2020 Fun Card and an Adventure Island 2020 Fun Card FREE – Florida families can take advantage of this limited time buy-one-get-one FREE offer and get unlimited year-round park admission to TWO until December 31, 2020².

¹All events and attractions listed are included with park admission. Upgrades, specialty food and beverage items are sold separately.

²Some restrictions apply; Blackout dates may apply

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Filed Under: Busch Gardens, Florida Theme Parks & Attractions, Latest News, Parks, Travel, Theme Parks, and Resorts Tagged With: busch gardens, Busch Gardens annual pass, Busch Gardens concerts, Busch Gardens Food and Wine Festival, busch gardens tampa, Busch Gardens Tampa food

Kick off the Summer at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay!

30 May 2019 by Chris Ryan Leave a Comment

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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 60th 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.

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Filed Under: Busch Gardens, Family Travel, Florida Theme Parks & Attractions, Travel, Travel, Theme Parks, and Resorts Tagged With: busch gardens, busch gardens summer nights, busch gardens tampa, busch gardens tampa bay, summer travel deals

12 Parks 1 Day?! YES!

11 January 2019 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

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As many of you know, Zannaland began almost 10 years ago, as a place for me to share my own stories, tips, reviews, and experiences at Walt Disney World. Those experiences of course included my children, who at the time were 10, 9, and almost 1 year old. They have essentially grown up with Zannaland and all of the amazing adventures we’ve been lucky enough to enjoy. When I started this blog, I’d only ever been to Walt Disney World (and SeaWorld and Busch Gardens in middle school!). I’d never even traveled further west than Chicago for 2 days when I was a travel agent (I did go to Paris and Madrid in high school too, but that was pretty much the extent of my travel). Now, we’ve been to Disneyland and other California destinations about 10 times. We’ve visited 11 different National Parks across the country, and all the area theme parks. And all of our adventures are only just beginning. This travel isn’t all because of Zannaland of course, but it’s been a constant in the background of my childrens’ lives, and we’ve definitely gotten to do some amazing things because of it. Which brings me to the purpose of this post.
12 Parks 1 Day
My children are now 20, 18, and 10, and yes, two of them aren’t even children anymore. Growing up in the past 10 years, they’ve seen social media take over and become a part of daily life, and how video has replaced blogging in many senses (is anyone even reading this? 😛 ), and how anyone can open up their lives and share it with the world. They’ve now taken the next step and started their own vlog, with a very auspicious first video. After we completed a 6 Parks One Day cross-country challenge last year (which you can see on my Instagram Story Highlights), they took it to the next level and did 12 Parks in One Day here in the central Florida area. Needless to say, I’m incredibly proud of their efforts and love that the video shows their fun (and funny) personalities and a little bit of what it’s like to have grown up in the Orlando area with access to all the fun theme-park opportunities around us. Obviously, this is not a “way to see the parks” video, but just a fun “let’s see if we can do it” video haha. Riding one attraction in 12 parks in 1 day is not the best way to experience Orlando, but it does make for a fun vlog!

12 Parks 1 Day Video!

This will not be the last of their vlogs, just the beginning! I’d love for you to watch and leave a comment or a thumbs up for them. Be sure to subscribe and click the bell to get notifications of their next adventure! What would you like to see them cover in a future video? Let me know what you think in the comments below! Thanks for reading, and thanks for watching!!
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Filed Under: Busch Gardens, Disney Parks, Resorts, & Entertainment, Disney Planning, Florida Theme Parks & Attractions, LEGOLAND Florida, Sea World Orlando, Top Stories, Travel, Travel, Theme Parks, and Resorts, Universal Orlando Resort, Walt Disney World Tagged With: 12 parks 1 day, 12 parks one day, busch gardens, Disney parks, Disney's Hollywood Studios, LEGOLAND Florida, Magic Kingdom, SeaWorld Orlando, twelve parks one day, Universal Islands of Adventure, universal orlando resort, Universal Studios

Central Florida Theme Park News – March 3, 2014

3 February 2014 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

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I decided I’d try something new here in addition to opinion and review posts: a news update with all of the things that have happened in the past week or so, to have everything all in one place. So if you missed anything in Central Florida & Theme Park and Resort News, here you go!

Disney Parks let us in on a well-kept secret – that there will be another Disney 24 hour day in both the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World and Disneyland, on May 23 from 6am – May 24 at 6am. They also want you to come dressed up as your favorite character as they celebrate Heroes and Villains and hope guests will “Rock their Disney Side.” And, they are also giving away a coast-to-coast trip to the 24 Hour Day:

To enter, just tweet how you plan to “Rock” your Disney Side all season long, tagged with #DisneySideSweepsEntry. If you win, get ready to enjoy a coast-to-coast, 7-day/6-night Disney Parks vacation for 4—with back-to-back stays at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida followed by the Disneyland Resort in California, where you can enjoy the Rock Your Disney Side: 24-Hours event… live and in person! You can find out more, plus the official rules at DisneyParks.com.

140 character hashtag
140 Character Hashtag – Make sure you look for Mike Wazowski, blocked again! Photo ©Disney

 

In a galaxy far far away, we got some Star Wars Weekends news:

In order to convince more guests to join the Rebellion, a 5th weekend is now being added to Star WarsWeekends 2014. The new event dates are every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from May 16-June 15, 2014. The theme for this year’s event is, appropriately, “Join the Rebellion.” Official Star Wars Weekends dates are as follows:

  • Weekend I: May 16 – 18, 2014
  • Weekend II: May 23 – 25, 2014
  • Weekend III: May 30 – June 1, 2014
  • Weekend IV: June 6 – 8, 2014
  • Weekend V: June 13 – 15, 2014

There will also now be a nightly fireworks display rather than the Hyperspace Hoopla. More info on Star Wars Weekends here.

 

 

avengers-half-marathon-logo-625x355

An all-new runDisney event, the Avengers Half Marathon was announced for Disneyland, November 14-16, 2014. Registration will begin at noon on March 25, so suit up!

Major changes were announced for the Magic Kingdom’s hub at Walt Disney World. While I was initially very worried about how this would look (and I’m still not really happy about the former Swan Boat landing looking inaccessible now?) it does look as though this new plan will fit into the existing layout and offer benefits as well. According to the Disney Parks Blog:

We’re adding several new elements to the area, including sculpted gardens, additional pathways, expanded restaurant seating and even a special viewing area for fireworks and other performances.

Here’s a flyover video of the changes to come:

…
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay was excited to announce the Official Opening Date for Falcon’s Fury:  May 1, 2014. Not sure what Falcon’s Fury will look like? Here’s a sneak peek:

GULP. In other Busch Gardens news – Guests can take advantage of an unprecedented offer and receive an Adventure Island Fun Card FREE with the purchase of a Busch Gardens Tampa Fun Card. This new, limited-time offer let’s guests enjoy unlimited thrills at Busch Gardens  and the water-soaked fun of Adventure Island for $92 for adults and $87 for children (ages 3-9) with no blackout dates.

…

SeaWorld is offering Residents within a 50-mile radius of Discovery Cove a chance to win a lawn makeover from the Discovery Cove landscape team. Qualifying residents can enter through the Discovery Cove Facebook page by submitting a photo of their front lawn and a short description sharing why they should win the lawn makeover.
The contest runs in three phases and you can find out more at the Discover Cove Facebook link above.
Ihu's Breakaway Falls Dropping May 9 at Aquatica Orlando In other SeaWorld news: their Ihu’s Breakaway Falls – the tallest, steepest and only multi-drop tower slide of its kind in the southern United States – opens at Aquatica, SeaWorld’s Waterpark May 9.

At nearly 80 feet tall, Ihu’s Breakaway Falls is where thrill seekers face their fears and each other. After stepping into one of three clear “breakaway boxes,” they’ll watch each other fall one-by-one as the floor underneath them disappears. They’ll never know who’s going to breakaway first – and the anticipation of who drops next is part of the wild ride!
Fun Facts:
  • At nearly 80 feet tall, Ihu’s Breakaway Falls has the tallest and steepest 360-degree spirals in the southern United States.
  • Those who dare to brave Ihu’s Breakaway Falls will experience an almost vertical drop for nearly 40 feet, the steepest in the southern United States.
  • Ihu’s Breakaway Falls is the longest water thrill slide of its kind featuring three “breakaway boxes” and four completely different slide paths. Once the floor disappears, riders will drop 20-24 feet per second.

Both SeaWorld and Busch Gardens are now offering a special $50 Weekday Ticket, on sale for only 50 days, good for a single weekday admission to either park, now through May 5, 2014, including spring break.

…

Finally, in local resort news, the Hyatt Grand Cypress wants you to party like it’s 1984 with this special offer:

30th Anniversary Celebration Offer
Now through Dec. 21, 2014 (reservations are subject to availability and must be made in advance) Rate & Offer: $198.40 per night, plus $30 food and beverage credit
Special offer code: RTRO
Note: The food and beverage credit is for use during your to stay to enjoy the resort’s award-winning restaurants including Cascade American Bistro, Hemingway’s, or the On the Rocks pool bar.
I recently got a chance to stay at the Hyatt Grand Cypress and was really impressed with how much their was to do and how lovely the accommodations were. I’ll have a full write-up soon!
…
That’s it for the past week – stories to watch for this week are: the premier of the new Festival of Fantasy Parade, which we’ll be covering on March 9th when it travels down the parade route at the Magic Kingdom for the first time. Some Legoland Florida news that fans of the old Cypress Gardens park will enjoy. And of course, more news, photos and food reviews as the 21st Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival officially opens on March 5! Thanks for reading and for your support of Zannaland.com
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Filed Under: Busch Gardens, Disney News, Disney Special Events, Florida Theme Parks & Attractions, Orlando Area Resorts, RunDisney, Sea World Orlando, Top Stories, Travel, Theme Parks, and Resorts, Walt Disney World Tagged With: 24 Hour Disney Day, aquatica, Avengers Half Marathon, busch gardens, busch gardens tampa, Central Florida news, Discovery Cove, Discovery Cove landscape contest, Disney 24 hours, Disney Side Sweepstakes, Falcon's Fury, hyatt regency grand cypress, Ihu’s Breakaway Falls, Magic Kingdom hub, Magic Kingdom Hub changes, Rock Your Disney Side, SeaWorld, Star Wars Weekends, Theme Park News

Facebook Fans Name Busch Gardens Tampa’s Lion Cub Sisters

5 July 2013 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

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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.
 
 [portfolio_slideshow id=12254]
More information and updates about the progress of the new cubs will be posted on BuschGardensTampaBlog.com.

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Filed Under: All blogs, Busch Gardens, Central Florida Family Entertainment, Florida Theme Parks & Attractions, Orlando Area Attractions Tagged With: busch gardens, busch gardens tampa, busch gardens tampa bay, lion cubs, Orlando

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

3 July 2013 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

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

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. 

Cheetah Hunt Fireworks

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™.
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Filed Under: Busch Gardens, Central Florida Family Entertainment, Florida Theme Parks & Attractions, Orlando Area Attractions, Top Stories Tagged With: 4th of July, 4th of July events, busch gardens, busch gardens tampa bay, celebrations, Orlando, summer nights

Busch Gardens Premiers a Fun New Madagascar Live Show

20 May 2013 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

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Madagascar Live at Busch Gardens 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!

 

Madagascar Live at Busch Gardens
Madagascar Live at Busch Gardens
Madagascar Live at Busch Gardens
Madagascar Live at Busch Gardens
Madagascar Live at Busch Gardens
Madagascar Live at Busch Gardens
Madagascar Live at Busch Gardens
Madagascar Live at Busch Gardens

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!

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Filed Under: Busch Gardens, Central Florida Family Entertainment, Florida Theme Parks & Attractions, Top Stories Tagged With: busch gardens, busch gardens tampa bay, Central Florida theme parks, Gloria the Hippo, high energy, King Julien, lex the Lion, live music show, Madagascar, Madagascar Live, Madagascar Live: Operation Vacation, Stanleyville Theatre, Tampa

Busch Gardens Christmas Town Delivers Holiday Fun

10 December 2012 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

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There are so many wonderful holiday events at Central Florida theme parks, and this year Busch Gardens Tampa is launching the biggest Christmas celebration ever. For the first time in the park’s 53-year history, visitors to Christmas Town will experience all-new evening attractions, shows and shopping from 6 to 11 p.m. every Friday, Saturday and Sunday night, Nov. 30 through Dec. 23. Christmas Town transforms the park into a nighttime holiday wonderland of wintery surprises and all things Christmas, filling guests’ senses with seasonal sights, sounds and flavors, and creating a beautiful new tradition for Tampa’s families. What’s even better than that? A portion of the proceeds from Christmas Town will benefit All Children’s Hospital here in the Bay area.

Busch Gardens Tampa Christmas Town
Signs letting you know where to find all of the Christmas Town fun

 

Christmas Town is a separate-ticketed night event, and regular daytime admission is not required or included. General admission for Christmas Town is $39.99 plus tax. Busch Gardens annual pass members will receive the deepest discounts with advance online priced at $24.99 for adults and $9.99 for children, and special offers are available for guests wishing to upgrade their paid daily admission to Busch Gardens. Gift cards are available at Bay area Publix locations and additional discounts are offered through promotional codes from Chik Fil-A, Coca-Cola at Wal-Mart and Fantastic Sam’s. Families with children ages 3 to 9 will enjoy a special advance-purchase price of $9.99 for their youngest members.

Busch Gardens Tampa Christmas Town
A “living angel” at Busch Gardens Tampa Christmas Town

I was a little worried that the drive to Tampa and the ticket cost would not be worth it, but Christmas Town was absolutely wonderful. I am a huge fan of Christmas lights, and seeing almost every inch of Busch Gardens covered in colorful, twinkling, beautiful lights, was just magical to me. The lights were all really well done, each area themed separately with unique activities, displays, or shows in each section. Special glasses are provided to make snow flakes appear on each light, making it even more fun.

Busch Gardens Tampa Christmas Town
How the lights look through the special viewing glasses

In addition to the lights, there are several really worthwhile shows going on during the night, as well as being able to ride some of the most popular roller coasters in the park. We really loved the ice skating show; Angels of Peace: A Christmas Journey on Ice, which was so spirited with contemporary versions of Christmas classics and some new songs as well. The Carol of the Bells light and music show on the Crown Colony  restaurant was also a highlight, so fun. The Celebration Village area had holiday snacks and drinks to enjoy while you stroll through the park, along with some of the familiar “Florida snow” we see in other area theme parks (aka soap!). There was also an area with “real” snow, enough to make and throw snowballs and go sliding: Snow World, presented by Coca-Cola.

Busch Gardens Tampa Christmas Town
Enchanted Flamingo Valley was my absolute favorite. SO many pink lights!

I took so many photos of the wonderful lights, I decided to put them all on a Busch Gardens Christmas Town flickr set, because I couldn’t decide which ones to post here. If you are able to make it down, I really think the Christmas Town event is worth it, and I hope it becomes an annual tradition for Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, I know my family will be returning next year! You can find more information on pricing and tickets at the Christmas Town site.

Busch Gardens Tampa Christmas Town
Who knew the North Pole was a disco ball??

 

Disclosure: my family was provided a complimentary viewing of the events mentioned above. All opinions are my own.

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Filed Under: Busch Gardens, Florida Theme Parks & Attractions, Theme Park Holiday Events, Top Stories Tagged With: busch gardens, Busch Gardens Christmas Town, busch gardens tampa, Christmas, christmas celebration, Christmas lights, christmas town, Holidays, ice skating, SNOW!, theme park holidays

Photos and Facts on SeaWorld Orlando’s New Turtle Trek Experience

5 May 2012 by Suzannah Otis 1 Comment

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TurtleTrek Horizontal Turtle Habitat During the non-stop events of last weekend, I had quite a few Zannaland team members covering things in the Orlando area for me. Scott Otis, friend and conservationist, agreed to cover the grand opening of SeaWorld Orlando‘s newest attraction – Turtle Trek.

Before we get started, a bit of news as I reported on twitter last week, SeaWorld and Busch Gardens are saying good-bye to plastic bags at their theme parks within the year. Here’s why, according to SeaWorld:

The eco-friendly move will save an estimated 4 million plastic bags per year from both entering landfills and impacting wildlife. SeaWorld routinely rescues marine wildlife such as endangered sea turtles that sometimes mistake plastic bags for a favorite food such as jellyfish.  The company began the transition in 2011 when SeaWorld San Diego discontinued the use of plastic gift bags. SeaWorld Orlando is eliminating the bags this month in celebration of the opening of its new attraction TurtleTrek.

Guests visiting Turtle Trek first explore two massive naturalistic habitats, home to gentle manatees and gliding sea turtles, learning what makes each species so precious. Families then enter a domed theater and what happens next has never before been seen and is a first at any theme park in the world.

Inside the dome, they’ll be surrounded by a hyper-realistic, 3D 360 degree film that takes them on the amazing life journey of a special sea turtle named Nyah. The experience is all around guests and even above them – not just in front of them or only on one screen. It’s this all-new and immersive way of showcasing a sea turtle’s epic adventure that is the heart of TurtleTrek. And for the first time, SeaWorld guests are given a turtle’s eye view of the ocean’s wonders.

TurtleTrek is as inspirational as it is astounding. There’s a call-to-action at the end of the experience:  SeaWorld urges guests to join in conserving the world we share. “Do a little, do a lot, but join us and do something to help the world and its animals,” said Brian Morrow, the attraction’s chief designer. “TurtleTrek is about the everyday heroes who can make a difference in nature.”

And there’s even more at TurtleTrek: Families will love competing on the fun (and educational) “Race for the Beach” video game that plays out on massive video screens at the new attraction. And TurtleTrek’s gift shop is unique in the way it continues the attraction’s inspiration and guests will see exactly how a portion of each dollar spent benefits in-the-field research to help save animals.

Here is a slideshow of images taken by Scott Otis at the grand opening of the Turtle Trek Experience:

[slideshow id=1]
 

The inspiration behind TurtleTrek:   

•    No animal’s life journey is more incredible than that of the sea turtle. From hatching on a beach and making the mad dash to open waters to the dangers and hazards they face as they mature and return to the very same beach to lay their own eggs, their tales of life underwater have in the past been impossible to show. And no theme park in the world is better equipped than SeaWorld to share that journey with millions of people.

•    In the same way SeaWorld brought attention to the plight of the manatee – the park’s attraction, “Manatee Rescue,” created interest that helped to save the species – at TurtleTrek, the park showcases the vulnerable sea turtle and asks everyday heroes across the globe to help make a difference in saving animals in the wild.

•    In the nearly 50 years since SeaWorld’s rescue programs began, more than 20,000 injured, orphaned or ill animals have been rescued, cared for and in most instances, returned to the wild. That’s more than one animal per day since 1964.

Turtle Trek at SeaWorld
Animal Ambassador Dr. Julie Scardina was on hand at the Turtle Trek grand opening.

The dome that brings the film to life:

  •    For the first time, designers have married a state-of-the-art animated film and powerful projection system with a fully domed theater, allowing for a seamless, 3-D virtual environment, all around the guests, even over their heads.

•    A fine silver coating on the dome allows each screen to focus the projection light back toward the guests.  Each fleck of silver is like a tiny mirror.

The 3-D/360-degree film that showcases the epic journey of one sea turtle:

•    The animated film goes well beyond the concept of high-definition or even virtual reality. In fact, it could be considered “high-reality.”

•    Each frame of the film has approximately 26 million individual pixels (more than 13 times what is considered “high-def”)

•    The film is shown at 60 frames-per-second (twice as fast as the human mind can register movement).

•    Combined with the dome and the powerful projection system, the result is one of the sharpest, most spectacular 3-D films ever created.

•    Each animal featured in the movie – from our hero sea turtle, to thousands of fish and down to the smallest anemone – began its life on an artist’s drawing board. Every movement of every creature was then animated independently.

•    More than 12 species of sea animals are brought to life for the animated film. And each one was approved by SeaWorld educators and animal experts.

•    Chances are you’re looking at this fact sheet on a standard computer monitor that’s 1,024 pixels wide by 768 pixels high – a total of slightly more than 780,000 pixels. The dome screens at TurtleTrek have more than 26,000,000 pixels.

•    You won’t find this movie on Netflix. At nearly 950GB, it would take you nearly 3 months to download the six-minute movie at home. If anyone was ever to create a full-length film at this resolution and complexity, it would take nearly five years to download.

•    The dome itself creates a huge projection area.  The dome is so large, it takes 34 projectors and 368,000 lumens of light to fill it with a 3-D, 360-degree movie.

•    TurtleTrek’s movie is actually two.  To create the astonishing 3-D, two films run simultaneously. One is for the left eye, the other for the right.

•    The sound system at TurtleTrek includes 22 discrete audio channels that have all been mixed on-site. This allows for 3-D sound and pinpoint placement of audio effects.

•    A typical surround sound system has a 5.1 arrangement – 5 sound channels and 1 channel for low frequency effects.  The sound system at TurtleTrek is 18.4 and is rated at an amazing 32,000 watts.

 

TurtleTrek Vertical Habitat
TurtleTrek Vertical Habitat

The real-life animals that live at TurtleTrek


A one-of-a-kind 3-D/360-degree movie is only part of TurtleTrek’s allure. It’s also two massive, naturalistic saltwater and freshwater habitats, home to sea turtles and manatees, some of them rescued and cared for by SeaWorld’s animal team.

The attraction’s sea turtle residents have been deemed non-releasable by the Florida government — due to genetics, illness, or being orphaned -– and have found a permanent home at TurtleTrek. Since 1973, SeaWorld Orlando has rescued, cared for and returned hundreds of endangered manatees and since 1980 returned more than 1,200 sea turtles back to their natural waters.

Sea Turtles
•    Sea turtles are truly a global species found in temperate and tropical seas worldwide. They have survived in the seas for more than 200 million years and are among a small group of reptiles that depend on the sea for survival.

•    TurtleTrek will be home to a variety of adult and juvenile sea turtles, including hawksbill and green sea turtles. Guests can view these exquisite creatures gliding past them from above, or through a below-water window.

Manatees
•    Florida’s tropical waters are home to a great diversity of life and perhaps none are more rare and endearing than the manatee. All manatee species can be found in warm tropical and subtropical waters in North America, South America, and West Africa.

•    At TurtleTrek, four West Indian manatees can be seen from above, or below water as they swim by or graze on a leafy snack. Each gentle giant in the exhibit was previously rescued by SeaWorld – the global leader in rescue and rehabilitation of manatees.

Fish
•    More than 1,500 Caribbean-native fish live in the saltwater habitat. The tropical varieties guests can view within the sea turtle habitat include angelfish, surgeonfish, file fish, butterfly fish, and many more.

•    Approximately 200 freshwater fish will accompany the manatees in their habitat. There will be fish native to Florida such as large-mouth bass and bluegills; and exotic fish that can be found in Florida waters such as pacu and red-tail catfish.

 

To learn more, visit SeaWorldParksandEntertainment.com or call toll-free 1-888-800-5447. Additionally, SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment created the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund, a non-profit, private charitable foundation committed to supporting wildlife and habitat conservation, research, education and animal rescue programs worldwide. Learn more at SWBG-ConservationFund.org.

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Filed Under: Florida Theme Parks & Attractions, Sea World Orlando Tagged With: busch gardens, conservationist, endangered sea turtles, grand opening, manatee, marine wildlife, orlando area, plastic bags, Scott Otis, sea turtle, sea turtles, SeaWorld Orlando, seaworld san diego, Turtle Trek, Turtle Trek experience

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

12 January 2012 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

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Animal Care Center Busch Gardens
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
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Filed Under: Busch Gardens, Florida Theme Parks & Attractions Tagged With: animal exhibit, busch gardens, Busch Gardens animal care center, busch gardens tampa, busch gardens tampa bay, guest animal interaction, veterinary clinic Busch Gardens

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