Busch Gardens Tampa - planning help
Busch Gardens Tampa: Not much info on BGT - will take any advice I can get. Going in June.
We are planning a trip to Orlando June 17-27 for 4 day sporting event. We will spend a good portion of this trip at the beach as my son went to WDW USF last year with choir. We do however want to make a trip to Busch Gardens Tampa. Since we are interested in making the most efficient use of our time and money any and all suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Any must do's must NOT do's etc.
You will most likely easily be able to ride all 7 coasters and everything else in one day's visit. I would go to Sheikra first because it tends to have a longer line since it is relatively new (and very good!). Have Fun!
Im not a expert omn this park, but can offer some tips.
With Sherika having just opened yyou wan to hit that ride first!!! And get to the park early, about 30/45 minutes before the park opens to get tickets etc and beat the crowd.
Both Kumba/Montu are greatg coasters and are high capacity rides, so i would hit them after the above coaster, and probably after Gwazi. Gwazi is a racing wooden coaster, but sadly it doesnt often race and the coaster crews are slow so the lines tend to be l.onger than they should.
Another ride to hit early if you want to go on it is Rhino Rally which is a smaller version of the safari ride at disney's AK with fewer animals to visit but i still fdound it enjoyable.
And i would also take time to enjoy the animal exhibits between coasters rides as it is a very good park, but alot of attractions are spread out which can reduce lines and you can use this to your advantage if you get to the park early.
From JR Walker
Posted April 9, 2006 at 6:42 PM
I've been to that park a fair number of times but you should probobly head to Sheikra first (since its new and big), then Kumba, Montu, etc..etc.. If your into the water rides, BGT has good ones...the tidal wave and congo river rapids should be done early in the day or before the park closes. I've never had problems at that park with waiting in lines, even in the middle of summer, so that shouldn't be a problem...
have fun..
What beach are you going to???
If you're going to be on the right coast, going to BGT is probably not such a good idea. However, if you're going to be in Clearwater, Tampa, St. Pete, etc..., then BGA is probably a good place to visit.
I would suggest trying to go mid-week (Tuesday or Wednesday) to avoid some of the crowds. During July, BGA will have long hours, so it should not be too difficult to get on all of their coasters. Make sure to get to the park before the official opening time, since BGA allows guests into the park, and slowly opens each land after the official opening time. When you first enter the park, you can turn right (towards Montu) or to the left (towards Gwazi). SheiKra will be the biggest draw in the park, and to avoid standing in line for extended periods of time in the Florida heat, you should try to hit that coaster early in the day.
Also don't forget to take a break in the middle of the day to check out some of the cool shows, and get out of the sunshine.
From K P
Posted August 4, 2006 at 1:12 PM
From K P
Posted August 4, 2006 at 1:02 PM
I have been there several times, and have the same agenda each time.
-Montu
-Kumba
-Sheikra
^these are the "can't miss" rides. However, BGT has some phenomenal animal exhibits and shows, so remember those too. Also, if I'm not mistaken, they are having a price special-you can buy a pass lasting several months for the same price as a general admission ticket, so if you like it, you may want to consider that pass.
As for "must not do's", skip the train. It's tempting, since the park is so huge, and many people advise using it to get from one side of the park to the other, but walking or the Skyride is much faster. Another thing to remember is that BGT carries NO drinking straws or lids, for the safety of animals, so small children should bring their own cups.
I agree with K P, I came back from Orlando on Sunday 29 July (I think...) and on the last Friday we had a visit to Busch Gardens, you HAVE to have a ride on SheiKra, it is a once-in-a-lifetime feeling. Also go on the Serengeti Safari, on which you can feed Giraffes and other animals. :D
Searched for this topic, because I did not want to create a new thread unless necessary. I'm still not satisfied with the responses though. I am going this Saturday for deaf awareness day, and plan to be there first thing in the morning.
From what I am reading, it sounds like Sheikra first, followed by Gwazi and then Montu. My question is since Kumba is in front of the park, would it be a disaster if we did Kumba first then went to Sheikra ? I am a first timer going to Busch Gardens, and looking forward to the trip (I know it's coming, Erik, might as well get it over with LOL). Any tips for attacking the park in the morning would be great, as I'm planning a leisurely approach in the afternoon with chatting with folks and checking out the animals.
Also, I'm used to express passes, and I realize that Busch Gardens doesn't have anything like that, unless I'm wrong? How are the lines during noon to 4 pm for the coasters ? I'm sure it will be a change of pace for me waiting in line longer, but I'm sure the wait will be tolerable.
From Erik Yates
Posted September 20, 2006 at 5:35 PM
Get what over with? Shocked Daniel...simply shocked!
Anyway....Anytime you have a big day such as the one you'll be attending, its going to be jammed during the peak of the day. Best bet, of course is to get the more popular rides over with first. My preferred plan of attack, is of course start early. Go Montu, then take the skyride over to Kumba and then Sheikra....you can get everything done and still not have a super huge wait on Sheikra. You also get a good bit of the park done without having to double back. Just my suggestion. Every once in a while you'll see them give out "express" tickets for rides like Rhino Rally or Sheikra...but it doesnt happen often, and they run out fast.
Alrite, thanks.. some have said the skyride actually takes longer, though, than it would to walk ?
Edited to add: Nevermind, that was the train, not the skyride.
Just a clarification: Kumba is all the way in the back of the park, not the front. One of the nice things about BGT is that their best coasters have pretty high capacity, so you should be able to get to all of them, especially if you get to the park when it opens.
1. Shiekra
2. Kumba
3. Montu
4. Gwazi
You should have no problem riding everything worth riding, I would imagine it may be somewhat busy being a Saturday (mainly locals), but being September (one of the slowest months of the season) it should not be too busy.
From Erik Yates
Posted September 21, 2006 at 9:19 AM
He said it was convention or gathering for the deaf....that will make it very very busy...any time you have a convention or something of the like that spreads over a wide variety of people, such as the deaf.....it will be busy.
From steve lee
Posted September 21, 2006 at 9:17 AM
Spend the extra coupla bucks for the Preferred parking space. The preferred section is VERY close to the park entrance, as opposed to the general spaces that require guests to walk quite a distance or catch a tram. If you're there as early as you're saying you'll be and you go with the preferred, you should be in the first group to line up at the gates.
Also, be aware that Rhino Ralley gets extremely long lines as the day progresses. It's a nice change of pace from the coasters (though it's not as good as Kilmanjaro Safaris over at DAK). Of course, if you like animals you may want to consider looking into doing the Serengeti Safari, which is an additional price but gets you pretty darn close to the animals. You have to get tickets for that as early as possible, though.
Well, aside from the deaf convention group, the park should not be too crowded. I agree with Steve in regards to the prefered parking, it can be a long walk to the tram station, especially if you get stuck near Adventure Island (far north side of the lot) or Mel's Hot Dogs on Busch Blvd. (far east side of the lot).
a typical deaf gathering (it's not a convention) would probably have no more than 200 people bringing perhaps one or two significant others with them, so I'd say the total extra people at the park Saturday would probably not be more than 800 to 1000 people, give or take a couple hundred. That does make a difference, but probably not that much of a difference.
Most of those folks usually arrive fairly late and park themselves in the middle of the entrance area, resulting in swarms of furious hands and arms waving in sign language clustered around the center of the park. Most typically don't do many of the rides, and are just there for the gathering and socializing purposes. I know, because that s what they do at Wet n Wild, where Florida deafies typically meet once a year.
From Erik Yates
Posted September 21, 2006 at 6:34 PM
Florida deafies??? And here I was being sensitive.
9 a.m. is when the park opens, get there a few minutes early and head for the gators. They are usually cleaning out the pits, and they will give out teeth if they find any. My kids have enough to make a necklace.
LOL.. it's basically deafies and hearies... any chance the alligators are on the way to Sheikra? I think I'm headed there first...
Edited cuz I'm a moron and typed in crocodiles the first time around
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