Today (Monday) begins with breakfast at home - it's 80.F outside at the moment (8.00a.m.!) and I have to say that I'm not looking forward to the long drive ahead (and back again).
I have planned to go to Busch Gardens right from the beginning but now the time has arrived to go - I have a feeling that I'm not going to enjoy this.......
We set off in the "happy bus" with plenty of drinks (purchased re-fillable water coolers with neck straps from WalMart for $3.99) and make our way towards Tampa. The journey is not bad actually and takes just over an hour.
We enter the park and do our usual split with DS1 & DN so that they can go ride the coasters while we head for Rhino Rally. Well - we get there (it's now @ 10.30a.m.) and the wait time is 90mins. No fastpass system at this park means that you have no choice - you either queue up or move on - we decide to move on. I'm very dissapointed as this was the only real ride that I really wanted to go on in this park! Oh well - we walk thru "Timbuktu" and now DD & DS2 start to get restless - so we stop for a very tame merry-go-round before moving on to the "Congo River Rapids". This is brilliant fun but I get absolutely soaked on the last wave! I dont mean splashed - I mean drenched - a wave of water lands in my lap and my shorts/shirt/socks/shoes and underwear are now VERY VERY wet. DM looks very pleased with herself as she exits the ride and removes her poncho - why didn't I think of that?
I feel VERY uncomfortable for the rest of the day.......
We go on the Congo River Rapids next - I may have got wet again but it's difficult to tell! Then as we make our way to Stanley Falls we meet the boys who take DS2 & DD on Tidal Wave with them - then on their exit they stand on the bridge above the end of the ride and watch carefully as a tidal wave hits them right in the face!......I thought I was wet!........DS2 removes a shoe and pours out a pint of water! Still - they seem to enjoy the experience!!! We hop on the train for a ride around the park before sitting down to watch the Morrocan Roll Show. The temperature is now 107.F and it's just too hot! DF is looking decidedly the worse for wear and I feel that this is "a park too far" for today - we should have had a rest today - bad planning I think - anyway - we meet the boys and as they have done all the coasters - we call it a day and head for home.
I have a monster of a head ache - migraine I think - anyway - on arrival at the villa I take two tablets and sleep for two hours. I'm woken by some hungry family members so I drop all seven off at the Pondarosa while I go to the supermarket to pick up some stronger tablets!
We return for a swim and TV and call it a day.......not very happy with today..........I felt that this was wrong from the beginning but also felt that we had to go for the sake of DS1 & DN as they desperately wanted to go on the coasters at Busch. I was not that impressed with Busch Garden - maybe my expectations are now higher but unless you like big coasters then I don't think that the drive there and back is worth it - I would have rather gone back to SeaWorld again - There just is not the same atmosphere at Busch as you get at Disney or Universal - but thats just my opinion - maybe I'm just an "Old Fart" after all!!!. The temperature was too high today and the dissapointment of not getting on Rhino Rally was a bit too much for me!
Well - never mind - tomorrow it's Blizzard Beach - I'm looking forward to a relaxing day and the forecast is good so - off to bed - headache has gone at last!
Milly
I have planned to go to Busch Gardens right from the beginning but now the time has arrived to go - I have a feeling that I'm not going to enjoy this.......
We set off in the "happy bus" with plenty of drinks (purchased re-fillable water coolers with neck straps from WalMart for $3.99) and make our way towards Tampa. The journey is not bad actually and takes just over an hour.
We enter the park and do our usual split with DS1 & DN so that they can go ride the coasters while we head for Rhino Rally. Well - we get there (it's now @ 10.30a.m.) and the wait time is 90mins. No fastpass system at this park means that you have no choice - you either queue up or move on - we decide to move on. I'm very dissapointed as this was the only real ride that I really wanted to go on in this park! Oh well - we walk thru "Timbuktu" and now DD & DS2 start to get restless - so we stop for a very tame merry-go-round before moving on to the "Congo River Rapids". This is brilliant fun but I get absolutely soaked on the last wave! I dont mean splashed - I mean drenched - a wave of water lands in my lap and my shorts/shirt/socks/shoes and underwear are now VERY VERY wet. DM looks very pleased with herself as she exits the ride and removes her poncho - why didn't I think of that?
I feel VERY uncomfortable for the rest of the day.......
We go on the Congo River Rapids next - I may have got wet again but it's difficult to tell! Then as we make our way to Stanley Falls we meet the boys who take DS2 & DD on Tidal Wave with them - then on their exit they stand on the bridge above the end of the ride and watch carefully as a tidal wave hits them right in the face!......I thought I was wet!........DS2 removes a shoe and pours out a pint of water! Still - they seem to enjoy the experience!!! We hop on the train for a ride around the park before sitting down to watch the Morrocan Roll Show. The temperature is now 107.F and it's just too hot! DF is looking decidedly the worse for wear and I feel that this is "a park too far" for today - we should have had a rest today - bad planning I think - anyway - we meet the boys and as they have done all the coasters - we call it a day and head for home.
I have a monster of a head ache - migraine I think - anyway - on arrival at the villa I take two tablets and sleep for two hours. I'm woken by some hungry family members so I drop all seven off at the Pondarosa while I go to the supermarket to pick up some stronger tablets!
We return for a swim and TV and call it a day.......not very happy with today..........I felt that this was wrong from the beginning but also felt that we had to go for the sake of DS1 & DN as they desperately wanted to go on the coasters at Busch. I was not that impressed with Busch Garden - maybe my expectations are now higher but unless you like big coasters then I don't think that the drive there and back is worth it - I would have rather gone back to SeaWorld again - There just is not the same atmosphere at Busch as you get at Disney or Universal - but thats just my opinion - maybe I'm just an "Old Fart" after all!!!. The temperature was too high today and the dissapointment of not getting on Rhino Rally was a bit too much for me!
Well - never mind - tomorrow it's Blizzard Beach - I'm looking forward to a relaxing day and the forecast is good so - off to bed - headache has gone at last!
Milly
