Busch gardens, Seaworld, or Cypress Gardens?

[TambK]

For our upcoming trip in December we are going to have a few days in Tampa and would like to visit one of these parks (Busch gardens, Cypress gardens, or Seaworld) and was wondering which one would be worth the money to go to.We have 4 kids going with us dd16 dd12 ds12 dd9, Thanks for any help or tips you can offer.

 

[lovindonald]

The only park that you mention that is in the Tampa area is BG. Seaworld is very close to Disney and CG is in Winter Park. Do you mean you will be staying in Tampa instead of going to Disney and you want to do one of those? I am confused. We have only done SW and we LOVE that place. We were going to do BG this year but have nixed it since it is mainly roller coasters and thrill rides and my kids won't really go for those except for my oldest.

 

[flowers]

I was kind of bored with Sea World, but Im a adult. Iv heard kids love it and being splashed. The big splash seems to be the highlight of the show lol.

I enjoyed seeing the animals though. Sea World would be ok for a side trip but not for the main attraction or an all day trip.

 

[4eyedbuzzard]

BG in Tampa definitely has great coasters and rides, and the food and beer is pretty good as well. SW is in Orlando/Kissimmee and also has some good rides to go with the Shamu show. I would budget an entire day for SW though. The shows are fairly long and are a must see, and there are enough other rides/attractions to make it an 8 hour outing - which is a full enough day for me.

 

[DOOM1001]

If you or your kids are into rollercoasters then Busch Gardens is a must. Sea World and Busch Gardens are owned by the same company and both are beautiful parks.Sea World is more about animal shows and attractions,so it depends what you're into.I would make it a point to visit both!!

Cypress Gardens is a much smaller park that's expanding but nowhere near the levels of BGT or SWO, it is however very nice with it's gardens and lakeside location but is definitely the last one I would suggest.It has some small coasters and fair type rides and also includes a waterpark, although it probably won't be open in December!

 

[LISAMWDW]

I wasn't too impressed with BG at all! Out of the parks your considering I would pick SW, without a doubt! However, it depends on what your family likes.

 

[isla bonita]

We loved both SW and BG. Either is great if you ask us.

We will be trying Cypress Gardens in Feb. so can not comment on it as of yet.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

If you're going to be in Tampa, definitely go to BG. It's a great park. Plus, you wouldn't have to make the long drive. If your kids like thrill rides, they'll love BG. If they prefer animals, BG has that too. There's pretty much something for everyone.

I don't know if you have plans for your other Tampa days, but your kids would probably enjoy Game Works in Ybor City. Also, MOSI is nice & it's close to BG. There's so many fun things to do in the city that's there's really no reason to make the drive to Orlando or Winter Haven. Feel free to ask, if you're looking for other ideas.

 

[photo_chick]

If you're going to be in Tampa, definitely go to BG. It's a great park. Plus, you wouldn't have to make the long drive. If your kids like thrill rides, they'll love BG. If they prefer animals, BG has that too. There's pretty much something for everyone.

I don't know if you have plans for your other Tampa days, but your kids would probably enjoy Game Works in Ybor City. Also, MOSI is nice & it's close to BG. There's so many fun things to do in the city that's there's really no reason to make the drive to Orlando or Winter Haven. Feel free to ask, if you're looking for other ideas.

We have a Game Works her eand it is pretty much just a really large arcade (which is great because we are a family of gamers) is the one there pretty much the same thing? We have lots of current games and bad food at ours here in Dallas. Kind of a grown up Chuck E. Cheese.

 

[tropical depression]

We have a Game Works her eand it is pretty much just a really large arcade (which is great because we are a family of gamers) is the one there pretty much the same thing? We have lots of current games and bad food at ours here in Dallas. Kind of a grown up Chuck E. Cheese.

it's the same at ours.

as far as the parks, SW and BG are great and unique. BG also has Adventure Island which is a nice waterpark that can be included with a BG admission. SW gets it's own waterpark next year.

aside from the gardens at Cypress Gardens, I wouldn't advise anyone to visit it. it's a state fair charging theme park prices, and there's no wonder it closed down.

 

[ShirleyH]

If I could only go to one of them it would have to be Busch Gardens especially with my teenagers because they love the roller coasters there.

 

[deej696]

Skip Cypress Gardens, hands down. Sea World is great, but as mentioned above not really in Tampa. BG is a great time, especially if you like roller costers. Sheikra is an AWESOME ride and worth the park admission on its own....

 

[Need An E Ticket]

We just got back from Winter Haven visiting my in-laws. Cypress Gardens was ok, my kids enjoyed it, but it pales to the others. My daughters enjoyed the chance to dress up like Southern Belles, but unless you are a local and get the annual passes, it is not really worth it.

I think the annual pass was $80 and the one day ticket was $40 (but you get an extra day if you go to guest relations).

I would do BG over SW.

Just my two coppers.

 

[Need An E Ticket]

We just got back from Winter Haven visiting my in-laws. Cypress Gardens was ok, my kids enjoyed it, but it pales to the others. My daughters enjoyed the chance to dress up like Southern Belles, but unless you are a local and get the annual passes, it is not really worth it.

I think the annual pass was $80 and the one day ticket was $40 (but you get an extra day if you go to guest relations).

I would do BG over SW.

Just my two coppers.

 

[amery]

My vote would be for Sea World for sake of the kids and overall proximity to WDW.

If oyu are not staying in Tampa than the haul to do BG would be quite the ling day although they do have some nice rides. Haven't been to CG so can't offer an opinion for that.

If you do fin yourself in Tampa though and want a REALLY nice place to eat, go to Bern's Steakhouse.

 

[clownboy007]

If I had to choose among the three I would go with Busch Gardens simply because I think it has the best mix of attractions for everyone. The animal exhibits (particularly the Myomba Reserve) are outstanding and the park is laid out so there are surprises around every corner. The food is really good and there are plenty of opportunities to go inside to get a break from the sun or rest your feet. They also have the only "diving" roller coaster in North America ("Sheikra") if you're into swallow- your-stomach thrills (the lift hill alone will scare you to death not the mention the 2 90 degree drops).

Sea World is a great park...it's one of my favorite places to go when I have a day off..but more geared toward the animal exhibits and shows. Cypress Gardens is nice but I think they're core demographic is a little older although they're adding more rides to better compete for the family dollar.

Also in Tampa, the Florida Aquarium is worth checking out and Clearwater Beach is a great place to spend an afternoon as well...watching the sun set over the Gulf of Mexico is something everyone should do at least once in their life.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

We have a Game Works her eand it is pretty much just a really large arcade (which is great because we are a family of gamers) is the one there pretty much the same thing? We have lots of current games and bad food at ours here in Dallas. Kind of a grown up Chuck E. Cheese.

That pretty much sums it up. A perfect day for a preteen/ teenager. Plus, there's not that many of them making it a bit of a novelty to most people. Ybor City in itself is a neat place to visit.

as far as the parks, SW and BG are great and unique. BG also has Adventure Island which is a nice waterpark that can be included with a BG admission. SW gets it's own waterpark next year.

I think the OP said they would be in Tampa in December. Adventure Island won't be open then. It really is a nice park though.