Busch Gardens Touring Plan?

[erinch]

We're going to Busch Gardens this summer for the first time, and I'm feeling helpless. There's no site of people who obsess about every detail there, as "we all" do on the Dis. I've read the guidebooks, but haven't found anything filled with the kind of practical advice distilled here:

which attractions in what order; quality of food in which restaurants, best tips...

any links or kind B.G'ers out there want to dive in?

TIA,
Erin

 

[VAgal76]

Which one are you going to? We were passholders for the one in Williamsburg and I could try to give more details on that park. Sorry that I can't be any help for the one in Tampa.

 

[erinch]

I'm sorry -- Tampa. We spent a couple of days at BG Williamsburg last summer, and just felt completely lost entering the park without all the DIS "pre-knowledge."

Overall, the kids kept saying "I wish we were at WDW." But my 8 yo DS LOVED the leprechaun-y guy in the wagon who did the interactions with the crowd.

 

[dixipixi]

Hi!
Although this is not a thoroughly researched and tested plan, it worked for us.

When we entered the park, we went straight to Gwazi. Our 2 teens rode while DH, DS (9), and myself walked ahead to the bird gardens. We spent some time in the gardens. Lory Landing was the favorite attraction of our 9y/o. Anyone who is not a bird fan could probably skip this, but is a beautiful area just to walk through.

We made our way toward Stanleyville. In that area, we rode the Tidal Wave, Log Flume, Congo River Rapids, and Kumba. I'm sure there was something else in this area that I'm forgetting. The Rapids were awesome! I rode Kumba once with the teens and they rode about 5 times after that...there were still no lines in this part of the park.

We ate lunch at the Stanleyville Smokehouse. I have to say it was probably the best counter service meal I've had at any theme park.

After lunch we went to Timbuktu. We saw the Haunted Lighthouse and the kids rode several of the rides in this area. There are midway type rides here. We saw the dolphin show and rode the Scorpion.

After all that, we began making our way back toward the front of the park. Along the way, we viewed the animal habitats and stopped several times for short lectures being held by park staff (they would have an animal with them and give info, etc. about that particular animal).

We rode Rhino Rally. This was the only line we stood in all day. It took about 45 minutes if I remember correctly. It was a nice ride, but not as exciting as we were led to believe. I think the younger the child, the more they would enjoy it. We did see lots of animals.

Once back at the front, DH, DS, and I did some shopping while the teens rode Montu. They give it 2 thumbs up!

That completed our day. We did not see/ride everything, but we did a lot and everyone had an enjoyable day.

We drove from Orlando and were back in our room by 5:30 pm. so I would say we accomplished an awful lot that day.

Oh, we went during the first week of June and the crowds were not bad at all.

 

[Sandyincanada]

I found this site very helpful

http://www.bgtguide.com/

We just made sure we got there for opening and grabbed a map. Went to Montu first, rode a few times and just made our way to all the big coasters after that. It was quiet in the morning and we had no problem following the map and getting around. Check out the above site, some great information on it.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

Hi,
Tampa resident & AP holder here. I was there 3 days last week. Your touring plan would obviously depend on the age of your kids. BG offers a much more laid back touring experience. You will not experience mobs of people in 1 area, or lines that seem never ending, if you plan well. Rhino Rally loads slowly, so the lines are always long. I suggest you go there 1st. It's in the back of the park. Try to be there at park opening, pick up a map & head straight back. Take the shortcut thru Myombe Reserve, it's shaded which is nice, but you have to resist the urge to stop & look at all the animals. You can do that later, when you are tired & hot. If your kids want to ride Cheetah Chase, go there next. This is another ride with a very low load capacity. Next, I suggest going to the water rides. In the heat of summer, these lines get much longer than the coaster lines. Ride the rapids, the log flumes, then Tidal Wave. TW's line is never that long, so you could skip it then return when you get dry & hot again. This may be a good time to take a break, have lunch & watch some shows. The lines for the coasters will get shorter as the evening wears on. Athough, their lines are never as long as you would see at WDW or US. If you have small kids, Land of Dragons is great!

Disclaimer: SkeiKra doesn't open until May. I have no idea how long the lines will be or how it will impact touring. I do know that it has a high load capacity, & isn't for the weak at heart. I saw it up close for the 1st time this week, & WHOA! I'm sure we'll be back, before June, so I'll let you know about the wait.

Shows: KaTonga is "not to be missed". It's an indoor show, so it's a good choice for the heat of the day. The same goes for R.L. Stine's Haunted Lighthouse. Moroccan Roll is also a fun show. I recommend you see this later in the evening. It's outdoors, but shaded. American Beat (see below).

Dining: If you don't plan on returning to BG, you may want to consider the Serengeti Dining Safari. This includes an off-road safari ride, & a 4 course meal at the Crown Colony Restaurant. This Safari is only offered with special (pay extra) tours. The price is $55.49+tax (A), & $41.58+tax (C/ ages 5-9). If not the safari, the CCR is still a good choice for a nice dinner, & the only restaurant that you can make a reservation for. Another dining option is the Desert Grill. The food is served food court style, & includes your typical theme park fare. (ribs, pasta, sandwiches, etc.) Time your meal with the American Beat show, shown on the DG stage, on a schedule. There's also plenty of BBQ, pizza, burger, & etc. options in the park. If you like beer, you can grab a lunch at the Hospitality House & partake of a free beer, or 2. Not to worry, you'll have no problem finding a pastry or ice cream either. My favorite is the waffle cone sundae, w/ vanilla soft serve, strawberries, & whipped topping.

Sorry, this has gotten so long. Hope I didn't bore you! Let me know, if you have any more questions.

 

[erinch]

Thank you so much for taking the time for such a wonderful answer.

Some questions:

We'll be renting a house in the Tarpon Springs area for a week, and getting a flex pass which includes BG, so we'll have the opportunity to return a few times.

Our DS is 17, and our DD is 9. All 3 of us like thrill rides, while DH will do tamer coasters.

1) How is the off-road safari? If you're also doing the AK safari, how does it compare?

2) Does BG offer any variation on express passes, or is it first-come, shorter wait?

3) Do the lines diminish in the evening before park closing?

4) Is there a menu for the crown colony anywhere?

5) DD wants to know if it's allowed to skim down to her bathing suit for the water rides. I want to know if frumpy moms wear ponchos on them like in Kali River Rapids

6) DD also wants to know: at BG Williamsburg she fell in love with a talking leprauchaun who had a piano wagon -- very clever (there was a guy in the back operating this puppet like thing). It was audience interaction and she could have spent the whole day in front of him. Any performers like that at BG Tampa?

7) Do you see animals all day in the preserves areas, or do they lie low in the heat of the day?

thanks so much for your time
Erin Cox-Holmes

 

[tarheelmjfan]

Hi again,
Have you ever visited Tarpon Springs? We usually take guest over there for a day of fun. If you haven't eaten there before, try to make it to Pappa's one night. The greek salad is wonderful. Many people miss the antique stores, since they're in downtown instead of at the dock. If you're into that sort of thing, they're worth a visit. Also, TS is a pretty far drive from BG. Of course, I know that drive distance can be a relative thing. My sisters who live 1 hr. from there closest mall, think nothing of a 1 to 1 1/2 hr. drive. I on the other hand, think that if I have to drive more than 15 to 20 min. that it's just not worth it. What other parks are on your pass? Now to your questions...

1) We haven't taken the safari. My family isn't really that into animals. From what I understand, it is nothing like the AK safari. For 1 thing, the guide isn't speaking from a cheesy script. This is supposed to be an up close & personal safari where you even get to touch some of the animals. More like a true African safari experience. You can also take the safari w/o the meal, but @ $29.95/person (all ages) I think the Dining Safari is a better deal. Sorry, I can't provide 1st hand knowledge.

2) The only express pass available is for Rhino Rally, & they are usually gone by 11am. There's no kiosk, just an employee sitting at a table outside the ride handing them out. A good option, if you get there at opening & want to ride it twice.

3) The lines do usually diminish quite a bit in the evening. Many rides become walk-ons. Worth noting, BG always overestimates the wait time. Sometimes by more than 30 min. Especially, in the busier part of the day.

4) A sample menu w/o prices can be found at www.buschgardens.com I'll see if I can find a better one somewhere.

5) I haven't seen anyone in just a bathing suit on the water rides, but I have seen many in their bathing suits with only a sarong covering it. This is throughout the park. Basically, the girls look like they have on a tank top & mini-skirt. They do ask that men not remove their shirts. Yes, some frumpy Mom's wear ponchos. In fact, I'm one of them. Prior to the start of the ride, I always receive a lot of harrassing, but after the ride is over, guess who gets the last laugh. I do wait until the last minute to put it on. It's too hot to wear long. On a side note, when the line to KRR splits, don't go up the stairs, even if the line on the stairs appears almost empty. Believe me, there will be people in that line & the wait is much longer. If people behind you want to go on, politely move to the far right of the line & allow them to pass.

6) I haven't seen street performers, but I've never really looked for one. BG Tampa offers a good "meet the keepers" program. The keepers are very informative. I think they offer this in lieu of street performers. BTW, I forgot to mention the "Wild Wings of Africa" show earlier. It's another fun show to see, especially since you'll be going more than 1 day.

7) Most of the preserve areas are shaded for the animals. Many of them will be up close & personal. Some, you may have to look a little harder for, but you should definitely be able to see them. You will see many more animals here than at AK.

I think that's it. Let me know, if you have any more questions.

 

[isla bonita]

Great information. Our family will also be heading to BGT and we could use all the info we can get. We own a rental home in Emerald Island and would like to know how long it will take to get there from EI? I was wondering about the fun pass for all but one family member and a gold pass for the parking and % off at the park. What does anyone think?

 

[tarheelmjfan]

Sorry, I don't know where Emerald Island is. You should be able to get driving directions at www.mapquest.com IMHO, the fun pass is the way to go, if BG is the only park you're interested in. My sister bought fun cards for her family last week & we used my pass to park free & get a discount on food & snacks. Whether or not the gold passport would be a good deal, would depend on the # of times you plan to visit, & how much shopping & eating you plan to do inside the park. If you're looking for BG tickets for this year only, you may want to purchase the silver passport. You receive the same benefits as the gold passport, but the pass is only for 1 yr. not 2, as the gold passport is. The silver passport is $50 cheaper.

 

[erinch]

Thank you for taking the time with all the info!
We live in rural western PA, so it's a drive to do anything (but have deer run into your car. That you get close and for free )

We'll be spending a total of 3 weeks in Florida, with 2 in orlando and one in a home rental in Tarpon Springs, so we'll going to get the 5 park flex ticket.

Since I doubt we'll ever get to BG at opening, sounds like we'll spend a couple of days there.

Any other suggestions of "must do" activities in the area, or where to hit best (uncrowded) beaches, gratefully appreciated. We love Greek. Kids would love to see manatees--not sure if they're in residence in late July?

 

[isla bonita]

Two places to call for Manatees.
Crystal River
James Kraus
1-352-563-2088

Blue State Park
1-386-775-3663

We have not done this yet but this is what I have for info.

 

[threeboysmom]

VAgirl - we are heading to the Busch Gardens Williamsburg this weekend. Would love to hear all your tips and touring plans and hits/misses. I hate entering a theme park without a game plan!

 

[tarheelmjfan]

Sorry, I didn't get back to you yesterday. I've been busy planning my family's vacation.

A few evenings at BG is plenty of time to see everything. They do close earlier than WDW in the summer, so be sure to check the schedule. The crowd doesn't usually start thinning that much until after 4, sometimes later. Perfect timing for spending days on the beach, & evenings at BG. You may want to make your 1st visit earlier in the week, to give you a better idea of how many visits your family will want to make.

The entire coastline from TS south has nice beaches. Some much more crowded than others. Unfortunately, I don't know of any right at TS, but they're not far away. There's several good choices. The ones to stay away from, because of the crowds are Clearwater Beach & St. Petersburg beach. Honeymoon Island is a State Park about 25 min. from TS. The beach is smaller, but not as populated. You have to pay a fee per car (about $5). For a little more money, you can take the ferry from Honeymoon Island to Caladesi Island SP. This is unspoiled Florida at it's best. It's an actual island with access only by boat or ferry. You can spend time on the beach, then take a nature hike on the island. The ferry is somewhat expensive at $8/ person for adults, but this is a unique experience to consider at least once. A less expensive option would be Ft. Desoto. You take a toll road to reach it, but the fee is nominal. Admission & parking are free. As the name suggests, there's a fort to tour. At times you can have the beach practically to yourself. My sisters & I were there the week of July 4th, & we shared the beach with 4 other people. This is about an hours drive from TS. Ft. Desoto, Caladesi Isl., & Clearwater beach are all consitently ranked in the top 10 of US beaches.

The manatees aren't in this area in the summer. They move to colder waters. If nothing else, you will see them at SW. Maybe someone else will have more ideas on how you can see them in the wild.

One other thought... If you don't have a MLB team in your area, you may want to catch a game at the Devil Rays ballpark. The stadium is a dome, so no sweltering heat. It's a comfortable 72 degrees at all times.

Did I miss anything? Let me know, if you have more questions.

 

[kellymonaghan]

Here are two BGT touring plans:

For ride fans

For the more sedate

Hope this helps.

 

[shystalips]

Anybody have a busch gardens Williamsburg touring plan? Don't know where to start once we enter the park.