Busch Gardens veterans - some questions

[LetsDoDisney!]

There's no forum for BG so figured I'd try here?

We are going for the first time the last week of April. Me, DH and DS3.

Do we need a touring plan like you would with Disney parks? We won't be doing any coasters, just the animals and kiddie rides etc.

Also can you suggest any tips, tricks and great places to eat?

Thanks!

 

[figment1986]

if your just going animals.. you may want to head for jungala first, then make your way through timbuctu to rhino rally... ignore the jungle cruise style jokes... and you will see "some" animals close up. Make your way to the rain station and go around the serengetti, eventually ending up at any of the trainstations to get off for lunch...

They have a BBQ place in stanlyville, a italian / german menu in Timbuctu, a sandwitch stye place on crown colony level 2, and a sit down resturant on the 3rd leel of crown colony... if you want burgers then there is zagora cafe in morocco at the front pf the park.

Be sure to see Katonga in morocco, it is a broadway style show telling some tales from Africa... and well produced.

Timbuctu has a "few" kiddy rides stashed in the back side next to the phenix, depending on your sons height he might be able to ride the Jungala flyers, or the tower there.. I forget the name, sorry.

the main land for children is Land of the Dragons located off a mianpath inbetween Bird Gardens and Stanlyville, Lori landings in near by where you can intereact with the birds.

one last area is the Edge of Africa, a walking tour of sorts near Egypt (in the area formerly known as Crown Colony on the maps) They also have the clydesdale horses on display... for a birds eye view of the serengetti there is the skyride that has stations in Stanlyville and Crown Colony / Egypt.

Hope that was the kind of information you were looking for.

 

[RabFlmom]

There's no forum for BG so figured I'd try here?

We are going for the first time the last week of April. Me, DH and DS3.

Do we need a touring plan like you would with Disney parks? We won't be doing any coasters, just the animals and kiddie rides etc.

Also can you suggest any tips, tricks and great places to eat?

Thanks!

I don't do the coasters any more either. We tend to head to the right when we go in the park and hit Rhino Rally first before the long lines.
Then we go back and do the Myombe Reserve to see the chimps and gorillas. We usually spend a lot of time there because in the morning the chimps are usually more active and are fun to watch. often they will come to the windows to see who is watching them and often pick a child to interact with.
In Jungala there is the kids playground and great viewing of the tigers! Go inside the pavillians because there are various ways to see them from them.

After those 3 things we are usually ready for lunch-especially in the summer( we drive over from the East coast so eat breakfast early before the 3 hour drive to Tampa. ) We head to Crown Colony and always eat on the 3rd level and ask for a window table to watch the giraffes etc. while we eat. If it is cool there is an outside deck and that is a cool place to eat if you get the Serengeti side of the deck so you have a good view. After lunch we walk the trail through the Serengeti Plain. it is a good way to relax and is a wonderful experience every time. Take the time to sit in the trucks(usually a lion is in the bed) Watch the lions from the windows and if they are active you might actually see them watching the hyenas through the windows, too and see them hunt. LOL of course they can't get to them. From there we head to the back of the park, stopping wherever there are animals. We pretty much walk the circle of the park taking in all the areas. Sometimes we will do the train ride through the Serengeti and do the whole round trip.
Best advice is to just get a map and figure out what you want to see. You don't have to rush from section to section of the park like coaster riders will do to get to the coasters. It is a huge park with lots of walking. Take your time to enjoy everything. It is by far our favorite park in all of Florida.
Do go to all the shows. Even the Cast off critter show is good( sort of an outdoor version of Pets Ahoy from Sea World) and if you like old rock and roll and the dances get to Rock a do wop, too. Kotonga is my favorite show. and Burn the Floor dance show is also good.

 

[disneyohbear]

This is our first visit and some of our group will want to do the coasters along with seeing the animals. We have one day planned but could potentially do 2 days if needed. Any suggestions on how to plan?

Ages will be 13, 8, 7 and 3 adults.

 

[RabFlmom]

This is our first visit and some of our group will want to do the coasters along with seeing the animals. We have one day planned but could potentially do 2 days if needed. Any suggestions on how to plan?

Ages will be 13, 8, 7 and 3 adults.

We sometimes split and meet up for lunch and some things togther, but sometimes if I am there with just my sons who do the coasters we stay together and I wait while they ride the coasters( usually in the single line to gget on faster). while they are on the coaster I tell them which shop I will be in or just sit and wait.
They don't do the shows but I get to do all the animal watching and the rides I do ride.

It is hard to do all the shows, animals, and coasters in one day and see everything, so just do what you want and enjoy the day. During the summer they are open until 10 I think so you get lots of extra time and can do almost everything by the time the parks close.

 

[LetsDoDisney!]

Wow, thanks for the replies! I am subscribed to this thread but never got any notices that someone answered me, like I get with the other threads I'm subscribed too!

Anyway, we are anxiously awaiting our BG day, and will take everything you've said and figure out a great day I'm sure!

Have any of you ever used the dining wristband they have? If I'm reading it correctly it's not able to be used at Crown Colony, just Crown Colony Pizza correct? I assume that's a different floor or different building altogether than what you all are talking about.

 

[LetsDoDisney!]

Also - can someone tell me more about Rhino Rally? Is it a safari type thing, or a ride? Will we all be able to do it - DS is 3.

 

[earthfaries]

We Always get the dining wristband. You can use it at pretty much any counter service in the park. There is so much to choose from! You can start by using it to have breakfast right inside the park and throughout the day, even if you're not hungry, you can use it just to get fresh fruit and water.

Rhino Rally is a wonderful attraction ~ I enjoy it much more than AK's safari.

Your kids will love it. It's a ride in a safari car with some fun twists...

Your child will be able to do it too ~ it's a safari ride

Have fun ~ BG is really an amazing place!

 

[RabFlmom]

Wow, thanks for the replies! I am subscribed to this thread but never got any notices that someone answered me, like I get with the other threads I'm subscribed too!

Anyway, we are anxiously awaiting our BG day, and will take everything you've said and figure out a great day I'm sure!

Have any of you ever used the dining wristband they have? If I'm reading it correctly it's not able to be used at Crown Colony, just Crown Colony Pizza correct? I assume that's a different floor or different building altogether than what you all are talking about.

Same building different floor but it has a patio to sit on too. Rarely see people out there eating though so view might not be very good. Crown colony 3rd floor is a sit down with an option for family style chicken meal and a pretty good assortment of other meals on the menu. We like the break and the feel of elegance you get even while wearing your shorts and tank tops<g>

 

[caribear]

RabFlmom - Not sure if you remember my post, but I had gone to Busch Gardens and had a bad experience....you suggested giving it another try with our FunPasses. Well, I am happy to say that our 2nd and 3rd times at the park were much better than the 1st. According to the customer relations department we had gone during a Latin Festival......so there were some other things going on that were not the norm for the park. Apparently this contributed to some of the problems we had that day.

I do have a question though...where are the tigers in the trucks??? Is this during the tours that you pay extra for? We did see the trucks that the kids climbed in near the Hyenas.....


Letsdodisney - You can go online and see a map of the park to help plan your day. You can also view the menus for the different restaurants. I will say that I think Busch Gardens counter service is better than Disneys. The Zambia Smokehouse in Stanlyville has some very good food. We also enjoyed the Desert Grill in Timbuctu. The Crown Colony Cafe had pizza, club sandwich, roast beef sandwhich...and another item or two. If you will be there all day then the All Day Dinning is a good deal. Adults are $29.95...and you can literally eat whenever you want...even if you just go through the line and grab some grapes and a drink. Not all places accept the dinning deal, but most of the bigger counter service restaurants do.

Not sure how tall your 3 year old is, but they are very strict on the height requirements. My DD (6) was just a hairs breath away from being able to ride a little coaster - Cheetah Chase - but was turned away. She is looking forward to growing a tad bit so she can ride it before the year is out. The height requirements can also be found on the website....this way you can avoid those that your son may get upset over not being able to ride.

My kids like riding the railway to see the animals. My DD likes the skybuckets (nice view of the animals too). The have some kiddie rides in Timbuctu - airplanes and motorcycles were my kids favorites. Bring a bathing suit/water shoes/towel for your DS as he will enjoy cooling off in the water area in Jungala. We keep missing seeing the Clydsdales....so check the back of the map for "showtimes." DD also enjoyed the bumper cars.

Menus
http://www.buschgardens.com/bgt2/Explore/Restaurants.aspx

Once you go to the menus you can go to the top of the page where it says "Explore..." and see the map of the park, rides (height restrictions), ect....

 

[RabFlmom]

Not sure if you remember my post, but I had gone to Busch Gardens and had a bad experience....you suggested giving it another try with our FunPasses. Well, I am happy to say that our 2nd and 3rd times at the park were much better than the 1st. According to the customer relations department we had gone during a Latin Festival......so there were some other things going on that were not the norm for the park. Apparently this contributed to some of the problems we had that day.

I do have a question though...where are the tigers in the trucks??? Is this during the tours that you pay extra for? We did see the trucks that the kids climbed in near the Hyenas.....>>>>>>>

OOps if I said tigers in the truck, I was thinking lions because the tigers are way over In Jungala area of the park. Almost every time I have been in the park there has been a lion sleeping in the bed of the truck some time during the day.

Glad you had a better time at the park when you went back. Have you eaten at the Crown Colony House yet? We have even opted to eat there on Christmas Day a couple times with family, knowing my son and I both worked retail and only had Christmas Day off and didn't want to spend the day slaving in the kitchen. I love that restaurant-especially when they have the piano music.

I have never gone to SW or BG during the Latin Festival figuring the crowds would be quite large. We do go for the Bud & BBQ though at least 2 or 3 times a year. Definitely makes the passes worth while.

 

[pktbMouse]

We have an 11month old...do they do a kind of switch off/rider swap thingy? We would love to ride the rhino rally with our 6yr old but cant take the baby on. What would you suggest? thanks