Help me decide if we should go to Busch Gardens

[Disneyfriend]

We're tentatively planning on visiting Busch Gardens Africa during our upcoming 2-week stay this fall. This will be our third trip to WDW, and the first time we're venturing off of WDW property! (We've done both Sea World and Universal in California, however.)

My DD-14 visited Busch Gardens Williamsburg last year and fell in love with it. Partly for this reason, and partly because I thought it would be fun to do something different, we're thinking about spending one weekday at Busch Gardens Africa. It would be a weekday in late October.

I'm starting to second guess my decision, however, mainly because I'm not sure if it will end up being a very long/stressful day due to the driving. We will have a rental car and are staying on WDW property. How long will it likely take us to drive to/from Busch Gardens, each way - assuming average traffic conditions on a weekday in late October?

We have an unusual age range in our family: 2 teens (17 and 14) and 2 toddlers (36 months and 15 months at time of travel).

Oh, and cost isn't really an issue because we are active duty military and will get complimentary tickets from Busch Gardens.

I'm more hesitating because we will either spend the day at Busch Gardens or will split the day between DHS and AK, giving us an extra half day in each park. I'd love to give Busch Gardens a try, but I would also love to split the extra day between DHS and AK, making our full days at each park more relaxing. No real way to do both - we already have a couple break days scheduled, a full day backstage tour, etc.

Given our family - what do you think? Should we go to Busch Gardens this trip?

Thanks in advance!

 

[mama03]

I live right next to Tampa and have gone to Busch Gardens many times with my kids. As a matter of fact my youngest son is about to go to Day camp there for one week. I say go for it. Go to the website and take a look at the map. Let your teenagers wander off on their own for a bit and you can take the little ones to a very special kids area that is at busch gardens. October will not be crowded either, especially on a weekday. One thing I would check is whether or not that particular night will be a halloween night at BG. If it is the park will close a little earlier. Your teens will love all the roller coasters and your little ones will like the kids area and all the animals. The drive will be about 1 1/2 hours depending on traffic. It is really a straight shot from I-4. Again, go to the website and see what you think.

 

[bucsfan1029]

Since its a weekday, the traffic will be a little heavier. However, it's still only 70 miles so I'd say 60 - 90 minutes. I live past Busch Gardens and can get to Disney in less than an hour when traffic is ideal.

Busch Gardens really is an awesome theme park. In my opinion, they have the best roller coasters in the state and their zoo offers many more opportunities to view the animals up close. The crowds will be pretty small at that time of the year so you should have very few lines. If it were me, I would make it a point to get to BG.

 

[DOOM1001]

Go to Busch Gardens!!!The drive is easy,unless traffic stops it's an hour drive.It has some of the best coasters out there and is a beautiful park.It's not in an ideal location like the Busch Gardens in Williamsburg with it's hilly and heavily wooded area,but that's the reason the Virginia park has been voted the most beautiful park for like a decade,it really is!!The Tampa park is in the city but once you get in the park you don't even notice how close you are to the streets with all the beautiful gardens and themed areas.The Tampa park also has a lot more attractions with animals than the Virginia park.Especially with complimentary tickets and teens who will love the coasters,I don't see how you shouldn't do Busch!

 

[CCNL]

Hi!

Our family really enjoy the Busch Parks, especially now that my sons are starting to enjoy the roller coasters.

Busch Gardens Africa, in my opinion, is a much superior version of Animal Kingdom. There are 4 world class coasters, you can get really close to the animals and the landscape is beautiful. All my kids agree that Rhino Rally is much better than Kilimanjaro Safari.

They have paid packages that can let you get REALLY close to the animals. I would check their website for details.

As your worry for driving there, I recently discovered that there is a Busch Garden express from Orlando for $5/person. I have not tried it, but sounds like a good deal. I am not allowed to post a link since I am new, if you google Busch Gardens Shuttle Express you will find the website. As I said, I have not experience this shuttle first hand, please do your research.

 

[kellymonaghan]

If you're on WDW property, you have a sort of head start getting to Tampa. Shouldn't take much more than an hour.

And Busch Gardens Africa is a wonderful park. The new Jungala section with its tiger and orang habitats is spectacular. And the roller coasters are like nothing you'll find in Orlando.

Don't miss the KaTonga show! The best in central Florida, IMHO.

 

[Daysleeper40]

Definately go - we had an amazing day and it was well worth it!

We didn't drive (took a coach from SW) but everyone seems to think the drive is easy enough and you probably wouldn't hesitate to drive 1 hour to get to an attraction near your hometown... it's no different really.

 

[claytonj20]

Disneyfriend,
We go to BG every time we head to WDW. The park is great and the drive although it is something like 70 miles is a straight shot and is well marked. We have gone on 3 different days in the middle of the week and never got stuck in traffic.

We usually go for 2 weeks as well and find that using Seaworld and Busch Gardens in the middle of each week breaks up the trip pretty well and is a refreshing change of pace from WDW and Universal.

The only issue we ever had was the trip we took with our 18 Month old which we didnt feel there was alot of things for her to do. The funny part of that was that my wife and I were alot more worried about that than she was as she had a great time...and liked the animals alot.