Rhino Rally Safari Ride - BG Tampa

[busy mom]

Can someone tell me what this is and is it included in the cost of admission? Would you recommend?

Thanks!

 

[gardener14]

Rhino Rally is a theme park attraction at Busch Gardens Africa, and it's included with admission like any regular ride or show. It is an off-road safari adventure similar to Kilamanjaro Safaris at Animal Kingdom, but Rhino Rally is smaller in scale. The driver also acts as a guide, and the experience varies greatly depending upon the driver's ability to entertain riders. I've ridden four times, and once the driver was hilarious, another was great but much more serious in tone, another was terribly boring, and another was a happy medium of all those. You will pass by elephants, cape buffalo, some sort of small deer, flamingos, rhinos, crocodiles, etc. The animal portion of the ride is much smaller than the one at Animal Kingdom, but I felt more up close with some of the animals.

The second half of Rhino Rally is what makes the ride stand out, entertain, and surprise in my opinion. The vehicle stalls out on a pontoon bridge, then a rush of water washes out the bridge and the vehicle goes floating down a river, narrowly missing a waterfall. The traveling pontoon bridge stops when it hits another washed out and fallen bridge down the river and the driver finally gets the vehicle restarted and can drive off.

If one strictly compares Rhino Rally to Kilamanjaro Safaris, then Rhino Rally will always come up short in many people's opinion because it's smaller in scale, shorter in duration, and exhibits less animals, but I enjoyed it immensely for what it is, and the water ride aspect made it unique.

Busch Gardens Africa also offers Safari Tours on their Serenghetti Plain for an additional fee of about $30. In this upcharge experience visitors are taken by a large truck out into the plain to feed and interact with animals on a grander scale. I believe this experience lasts about 30 minutes.

 

[wwessing]

Also, just a tip. . . long lines form early for this ride. . . so if you are going to try it out, head for it first thing.

 

[richsilver]

If you go in the winter don't get stuck in the far right last row.In the summer,by all means.

I think it's a fun little ride.


rich

 

[DOOM1001]

I'll take Rhino rally over Kilimanjaro safaris at Animal Kingdom any day!!!At RR the drivers are free to include their jokes which is better than the same spiel all drivers have at KS.Although smaller animals are definitely closer to the vehicles.The river water section is a lot more fun than any of the whole poacher or "little red" ending at KS.For me neither of these rides is a must-do since I visit the parks often,I'll do them every once in a while,but I definitely prefer RR.

 

[figment1986]

Also, just a tip. . . long lines form early for this ride. . . so if you are going to try it out, head for it first thing.

actually... depending on when you go, long lines form then dissipate. Also, the lines do not really form early for this anymore and but remain constant. It would depend when you go to Busch Gardens...

 

[wwessing]

actually... depending on when you go, long lines form then dissipate. Also, the lines do not really form early for this anymore and but remain constant. It would depend when you go to Busch Gardens...

Good to know. . . it's the first thing on our itinerary. It's been a bit of time since we've been, so that would be a big change. Perhaps time for a second ride in the afternoon then. Family basically goes for the animal experience since we are not coaster fans and, imho the water rides are pretty standard, but we do enjoy rhino rally since we don't get that experience anywhere else (yes, I know there is something similar at disney. . .but we don't go there).

 

[gardener14]

I've read elsewhere that the water portion too frequently breaks down, and that it's more likely to be working earlier in the day. Can anyone else confirm or comment on this? Is it really a problematic issue, or was someone exaggerating?

 

[wwessing]

I've read the same thing, which is another reason this ride is the first thing we are headed for. Hopefully we will avoid lines and breakdowns.

I don't know if it's truth or not. . . but I know I've read it and more than once.

 

[figment1986]

I've read elsewhere that the water portion too frequently breaks down, and that it's more likely to be working earlier in the day. Can anyone else confirm or comment on this? Is it really a problematic issue, or was someone exaggerating?

i think the water portion is more reliable than it used to be in 2001... but it still breaks down randomly and can be down at any given time.

If i remember correctly the attraction is currently closed for referb so it might work better over the spring and early summer.

 

[Dizneydaz]

We did RR in Sept, last year. Probably about 2-3 in the afternoon. We waited about, I'd say, 20-25 min. It was a fun ride, the water portion worked fine. Earlier in the day we thought they charged extra to do it, so we skipped it, then we decided to really check it out before we left. If I had known it was not an extra fee, I would have done it earlier in the day, and possibly later as well.

 

[englishteacha]

We rode in August. In the morning, the water part of the ride wasn't working, and we were really disappointed, but we rode anyway. It was OK, but nothing to write home about. We happened to walk by again in the afternoon, and the water part was working, so we rode again. When the water section is working, it's really an incredible experience.

 

[ChrisFL]

I rode this again on Friday, had not been on it before that in a few years and in-between have been on Kilamanjaro Safari at AK to compare it to.

As was said, it is smaller, and the quality of the guide can make or break the experience (at either park). The jokes that I heard were corny, like Jungle Cruise corny...and KS seems more serious (even though they keep toning down the drama of the story).

The waterfall and ride down the river really take this ride up a notch from KS IMO.

I think with some more effort, Busch could put a better script in place and make it more of a story a bit.

I think BG does this experience almost as well as AK and BG is still my favorite between the two parks for many reasons.