DAY 30: Tuesday, July 31st, 2012
Road Trip Review # 34: Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay’s website:
Busch Gardens Tampa Theme Park | Florida Attractions, Animals & Thrills
Zoo Map:
Park Map | Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is an AZA-accredited facility located in Tampa, Florida, and it opened in 1959. The annual attendance was 4.3 million in 2011 and there are 335 acres in total. There are approximately 2,500 animals and it is one of the most popular theme parks on the planet. Busch Gardens really is an experience and a half as there are about 10 different shows each day, close to 10 places to eat, mini gift shops seemingly around every corner, bakeries, sweet shops with edible goodies, more than 20 rides and 5 enormous, world-famous rollercoasters. Somewhere tucked in amongst all of that is a zoo with around 2,500 animals from mainly Africa and Asia. The same company that owns the trio of SeaWorlds also owns and operates Busch Gardens and all visitors should expect the same environment that is found at a SeaWorld except this time around the animals are not all aquatic.
The park has 10 different themed areas: Nairobi, Egypt, Morocco, Timbuktu, Congo, Stanleyville, Bird Gardens, Cheetah Hunt, Sesame Street Safari of Fun and Jungala. The last 3 areas that I listed have all been added since 2008, or else remodeled and renamed from what was once there. There is a tremendous amount of detail in the theming of each zone on a level that would make Disney proud, and Timbuktu, Egypt and Morocco in particular have signs, décor on buildings, artifacts and employees dressed in costumes that evoke stereotypical images of those places. Some visitors probably love that idea and would gladly move to Tampa and purchase an annual membership, while others might think that it is tacky and head for the nearest rollercoaster. I was personally there for the animals and if I lived in Tampa I would most definitely buy a membership to the rock-solid Lowry Park Zoo and then probably once a year visit Busch Gardens for the overall experience. Perhaps it could be a special occasion that prompts a visit, although saying that the yearly memberships are not that much more than a daily visit so maybe I’d fork over the cash anyway!
We had an AWESOME day and we spent a whopping 9.5 hours at the zoo which is an incredible amount of time for two very young kids. My wife and I have zero desire to venture onto rollercoasters and yet we walked all day long and took the Serengeti Express train, some kiddie rides, and spent a solid 2 hours just in the Sesame Street Safari of Fun adventure zone. The admission cost including taxes is $91 per adult and since kids 2 and under are free it should have cost my wife and I $182 in entrance fees. Due to each of us having an AZA membership for 2012 we got in for free! Naturally parking cost $14 and zero outside food is allowed in so lunch and a souvenir cup was about $35, but once inside the park all rides and shows are free with no extra charge. Still, $91 for a single adult is an outrageous amount of money and so we were thrilled that yet again we had a free entrance due to our AZA cards.
The day only had one blemish and that was when the daily thunderstorm (which has been occurring all week long) hit in the afternoon and for about 45 minutes every single ride was shut down and most of the park was closed due to torrential rain and flickers of lightning. It has been a daily occurrence for the entire week that we have been in Florida but we stayed dry and waited it out and to our relief the rain-shower ended and we plunged back into the heat. Busch Gardens is well worth visiting because there are some amazing rides and detailed, naturalistic animal exhibits, but overall I’d rank it somewhere around the #45 position for American zoos simply because there aren’t really many habitats and the establishment is primarily a theme park with the animals as a side attraction.
THE BEST:
Myombe Reserve – This 3-acre zone opened in 1992 and has two great ape habitats. Gorillas and chimpanzees have lush, natural-looking exhibits that I toured twice on my visit. The park is well aware that it receives over 4 million visitors each year and the glass viewing windows are enormous and stretch along both enclosures. There are crashing waterfalls, lush grassy areas, tiered landscaping and there is no doubt that these great ape habitats are some of the very best of their kind as they are borderline brilliant. I could quibble about a few things (tuned-in music through speakers, doors visible in the background of the gorilla habitat) but in truth these exhibits are spectacular. I saw at least 5 gorillas on each of my visits and they were all active and appeared to be almost in a wild habitat, while the chimpanzees were much more elusive as I saw the single specimen the first time around and only a trio on my second tour.
Edge of Africa – This area opened in 1997 and features an amazing pair of underwater viewing areas for Nile hippos and Nile crocodiles. Thousands of cichlid fish congregate in both pools and seeing such legendary creatures underwater is always an exciting experience. A ring-tailed/red-fronted lemur exhibit is next door and it is actually possible to see the lemurs from the hippo pool viewing area. Down the trail a wonderful lion habitat has huge viewing windows and two safari vehicles (one for keepers and one for kids) that are placed half-in the exhibit. The design is integral to the success of the enclosure as the backdrop falls away to reveal nothing but a seemingly endless plain of grass. A trio of spotted hyenas is next door in a similar yet smaller habitat, but in truth the animals rotate and so essentially the two species share the exhibits.
Edge of Africa winds further along with several great views of the 65- acre, mixed-species Serengeti Plain, as well as much smaller enclosures for meerkats, African white-backed vultures and a large bird exhibit for these 11 species: ostrich, African crowned crane, marabou stork, white pelican, brown pelican, pink-backed pelican, Egyptian goose, vulturine guineafowl, helmeted guineafowl, sacred ibis and Abdim’s stork. Some of those birds have access to the vast savanna habitat. Everything in Edge of Africa is stupendous but there simply is not enough of it and only having 8 exhibits means that before one has time to really become immersed in the landscape the safari is already over.
Sesame Street Safari of Fun – This area opened in 2010 (replacing Land of the Dragons and in the process adding many new attractions) and it is brilliant for small kids. There are only a couple of bird exhibits as it is essentially a 2 acre play zone for children. We watched a Sesame Street show featuring the iconic characters that many of us have grown up watching; and my daughter was over the moon while meeting some of them. There are two waterparks, lots of kiddie rides, a huge play area that is accessed via stairs but then has many aerial walkways made of ropes, and a multitude of other items for the delight of various ages. Of the 9.5 hours we spent at Busch Gardens at least 2 full hours was in this section of the theme park.
THE AVERAGE:
Jungala – This is an Asian-themed, 4-acre attraction that opened in 2008. It has a terrific rope-themed children’s zone called Treetop Trails, a zipline, gibbons and the usual assortment of gift shops, vendors and cafes. A large orangutan exhibit fails on many levels (as enclosures for those apes almost always do) because there is far too much ground cover with little way for the apes to brachiate; a few ropes that are strewn across manicured, mown lawns; some high towers that reach 3 stories in height but if one of the red apes decides to venture upwards then they go out of the public view and cannot be seen other than a few tufts of hair. An innovative glass viewing area set in the floor and directly over an orangutan in a hammock resulted in innumerable visitors jumping in excitement on the glass and probably annoying the heck out of the ape. The design team should have made it possible for visitors to see the apes on their high platforms as at least 3 of the orangs were up high and I only saw them when it rained and they all came down in a mad rush.
Two tiger habitats are the biggest and most popular part of Jungala, and they do not disappoint. There are loads of signs but not one detailing the species so I will guess that they are generic “zoo” tigers, and the neatly-clipped grass and small land area will not find favour with many zoo nerds; plus there are mutant white tigers prowling around…BUT the presence of 5 tigers (3 orange and 2 white) in two separate habitats is fodder enough for clicking cameras. Then there is the added bonus of a pop-up bubble in one enclosure that had a lineup of over 20 people waiting for the opportunity to stick their head near a big cat. The crashing waterfalls are spectacular, the bridge through the larger exhibit is excellent, the air-conditioned indoor viewing zone is a relief from Florida’s humidity, the vast viewing windows are brilliantly shaded from the sunshine, the overhead glass tunnel is a neat trick that was seemingly copied from Omaha’s gorilla tunnel as it is near-identical, there is a huge pool for the tigers to splash around in, underwater viewing is stupendous, and overall this is a successful pair of habitats that would be even better if the zoo let the grass grow a little and allow the enclosures to have the gloss worn off.
Jambo Junction – This is an area where the animal ambassadors live, and the creatures here are taken around the zoo or visit local schools to greet children in a different environment. There is a large building that visitors walk around and glass windows allow the public to look in on small holding areas for many species. A series of outdoor exhibits surround the area and I was surprised to see an active cuscus in front of me as well as two juvenile emus crashing around backstage as a man attempted to (unsuccessfully) control them.
Species list for Jambo Junction includes these 24 species: ground cuscus, serval, coati, red ruffed lemur (two exhibits), greater bushbaby, aardvark, two-toed sloth, three-banded armadillo, Flemish rabbit, rock hyrax, fennec fox, opossum, red river hog, Chilean flamingo, Caribbean flamingo, crested screamer, emu, white-necked raven, southern ground hornbill, African crowned crane, Swainson’s toucan, American alligator (juvenile), Burmese python and Halloween crabs. There are also some terrariums off to the side with these 25 species: Javan humphead lizard, green-and-black poison dart frog, dyeing dart frog, hourglass treefrog, Amazon milk frog, Panamanian golden frog, Madagascar mantella, South American horned frog, red-eyed treefrog, smokey jungle frog, Kweichow crocodile newt, southern toad, Puerto Rican crested toad, Oustalet’s chameleon, tentacled snake, basilisk lizard, eyelash viper, caiman lizard, Florida cottonmouth, coral snake, scarlet kingsnake, canebrake rattlesnake, Mojave rattlesnake, pygmy rattlesnake and eastern diamondback rattlesnake.
Curiosity Caverns – There is an Asian small-clawed otter exhibit that has underwater viewing, an American alligator/alligator snapping turtle pool also with underwater viewing, a bald eagle enclosure and a carnivorous plant exhibit all outside before visitors walk down a steep, slippery slope into a cave that seemingly goes deep underground. It is a cool idea but the floor is quite wet and uneven and I’m surprised that no one wiped out as they went into the tunnel. Exhibits are lined against both walls and here is the list of the 13 species: cotton-top tamarin, mongoose lemur, lesser bushbaby, greater bushbaby, two-toed sloth, leaf-nosed fruit bat, gila monster, pixie frog, Honduran milk snake, California kingsnake, ratsnake, reticulated python and anaconda.
Cheetah Run – This is a brand-new exhibit (replacing the Clydesdale horse stables) that is manicured to perfection and with a long sandy running track down the center of it for presentations. I actually saw a trio of cheetahs chase each other all around their enclosure and it was terrifically entertaining but the exhibit is very open to the elements and much more barren than it perhaps should be.
Bird Gardens – This is actually the original part of the park that opened in 1959, and there is a scenic flamingo pool and a series of lush bird exhibits in a row across from the walk-through Walkabout Way (wallaby exhibit). Some macaws can be seen perched on sticks, two small lagoons are nearby and there is a Critter Castaways show that has dogs and other animals besides birds in the cast. To be honest this area is fairly boring and lackluster with many common bird species that I’ve seen on a daily basis during this road trip.
Rides – There are more than 20 rides in total, including 8 roller coasters and 3 water rides. The 5 monstrous rides that all had enormous waiting lines are: Cheetah Hunt, Gwazi, Montu, Kumba and SheiKra. There are also 3 water-based rides that look like prime locations to get drenched, and many other smaller rides scattered across the park. My wife and I have zero desire to go on any rollercoasters or any other major rides and so we just strolled past them all thankful that we did not pay full admission of $91 each for our entrance fees. We went on some kiddie rides with my daughter and the Serengeti Express (see review below) but that was it for rides for us.
THE WORST:
Serengeti Plain – This 65-acre savanna opened in 1965 and other than a few birds (ostrich, crowned crane, guineafowl, marabou stork) the main attractions are the reticulated giraffes, addax, wildebeest, eland, impala, Grevy’s zebras and white rhinos. The Serengeti Express, a replica steam train, goes around past 3 stations and in truth it is a colossal waste of time. An entire round-trip journey stalls at each station for several minutes while passengers jump on or disembark, and essentially it is simply a way of getting around the zoo. There is a lot of buzz for visitors to take the train to see the massive African savanna, but I timed it with my wristwatch and the entire time I was on the train was almost exactly 40 minutes, including all stops. During those 40 minutes there was 7 minutes spent watching animals and 33 minutes seeing cement or wooden walls, the backside of a covered exhibit complex, the bottom-third of a rollercoaster or another train station. Other than passing a small herd of sable antelope in a chain-link fenced, off-exhibit yard there are no animals of note other than the first and last sections of the tour.
The once lauded tour is now almost 50 years old and as the train shudders to a halt and slowly creaks around the bends on the track it is obvious that it is struggling to compete with the majestic Kilimanjaro Safaris at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Busch Gardens has a train where passengers spend 18% of their time looking at the 65-acre Serengeti Plain (going past animals without getting long looks at them) and 82% of their time looking at paint dry. As soon as we stepped off the train at the conclusion of our journey the first thing that my wife said was: “well, we sure wasted 40 minutes of our lives when we could have been walking around actually looking at animals”. For those of you who enjoy this train journey why not glance at your watch the next time you ride it and see how often you actually see anything resembling an African animal. If I had to rank my top 500 exhibit complexes in American zoos the Serengeti Plain would not even be considered for the list. What views there are from the train are terrible, as at one section I pointed out that it was possible to see all 5 of the colossal rollercoasters at the same time. That totally destroys any concept of being anywhere in Africa, unless the Kalahari or Masai bushmen are currently installing massive coasters for safari tourists as I type this review.
Asian Elephant Exhibit – The paddock for at least 5 elephants is 1.5 acres in size but that is not nearly large enough in comparison to the multi-acre habitats that have sprouted up in the past decade in American zoos. I could not see a pool of any kind (unless the water was drained) and there was a long hose spraying water into the paddock but that was scarcely enough for 5 massive pachyderms. The exhibit is long and narrow but fairly barren and with a dangerous moat that separates humans from elephants. More than one elephant has fallen into a moat and been seriously injured over the years although I’ve never heard of a case at Busch Gardens. On my visit there were 8 speakers blasting music directly next to the moat, and this enclosure is bizarrely located and in dire need of placement elsewhere in the park.
Noise – The earth-shifting crowds pour into Busch Gardens by the thousands like ants to a sticky piece of honey, but it was a little unsettling to sit back and take in the overwhelming noise of the park. Near the Asian elephant yard there was a series of 8 speakers mounted onto poles blaring music so loud that when a woman asked me to move the stroller I had to get her to repeat herself 3 times as I couldn’t even read her lips. I wonder what the 5 elephants think. The Thomson’s gazelle paddock has 6 speakers mounted on poles and I heard Van Halen, Bon Jovi and African tribal music pounding out of those suckers. Plus the Cheetah Hunt rollercoaster goes almost directly overhead and it emits a rumbling sound and the noise of screaming humans approximately once every 30 seconds and I would not be surprised to learn that the gazelles have all gone deaf. Jungle sounds is piped in from several locations, Jennifer Lopez and Beyonce are also on the soundtrack, and the sheer volume is insane. The gorillas and chimps had some quiet areas but even then there are mounted video screens playing documentaries and all I wanted at times was 5 minutes of peace and quiet and I could not find it anywhere.
OVERALL:
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is a terrific place to spend a day as a family and it is an experience and a half to spend 9.5 hours at the park and still not ride any major rollercoaster or go on any water-soaking journey. My wife and daughter spent half an hour watching the indoor show “Iceploration” (which Debbie gave an A+) while I saw some of the exhibits a second time around with my slumbering son. If an individual has already been to Disney’s Animal Kingdom or SeaWorld then they will know to expect crowds, chaos, noise, some fantastic animal exhibits that are awe-inspiring, and a lot of clutter amongst the grunting, sweating, eating herds of humans. A traditional zoo fan such as me acknowledges the handful of brilliant habitats but much prefers a true zoo rather than a theme park mish-mash. The Serengeti Plain is one massive habitat; Edge of Africa has 8 exhibits; Myombe Reserve has 2 animal enclosures; Jungala has a handful; the elephants are another enclosure; and the cheetahs make it perhaps 16 major animal exhibits. There are lots of little ones in Jambo Junction, Curiosity Caverns and Bird Gardens but each of those zones can be seen in about 20 minutes. If one were to only see the animal attractions then it might be difficult to spend more than 3.5 hours at Busch Gardens, but of course if one is a fan of rides then it is possible to buy passes for multiple days as it is 335 acres of endless thrills and spills. Just as with my 2008 visit to Disney’s Animal Kingdom I’m not sure when and if I’ll be back to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, but it was still worthwhile as a one-time visit.
Seriously though, Rhino Rally is easy to view as the jeeps pass by the main pathway on numerous occasions and it would have been just one more ride that would infuriate me as it would have gone by the animals far too fast. Plus I'd heard that these days the viewing of animals can be quite limited. That is a problem with the huge savanna (even though I did see cape buffalo from a distance) because the giraffes and other hoofstock have an enormous 65-acre enclosure that has very poor viewing. You either look at it and strain to see anything from the visitor walkway or you have to take the train and spend 80% of the time NOT looking at animals. 
), then I am agree with you ANyhuis. SOFT Theme-setting music is okay, but loud rock music belongs (if ever) to the ride waiting areas.
