It was decorated in that theme and they had a festival type parade with the Mardi Gras characters. The theme they had while we were there was Mardi Gras. The souvenir photos are expensive-we opted out, but you could take your own photo with your camera for free. They let you know that as you’re coming In the park. They had two rides that were down for maintenance, which sucks but is understandable. The other exhibits for the other animals are huge. They were all tight and smooth.Īnd then the animals! The amusement park with its own zoo! This was awesome! The train ride takes you into the Serengeti with opportunities to see all kinds of big animals up close and personal! Gazelle, rhino, giraffe and such just roaming the tracks. They didn’t seem to have the “looseness” of over ridden rides, if that makes sense. They may have had a more gourmet food choice-I didn’t see it. The staff was friendly and the food was amusement park food. I could see how the lines would be crazy in peak season though! Our longest ride wait time was toward the end of the day (Friday) and it was 30 minutes. We travelled in the off season which drastically brought the crowds down. We got the Tampa Pass (recommend) and it had 4 Tampa destinations for half off and this was one of them. Well worth it.īusch Gardens was one of the highlights for our family vacation. It takes you up close and personal with many of the animals that you can only see at a distance from the park itself (a giraffe came so close we could almost touch it!). It is not just a gentle ride around the park for the kids too young to go on the big rides. Would definitely recommend to friends and family. I spent 5 hours in the park, and enjoyed every minute. However, I can only speak from my own experience. Plus, many of the rides were closed for maintenance and for a "phased reopening" (I"m quoting here). While the rides were definitely thrilling, there weren't that any of them (compared to, say, six flags). But, if you're not much of an animal person and are only coming for the rides, you might be a bit disappointed. If you are like me, who loves both animals and roller coasters, you will have an amazing time. That being said, the park is structured so that the animals are just as much of an attraction as the rides. Walk a few more feet, and you'll pass a chimpanzee, another ride, and a giraffe. The animals are actually a part of the park! You get off a ride, and walk past a cheetah enclosure. Some even make you pay extra for it.īusch Gardens incorporates animals into their theme park like no place I've ever been to. Many of them have a rides section, and a separate animal "safari" section. I've been to many amusement parks throughout the years.