PassPorter's
Article Tools |
| |
Busch Gardens Africa: Travel Featureby Cheryl Pendry, PassPorter Featured Columnist
Last modified 4/3/2008
| | |
Cool Tip: Click here to get a FREE PDF version of this article, fully formatted to print and put into your PassPorter Deluxe Binder!
Filed in Articles > U.S. Travel > Making Magic
It's not often that we make it over to Busch Gardens in Tampa to enjoy a taste of Africa. It's not that we don't like the park - far from it. It's the fact that it's located around an hour and a half's drive from Walt Disney World, so to go there really is a full day out of your vacation. So is it worth it? The answer is definitely yes. If you've got time, it's worth the drive.
The whole theming of the park is designed to transport you into Africa, with different lands that represent different countries and areas of that continent, such as Morocco, Egypt and Nairobi. There are also some lands that have nothing to do with Africa, such as Timbuktu and the Land of Dragons, but that's because these areas tend to be either packed with rides or aimed at younger members of the family.
Busch Gardens is very much a mix of two distinct theme park attractions - the big headliner rides, with lots of roller coasters for any fan of thrill rides, and animals. It's the latter that we go for, but it's worth knowing that if you are going for the rides, you're not going to be disappointed.
A quick look at the Busch Gardens web site will immediately tell you that many of their coasters are among the largest, the fastest, and generally the scariest that you'll find anywhere. For example, Gwazi is described as the "southeast's largest and fastest double wooden roller coaster," while SheiKra is the "nation's first dive coaster" with "first of a kind elements like a true 90 degree drop" and then there's Montu, described as "one of the tallest and longest inverted roller coasters in the world." You get the idea.
I'm the sort of person who feels sick just watching these rides, never mind going anywhere near them! The rides here are probably closest to Universal's Islands of Adventure in ride intensity, so the drive will be worthwhile for anyone who wants to experience some of the top coasters that Florida has to offer.
However, for us, there's much more to Busch Gardens that being flung upside down, around corners and having the life terrified out of you. On our first visit, we did wonder how much we would enjoy it, suspecting that it may just be a clone of Disney's Animal Kingdom. We were happy to learn it is not a clone.
The first difference you'll notice is that there are animals scattered almost throughout the park. Turn a corner and you could come across elephants or crocodiles. Yes, there are trails, as you find at Animal Kingdom and there's a huge savannah as well, but somehow the animals are more obvious here. You don't have to explore the park in the same way you do at Animal Kingdom to discover them. The main trails take you the Great Ape Domain, which is beautifully themed with waterfalls and of course features primates of all sizes, including gorillas and chimpanzees. You can also venture to the Edge of Africa, which features animals such as hippos and lions. This is such a pleasant change from Animal Kingdom -- instead of desperately trying to spot the lion on the rock in the safari, you can get close and personal with these beautiful creatures, with some wonderful glass viewing areas into their enclosures.
However, the trails are just a part of the story. The main attraction is the Serengeti Plain that you can view from a number of different angles. First, there's the Serengeti Express Railway that runs round the edge of it or you can soar over it on the Skyride, which is a great way to get from one part of the park to another.
Perhaps the most exciting way to get into the Serengeti Plain - and get up really close and personal with the animals - is to jump on the Rhino Rally. It's Busch Garden's first foray into mixing a ride with animals, and they didn't do this by halves. It starts off just as you do on Kilimanjaro Safaris at Animal Kingdom in a vehicle, albeit a lot more bumpy. It's worth knowing that they don't stop for photos and they don't encourage you to use a camera while you're on the ride, although we've managed to get some fine shots on each of our trips round the rally course.
It's halfway round that things suddenly change. This is no ordinary safari. There's a swollen river in front of you and no way of getting across it. Just when it seems you're in dire trouble, your vehicle miraculously changes into a floating off-road vehicle; and just at the point when you're facing more peril in the water, you end up back on land. It's a fascinating ride, the like of which you won't find at any of the other parks and it's definitely one to try out on any visit to Busch Gardens.
As if this isn't enough variety, one of the other areas of the park is the Clydesdale Hamlet that's home to these beautiful creatures and Sprint the donkey, made famous by the Super Bowl ads. This area of the park is very different, as you leave Africa behind to head firmly back into American theming.
Another part of the park that's very different is Land of the Dragons. If you have little ones in your party, this is the area to head to, as everything here is designed with them in mind. Our niece and nephew loved it. In fact, it was a struggle to drag them away from it!
There's so much to see and do here, it makes for a very packed day. In fact, if you are a die-hard coaster fan, it could be worth spending more than one day out of your vacation at Busch Gardens Africa to cram everything in. It's only possible to touch on some of the highlights here, but hopefully this is enough to make you think twice about adding in at least a day's excursion over to Tampa to enjoy one of the hidden gems of the Florida theme park world.
About the Author: Cheryl and husband Mark live in England and love to travel, particularly to Disney, and they have made numerous visits to destinations across America and Europe. They recently completed their tour of every Disney theme park around the world, which culminated in their visit to Japan, including the Tokyo Disney Resort. Click here to view more of Cheryl's articles!
Related Links:
Gardens of The World Tour - A Guided Tour During Epcot's International Flower and Garden Festival last updated 5/28/2009
Star Wars Weekends - Feel the Force at Disney's Hollywood Studios last updated 6/4/2009
Unusual Photo Opportunities - Getting Unique Photos at Disney last updated 6/18/2009
The Osborne Spectacle of Lights - Disney's Hollywood Studios last updated 7/6/2009
Dashing Through The ... Snow? - Sleigh Rides at Walt Disney World last updated 11/30/08
Reader Comments:
Thanks for the review. BG is a must-see on all of our trips (along with Seawrold, US & IOA)  View all 1 comments in forum thread
So what do you think? Click here to share your comments, feedback, and experiences on this article and topic!
(Note: You must be a member of our PassPorter Message Board Community to leave comments. Join today for free!)
Updated 4/3/2008 - Article #170
Read additional articles from PassPorter.com
|
Subscribe to our free e-mail newsletter, PassPorter News, published for more than 55,000 opt-in subscribers worldwide.
As an added bonus for subscribing, you will receive a 20% discount coupon for the PassPorter Store -- no catch!
We respect your privacy and never sell or rent our subscriber list. Subscribing will not result
in more spam! We guarantee it.
|
Copyright 1999-2012
by PassPorter Travel Press, an imprint of MediaMarx, Inc.
| | | LEARN MORE |
Learn More With Our Award-Winning Guidebooks
|
RSS General
PassPorter Community - Boards & Forums on Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disn...
By car, plane, or train -- share your tips, plans, and experiences with others!
Forum Sponsored by Quicksilver Tours & Transportation
How Many Quarters do I Need?
by DreamFinderLives
24 May 2013 at 11:50am
We are driving in from a new direction, and we are planning to go down Florida’s Turnpike coming down 75. I’m not thrilled about the tolls, but I’m...
(click title above to view replies)
A Better Way than Florida Turnpike
by JennyM
23 May 2013 at 10:11pm
Is there any equal or better way from the Palm Beach area to Orlando besides the Florida turnpike? I don't like that $12 toll! ;)
Posted from...
(click title above to view replies)
Disney countdowns
by WhitneySL
22 May 2013 at 8:46pm
I am going to be making a countdown for our upcoming trip and I am looking for the Disney font to download and print out so I can trace them. I have...
(click title above to view replies)
The Joys of Disney's Magical Express
by disneybaby98
22 May 2013 at 1:24pm
Disney's Magical Express is a life saver for my family! We used to have a personal car service transport us from the airport to our WDW hotel but...
(click title above to view replies)
A smell, taste or anything.. that brings you back into a Disney Memory?
by lovewdw2
21 May 2013 at 10:37pm
Here is my Disney memory:
This past Mother's Day I was in a Home Depot looking for something for my Mom. Outside they had lots and lots of potted...
(click title above to view replies)
Total Visits: 2040
|
