Hello everyone, I am new to this forum and thought it'd be fun to do a report of my most recent visit to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. I've grown up visiting this park and have watched it grow tremendously. Sadly, I haven't had the time to visit for the past few years until today.
The day started off with purchasing The All Day Dining Deal and eating at the Serengeti Overlook Restaurant and Pub (formerly Crown Colony) I had a delicious Club Sandwich, something I had always loved about BGT is their awesome sandwiches. Unfortunately, Cheetah Hunt was down and that ended up lasting for most of the day.
The next stop was something I had been looking forward to for a long time, Cobra's Curse. This was my first time on this coaster and wow it was fun! I really enjoyed the theming and thought this was a fantastic addition to the BGT lineup. It's not the biggest, most intense coaster but is a really fun ride. I thought it also addressed BGT's need for more family attractions as well. I'd love to see more projects of this caliber in the future.
After Cobra's Curse, I just had to take a ride on Montu. This is still one of my all time favorite coasters. It's a fantastic ride all around. And it wouldn't be a trip to BGT without seeing some of the animal exhibits. A stroll through Edge of Africa brings up close views of Hippos, Lions, Hyenas, Meerkats, and a great view of The Serengeti Plain.
Next up, I headed through Nairobi where you can catch a glimpse of the Train that is great way to see even more animals on The Serengeti Plain. Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to ride that today. You can also see Cheetah Hunt, which was still down and the Sky Ride.
After a lovely stroll through Nairobi, it is time to ride the attractions in Pantopia. I started out with another meal at the Dragon Fire Grill. This time, I opted for their Thai pepper steak platter which was also great for park food. Next up is Falcon's Fury followed by The Scorpion and then Sand Serpent. As usual, the drop on FF did not disappoint and I even got to see that Gwazi had what looked like construction vehicles onsite leading me to believe that work will be starting soon on their 2020 project. I really enjoyed The Scorpion but there's a bit of nostalgic history for me with that one. It was my first rollercoaster when I was young.
It was now time to conquer a BGT legend, Kumba. This is my favorite coaster in the park and possibly my favorite coaster anywhere. It's aged very well and is not too rough and has all the thrill a thrill seeker desires. I love this ride!
After Kumba, it was time to head to Jungala! I have to say it was a pleasant surprise to see the play area open as I had heard that it was closed awhile back. Unfortunately, this area closed almost immediately after arriving since it was 5pm and Christmas Town festivities were beginning.
The closing of Jungala leads me to Stanleyville and a ride on Sheikra. While I think this is a fun rollercoaster, it is not my favorite in the park. I had a very enjoyable ride though. After Sheikra, the lights were on since it was now dark outside. This also brings the final meal of the day, a brisket platter from Zambia Smokehouse. As usual, it was delicious.
For the next hour or so I walked around taking in the atmosphere and checking out the lights around the park and had a nighttime ride on the Skyride.
Before calling it a night, I just had to revisit Cobra's Curse but this time in the dark. Wow this was even better than my first time earlier in the day. I think I found a new must do ride for every BGT visit. By now, Cheetah Hunt was operating. This is a wild ride, especially in the dark. I really enjoy this one and is another one at the top of my list.
It was a pleasure to have the chance to visit Busch Gardens Tampa Bay again after a few years away. This park feels like home to me and I hope to be back soon. I was lucky enough to have a comp ticket this time around but will certainly be investing in an Annual Pass soon and also for SeaWorld Orlando which I hope to visit really soon.
Some side notes and news...
The Phoenix, Ubanga Banga Bumper Cars, Congo River Rapids all were closed for annual maintenance.
Kenya Kanteen also appears to be going through some type of a refurbishment.
The future site of Tigris, has construction walls featuring the concept art that we've all seen as part of the announcement.
I did not make it down by Gwazi to see if anything there is worth reporting on.
Thanks everyone for reading my trip report. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did writing it. Until next time!
The day started off with purchasing The All Day Dining Deal and eating at the Serengeti Overlook Restaurant and Pub (formerly Crown Colony) I had a delicious Club Sandwich, something I had always loved about BGT is their awesome sandwiches. Unfortunately, Cheetah Hunt was down and that ended up lasting for most of the day.
The next stop was something I had been looking forward to for a long time, Cobra's Curse. This was my first time on this coaster and wow it was fun! I really enjoyed the theming and thought this was a fantastic addition to the BGT lineup. It's not the biggest, most intense coaster but is a really fun ride. I thought it also addressed BGT's need for more family attractions as well. I'd love to see more projects of this caliber in the future.
After Cobra's Curse, I just had to take a ride on Montu. This is still one of my all time favorite coasters. It's a fantastic ride all around. And it wouldn't be a trip to BGT without seeing some of the animal exhibits. A stroll through Edge of Africa brings up close views of Hippos, Lions, Hyenas, Meerkats, and a great view of The Serengeti Plain.
Next up, I headed through Nairobi where you can catch a glimpse of the Train that is great way to see even more animals on The Serengeti Plain. Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to ride that today. You can also see Cheetah Hunt, which was still down and the Sky Ride.
After a lovely stroll through Nairobi, it is time to ride the attractions in Pantopia. I started out with another meal at the Dragon Fire Grill. This time, I opted for their Thai pepper steak platter which was also great for park food. Next up is Falcon's Fury followed by The Scorpion and then Sand Serpent. As usual, the drop on FF did not disappoint and I even got to see that Gwazi had what looked like construction vehicles onsite leading me to believe that work will be starting soon on their 2020 project. I really enjoyed The Scorpion but there's a bit of nostalgic history for me with that one. It was my first rollercoaster when I was young.
It was now time to conquer a BGT legend, Kumba. This is my favorite coaster in the park and possibly my favorite coaster anywhere. It's aged very well and is not too rough and has all the thrill a thrill seeker desires. I love this ride!
After Kumba, it was time to head to Jungala! I have to say it was a pleasant surprise to see the play area open as I had heard that it was closed awhile back. Unfortunately, this area closed almost immediately after arriving since it was 5pm and Christmas Town festivities were beginning.
The closing of Jungala leads me to Stanleyville and a ride on Sheikra. While I think this is a fun rollercoaster, it is not my favorite in the park. I had a very enjoyable ride though. After Sheikra, the lights were on since it was now dark outside. This also brings the final meal of the day, a brisket platter from Zambia Smokehouse. As usual, it was delicious.
For the next hour or so I walked around taking in the atmosphere and checking out the lights around the park and had a nighttime ride on the Skyride.
Before calling it a night, I just had to revisit Cobra's Curse but this time in the dark. Wow this was even better than my first time earlier in the day. I think I found a new must do ride for every BGT visit. By now, Cheetah Hunt was operating. This is a wild ride, especially in the dark. I really enjoy this one and is another one at the top of my list.
It was a pleasure to have the chance to visit Busch Gardens Tampa Bay again after a few years away. This park feels like home to me and I hope to be back soon. I was lucky enough to have a comp ticket this time around but will certainly be investing in an Annual Pass soon and also for SeaWorld Orlando which I hope to visit really soon.
Some side notes and news...
The Phoenix, Ubanga Banga Bumper Cars, Congo River Rapids all were closed for annual maintenance.
Kenya Kanteen also appears to be going through some type of a refurbishment.
The future site of Tigris, has construction walls featuring the concept art that we've all seen as part of the announcement.
I did not make it down by Gwazi to see if anything there is worth reporting on.
Thanks everyone for reading my trip report. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did writing it. Until next time!
