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Apr 22, 2015
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Hi!  My family is going to Orlando in October for my son's Make A Wish trip.  He is OBSESSED with amusement parks and really wants to go to BG Tampa (it was his first choice for a Wish, but there's more to do with Disney & Universal~ but we can skip Sea World and make this part of our trip).  I haven't been able to find an answer so hopefully someone here can help!  The hours for the park in October are listed as 10-6, which works well for us.  Is Howl-O-Scream during the 10-6 hours, or does it take place after and/or on weekends?  We want to go for the rides not the haunts, and won't make the trip if it's not a "normal" day from 10-6.  We're really hoping we can go and check this park off our list of ones we want to visit.  We were at BG Williamsburg and Kings Dominion last summer (LOVED it) and are excited to hit Tampa, too, but only if we'll get to ride everything.  All of the info I've been finding says "specific dates from Sept 25 through Oct 31", things like that, nothing simple with times.
Any other tips for a quick one day visit in October would also be appreciated.
Thank you!
 
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I can not speak to the hours, but I can tell you the animal collection is amazing and they have great behind the scenes tours. Also Spike the elephant.
 
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Howl-O-Scream is a separate event held typically on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights after the park's normal 10-6 hours. If you go during a weekday you'll find the park is not crowded at all, so you'll be able to do most everything BGT has to offer. Not sure how old your son is but might I suggest doing Cheetah Hunt first, then getting on the Skyride (which is right next to Cheetah Hunt) which will take you to the Stanleyville area where Sheikra is. After Sheikra you can walk over and ride Stanley Falls and Tidal Wave. From there, Kumba and Congo River Rapids is a short distant away. After doing those rides, your right next to the Pantopia area where Falcon's Fury is(as well as Scorpion, Sand Serpent and Phoenix). From there, you can walk to Montu and see all the main animal areas. You can do this all in one day, plus see Iceploration or Opening Night Critters. Keep in mind, the park closes at 6pm but you don't have to start exiting the park until that time which gives you time to still do some site-seeing as your walking out. Hope this helps and hope your son has a great time.
 
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Howl-O-Scream is a separately ticketed event that operates after the park closes for day guests. This event will definitely not interfere with your visit.

Day crowds in October are relatively short, so the lines for most major attractions should usually stay under 30 minutes.

As I've told many before, take advantage of the precious hours near park opening, as ride wait times are the shortest, and animals will be most active during this period of the day. What you'd like to see is all up to you! :)

I do recommend checking out some of the parks' amazing shows, including Iceploration, a figure skating show that incorporates live animals into the performance. It's one of my personal favorites! If you enjoy animals, be sure to check out the Opening Night Critters show in the Pantopia Theater. It features a variety of animal stars that perform amazing talents & tricks.

Culinary wise, the Pantopia Grill, now being renamed to Dragonfire, is always a guest favorite dining location. There are many food options to choose from, lots of indoor seating, as well as several shows that take place inside the restaurant's stage throughout the day.

I hope some of these tips helped! :)
 
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