While the Orlando area is awash with theme parks, until Universal Islands of Adventure was finished in 1999, it never really had a 'coaster park'. Instead, you had to travel the 60ish miles down I4 to Tampa and the thrill rides that fill the impressively African themed Busch Gardens. And although it may take over 1hr to get there, it's well worth the effort.
Busch Gardens is also owned by the Anheuser Busch company, which, as with Seaworld, means free beer…if you're interested in that kind of thing.
If you're not, then we'll have to find you something else to take up your time. Now what could you possibly do ? How about the multitude of thrill rides, hundreds of animals in realistic habitat enclosures, a dolphin show, an award winning skating show, cafés and restaurants all over the place and enough shops to keep any woman busy for an entire day.
There's a $5 parking fee, so expect the usual, but then as the park shuts earlier than most for the health of the animals, you won't exactly be returning later in the evening.
So lets dive in and find out exactly what Busch Gardens has to offer.
Continuing the theme, Busch is split into different areas. This time however, everything has an African flavour, so we have some fairly exotic locations.
| Morocco |
| Myombe Reserve |
| Nairobi |
| Timbuktu |
| Congo |
| Stanleyville |
| Land of the Dragons |
| Bird Gardens |
| Crown Colony |
| Edge of Africa |
| Egypt |
| General Information |
Morocco
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As you enter the park, you'll also enter the bazaar filled streets of Morocco.
While there are no rides here, there are several shops, Guest Relations, Lost and Found and the lavish Moroccan Palace Theatre, home of the award winning World Rhythms on Ice.
Myombe Reserve
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Directly opposite the Moroccan Palace Theatre is the entrance to the Myombe Reserve. This walking tour takes you through "domain of the great ape", where you'll come face to face with real gorillas and chimpanzees in a tropical rainforest.
Nairobi
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Nairobi is home to the animal nursery, curiosity caverns (where the snakes and lizards live) and a large collection of Asian elephants (not quite sure what Asian Elephants are doing in an Africa themed park, but we'll just accept it as being normal).
In the past, Nairobi was just a walk though some animal habitats that linked Morocco with Timbuktu. It had no rides back then (other than a train station). It now has the newest ride in the park.
"Rhino Rally" - Not the most exciting ride we've ever been on, but for Busch Gardens, it certainly has the longest queue. You start off taking part in the Rhino Rally, taking in the sights of Africa's finest, and are then swept from the track by a flash flood that twirls your vehicle (and the piece of bridge you were on) down a ferocious river until you come to rest and make your escape. Or at least that's what's supposed to happen. What you actually get is a mediocre version of the safari in Disney's Animal Kingdom, followed by a very slow trundle down an obvious track that's hidden by the water you're supposedly floating on. When they announced the design for this ride, we thought it was a bit ambitious, and we were right. (*)
Timbuktu
Timbuktu is one of the largest areas in Busch Gardens and contains more rides than any other part. It also has several arcades and the same teddy winning competitions as Seaworld's Shamu's Happy Harbor.
There's also a large restaurant Das Festhaus which is based on a German festival house and holds over 1000 people, several refreshment kiosks, the Dolphin Theatre and several imaginatively named "kiddie rides".
"Scorpion" - This fast moving roller coaster doesn't have many hills for you to worry about, however, it does have a single 360° loop to test your nerve. (***)
"Sandstorm" - Sit in your carriage and get thrown all over the place as you're spun around at high speed. (**)
"Phoenix" - Take your seat in what seems like a normal pirate ship ride. Until you are actually turned completely upside down, and left to hang there for what feels like an hour. (***)
"Dolphin Theatre" - We thought that this might have been where the dolphin show from Seaworld had moved to. We were wrong. There are only two dolphins, who give a good show, but it's the pre-show mime who gives the best performance, so get there early and try to avoid the abuse. (***)
Congo
Beyond Timbuktu, you'll find the land of Congo. It's a leafy area with several rides a train station and the Claw Island Tigers, which is a habitat for beautiful white tigers. Habitat is probably too good a description for the postage sized island that they have to live on, and they certainly look bored.
"Ubanga-Banga Bumper Cars" - They are bumper cars, and while they're very dated, they're still great fun. (***)
"Congo River Rapids" - Now this is the type of rapids ride we like. You're going to get wet no matter where you sit, and in the heat of a Floridian summer, you really don't care. (****)
"Kumba" - This coaster throws you around a series of loops, twists, turns and drops at tremendous speed and is the perfect way to dry off after Congo River Rapids. (****)
"Python" - If you know the Corkscrew in Alton Towers, then you'll know Python, as its almost identical to its English counterpart, with a double loop half way through to get your juices flowing. (**)
Stanleyville
Across the bridge from Congo is Stanleyville and a couple of more chances to get wet, or in the case of the Tanganyika Tidal Wave, soaked. You'll also find a skyride station, a train station, several eateries and the Stanleyville Theatre which has family entertainment throughout the day.
"Tanganyika Tidal Wave" - The entertainment value of this ride is twofold. First you take a sedate cruise around the rivers of Africa with nothing to worry about but the sun burning your head. You then climb up to the summit of a metal mountain, only to plunge into the splash pool below. There's no escaping this one, as you'll get soaked whether you sit at the front or the back.
The second way to enjoy this ride is to trick someone into standing on the bridge at the rides exit. If you're wondering why, just keep an eye on where the water goes when the boat hits the splash pool at the bottom of its descent ! (***)
"Stanley Falls" - This has to be the most pathetic flume ride in the world. There are kiddie rides that give you more of a thrill, and you get wetter from a leaky tap, even if you sit at front ! (*)
Land of Dragons
This area is designed for small children and has a log flume that's more interesting than Stanley Falls and several other rides to keep your kids amused.
There's also a children's theatre featuring a Captain Kangaroo show.
Bird Gardens
Surprisingly, this area of the park is full of bird exhibits, from American Bald Eagles, to flamingos, if you like birds, then you'll love it here. There's even an exotic bird show to keep you entertained.
However, most people pass through Bird Gardens quite quickly as the Anheuser Bush Hospitality House is located on the right side of the area, as is Bird Gardens' only ride.
"Gwazi" - Take a huge wooden roller coaster, add another and twist them together so that to the naked eye, it just looks like a jumble of wooden posts and you get Gwazi. Its fast, its furious and it gives me a headache, but it's certainly worth it. (****)
Crown Colony
Crown Colony hosts the Crown Colony House Restaurant, which gives you views of the African Savannah while you're eating your meal. Unfortunately, the animals tend to make themselves scarce on the sweeping African plains, so you're not going to see many.
There is also a skyride station and the Clydsedale hamlet which is identical to its Seaworld twin.
"Akbar's Adventures" - A simulated tour of Egypt that takes you around the market stalls of Cairo and inside the tombs of the pharaohs. You might think that this sounds boring, but when you understand that it's presented by comedian Martin Short who plays Akbar, you'll realise that it's going to be very funny as well as very lively (****)
Edge of Africa
Another walking tour that takes in some of Africa's best known animals. You can see hippos, crocodiles, baboons, lions, vultures and more, but don't expect to get to Nairobi, it's a dead end.
Egypt
Egypt is the first area of the park you'll actually see, as the imposing figure of Montu is clearly visible from the carpark. There are also some teddy winning competitions and a sandbox for the kids to dig in.
"Montu" - If you've been to seaworld, then I'm sure that you'll recognise the path that this ride takes. It certainly feels very much like Kraken, although it's a suspended coaster as opposed to Kraken, which sits on a track. But then there's nothing wrong with it, in fact it's very good, if a little slow. However, its well worth queuing for a little longer to get a front row seat. (****)
"Tut's Tomb" - This is supposed to be a walk through Tutenkhamun's burial chamber, but its awful (*)
"Train Station" - remember that we've mentioned these stations in several areas, so it's time to explain what they are. There is a train that takes you around the park, and most notably, the Serengeti Plain, which you can only see from the tracks. So take a break and rest your aching feet on one of the four trains that regularly circle Busch Gardens. (***)
General Information
And that's Busch Gardens.
Just don't forget that you've still got over 60 miles of driving to get back to the Orlando area, and it's bound to be in rush hour traffic.
In the past, Nairobi was just a walk though some animal habitats that linked Morocco with Timbuktu. It had no rides back then (other than a train station). It now has the newest ride in the park.
"Rhino Rally" - Not the most exciting ride we've ever been on, but for Busch Gardens, it certainly has the longest queue. You start off taking part in the Rhino Rally, taking in the sights of Africa's finest, and are then swept from the track by a flash flood that twirls your vehicle (and the piece of bridge you were on) down a ferocious river until you come to rest and make your escape. Or at least that's what's supposed to happen. What you actually get is a mediocre version of the safari in Disney's Animal Kingdom, followed by a very slow trundle down an obvious track that's hidden by the water you're supposedly floating on. When they announced the design for this ride, we thought it was a bit ambitious, and we were right. (*)
Timbuktu
| Top |
Timbuktu is one of the largest areas in Busch Gardens and contains more rides than any other part. It also has several arcades and the same teddy winning competitions as Seaworld's Shamu's Happy Harbor.
There's also a large restaurant Das Festhaus which is based on a German festival house and holds over 1000 people, several refreshment kiosks, the Dolphin Theatre and several imaginatively named "kiddie rides".
"Scorpion" - This fast moving roller coaster doesn't have many hills for you to worry about, however, it does have a single 360° loop to test your nerve. (***)
"Sandstorm" - Sit in your carriage and get thrown all over the place as you're spun around at high speed. (**)
"Phoenix" - Take your seat in what seems like a normal pirate ship ride. Until you are actually turned completely upside down, and left to hang there for what feels like an hour. (***)
"Dolphin Theatre" - We thought that this might have been where the dolphin show from Seaworld had moved to. We were wrong. There are only two dolphins, who give a good show, but it's the pre-show mime who gives the best performance, so get there early and try to avoid the abuse. (***)
Congo
| Top |
Beyond Timbuktu, you'll find the land of Congo. It's a leafy area with several rides a train station and the Claw Island Tigers, which is a habitat for beautiful white tigers. Habitat is probably too good a description for the postage sized island that they have to live on, and they certainly look bored.
"Ubanga-Banga Bumper Cars" - They are bumper cars, and while they're very dated, they're still great fun. (***)
"Congo River Rapids" - Now this is the type of rapids ride we like. You're going to get wet no matter where you sit, and in the heat of a Floridian summer, you really don't care. (****)
| TOP TIP - YOU'LL NOTICE THAT AFTER YOU'VE PASSED THE FIRST BEND, PEOPLE ARE FIRING VERY STRONG WATER CANNONS AT YOU. THEY COST $0.25 PER GO AND ARE VERY THERAPUTIC. HOWEVER, FOR THE BEST CANNON, GO TO THE TWO THAT ARE FURTHEST FROM THE RIDES EXIT. |
"Kumba" - This coaster throws you around a series of loops, twists, turns and drops at tremendous speed and is the perfect way to dry off after Congo River Rapids. (****)
"Python" - If you know the Corkscrew in Alton Towers, then you'll know Python, as its almost identical to its English counterpart, with a double loop half way through to get your juices flowing. (**)
Stanleyville
| Top |
Across the bridge from Congo is Stanleyville and a couple of more chances to get wet, or in the case of the Tanganyika Tidal Wave, soaked. You'll also find a skyride station, a train station, several eateries and the Stanleyville Theatre which has family entertainment throughout the day.
"Tanganyika Tidal Wave" - The entertainment value of this ride is twofold. First you take a sedate cruise around the rivers of Africa with nothing to worry about but the sun burning your head. You then climb up to the summit of a metal mountain, only to plunge into the splash pool below. There's no escaping this one, as you'll get soaked whether you sit at the front or the back.
The second way to enjoy this ride is to trick someone into standing on the bridge at the rides exit. If you're wondering why, just keep an eye on where the water goes when the boat hits the splash pool at the bottom of its descent ! (***)
"Stanley Falls" - This has to be the most pathetic flume ride in the world. There are kiddie rides that give you more of a thrill, and you get wetter from a leaky tap, even if you sit at front ! (*)
Land of Dragons
| Top |
This area is designed for small children and has a log flume that's more interesting than Stanley Falls and several other rides to keep your kids amused.
There's also a children's theatre featuring a Captain Kangaroo show.
Bird Gardens
| Top |
Surprisingly, this area of the park is full of bird exhibits, from American Bald Eagles, to flamingos, if you like birds, then you'll love it here. There's even an exotic bird show to keep you entertained.
However, most people pass through Bird Gardens quite quickly as the Anheuser Bush Hospitality House is located on the right side of the area, as is Bird Gardens' only ride.
"Gwazi" - Take a huge wooden roller coaster, add another and twist them together so that to the naked eye, it just looks like a jumble of wooden posts and you get Gwazi. Its fast, its furious and it gives me a headache, but it's certainly worth it. (****)
Crown Colony
| Top |
Crown Colony hosts the Crown Colony House Restaurant, which gives you views of the African Savannah while you're eating your meal. Unfortunately, the animals tend to make themselves scarce on the sweeping African plains, so you're not going to see many.
There is also a skyride station and the Clydsedale hamlet which is identical to its Seaworld twin.
"Akbar's Adventures" - A simulated tour of Egypt that takes you around the market stalls of Cairo and inside the tombs of the pharaohs. You might think that this sounds boring, but when you understand that it's presented by comedian Martin Short who plays Akbar, you'll realise that it's going to be very funny as well as very lively (****)
Edge of Africa
| Top |
Another walking tour that takes in some of Africa's best known animals. You can see hippos, crocodiles, baboons, lions, vultures and more, but don't expect to get to Nairobi, it's a dead end.
Egypt
| Top |
Egypt is the first area of the park you'll actually see, as the imposing figure of Montu is clearly visible from the carpark. There are also some teddy winning competitions and a sandbox for the kids to dig in.
"Montu" - If you've been to seaworld, then I'm sure that you'll recognise the path that this ride takes. It certainly feels very much like Kraken, although it's a suspended coaster as opposed to Kraken, which sits on a track. But then there's nothing wrong with it, in fact it's very good, if a little slow. However, its well worth queuing for a little longer to get a front row seat. (****)
"Tut's Tomb" - This is supposed to be a walk through Tutenkhamun's burial chamber, but its awful (*)
"Train Station" - remember that we've mentioned these stations in several areas, so it's time to explain what they are. There is a train that takes you around the park, and most notably, the Serengeti Plain, which you can only see from the tracks. So take a break and rest your aching feet on one of the four trains that regularly circle Busch Gardens. (***)
General Information
| Top |
And that's Busch Gardens.
Just don't forget that you've still got over 60 miles of driving to get back to the Orlando area, and it's bound to be in rush hour traffic.
| TOP TIP - YOU'LL NOTICE THAT AFTER YOU'VE PASSED THE FIRST BEND, PEOPLE ARE FIRING VERY STRONG WATER CANNONS AT YOU. THEY COST $0.25 PER GO AND ARE VERY THERAPUTIC. HOWEVER, FOR THE BEST CANNON, GO TO THE TWO THAT ARE FURTHEST FROM THE RIDES EXIT. |
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