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Living in Central Florida means that we have access to many of the theme parks here. This year our family decided to get Busch Gardens annual passes. There are tons of great reasons why we picked Busch Gardens including the educational opportunities and the pass member benefits. I have put together a list of the 10 things you should know about Busch Gardens Tampa in order to have a good time. Some of these will be educational pointers while others are just plain fun.
Yesterday our family spent a wonderful day out at Busch Gardens enjoying their Christmas Town celebration. In past years we have wanted to attend but Christmas Town was an additional fee and we were unable to pay for it at the time. This year Christmas Town is included in your park admission. I have to say Christmas Town is worth the visit. I wanted to share a few of the great things you can expect if you choose to visit.
Penguins
My kids were so excited about the addition of penguins to the parks. We spent quite a while at the front of their habitat as the kids watched the walk around and look at them. It was a lot of fun and a great new element of the park.
Amazing Animals
This time around we were able to enjoy seeing more of the animals. I am not sure if it was because of the cooler weather or the times we visited their habitats but the animals were really alert and engaged yesterday.
This cheetah even spent some time right by the glass checking us out. My daughter was on cloud nine because this is her favorite animal. I have never seen her click her shutter button on her camera so fast.
Keeper Talks and Animal Feedings
While this is a year round opportunity it really is great to see. We spent some good time watching this trainer work with the elephants and feed them. This elephant did a few things but the other one responded to every prompt. The kids enjoyed it and the elephant seemed to love that ear of corn.
I want to add that there are often keepers around many of the areas. If there is something you are not sure about, ask them. They are a wealth of information.
Make sure to check your map to see what time your favorite animal will be fed.
Christmas on Ice
This show is one of my favorite parts of the Christmas offerings at Busch Gardens. They even do a good job with the pre-show waiting. With fun Christmas trivia you past the time until the show starts. I was incredibly impressed with the young girl pictured above. She did a beautiful job.
You will also be impressed with the acrobatics. This beauty was in the sky and on skates on the floor. It was truly impressive.
Treats
There are countless vendors with delicious Christmas snacks you won’t want to miss out on. Bring a little extra money because the minute you smell it you will want it.
If you take the Sky Ride you can enjoy the beautiful lights as well as a gorgeous tour of the entire area. This was probably the highlight of my day. I really enjoyed spending the time with the family taking in all the sights and relaxing. I highly recommend it.
So much more!
There are so many great things to check out. You will not want to miss it. Even better, if you get your tickets now your fun card will last until the end of December 2015!
Have you been yet? Tell me about your experience. What did you enjoy most?
This week we had the opportunity to take the family to Busch Gardens to check out their summer nights concert series. I counted down the days because Pentatonix was the concert while we were there! We spent an amazing day in the park and lined up at 6:00 to get into the concert. Here are some highlights and some important tips you need to know if you hope to enjoy the summer nights experience.
Before the show
If you want to cool off before the show I highly recommend walking over to Tanganyika Tidal Wave. Whether you ride the ride or stand on the bridge like my kiddos did, you are sure to get soaking wet. Just make sure to brace yourself. It’s easy to fall. As you can tell, my family had a lot of fun with it!
If you have children, I highly recommend making a stop at the water pad in Sesame Street Safari of Fun.
They have a great water area as well as bathrooms to change in if you want to be dry heading to the concert.
The Pre-Show
I put together this fun time progression for you so that you know when it would be best to arrive if you do not have VIP seats when attending the concert. Ideally it’s best to be at the gate as early as you are able to if you are hoping to get up front. If you would prefer guaranteed seating I highly recommend purchasing the VIP tickets for the show.
The pre-show entertainment is so much fun. The kids were able to dance for almost 2 hours. For some of the time there were even stilt walkers and the spritzer squad. The spritzer squad has a backpack with a hand sprayer to help you cool off in the summer sun. Everyone laughs and dances together. There are also girls out there to get the audience going. There was one by us and she was AMAZING! She did so well with the children. Not only did she laugh with them, she took the time to teach them each dance and keep them smiling. I can honestly say we didn’t hear any whining from a 7 year old, 4 year old, and 3 year old for the entire 2 hour wait leading up to the show. They had so much fun!
The Show
The show was incredible! I have always been a Pentatonix fan and they brought their A game! The sound system is great and you are able to hear very clearly. Know that it gets very packed in there though. The further back you are the less likely you are to be able to actually see the performers. For the above shot I had to work my way into the standing only crowd and take this picture. In the future I would probably opt for the VIP tickets so that I could actually see the talent. If you need to see the talent in order to enjoy the show you will need to do the same or get there very early and stay in the standing only section.
I have a new favorite Pentatonix song after the concert! Check it out:
What shows are coming up?
Kinetix will run on the evenings that there is not a concert. Kinetix is a really fun acrobatic show that is sure to keep kids in awe and parents entertained. I highly recommend it. I am actually sad to miss it this year since we went to the concert. It really is an amazing show!
What concert will you be checking out?
I would love to see your pics and hear all about the fun you had. Please comment here, share on Facebook, or tweet me @morthancoupquen!
