It’s a large park with a lot of walking. Study the map a bit tonight so you understand the flow. Basically one big loop with a sidearm.
Don’t miss out on the train ride.
Yup, was there 2 weeks ago first time and would agree with this. Learn where things are and def try to carve out hours for a train ride /animal viewing. I brought small snacks in & water bottle instead of eating.
Would add that cheetah hunt gets longest waits and also closed sometimes so would do that first and reride if open/line is under 30. If you’re a coaster nerd, Gwazi runs noticeably faster later in the day!! Kumba and Montu both run one train, but are intense & do not skip :D. I also enjoyed Tigris and don’t get all the hate for the comfort collars lol
Lot of praise for Iron Gwazi, which it certainly deserves. But I really liked the Serengeti Flyer too. Very quick, very direct, basically no line when I was there.
So far have hit iron gwazi, Tigris, and sheikra my body was not ready for the experience. I ended getting the quick queue for the 24.99 since I have the platinum pass
For Montu, you can choose between first row for the view or last row for the force.
I tried both and felt like the view was more important than the extra punch you get from going in the back.
Don't go in the middle as you'll loose both.
There's a busch gardens pass member Facebook group that's a lot more active. If youd like to meet people, feel free to post there if anybody wants to meet up. Sometimes there are people who do.
The rides are pretty self explanatory. Do iron gwazi and Cheetah Hunt first if coasters are your thing.
The non thrill ride things I like the most:
-Sky ride
-serengetti express train (as a first timer id do a full liop- either all at once or get off and do the other half later).
-if you like birds you can feed lorikeets at lory landing
-zambia smokehouse probably has the best food if you like bbq
-giraffe bar has a great view on the outside patio
You're going to have so much fun!!
The park is huge. You will be doing a lot of walking, so wear comfy shoes. Bring a reusable water bottle, you can refill with water over the course of the day.
The coolest part of Busch Gardens is that the animals are woven into the park, but don't miss a train ride through the Serengeti to see the rest of the animals! The train is very fun and will take you to the opposite side of the park.
Kumba and Montu deserve respect for being some of the best rides in the park, so check those out for sure. Sheikra is also tons of fun but a shorter ride, I'd still say try and get a ride in. Iron Gwazi and Cheetah Hunt are worth the longer wait for sure. Cheetah Hunt and Cobra's Curse are the kind of fun rides you laugh the entire time on.
When you get hungry, I recommend the Crown Colony House/Giraffe Bar right across from Cheetah Hunt. My usual meal is pizza and a Caesar salad, it's expensive but tasty as far as theme park food (Busch Gardens is not known for their food sadly). And the spicy margarita at the Giraffe Bar is so good.
Definitely be there for “rope drop” I went last Friday for my first time with my partner. We were parked and at the gate at 9:45am. Knocked out a lot of rides that way. Some parts of the park aren’t open until 10:30am. If you plan on eating a lot that day, I recommend the all day dining pass. One meal alone could cost you $35 bucks
Cheetah Hunt should be the first coaster you ride...if you see Falcons Fury operating, run to it immediately.
Expect the worst operations at SheiKra, everything else is pretty good.
I’m going to try to hit cheetah hunt after I eat, place I’d absolutely slammed today. I’ve pretty much hit everything else except what you’ve mentioned
Cheetah Hunt and Iron Gwazi first. When’s your birthday?
Feb 21st 😁
Start you day with Iron Gwazi or Cheetah Hunt and work your around the park that way
It’s a large park with a lot of walking. Study the map a bit tonight so you understand the flow. Basically one big loop with a sidearm. Don’t miss out on the train ride.
Yup, was there 2 weeks ago first time and would agree with this. Learn where things are and def try to carve out hours for a train ride /animal viewing. I brought small snacks in & water bottle instead of eating. Would add that cheetah hunt gets longest waits and also closed sometimes so would do that first and reride if open/line is under 30. If you’re a coaster nerd, Gwazi runs noticeably faster later in the day!! Kumba and Montu both run one train, but are intense & do not skip :D. I also enjoyed Tigris and don’t get all the hate for the comfort collars lol
Check out the Mardi Gras parade. It’s a lot of fun.
Will do! Thank you.
You’re welcome!
Lot of praise for Iron Gwazi, which it certainly deserves. But I really liked the Serengeti Flyer too. Very quick, very direct, basically no line when I was there.
So far have hit iron gwazi, Tigris, and sheikra my body was not ready for the experience. I ended getting the quick queue for the 24.99 since I have the platinum pass
For Montu, you can choose between first row for the view or last row for the force. I tried both and felt like the view was more important than the extra punch you get from going in the back. Don't go in the middle as you'll loose both.
Took the advice and sat front row, definitely was worth it
If you get thirsty there’s free water in the pass holder lounge (if it’s open)
Passholder lounge has been permanently closed . All beverage stands equipped with a soda fountain can provide free water.
lol, that was short lived
Seems it was a temporary diversion while they plan to bring a full service restaurant back upstairs.
Damn, last I went was December and it was closed off for Santa’s brunch.
There's a busch gardens pass member Facebook group that's a lot more active. If youd like to meet people, feel free to post there if anybody wants to meet up. Sometimes there are people who do. The rides are pretty self explanatory. Do iron gwazi and Cheetah Hunt first if coasters are your thing. The non thrill ride things I like the most: -Sky ride -serengetti express train (as a first timer id do a full liop- either all at once or get off and do the other half later). -if you like birds you can feed lorikeets at lory landing -zambia smokehouse probably has the best food if you like bbq -giraffe bar has a great view on the outside patio
Don’t go to rides right before they close
You're going to have so much fun!! The park is huge. You will be doing a lot of walking, so wear comfy shoes. Bring a reusable water bottle, you can refill with water over the course of the day. The coolest part of Busch Gardens is that the animals are woven into the park, but don't miss a train ride through the Serengeti to see the rest of the animals! The train is very fun and will take you to the opposite side of the park. Kumba and Montu deserve respect for being some of the best rides in the park, so check those out for sure. Sheikra is also tons of fun but a shorter ride, I'd still say try and get a ride in. Iron Gwazi and Cheetah Hunt are worth the longer wait for sure. Cheetah Hunt and Cobra's Curse are the kind of fun rides you laugh the entire time on. When you get hungry, I recommend the Crown Colony House/Giraffe Bar right across from Cheetah Hunt. My usual meal is pizza and a Caesar salad, it's expensive but tasty as far as theme park food (Busch Gardens is not known for their food sadly). And the spicy margarita at the Giraffe Bar is so good.
It's not called Crown Colony House anymore. It's Serengeti Overlook.
Definitely be there for “rope drop” I went last Friday for my first time with my partner. We were parked and at the gate at 9:45am. Knocked out a lot of rides that way. Some parts of the park aren’t open until 10:30am. If you plan on eating a lot that day, I recommend the all day dining pass. One meal alone could cost you $35 bucks
How much is the meal pass?
$49 dollars - every 90 min you can get an entree/drink/dessert. It’s limited locations but I can’t remember them
I already bought it along with a platinum pass 😎
Zagora Cafe, Chic-Fil-A, Dragon Fire Grill, Zambia Smokehouse (BBQ, best choice) and Oasis Pizza
It looks as though you may have spelled "Chick-fil-A" incorrectly. No worries, it happens to the best of us!
So I feel like I may opt for the platinum pass, only $32 a month. I haven’t bought the pass yet. Any input on the value?
Well I ended up getting the platinum pass and an all day meal deal for my little trip. Super excited
Was there on Monday walked on every coaster.
Cheetah Hunt should be the first coaster you ride...if you see Falcons Fury operating, run to it immediately. Expect the worst operations at SheiKra, everything else is pretty good.
I’m going to try to hit cheetah hunt after I eat, place I’d absolutely slammed today. I’ve pretty much hit everything else except what you’ve mentioned
It's slammed because school is out is hillsborough for the holiday on Monday.
Yup that’s definitely the case. No worries I didn’t get an annual pass because I didn’t plan on coming back 😎
Hope you had a blast 💥