The Pros and Cons of Busch Gardens: Tampa

Busch Gardens is located in Tampa, Florida. It is an African wildlife themed amusement park. Many people attend Busch Gardens each day. They come from all over the world to enjoy it. Some people love it, and some people do not. Here are some of the pros and cons of Busch Gardens that I have discovered from a recent trip there:

Pros

I can honestly say that Busch Gardens in Tampa, Florida has a lot to offer. In one aspect it is has an amusement park. Then it is a zoo. There are also shows to watch, and great food to eat. There are lots of activities to do in the park. It is hard to do everything in the park in just one day.

My first impression of Busch Gardens in Tampa was that it was just so beautiful. There were lush flowers and beautiful palm trees all over. The landscaping was just amazing. I felt very relaxed while being there. It was the first time that I have actually felt peaceful in an amusement park. Usually I just feel harried and irritated at having to wait on such long lines. So for me, this was a huge pro. I felt like I was on vacation.

Speaking of lines there was barely any wait for any rides. I think the most time I waited on a line was 10 minutes. I have been known to wait on other park rides in other amusement parks for 2 hours for a good ride. I love that the waiting time was so short.

Besides the fun amusement park rides and the zoo to look at there were shows and quaint little shops to shop at. I saw a ballroom dancing show while being there, and a little 50's rock and roll show. Both were really cute. The shows were impressive, and I saw many happy smiles in the audience. I had a great time buying gifts for those I cared about in the shops. I even bought myself a cute tote bag and mug. Usually I do not buy myself items in amusement parks, but I just could not help myself because everything looked so good.

Busch Gardens had just such a good vibe about it. Staff was friendly. The park was super clean. Everyone around me seemed to be having such a great time. I just thought for an amusement park that Busch Gardens was one of the best that I have ever been too.

Cons

There were some cons I found at Busch Gardens that might bother other people too. The first was that as soon as you entered the park there were people in the middle of the path trying to get you to stand still to take a picture so that you could later buy it before you left the park. I can understand that some people might relish this. However, I found their aggressive manner to be annoying. I just wanted to be left alone to enjoy the park, and I was anxious to start the adventure I was going to go on at Busch Gardens.

Some people think that the fact that Busch Gardens no longer serves free beer to be a huge con. However, I think the reverse is true. For me it was a huge con to see some parents start drinking at 10 a.m. in the morning while their kids were on the kiddie's rides. I know some people enjoy their alcohol, and that is their right. However, taking my own kids for some family fun it was a bit hard to explain why other parents were getting more than a little tipsy before their very eyes.

Another con I found that upset some people was that some of the rides were meant for super thin people. If you are overweight this may not be the best amusement park to go to because you may find yourself sitting on the sidelines while other people go on the rides. Even my skinny husband complained about how tiny the seats were. So if you are an overweight person do not try to go on Rhino Rally or some of the rollercoaster's. My heart went out to a person who I saw got embarrassed by having to leave the ride because they were too big for it. There should be warnings I think outside of the rides so that people are aware of weight standards right next to the height requirements.

The last con I saw was that there was a bird issue at some of the outside eateries. There was bird poop everywhere, and people were dodging poop as they were trying to eat. Plus, the birds were very aggressive in trying to get food. I saw birds bothering lots of people trying to eat. So, try to stay away from certain eateries before you decide to get a snack or a meal.

Busch Gardens - Tampa
3000 E Busch Blvd
Tampa, FL 33612
(813) 987-5000
Buschgardens.com