Our Day at Busch Gardens

The weather was supposed to be party cloudy with little chance of rain and we thought that would be perfect for checking out Busch Gardens.



It ended up misting off and on all day but with so few people in the park we didn't mind at all!

We were told typically they have 12,000 visitors a day and on this particular day there were just around 2,000.

We had no wait times for anything and managed to see everything in just one day.

We had a fabulous time!!


Once we were through the main gates we decided to head off to the left into the bird garden area.  We saw lots of animals and birds.  The boys were so excited to see that we could buy a feed cup and feed some kangaroos!







We were encouraged to pet the kangaroos below their heads and boy were they soft!  We then went on to see lots of birds. 



I loved that many of the animals were right out in the open along the normal paths and we didn't have to go looking for them.



We made it around to Stanleyville and rode our first ride!  My husband and I tried out Sheikra; it has a 90 degree drop and the roller coaster cart stops suspended above the drop.  Once we got off the ride Alec asked if he could ride it with us so we went right back on. 

 It was so nice to have NO lines and NO waiting!! 




We walked around to the next area-- Jungala.  The whole family had a great time on the treetop trails.  They climbed up and around and over... stopping for a cute photo opp. at the top.  We saw orangutans, fruit bats, and tigers.



The boys and I went on Wild Surge and since there were (again) no lines the boys rode a second time without even getting off the ride!




Their tiger habitats were amazing! We could climb right up into the enclosure and since the tiger was lying right on top of the glass dome we got to see them right up close.  They also have a couple enclosures that are connected by bridges and we got to see a tiger walking right over our heads!




We found ourselves in the Congo and all the boys asked to go on the Congo River Rapids.  I took them on and was absolutely soaked by the end of the ride.  They wanted to ride a second time and convinced my husband to go with them.  I elected to stay off and try to wring out my clothes as best I could.


We ate lunch at the Bengal Bistro and while expensive it was really good park food.  They built my husband's burger fresh, we had sandwiches, salads and yummy desserts too.  

Once we were done eating the boys scrambled to the bumper cars.  


It was starting to sprinkle but we just kept walking and headed over to Pantopia.  We saw so many cool sculptures and trees but we all really stopped to examine this metal dog work of art.


Once in Pantopia we rode the carousel and all the boys wanted to ride the Sandserpent.  I can not say this was a favorite of mine but if it hadn't started raining the boys were going to ride the roller coaster one more time.



With the rains coming down we headed into a few stores, ducking under doorways and arches to try and stay dry.  We also took a quick side trip to the first aid building in this area to get Evan a couple of band- aids.  He had worn sandals so his sneakers wouldn't be wet all day but the sandals were giving him blisters.  With a few extra band- aids in my bag to last us the rest of the day we headed out to pick up the train in the Edge of Africa. 



We saw lots of animals along the way!



We boarded the train and rode it right back around to the Edge of Africa; that way we could see and hear about ALL the animals out in the Savannah type area but then we could also start back towards the exit of the park in the direction we had been travelling all day.








Once off the train we headed towards Morocco to see an ice dancing show and stopped to ride the Cheetah Hunt roller coaster along the way.  All three boys rode and LOVED this super fast coaster.  We could actually feel the roller coaster speeding up at times and we actually felt like a cheetah racing through the water at one point.







The ice skating show was fantastic!  The music was upbeat and the costumes were great too.  We all loved it.


As soon as the ice show ended we consulted the map to see if there was anything left that we all wanted to see and do before leaving.  All three boys wanted to re-ride Cheetah and Evan asked to head back to the kangaroo feeding station to buy a cute kangaroo stuffed animal he had found in the morning.  Alec wanted to head off to see a couple final animals that we had missed and after discovering that the Cheetah ride was not working we decided to split up and head in two different directions.

Ian came with Alec and I to see some more animals and then we met back up, hit the restrooms one last time and wandered through a few shops on our way out of the park.




Linking Up With:

by Angie Ouellette-Tower for http://www.godsgrowinggarden.com/ photo YoureTheStarHopLarge_zpsncuylahd.jpg

“Mrs.AOK,

Oh My Heartsie Girls WW 650 x 635



JENerally Informed

Take Me Away Travel Link Party


Comments

  1. Amazing photos - this place looks incredible!

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  2. This looks a fab place to visit can’t wait to take my little one as he gets older! Love the photos of all the animals and your family looks like you had lots of fun.
    Mandy xx #Explorerkids

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  3. Looks like you had a great time. We have gotten to all of the Orlando parks. We had this one on our list for years but never got there. I definitely want to go now after looking at your post.

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    Replies
    1. We've done all the Orlando parks too so we made sure to fly into Tampa and stay in that region this time to give us a new Florida experience.. though we did toy with taking the long drive into Orlando for a day at the Harry Potter world of Universal (my boys STILL talk about their time their on a daily basis). In the end we elected to stay by the ocean and enjoy a slower paced vacation instead.

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  4. We're going to Orlando in March - this is on our maybe list. Looks amazing - my kids would love it! Thanks for sharing your day.
    ~Jess
    #ExplorerKids

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    Replies
    1. Depending on the age of your kids they might enjoy Legoland too; my boys LOVED Legoland but are finally getting just a bit big for it (plus we've been 3 times!).

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  5. How cool that there were no lines. That tiger enclosure looks fantastic. I would love to pet a kangaroo. Thanks for linking with #ExplorerKids Sarah

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    Replies
    1. Yeah, I am not much of an animal person but I had to pet the kangaroos! They were pretty soft and when else will I have the chance to that?

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  6. Our family went to Busch Gardens in Virginia a couple times over the summer, but the animal attractions are NOTHING like what you saw. Looks like a fantastic time! Thanks so much for sharing at the #happynowlinkup!

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    Replies
    1. We originally had planned to go to the one in Virginia and make a whole week's vacation with the drive there, the beach, and colonial williamsburg but with most attractions only open on the weekends in the fall it was too hard to plan it. We turned to Florida instead and I like to think it all worked out for the best. We had a wonderful trip.

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  7. Looks like a great day out. I love those misly kind of days that keep so many other people at home so you don’t have to queue up.
    Thank you for joining #FamilyFunLinky x

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  8. How lovely! I love that you can get up close and personal to feed the kangaroos. Thank you for linking up with us on #fabFridayPost

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    Replies
    1. Sorry! I meant #ExplorerKids! lol! xx

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    2. LOL! The kangaroo feeding was certainly a highlight for me; especially after we were unable to feed the giraffes the day before at the zoo. I had been so looking forward to that and this really made up for it.

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  9. What fun! The only time I have been to Busch Gardens was when I was 5! Thanks for sharing all your wonderful pictures. How nice that you didn't have to wait in any lines! Thanks for linking up to Take Me Away this month!
    Shelley

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    Replies
    1. Not having to wait in lines was a huge bonus! We always love when that happens.

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