Busch Gardens Mini-Vacation

Busch Gardens is a mini-vacation you don’t have to wait for the grandchildren to visit before you can enjoy all of the amenities offered at this pleasure park. More than a theme park, it is a zoo, an amusement park with many thrilling rides, and it offers a variety of other educational and entertainment venues.

Find the best deal, compare prices and read what other travelers have to say at -m10556-r78268-Tampa_Florida-Hotel-Deals.html" target="_blank">TripAdvisor about the accommodations in Tampa where Busch Gardens is located.

Busch Gardens is only a short drive of about two hours from Englewood Florida. It is easily accessible from the Englewood area. Just follow River Road to I-75 and head north. Take exit 265 (Fowler Avenue) West from the Interstate for about two miles and then you can begin your experience of the African continent.

And, if you are over 50, Busch Gardens offers lots of interesting perks. The “Terrific Tuesdays” promotion includes a series of symposiums on a wide variety of topics. Although AARP members receive a discount on admission, this discount is increased on Tuesdays. (For further information and an up to date listing of events either call Busch Gardens or check out their website.)

Attractions

Marrakesh Theater - featuring excellent daily, live performances.
Timbuktu Theater - where you will experience (and I truly mean experience!) this phenomenal theater which amazingly combines the latest 4-D special-effects technology with multi-sensory theater effects. If water looks like it could splash you as the pirate’s ship sails by, then you probably will get wet!
Moroccan Village - offers an array of very interesting gift shops. One that will sure to be of interest to younger and some older people alike, is the Wild Creations gift shop. Here you can experience hands-on shopping fun by stuffing your own animal. There are 24 different animals to choose from and more than 50 outfits and accessories to personalize your new stuffed buddy. Each one is adoptable with a birth certificate and animal carrier at no extra charge.

And the list goes on!

Land of the Dragons- boasts a three-story-tall tree house, an enchanted forest, one-of-a-kind slides, a gentle waterfall, wonderful rides and friendly dragons. The Land of the Dragons' stage features the Friends Forever Show. (Height restriction for children’s rides is up to a maximum of 56 inches tall and other restrictions may apply.)
King Tuts Tomb - Experience the mysteries of King Tut’s tomb. Kids can actually do some digging of their own.
Stanleyville Theater - featuring bands, orchestras, soloists, you name it!
Skyride - You can view this wonderful park as you fly through the air from the Crown Colony area to the Congo on the opposite side of the park on Skyride.

If you love animals?

Clydesdale Hamlet - where you can meet Sprint the Donkey (remember him from the Super Bowl TV ads) who’s dream of being a World-Famous Budweiser Clydesdale made him famous.
Bird Gardens - check out almost 500 tropical birds from around the globe. You can hang around after the Wild Wings of Africa Show and talk to conservation educators at Busch Gardens about how to attract wild birds to your backyard or you can visit my wife’s site www.the-scoop-on-wild-birds-and-feeders.com.
Edge of Africa - take a self guided tour through the African continent and visit Dakari the baby Rhino who lives with his Mom and Dad.
Lory Landing - a domed habitat showcases a variety of brilliantly-colored birds.
Rhino Rally - transports guests aboard an off-road adventure through the wilds of Africa.
Myombe Reserve - get an up close view of gorillas and chimpanzees in the Great Ape Domain.

Up Close Tours

The thing that always amazes us about Busch Gardens is the wide array of special features packages available. These features span a broad range of educational and entertainment venues. But I have to admit that the ones that appeal to both my wife and I are the first two.

Serengeti Safari - The idea of experiencing our own guided mini African safari is tops on our list. You can ride through this African bush on the Serengeti Express Railway, making stops at the Congo and Stanleyville.
Sunset on the Serengeti - This one hour guided tour is another must see for us. It begins with the Crown Colony's Brewmaster's Club, where guests can sample premium Anheuser-Busch lagers. Then, you head out, traversing the 65-acre Serengeti Plain, viewing and interacting with the wildlife is a dream come true for any couch-potato field naturalist. (Not a self description.)
Family Adventure Tours - of the Nairobi Field Station.
Saving A Species Tour - an insider's view of the conservation projects that help protect rhinoceroses and their habitats. A portion of the proceeds will benefit World Wildlife Fund's conservation work around the world.
Animal Adventure Tour - go behind-the-scenes and get up close with the animals and their keepers.
Keeper for a Day - here is your chance to assist in feeding, training and caring for some of the animals and birds.
There are still four more to go, but you have to discover them for yourself!

Dining

Busch Gardens offers a diverse number of dining venues to meet every taste and dietary need.

Up Close Dining - with three restaurants offering a great view of the animals and the park.
Family Favorites - offering an eclectic array of menu from simple to the more discriminating.
Quick Bites
Tasty Treats
Catering and Group Dining
Special Needs Dining

I guess what I am trying to say in this page is that one day of exploring the wilds of Africa without traveling further than Tampa Florida is sure to lead to many more mini-vacations from your home base in Englewood to this amazing location.

After all, the Busch Gardens offers far more in the way of a day’s entertainment than I have pointed out here in a few paragraphs.

Oh! I did mention that the park includes an amusement area with rides... right? Well, with names like SheiKra (see pic above), Gwazi, Kumba... it's pretty amazing!

Once again Englewood’s proximity to the many great Florida tourist attractions that dot the landscape of the Sunshine State is just another reason why we Enjoy Englewood Florida!