Busch Gardens Amusement Park, Tampa Florida: Fun for the Whole Family

Busch Gardens Amusement Park in Tampa, Florida is the perfect place to go if you have a big group that is diverse in age and interests. The park is basically split into two major sections- the animals, jungle type area and then the rides. There is also a game area with carnival games, live dolphin shows (and others), and various types of themes and other shows around the Busch Gardens amusement park. The rides vary from water rides/flumes to little kiddies up and down type rides to simple sight seeing sky rides or boats. Then there are the roller coasters, some the more modern ones thrilling and for the daring and the older more conservative ones, like the Scorpion and the Python, which are more classic to Busch Gardens Amusement Park history, that have one loop and are mild.

It really is a place for everyone. It is definitely best to go with a big group, though, especially if you are bringing kids; that way the adults can split up and switch off watching the kids when they are too small to get on certain rides, and enjoy their time as well. The two big roller coasters at Busch Gardens Amusement Park, called the Montu and Kumba, are really great. In my opinion they are right up there with the ones at Islands of Adventure, which is the latest amusement park craze in Orlando, owned and operated by Universal Studios. I usually am not afraid of big rides, but Busch Gardens Amusement Park has the only ride that terrifies me: the Phoenix. The Phoenix is one of those pirate ship type rides, where it swings back and forth, eventually getting higher and higher until eventually you are upside down. The thing is though, it moves so gradually that the anticipation makes you feel more nervous than you really are. And the way the ride is, you end up being hung in weird positions, with a pretty open harness for long periods of time. I think maybe I've hung straight upside down for a whole minute before on that ride. And I go on all big rides, usually. But the speed of the Phoenix just really makes it scary. If you are going to Busch Gardens Amusement Park, though, definitely check it out if you like thrill rides. Most people love it, I'm probably just a wimp.