We’re back with another update from a very crowded Busch Gardens Tampa. There’s a lot for us to see and discuss. Some good, and some unfortunate. But there’s so much to look forward to…
The Shows Will Go On
Busch Gardens recently announced their popular and award-winning ice show, “Turn It Up”, will be returning on May 28, after being paused last year.
Many modifications will be in place at Busch Gardens’ theaters upon reopening, including:
- Significantly limited capacity inside the parks’ expansive theaters to accommodate plenty of space between parties.
- Staggered entering and exiting procedures to keep guests physically distant.
- Protective Face Coverings required by all guests, ambassadors and performers at all times, covering the nose and mouth.
- No eating or drinking permitted inside the theaters.
- Hand sanitizing stations available at the entrance and exit points of the theater.
- Extensive sanitation of all seats conducted between shows.
Along with “Turn it Up”, a brand new show, called Cirque Electric, will debut on May 28, with performances on select days.
What is Cirque Electric?
For awe-inspiring feats that spark the imagination, the dynamic performance of “Cirque Electric,” an all-new acrobatic stunt show exclusively produced for Busch Gardens, will soon thrill guests at the Stanleyville Theater. From the daring airborne aerialist to stunning displays of balance and strength and a fascinating act on wheels that cannot be missed, guests will be dazzled by world-class performers.
“Bringing more live entertainment safely back to the park is another huge step in returning to world class entertainment at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay,” said Neal Thurman, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay Park President. “Since our reopening in June, our park teams have been incredibly innovative and adaptable with bringing our productions to life in new ways and we’re thrilled to expand our offering to include new programs in addition to fan-favorite shows.”
Performances of “Turn It Up” will be held multiple times a day Thursdays – Mondays. “Cirque Electric” will be performed multiple times per day Fridays – Mondays.
Sesame Street Kids’ Weekends Returns
The popular Sesame Street Kids’ Weekends event is back!
Created especially for the youngest members of the family, kids and parents alike can join in the springtime fun at Busch Gardens’ Sesame Street Safari of Fun Kids’ Weekends. Sesame Street Kids’ Weekends will run every Saturday and Sunday May 1 through May 23, with special activities offered from 10:30am to 3:30pm.
There will be daily storytimes and outdoor, live performances of “Let’s Play Together” at the Sunny Days Theater in Sesame Street Safari of Fun. Additional open-air springtime festivities include:
- Sunny Days Mural: Artists big and small will have the opportunity to share the masterpieces they create in the craft tent at an all-new kid-friendly art display on the Festival Field.
- Sesame Street Photo Opportunities: Enjoy physically distanced photo opportunities with the Sesame Street gang at 1-2-3 Smile with Me. Plus, don’t miss the all-new Cookie Monster’s Foodie Truck selfie spot on the Festival Field!
- Springtacular Maze: Families can enjoy springtime fun with each twist and turn of the flower-filled path on the Festival Field.
- Furry Friends Dance Party: Guests can move and groove with everyone’s favorite Sesame Street friends during this physically distanced interactive dance party in the Sesame Street Pavilion!
- Special visits with Busch Gardens’ animals: From fur and feathers to scales and shells, exciting animal visitors will be stopping by for unique moments of learning and discovery on the Festival Field.
Each weekend will have a different theme:
Rubber Duckie Weekend, May 1 & 2: Help Ernie reunite with his bath time buddy, Rubber Duckie, in an outdoor scavenger hunt and collect a special prize. Bert and Ernie will also make special appearances at dance parties and the 1-2-3 Smile with Me photo location.
Cookie Monster Weekend, May 8 & 9: C is for cookie! Search for Cookie Monster’s favorite treat during this fun-filled weekend, where kids can also decorate a wearable cookie crown craft. Don’t forget to take a selfie by Cookie Monster’s Foodie Truck!
Elmo Weekend, May 15 & 16: Kids will have a blast helping Elmo and Dorothy find their fish friends throughout the Sesame Street Safari of Fun. Families can also sing and dance along with Elmo at the Sesame Street Pavilion.
Everyday Heroes Weekend, May 22 & 23: Celebrate everyday heroes during the event’s final weekend. Guests will have a chance to join the Everyday Heroes Club by earning special badges for Bravery, Helping, Manners, and more! Police officers, firefighters, and other local heroes will be honored during this community celebration, which will feature special guests and emergency vehicles for this weekend only!
Some Hiccups
We ran into a speedbump before even entering the park. The line to get into the parking lot was backed up from the corner of Busch Blvd and along McKinley Ave (where the parking entrance is located). The parking lot wasn’t even full when we arrived, but the tollbooths were severely understaffed, with only one employee staffed at each one, when easily there could have been 2 (one for each side), as the stations are separated by a pane of glass. It took an hour to drive from the corner of Busch Blvd to the tollbooths (which is is less than a mile away). It was the worst we’ve ever seen parking backed up for this park… even on peak summer weekends (pre-shutdown) when we’ve been redirected to park down the street at Adventure Island.
The park was busy, but overall manageable the day of our visit. Again, it feels like capacity has been increased (though we don’t know what the actual park capacity currently is as Busch Gardens does not disclose that information). Unfortunately, we also noticed more guests not wearing face coverings correctly or even at all (even though they are still required), and even more concerning was we did not see any employees attempting to enforce this rule. This is a huge change from last year, when they had special crews out making sure guests were following health and safety protocols. It’s disappointing as we know the park can do better.
Ride wait times ranged from 65 to 90 minutes for the popular roller coasters and water rides (it was a Saturday, and a very warm and humid day). Again, that’s typical summer weekend pre-shutdown level waits. And those waits weren’t primarily because of reduced ride capacity…
We noticed they’re not spacing out riders anymore on the roller coasters like they were before. Almost every seat is now filled.
It sure seems to us that at a time of increased park capacity and longer lines, the park should be trying even harder to enforce the safety rules they have in place.
We did reach out to a park representative to let them know about our concerns. Here’s their thoughtful response:
While the COVID-19 pandemic severely impacted our operations with park closures followed by restricted openings, we are making every effort to provide fantastic and safe experiences to all of our guests. As a major employer in the Tampa Bay community, we continue to hire hundreds of positions to accommodate the growing demand for safe outdoor experiences. With many new staff members at our parks, we are actively working to empower all of our ambassadors to effectively enforce our posted enhanced health and safety measures so our guests experience consistency between park visits with continued training beyond initial onboarding. Your concerns have been elevated and heard by our operational senior leadership team and I thank you for taking the time to share them with me.
We appreciate that the park was even willing to respond to our concerns and hope to see some positive changes soon. Though, we should note that all of the SeaWorld and Busch Parks (all part of the same company) seem to be having the same troubles with lines, distancing, and masks at the moment (SeaWorld San Diego Reopening Update).
New Giraffe Bar
The Giraffe Bar opened last month in the Serengeti Outpost (the former Old Swiss House for those who remember). While we didn’t sample the fare, it looked really nice and we look forward to trying it out on a future visit.
Iron Gwazi Watch
Still no official word on when Iron Gwazi will open other than “Spring 2021”. Though you can see the lift hill of this amazing-looking coaster from almost anywhere in the park.
Around The Park
And let’s round things out with some photos of some the amazing animals you can see while visiting Busch Gardens Tampa.
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Let’s Hear From You
Although there were some issues on this visit that made the park feel very uncomfortable, we still love Busch Gardens and think it’s an underrated park. I look forward to returning soon to see if they’ve been able to improve guest experience and health/safety issues. If anything, this is a lesson that parks shouldn’t expand their capacity beyond their ability to provide adequate services to their guests. Busch Gardens is clearly suffering the effects of too much success at the moment.