It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Christmas Town has returned to Busch Gardens Tampa for another season of festivities. This year’s event started earlier than ever on November 12 and runs every day through January 2, 2022. And the best part is Christmas Town is included with regular admission!
We’ve got lots to show you from opening weekend, so get those jingle bells ready and let’s go!
Christmas Town Village
One of the biggest draws of Christmas Town (besides the holiday lights) is the special food and beverage available at the Christmas Town Village food cabins. Lots of new delicious fare debuted this year, and there are plenty of returning favorites as well.
We really loved the new chicken & donut slider. The buttermilk chicken was nice and juicy, and the sweet maple bacon donut was a good balance with savory-ness of the chicken. It sounds weird, but it works!
The bison slider is an old favorite with a new twist this year being served with beer cheese on a pretzel bun. We also tried the totchos, bison chili mac & cheese, gingerbread ice cream, deep dish cookie and some sweet pretzel bites topped with candied bacon…. we like to eat here at MiceChat! Everything was absolutely delicious too. The food at Christmas Town is always wonderful.
And of course you need something to wash down all that yummy food with. We tried the Mistletoe Margarita (Lime Sour, Cranberry, Milagro Tequila), Holiday Mojito (Cranberry, Mint, Flor de Caña Rum), Apple Brandy Hot Toddy (Brandy, Cinnamon, Honey, Lemon) and even tried some apple pie whiskey! Again, everything was delicious.
And of course you can’t go wrong with some hot cocoa and a deep dish cookie. We love the cocoa at Busch Gardens and also love you can customize it with gingerbread or peppermint flavor… or for those over 21, you can “make it jolly” by adding peppermint schnapps, Baily’s Irish cream or Kahula.
Sampler lanyards are available for purchase, and we highly recommend buying one as they are a great value. If you use your punches on the more expensive menu items, it’ll basically pay for itself and more! And unused punches can be redeemed throughout Christmas Town’s run!
Holiday Lights
And now the star of Christmas Town… the lights! The entire park is beautifully decorated with millions of twinkling lights. We loved the “themed” lights in different areas like the multi-colored lights along the pathway next to the Sesame Street area and the tree in front of Tigris wrapped in orange lights to look like tiger stripes.
We love the light tunnel, which does a synchronized show to various holiday tunes.
You can also get a distanced photo with the Poinsettia Princess, Sugar Plum Princess and Ice Princess as you make your way around the park.
Over in the Sesame Street area, various characters are out in their holiday finest to pose for distanced photos with the kids (and kids at heart). We caught Zoe out when we visited this section of the park.
Santa’s North Pole Experience
New this year is the Santa’s North Pole Experience. This is a nicely done excursion as you’re taken into Santa’s North pole headquarters and get a little “behind the scenes” look at Christmas preparations the elves are making, before being led to meet the Big Man face to face.
Storytime With Mrs. Claus
Over at the Coke Canopy, Storytime with Mrs. Claus takes place several times throughout the evening.
Rudolph’s Winter Wonderland
The most famous reindeer of all is back again to meet guests. Sadly we didn’t get to see him during our visit as the wait time was too long. But we plan on visiting our favorite red-nosed friend in the near future.
Holiday In The Sky Fireworks
Every Saturday at 9:00pm is the new Holiday in the Sky fireworks show. You get the best views and experience from the Festival Field, but there are viewing locations throughout the park.
Christmas Town Merchandise
What’s a holiday event without merchandise? There are lots of cute shirts, ornaments, snow globes and more to choose from!
Shark tree shirt alert…
Around the Park
Let’s take a look at what else is going on at this little gem of a park.
We’ll get a belated Christmas present in March 2022 when Iron Gwazi finally opens!
Cheetah Hunt is currently closed for repainting.
Stanley Falls Flume is also currently closed for refurbishment.
Black Friday Theme Park Ticket and Hotel Deals Start NOW!
- Tickets are valid for travel through December 31, 2023. (theme park reservations are required and subject to availability)
- If you don’t know when you’re going, you’ll just need to enter a general date to purchase your tickets. The date that you enter will be the date that Get Away Today sends your reminders to make theme park reservations. The date you entered is not tied to a theme park reservation and the dates you choose are flexible. You can also reschedule your theme park reservations if needed.
- These tickets can be purchased on Get Away Today’s Layaway Plan. This is the most flexible way to pay for your vacation, and you can get these amazing discounts for just $175 down at the time of booking.
- Get Away Today’s tickets are the BEST! They’re refundable, have no blackout dates (subject to theme park availability) and you can make theme park reservations 120 days in advance.
- Bundle your tickets with a hotel for extra savings, look for Extra Night Free specials, reduced rates and other savings.
(MiceChat has worked with Get Away Today to provide you with the best theme park travel deals and we may make a small commission on any sales made through our links)
Let’s Hear From You
Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Christmas Town and plan on returning very soon for more holiday fun. We definitely recommend checking it out if you’re in the Tampa area this holiday season.
Did any of the foods and treats catch your stomach’s attention? What do you think of the holiday lights display? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
You must be logged in to post a comment.