Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is home to many things: world-class coasters, an assortment of amazing animals— and during the holiday season, Christmas Town makes its way into the park! The holiday-themed assortment of entertainment and specialty items are available now through January 7, 2024. The best part is that it’s included with regular park admission!
Let’s take a look at what Christmas Town has to offer this year!
Christmas Town Food and Drink
The holidays are largely centered around food, and Christmas Town isn’t skimping on the options! This year, there are several new options to try, along with some returning and reimagined favorites. Some of the new food offerings include:
- Chicken coq au-vin served with red bliss mashed potatoes
- Holiday Poutine, served with gravy, cheese curds and cranberry relish
- Seared scallop, served with ruby red couscous and goat cheese crumbles
- Open face holiday sandwich with smoked turkey, cranberry relish and gravy on Texas toast
Here are a few of the things that we tried on our recent visit to Busch Gardens:
And what’s food without drink? There are some new signature Christmas Town cocktails worth checking out for those who are 21+:
- Mistletoe Margarita – Tequila, Monin pomegranate and a splash of lime
Mistletoe Margarita - South For the Winter – Jack Daniels, Jack Daniels Honey, Monin cranberry, ginger and lime
- Jack Frost – Coconut rum, blue curacao, mint and a splash of lime
Jack Frost - Ginger Snap Mule – Spiced rum, Armaretto, ginger and a splash of lime
- Candy Cane Lane – Vodka, Monin peppermint, granadine and a splash of lime
Of course, there’s also delicious hot cocoa (appropriate for all ages)— with the option to “make it jolly” (for those old enough) by adding Peppermint Schnapps, Bailey’s Irish Cream or Kahlua. We tried it with Kahlua last year and enjoyed it so much we had to get it that way again this year!
Our tried and true strategy for these food and beverage events is to purchase a sampler lanyard. They are offered in 5 and 10 item increments, as well as a pass member exclusive 12 items for the price of 10. We always highly recommend purchasing a lanyard to get the most bang for your buck.
Christmas Town Lights
The park is decked out in more than a million beautiful twinkling lights that would make even the biggest Scrooge smile. This year there are some brand new light displays, including a really cool dragon gracing the entrance to the Dragon Fire Grill in Pantopia, and brand new 40 foot pixelated tree in Cheetah Hunt Plaza!
The light tunnel (which is one of our favorite features) has moved over to the Bird Garden area and is bigger and better than ever!
Christmas Town Entertainment
There are several entertainment options throughout the park for guests to enjoy some holiday cheer from daytime into the night!
Rudolph’s Winter Wonderland – Visit “the most famous reindeer of all” and his friends at this special meet and greet at the Pantopia Theatre.
Santa’s North Pole Experience – Get a “sneak peek” of Santa’s Workshop and get a special meet and greet with the big man himself!
Christmas On Ice – This extremely popular show is back again to dazzle audiences at the Moroccan Palace with spectacular skating routines set to traditional and popular Christmas tunes. There are multiple shows each day, and we recommend arriving early as this show fills up quickly every performance.
Elmo’s Christmas Wish – Help Elmo find his Christmas Wish! This popular show for the youngsters features favorite Sesame Street characters in this merry sing-a-long.
Three King’s Journey – For a more traditional Christmas show, follow along with the three wise men to Bethlehem in an inspiring musical tale. This show is performed select nights at the Dragon Fire Grill through January 7.
Holiday In the Sky, a Nighttime Spectacular – What better way to cap off your evening at Christmas Town than with fireworks? The night sky comes alive with fireworks set to festive holiday tunes on select nights. You can view the fireworks throughout the park, but the best viewing area is the Festival Field behind Iron Gwazi.
Holly-Jolly Express – All aboard! Spread some Christmas cheer by singing along to some of your favorite songs of the season while riding the Holly-Jolly Express as it takes a loop around the park.
Character Greetings – Be on the lookout for appearances from The Poinsettia Princess, Ice Princess and Sugar Plum Princess, as well as adorable snowmen and more throughout the park!
Busch Gardens Holiday Merchandise
And what holiday event isn’t complete without merchandise? There are so many great items from shirts and spirit jerseys, ornaments, pins and a even couple exclusive Loungefly bags! Here’s a quick overview of what’s available
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay Updates
Christmas Town isn’t the only thing happening right now at Busch Gardens. Let’s take a look at a couple exciting things coming soon!
Kangaloom Enhancements
The kangaroo habitat, Kangaloom, is currently closed while the area gets reworked for an even better guest experience.
Phoenix Rising in 2024
A new roller coaster is coming to Busch Gardens Spring of 2024 Phoenix Rising, will be the 2nd suspended coaster in the park. This will be a family-style coaster, with a minimum heigh requirement of just 42 inches, and will be the first coaster at Busch Gardens to feature an on-board sound system with a custom soundtrack. Phoenix Rising will be located in the Pantopia section of the park.
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Let’s Hear From You
That just about covers this year’s iteration of Busch Garden’s Christmas Town. I found the offerings this year to be a nice mix of returning favorites along with some new things I’m looking forward to having again. Did anything catch your eye? Are you looking forward to the new and updated offerings at Busch Gardens in 2024? Share your thoughts below!