Florida Ridge Villa
The very best Orlando Villa minutes from the magic of Disney
Busch Gardens
 KumbaBusch Gardens, Florida |  MontuBusch Gardens, Florida |
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 SheikraBusch Gardens |  Riding the KumbaBusch Gardens, Tampa |
 Busch wildlifeBusch Gardens, Tampa |  Lions at BuschBusch Gardens, Tampa Florida |
 SheikraBusch Gardens, Tampa |  Scorpion Roller coasterBusch Gardens, Tampa Florida |
 Busch Gardens ParadeTampa Florida |  Elephants enclosureBusch Gardens, Tampa Florida |
 Sheikra - Don't look downBusch Gardens, Tampa Florida |  Busch Gardens ParadeBusch Gardens, Tampa |
 Gwazi roller coasterBusch Gardens, Tampa |  Busch WildlifeBusch Gardens, Florida |
 Log FlumeBusch Gardens, Florida |  paradeBusch Gardens, Tampa Florida |
Busch Gardens is located on the West Coast of Florida and is around a one hour drive from Florida Ridge Villa. Getting to Busch Gardens could not be easier from the villa, drive straight down to the Interstate 4 then follow the signs to Tampa. Once near Tampa pick up the signs for Busch Gardens.
Busch Gardens is part of the Anheuser Busch Company (Seaworld and Aquatica in Orlando are part of this company). The park offers a joint ticket that entitles you entry into both parks that can work out a lot cheaper than buying a single park entry ticket on the door. At various times of year you can also get special offers and some free extra days by purchasing the joint ticket.
Once you arrive at Busch Gardens the one thing you notice about the park is just how quiet it is compared to Disney, Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. That said I would avoid Busch Gardens during a weekend and US school holiday period, as it can get busy with local school kids. The reason for being so quiet is mainly because it is a little out of the way for some families staying in Orlando. If you are happy with the drive, the park is probably one of the better ones and well worth the visit.
The park is themed around the Serengeti in Africa and has lots of animals, open countryside, intermingled with state of the art roller coasters. Some of the animals you can see are elephants, crocodiles, tigers, birds and reptiles, but to name a few. This theme makes sure Busch Gardens is different from any other theme park in Florida and makes sure the younger ones who can’t ride the coaster are kept entertained.
If you are after some adrenalin rush, there are plenty of thrill rides to keep the adults and teens happy. Some of the rides worth going on are SHEIKRA (one of Florida’s only vertical drop roller coasters); CHEETAH RUN (a long fast roller coaster that winds its way around Busch Gardens at over 70mph); KUMBA (an extreme loop roller coaster), MONTU (Another extreme loop roller coaster that hangs you below the tracks) and GWAZI (an old large wooden coaster).
Like other theme parks there are shows and parades to watch. Although, not on the scale of some of the Disney shows and parades, they are still very good and enhance your overall experience. The children will really like some of the colourful parades and as they are not as busy as the Disney ones, you can normally leave it until the last minute to get a good view and watch. On the parade you might meet some of your friends from Sesame Street.
Going back to the roller coasters, my favourite has to be the SHEIKRA. This coaster is Florida’s only vertical drop coaster. Not only this it drops its riders vertical on two occasions. This ride can get very busy during the day and on average queue times can be around the 30-45 minute mark. Because of this it is always best to ride firs thing in the morning or before the park closes (or during the parades). The other two main coasters are the KUMBA and MONTU. Both these are a little older than SHEIKRA and CHEETAH RUN, but both are extremely good. KUMBA is an above the track, while MONTU is hanging from the track. Both give different experiences, KUMBA is more smooth and faster, with MONTU more tight and pulls higher G Forces. The best thing about these 2 rides is the queues are almost non-existent. You will not need to wait any longer than 5 minutes to ride both. If you fancy getting wet, why not try the RIVER RAPIDS (where 8 people go down rapids and see who can not get wet!), or TIDAL WAVE, where you drop 100 feet into the water below and try to avoid getting hit by the large wave. If you are after something less action packed, why not book a SAFARI tour around the park. These are very good, but do need to be booked in advance.
If you are planning a day out and want to go somewhere a little different than Disney or Universal, Busch Gardens is well worth a visit. Not only is it good value for money (if you buy the double ticket with Seaworld), It is very easy to get to. If you visit during the week and not the weekend (when the locals visit and the park is very busy), you will have an even better time as the queues/lines are not generally shorter. On some days we have visited we have got straight back onto the rides again.