07/14/2026
I normally don’t do this sort of thing on here, but this is my professional opinion and my personal travel page, so here goes.
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
3 hours of my life I’ll never get back.
We arrived right at opening and Levi was able to ride Cheetah Hunt and Cobra’s Curse with about a 20 minute wait each.
Navigating the park was odd- the maps and apps were not clear at all. Lots of missing rides that had been torn down, inaccessible areas due to closures, multiple bathroom locations closed, and multiple rides “closed for the day”. None of which were advertised prior to ticketing.
We got in line for the Skyride, with signage saying it opened at 11. Employees finally started letting everyone in around 11:15. However, once you get in the queue, you have to pay $5/person to ride. No warning anywhere or in app.
The conditions of the parks and animal enclosures were very overgrown, very small, and run down. It was quite sad. Pictures below- with this being the same view throughout the entire park.
The photo system for rides were down on most rides, with the picture below being the only ride photo working while we were in the parks. Also not advertised, but photo packages were still being sold.
Chick-fil-A was hot and yummy, with exceptional service, but it cost $48.xx for just Levi and myself. (Picture below)
We thankfully did not have to pay for our tickets- we got them for free prior to coming to Tampa, and I would not recommend this property to any of my clients.
