Bush Gardens, Show Palace Dinner Theater, Riverside Dinner Theater Review

We went midweek in February and it was very quiet. Very clean park. Lots of animals and some great rides. I bought the quick queue for 30 dollars, you can get it online for 15 dollars. Really recommend as we walked on pretty much every ride. Lots of nice things in the different gift shops. Little water park for kids is brilliant on a hot day. Let them blow of some steam and cool down.

One of the best places to hang out with friends. One summer I went here every weekend with friends. Never gets old.

Unfortunately some of the rides were down when we went, but it was tons of fun otherwise. We went during the off season so the rides were almost walk on. And the animal shows were neat.

It was great. I will definitely do this again. Fun for the whole family. There are lots of animals to see and learn about.

Amazing thematic park, very well the combination of the zoo and the rides on the mechanical games. Definitely I'm gonna return in the short term.

Love Busch Gardens! Perfect for adults and little ones as well! I wish beer was a hit cheaper especially since they re a beer company (lol), but higher prices are expected. Christmas Town is my favorite event!

We love this place. Fun for the whole family. Christmas town is especially nice. The decorations definitely help to make it feel like the holidays in Florida. Best hot cocoa too, with Whip cream on top!

Very clean, enforcing CDC guidelines very well, not crowded, and lines to rides aren't bad at all. Honoring upgrades for pass holders, and staff is very helpful inside the park. Most of the animals were out today as well.

This is one of our favorite parks. There is lots for kids of all ages to do. Our kids are 6, 9 and 11 and they were all able to do lots of rides. We also ate at the smokehouse. Very good food! And well priced.

Wonderful time. Concert with Elton John and Billy Joel tribute was awesome. Keep up the good work.

11/07/20. Purchased 5 tickets, 2 meal passes, parking, & made reservations online. Cost: $700. The capacity was @ 75%. Several rides were closed. We stood in line 1-2hrs per ride. Guess how many rides we were able to go on. 4... in 8hrs. We didn t even have time to cover the whole park... in 8hrs. Restaurants & street vendors started closing @ 5pm although the park didn't close until 6pm. I still can t believe we spent that much money for this experience. I rated 2 stars because the roller coasters we were able to ride were so good. Not for $700, though.

Always a fun time. Park is kept clean despite how busy they get and the employees are friendly. The Christmas display was gorgeous. Santa was great with the little ones. Decorations everywhere and smiling faces. Great any season but especially at Christmas. A must visit in the Tampa area.

Clean, able to social distance, and felt like great measures in place with keeping patrons safe.

I think it was good I had alot of fun and want to thank yall for all that fun I had...so thank u sooo much.

Great place to visit. Lots of things to do. Seeing the cheetah run in the afternoon is the highlight of the visit. The food at the Zambia smokehouse is too notch. As with any amusement park everything is overpriced, but this seems less than some. Highly recommend.

The day after Christmas, only go if you wanna people watch and check out the animals. You will not eat so don't buy the all day dining that day. The lines at every restaurant were overwhelming. Do get the all season or all day refillable cup. Just dart in grab a drink and dart out. get scanned once the lines are so long the staff will just be glad you helped yourself and disappeared .Ater the initial scan of course.

Busch Gardens is a great place for a family vacation. Water rides, great food, roller coasters, plenty of activites for the kids and cold beer. I would highly recommend the food pass it was great.

My wife and I went to there Halloween themed event and loved it. Six haunted houses and plenty of fun to be had. Going again this year. Can t wait.

Worst experience I have ever had. Not safe for children at all and the place is grotesque. Everything is cheap and overpriced. The rides are old and rickety. The staff is rude and unfriendly. We got annual passes and are still battling with money issues with them. They kept charging us during the covid shut down months. We were supposed to get 3 months free. They told us they weren't giving us those anymore? Refuse to refund any of our money and they won't cancel my account. I have the pass for over a year now and have only gone once. This is literally the worst place I have ever fell prey too. I won't ever make the mistake of going here again. I will just drive the 2 hours to Orlando.

Had a great day...bummed that a lot of rides and such were closed

Super day at Bush Gardens. For some reason we had very little to no wait time for the newest and most popular rides. That made my granddaughters birthday even more enjoyable.

Not just a roller coaster park! Lots to see and do, BEAUTIFUL Gardens, a Safari ride, two train stations and great train ride views of the park and the Safari tour. Cheetah Coaster is the best, and the Carmel apples were a wonderful treat! Beautiful birds, and the Pets Ahoy performance (similar to SeaWorld) is incredible! Well worth going especially if you package with off season Discovery Cove tickets and receive the free 14 day admission and free parking package! Unforgettable experience for our honeymoon!

Great time. Even the cold and rain didn't keep us away! Yearly pass is worth it, especially with all the benefits!

Great place to go many sanitation stations and empty with no crowding

We bought tickets ahead of time which were non refundable. We went on a Thursday and there was so much that was closed. It would be nice with so much that is closed that they would offer some sort of discount on food or drink. Nope. $65 for lunch for 4 which was chicken tenders and fries that tasted like they had been sitting there for hours. So gross. Would not recommend or ever go again. $500 for a glorified zoo.

Love it still. Took my kids many times when they were younger loved it then. Took my granddaughter now and I still love it. So much fun and so much to do.

Nice rides, good staff but wait times can get crazy

Got the City Pass for my family for spring break. First stop was Busch Gardens and man it was an awesome day. First, no sun was overcast all day with slight drizzle luckily we were already wet from the Congo River Rapids. We got the all day dining which was work it ate at every place we could about every hour to keep our energy. The animal exhibits are getting smaller and smaller (only con) no shows either which kind stunk but hey we were there to ride rides and have an amazing and fun day, and that we did. I would recommend it to everyone may be a little on the pricey side but what theme park isn't these days. 5/5 stars would recommend.

Even with restrictions due to covid notwithstanding, I was disappointed. Most food is closed. Almost all shows closed. Not all rides open. Even with the "black Friday sale" it was not worth it.

One of my favorite theme parks in Florida. Great theming during Halloween. Staff are always friendly and professional. Meal deals are highly recommended, as they provide excellent value for money.

Park is big so be prepared for lots of walking. Get stroller for the little ones. Good live shows too. Loved the pets display and got to meet some of the stars afterwards.

If you like animals, I highly recommend this park. Beautiful primate setting. We had a blast! You must come see how amazing this place looks at Christmas, the lights are wonderful, a must see!

Wonderful place to spend a day!! The rollercoasters are awesome!! They have something for everyone to enjoy from seeing animals, play areas for the kids, multiple gift shops and cafes, and live shows. They also have special events like the Food and Wine Festival.

Masks are definitely required. Staff very friendly and will politely ask you to keep the mask above your nose. Had a great day, wait times not that long. Can't wait to go back!

I like going to the places like that that's fine I have my pass for 28 years

It wasn't so crowed like used to be. That's because the situation that we are going through. En general it's nice because you are able to use more rides than in normal time. Great place

Great amusement park, but we liked the Busch Gardens in VA. much better. We were able to ride most of the rides, however many were closed as well which was a little disappointing. The Falcon's Fury ride was worth the whole visit though. Such a unique and scary ride! All the animals were awesome! Wish we had more time to really take everything in. The hours the day we went was 10-6 and that just isn't long enough to do everything. Dining plan is a great deal, and food was great.

Its great and rides are amazing just not a lot of safety, I saw a girl pass out in a line before she even got to the ride.

We have an annual pass which is well worth it. Yesterday we came for the tribute of music and saw Queen. They were absolutely amazing. Saw both shows since they were different. I hope they come back certainly will take the time to see them. It s nice to have a park like this so close to home. Although I no longer ride the roller coasters there is plenty to do and they are fun to watch.

Seems kind of ridiculous to charge full price for tickets & extra for the few attractions that are actually open, when it seems over half of the park is closed & the only things open being a few coasters, half the animals were not in the enclosures. Majority of food locations were closed despite meal passes also being full price, limited options everywhere.

Website doesn't mention any of this & definitely wouldn't have paid what we did if we had known. Disappointing.

It was fun seeing the animals, but overall this theme park is not "fluffy friendly." It would have been nice if all the rides had test seats so I didn't have to get on one only to be told I have to get off. It was also sad to see one of the elephants swaying (a sign its social needs aren't being met). A few of the rides were closed due to the pandemic, but that wasn't surprising. I did appreciate the courtesy tram that got us from the parking lot to the gate. I don't think I'll plan on returning to Busch Gardens - Tampa at all, unfortunately.

12-31-19 New Years Eve. Best fireworks show I have been to in 50 years. Great view, loud, visually awesome, and linked to music. Cover band was great playing a variety of music for all. Worth the admission price alone just for the fireworks show. Great views everywhere in Gwazi Park area. Great show Bush Gardens!

Hallowscream at Busch gardens was a lot of fun. A lot of walking. But we really enjoyed it. Kind of pricy, but limited admission also.

I really enjoyed riding roller coasters here. It's also a good place to go if you like animals .

BRING WATER
WEAR LIGHT CLOTHES
WEAR COMFY SNEAKERS OR SLIPPERS
LADIES THIS IS NOT THE PLACE FOR FULL FACE MAKEUP, EVEN WITH THE BEST PRIMER/ SETTING SPRAY. IF YOU PLAN TO WALK KNOW THAT ONCE YOUR DONE YOUR MAKEUP WILL BE GONE.
WEAR SUN SCREEN
PACK ALLOT OF SNACKS ( as food prices are astronomical)
BRING ABOUT $250 spending for couple
$ 350 spending for family
IF you plan to spend all day, this does not include ticket prices.
BUY A PERSONAL FAN

Enjoy your time! I know I did.

Great fun but if you go definitely buy thw food and quick pass you get free food every hour and can cut lines its expensive but makes the trip certainly worth it!

Great place wonderful staff. Only issue the lines are all too long. Many are 50-200 minutes

And to top it off no more free beer as of 2020

fun for the whole family!! scary coasters and delicious food

First time experiencing Christmas Town, just beautiful, especially from the Skyride!

Really fun place but unfortunately the rides are not plus size friendly so be prepared. It was overly crowded even in the slow September season. Rides had 120 minute wait times

Went here for a few days during the Halloween weekend and most of the concessions shows and most rides were closed not worth going not enough employees to run the park the only good thing was the rides that were open there was never more than a two to five minute wait do not go to Busch gardens unless you have a seasons pass not worth $112 admission plus the extra fees for parking and you have to wear a mask all day on the premises unless you are eating

Busch Gardens is a great way to spend a day or even afternoon in Tampa. Here you can find a vast array of thrill rides along with lots of fun animals to observe and learn about. Zookeepers are extremely knowledgeable and friendly. I would suggest going to the contact areas where you can actually interact with and touch some of the animals such as kangaroos.

We had a blast. I took my daughter who is almost 3 so we didn t go on any roller coasters but still had a well spent day looking at the animals, watching shows and eating! I couldn t believe how short the lines were for the kid rides! I will say the critters show needs some revamping it s corny and dull. The Sea World show is just as corny but it s BETTER! The best food they had was the BBQ there was an awful line for that. Waited longer for food then any ride. Was excited about a theme park staple funnel cake and while they loaded it with sugar which is great it was a little too crispy and almost old. Maybe an issue with who cooked it. Overall my daughter has the time of her life!

We love this place the animals the rides and making memories with the kids what an awesome place!

A lovely, lovely, park and one of the cleanest too. I adored everything about it. The lines are quick on the weekdays and the food is so so good. The price is worth it and actually cheaper than other surrounding theme parks. The animals were very very cool and the roller coasters are extremely fun, I personally recommend Falcons Fury. From now on, every time I come to Florida i m gonna plan on coming here too Busch Gardens. We went and fed the Giraffes and that was quite the experience the tour guide was very knowledgeable about all of the animals and all of the park staff were sweet and very friendly. This would have to be one of my favorite new places here in Tampa. Will definitely recommend!

Busch Gardens is one of the nicest parks we have been too. Meal plan is a complete rip-off though. Don t do it! You get served school lunch pizza and sandwiches. The Turkey legs were the only decent meal but at $16.99! Yes free with meal plan. They closed the nice restaurants for special occasion on a Friday night. Don t by meal plan but visit the park. Would have give 5 stars otherwise.

One of, if not the absolute best park I have ever been to. I had an amazing time and would recommend you give it a try. Also, the all day upgrade is fantastic if you eat, and especially great if you eat multiple times.

Wow! This is my favourite park put of the mix in orlando, florida by far. It was about an hour and 20 mins on a free coach journey from Icon park which wasnt bad at all and when we got there it was brilliant! They have the best, fastest set of rides (definitely better for teenagers and adults) and all the animals there are fantastic, there is so much to see in such a short space of time! I would definitely recommend booking 2 days out for this one. When we visited(end of august) it was super quiet too so we had pretty much no queues for the rides!! Cant wait to go back!!

Love coming to Busch Gardens and spending some family vacations!!! Great rides, attractions, and there s something to do for all ages.

Respect to the hard work each person has put to make Busch Gardens safer and still an amazing place.

We bought season tickets.
Love this magical place
Thank you Busch Gardens for the work you have done and for finding the safest way to have the fun, scary and exciting Howl-O-Scream. You guys are amazing we have to complement how much effort and genuine service each team member of Busch Gardens. You have to stop at the Beur Garden to try the latest beer and get the best customer service. We are totally amazed on the energy the actors have after hours in the florida weather and croweds. 10 out of 10 !!

Started out Rocky.... I was a little hesitant because of COVID but their employees have the sanitizing, and mask wearing down, like a synchronized Olympic swimming team! Felt very safe and took my temperature before we went in. Bathrooms were gorgeously clean if you go to the ones near Cobra King and all had working no-touch dispensing soap, water and towels. Sanitizer stations every 20ft and 6ft apart stand green lines. Maximum wait time for a ride was probably 10 minutes at most. Best time I ve ever had and we go every year being sponsored by Waves of Honor Thank you Busch Gardens for Keeping is safe.

If you love roller coasters and animals - Busch Gardens is the best. There is plenty to do for all ages, however the larger rides do have restrictions. On our florida theme park holiday we visited most of the large theme parks and Busch Gardens come out on top. Great place to visit.

Lines were extremely long and rides were at half capacity due to COVID. Went to Adventure Island the day before and masks were not mandatory, but mandatory at Busch Gardens. Staff was not helpful and not friendly, yelling at customers about masks. It was a waste of time and money. Don't think we will be back to Busch Gardens.

If you love roller coasters, this park is for you! If you love animals, this park is for you too! I have enjoyed coming to Busch Gardens since I was a child (25 years +) and one of my favorite things about it is, there is something for everyone. It's evolved and changed over the years, but it's core essence is still there. Pro tip: chose a weekday to attend the park, less crowds and more time on rides. They also have an excellent selection of craft beer if that suits your fancy. Christmas town every year from mid November to early January a must see.

It was fun spending new year's eve in Bush Garden. I most say I spend about 12hr in the park and only a hand full of people say hello. Coming from a person that worked in a theme park for a couple of year. I am truly shock of the lack of customer service some Bush Garden employees have. I hope for the new year Bush garden gets better with customer service. But if you are a person the love rides and animals I will recommend Bush Garden.

Very fun and affordable, if you re a thrill seeker it s a very good more local and cheap place to go to if you re a Floridian. Usually the wait lines aren t as long as places like Disney but they can get long most of the time I think it s worth it. Good place to spend days off.

It rained so riders were close on and off but we still had fun..

Nice park. Love the live animals that have been rehabilitated to look at. Food is pricey, so get the all day dining, it pays for itself with two meals. The holiday lights were pretty. Seemed more busy at night then during day... Guessing for the Christmas town thing. Overall enjoyed it. Also would say BBQ place and the dragon place were best for food.

What great time! The animals are well cared for and entertaining. Everyone seems so happy at Busch Gardens. Over the years we've made this park one of our favorites.

Great coasters and wildlife are just as good. Park is very well kept.

Not too crowded. Great value, not just for your money but for your time.

Always a good time! So much to see and do....and the animal encounters are worth every penny. It's a bonus benefit (one time) if you've got a Gold Annual pass! 10 out of 10. Highly recommend!

Thrilling rollercoasters, frightening Halloween Night and in between a beautiful zoo. Bush Gardens has it all and isn t as crowded as other theme-parks.

It is being very safe, making sure that all of the guests are wearing masks, the rides are being cleaned, and people are social distancing. The wait times were not terribly long and we got to do everything that we wanted to.

Always fun however Roaring Rapids in January not smart. Lol.

Park is great mix of rides and zoo. Photo package available for purchase was not worth it. Many ride cameras not working and there was only one photographer in the park.

Great rides, not mega busy and we visited on a Saturday. Nice to see the animals while riding the train.

Been a long time since I was here last and alot has changed, the lines however are worse than ever. They have adapted the pay for fun way of theme park drudgery that requires you to pay extra for a "fast pass" to skip the 2 hour lines on almost every ride so that you can enjoy your visit. We are reaching a point that its gonna be like a local fair where you will pay for an entry fee then have to pay by the ride for each ride individually.

This park is amazing in every way! The rides are a lot of fun and I love seeing g the animals

Despite this crazy pandemic going on they are being very safe with mask policies and their temperature scanning is state of the art.

Not a lot of people so we were able to get into every single attraction.

Nice place when is not crowded lines go faster. Go on monday. Nice rides. Exciting and fast rides. Items inside the park are expensive. Try to get your own water and maybe granola bars as snacks. They also have animals in the park, like elephants, cheetahs, penguins, chimpanzees, hippos and more. Good to bring the kids and the rides for grownups are great. Trigris is the best ride, fast with unexpected turns. Try it!

As the norm during these times; the park was empty feeling with reduced number of guest. Short wait times for rides.

It's such a beautiful place and I love the shops but the Cheetahs were traumatized and frustrated with the crowds and loud noises from the music and coaster above them. So sad to look at.. Also the wait times for the rides and trams make it not worth it. We spent most of our time walking and sweating. They need more shade and fans. Most of the rides were closed and waiting an hour and a half in line isn't worth the wait. Not to mention over crowded and dirty
I stepped in a puddle of urine and was wearing sandles ruined it for me!!!
Some wana be Slim Shady dude was rapping explicitly next to me and my child and staff could care less how loud and obnoxious people are or if they cut in front of you..

Had a fun time, but it is very apparent that unlike Universal, they (Busch Gardens) do not take guest safety seriously during this pandemic. They were not distancing people on many coasters and were loading them fully, not leaving rows open even when the queues had the rows taped off. They were not enforcing guests to wear masks at all times. They were also not sanitizing surfaces at all, kudos to Universal on this who has staff wiping stuff down always.

Busch Gardens is great. It was just extremely hot, and the lines to get a drink was a 30 minute wait. Tried to purchase quick que for rides and was unable too.

Not a very good experience! Still haven t received my refund for the second charge on my account I was charged twice for tickets!

Always a great time. This is more of a adolescent and adult park than a kids park. But if you have the money for a season pass well worth this over a zoo pass.

Staff was very pleasant and helpful! Definitely be back soon.

Great job with cleaning and safety. Loved the rides.

Usually a good time, but figured I would try to get a few hours in on an early August weekend. Who would have thought that it would be busy and that the on and off summer rains would keep me from riding any rides before 6pm? Probably should have thought this one through. But seriously, for FL residents, buying a one day pass and getting to come back through the end of the year is such a great deal. Highly recommended!!

Superb all day fun park. Great activities, shows, animals, rides, costers. Had a really great time.

Just that it took 6 months and the bbb to get my refund back .

Nice time there. The rollercoaster, the food, the shows, etc everything is like a dream

IF YOU LOVE AMUSEMENT PARKS YOU WILL LOVE BUSCH GARDENS, THERE IS SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE!! I SUGGEST CHECKING THEIR WEBSITE FOR THE DATES THEY ARE HAVING DEALS ON TICKETS THO, IT IS QUITE PRICY!!! DURING THE "WINTER" IS THE BEST TIME TO GO, YOU WILL NOT EXPERIENCE VERY LONG LINES!!!