Busch Gardens Tampa: My First Experience Didn’t Go As Planned

Intro

Welcome back to the birthday adventure!

If you followed along on Day 1, you know it was a day of “firsts” and “lasts.” I started the morning at Animal Kingdom, braving a surprise Florida cold front to say a bittersweet final goodbye to Dinoland U.S.A. and witness the new Zootopia: Better Zoogether! show at the Tree of Life. From there, I park-hopped over to Epcot to immerse myself in the International Festival of the Arts, where I traded safari trucks for Cosmic Rewind and “giraffe traffic jams” for a deconstructed BLT.

After ending that freezing 30-degree night with the magic of Disney on Broadway live in concert, I woke up on Day 2 ready to keep the momentum going. While Day 1 was all about the nostalgia and innovation of Walt Disney World, Day 2 takes us beyond the Mickey gates.

Today, the journey continues as I swap the Disney bubbles for a different kind of thrill. From the high-speed coasters of my next destination to more birthday treats, the central Florida adventure is only getting started. Grab your coats (seriously, it’s still freezing!) and let’s dive into Day 2!

Busch Gardens Mears Shuttle Bus From Orlando to Tampa

The Busch Gardens Shuttle Express (operated by Mears Destination Services) is a round-trip motorcoach service that transports guests from various Orlando locations to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay.

Here are the key details for the service as of 2026:

Cost and Eligibility

• Price: The shuttle is free for any guest with a valid Busch Gardens admission ticket, Fun Card, or Annual Pass.
• Reservations: Highly recommended (and often required) by 11:59 PM the night before travel. Same-day walk-ups are usually not accommodated.

Route and Schedule

• Pickup Locations: There are typically four to six designated stops in the Orlando area, including:
  • Universal Area: DoubleTree by Hilton at the Entrance to Universal. From where I was picked up.
  • International Drive: ICON Park.
  • SeaWorld: SeaWorld Orlando bus parking.
  • Kissimmee/Lake Buena Vista: Specific spots like Publix on Vineland Ave or Old Town.
• Arrival/Departure: Shuttles generally arrive at the park between 10:30 AM and 11:00 AM. Departure from the park usually occurs at park closing or a designated time (like 7:00 PM) during peak seasons.

What to Expect

• Travel Time: The ride takes approximately 90 minutes to 2 hours, depending on traffic on I-4.
• Amenities: The service uses standard motorcoaches, which often include climate control and occasionally educational videos or in-ride entertainment.
• Stops: Each shuttle may make a maximum of three stops before heading to Tampa.

I booked the night at DoubleTree by Hilton at the Entrance to Universal so it would be an easy morning for me, just waiting outside at 8:00 AM. The room was amazing, it had more than I needed to be honest.

The next morning, the bus picked me up at 8:00 AM sharp. It was below freezing temperatures, so let’s see what this day would bring to us.

After a little bit more than one hour we were in Tampa, and entering the Busch Gardens area. The next bus would leave at 6:15 PM, only 15 minutes after park closing. This information was so wrong though, but you will see.

The bus is big and very comfortable.

Entering Busch Gardens and animal sightseeing

I do not know what I was getting into with this weather, everything seemed to be closed at the moment, but I had some hopes to see something at least. My goal of going into the thrilling rides like the roller coasters. Let’s see.

My first impression of Busch Gardens Tampa, a park I had never been to, was animals lol. It was the only thing I could see, so for now, I started exploring as there was nothing opened yet, and there were no crowds. Seeing the Cheetah Run was cool.

Then I started walking towards Cobra’s Curse or Montu, and saw these pelicans by the Edge of Africa area. Unfortunately, there were many closures all over the paths…

But it allowed me to see some giraffes in the distance. Literally yesterday, I had been stuck on a Giraffe traffic jam at the Kilimanjaro Safari in Animal Kingdom.

I was all covered with my winter attire, including globes, and all I wanted was some roller coasters to get some adrenaline, but this weather does not allow these rides to operate. There has to be some temperature for them to be operational.

Came back to the Cheetah Run area, and they were now more active. It was literally the only attraction opened at this time lol.

So cute tho.

Exploring the desolated park

Passed by the Serengeti Express and it was also closed. I really needed an attraction to ride, even this train would satisfy lol.

The carousel was operational, but not a fan of spinning and every childish rides.

Another attraction that eventually opened, by 11:20 AM was the Ubanga Banga Bumper Cars.

Something odd was seeing the Chick-fil-A, although it also seemed closed at the moment. I was taking advantage of any enclosed space to stay out of the cold, and this could have been a good opportunity for lunch.

I was really going deep into the park really quick, and now I was about to do a 360.

The Real Music Series is the longest-running concert series at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. It typically takes place in the first quarter of the year (January through late February) and features a nostalgic lineup of classic rock, soul, Motown, swing, and R&B performances. For the 2026 season, the series ran from January 5 through February 20. There were no shows today tho.

Quickly passed by a deserted Sesame Street land, very cute. Similar to the one in SeaWorld Orlando.

More animals, this time the Flamingo Habitat, and I gotta say they were really beautiful, probably some of the best sights of today so far.

Front of the park and Mardi Grass

I had completed a 360 of the park almost, and now I was about to enter the area where the Mardi Grass celebrations are being held.

The Mardi Gras celebration at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is a seasonal, family-friendly event that brings the spirit of New Orleans to the park. For the 2026 season, it ran on Saturdays and Sundays from January 24 through March 1.

Key Highlights

• Cost: The event is included with park admission, Fun Cards, and Annual Passes.
• Entertainment:
  • The Queen’s Mardi Gras Jamboree: A high-energy procession featuring street performers, brass bands, and stilt walkers.
  • Bead Toss: Beads are thrown to the crowd at the end of the jamboree and from the “Bead Balcony” at designated times.
  • Live Music: The Krewe de Four (a live brass band) performs frequently throughout the day near the Bird Gardens.
• Cajun Cuisine: The park sets up themed food cabins (typically opening at 12:00 PM) serving New Orleans staples.
  • Popular Dishes: Crawfish Étouffée, Gumbo, Po’ Boys (Shrimp or Sausage), Jambalaya, and Muffuletta sandwiches.
  • Sweets: Mini Beignets and King Cake are the signature desserts.
  • Drinks: New Orleans-style Hurricanes and specialty seasonal beers like Abita Mardi Gras Bock.

The Sampler Lanyard

To try multiple items, the park offers a Mardi Gras Sampler Lanyard (starting around $35 for 5 items). This is often the most cost-effective way to taste the different Cajun and Creole offerings.

Some of the shows obviously not happening at the moment because of the cold front.

I was definitely going to try these 2 items later when these tents would open.

And yes, I passed by the attraction that made me buy tickets for this park: Iron Gwazi. Closed for weather, I definitely need to come back just for this roller coaster. Let’s see what this date would continue bringing.

Wanted to go to the next show at the Moroccan Palace, so rushed there, and passed by the Alligator Habitat on the way.

By the front of park, I got the chance to escape from this cold front, and get into the Moroccan Palace for the next show of Rhythm of Nature. You can just pass on this if you have more priorities. Not my cup of tea for a show in a theme park.

After that, I went to the Serengeti Overlook Pub, and front there I got a nice view of all the animals in the savannah, like giraffes and addaxes.

Lots of antelopes.

The gazelles are so cute too next to the track of Cheetah Hunt.

Serengeti Express

The Serengeti Express finally opened at around 1:30 PM, and after waiting for a bit in the cold, I was able to go on the Nairobi Train Station and wait for the train.

And there it was, the first and only ride of a day that promised so many trilling attractions lol.

The views from the train were cool, mostly focused at the beginning on the savannah, and for example, the giraffes mixed with roller coasters, were the go-to for the sightseeing.

Got to see an emu too.

And a large sable antelope.

A species I do not think I had seen before was the waterbuck, and they were so curious to look to. The narration on the train was pretty good too.

Another species of antelope, the Greater Kudu was just looking around the train tracks.

The train did a 360 around the park, but before that, we passed by the Skyride station which was not working on this day either.

We finally saw some rhinos at the very end of the ride, but as they were saying this, closer to 2:00 PM, they announced that now the park would be closing at 3:00 PM instead of 6:30 PM. I kind of freaked out because of the bus, but was also happy that I was leaving since nothing was opened. I immediately called Mears Connect, and they said that the bus got re-scheduled as well for 3:00 PM so I was good.

A Mardi Gras good bye

Since now I needed to rush my end of this park, I still wanted to try those treats I saw earlier, so I walked fast to The Bayou Jester booth, and got myself some fried catfish and mini beignets. Let me tell you something, for treats to be my favorite ones in any park or any place, they really messed up big time with these 2. What a horrible taste, texture, size, temperature, and everything really for both these items. I was in disbelief. And for $20!!! I am never going to try any festival treat ever again from this park when I come back.

While I was buying those disgusting treats, there was a parade, that looked pretty sad. Probably because of the weather not many people were seeing them, and in general it just looked bad.

When leaving the park, I noticed some people lining up on Guest Relations, and figured I’ll do the same. I went in there, and they did not want to give refunds, which was crazy to me, given that nothing was opened. They offered me a 1-year valid Single Day ticket to come back. I was like, hey I live in New York, and I do not come to Tampa often. Anyways, I took it, and went to the shuttle bus to decide what I’d be doing for the rest of this cold day, and this trip in general, but you will see that in the next post.