Tampa: Busch Gardens Tampa Bay Ticket & Multi-Park Options

About This Experience

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is in Tampa, not Orlando, so treat this as a day trip: the drive is roughly an hour and a half each way, and transport is not included. This is an official ticket for the park, which covers 335 acres with an African theme and more than 60 rides, shows and animal habitats. Depending on the option, it covers one day or several days, and it can include other parks.

The coasters are the main draw for most visitors. Iron Gwazi is a hybrid coaster with a 200-foot drop, SheiKra is a floorless dive coaster with a 90-degree drop, and Cheetah Hunt sends you racing across the park in a predator-style chase. Montu and Kumba add classic inversions, and Mako is also included. Rides, shows and seasonal special events are all covered by your admission.

Between rides you can walk through habitats that house more than 12,000 animals. Some options add the Serengeti Safari, an open-air truck tour where you get close to giraffes, zebras and rhinos. At the Animal Care Center you can learn about wildlife care and conservation work. Younger children have their own area, Sesame Street Safari of Fun, with kid-sized rides, water play and characters such as Elmo and Cookie Monster.

The options change what you get. Multi-park tickets add SeaWorld Orlando, Aquatica or Adventure Island, and some include a free shuttle between select parks. The All-Day Dining Deal gives you an entree, a side or dessert and a soft drink every 90 minutes at participating restaurants. Otherwise, food and parking are extra, and outside food is not allowed. The park is cashless, so bring a card or phone payment.

This ticket is not sold with free cancellation, and there are no refunds once it is used, so book when your dates are fixed. It suits thrill-ride fans, teens and families who want coasters and animals in the same day. If you have no car and do not want to arrange the drive to Tampa, an Orlando park will be easier. In summer, expect heat and long waits in sunny queues.

Highlights

• Face the 200-foot drop of Iron Gwazi, a hybrid roller coaster
• Ride SheiKra, a floorless dive coaster with a 90-degree drop
• Race across the park on Cheetah Hunt and take the inversions on Montu and Kumba
• Walk through habitats home to more than 12,000 animals on 335 acres
• Meet giraffes, zebras and rhinos up close on the Serengeti Safari (select options)
• Let younger children play at Sesame Street Safari of Fun, with kid-sized rides and water play

What's Included

• ✓ Entry to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay for one day, or several days on multi-day options
• ✓ Unlimited access to rides, coasters, shows and seasonal special events
• ✓ Access to the park's animal habitats
• ✓ Multi-park options: added entry to SeaWorld Orlando, Aquatica or Adventure Island
• ✓ All-Day Dining Deal on dining options: an entree, a side or dessert and a soft drink every 90 minutes at participating restaurants
• ✓ Free shuttle between select parks on specific multi-park options

Not Included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off, including any transport from Orlando to Tampa
• Food and drinks, unless you book a dining option
• Parking fees, unless your option includes parking
• Serengeti Safari, unless your option includes it

Good to Know & Caveats

• Busch Gardens is in Tampa, roughly 1.5 hours' drive from Orlando, and transport is not included
• No free cancellation, and no refunds once the ticket is used
• All United Parks and Resorts locations are cashless; cards and mobile payments are accepted
• Outside food is not allowed
• On 2-day and longer tickets, the remaining days must be used within 14 consecutive days of first use
• Tickets and discounts are not sold at the park gates, so buy in advance

Meeting Point

The Busch Gardens Tampa Bay main entrance in Tampa; multi-park tickets list different start points, so where you begin depends on the option you book.