Busch Gardens 3rd Annual Food and Wine Festival

Hey Thrill Seekers,

Food, wine, animals and rides – I personally can’t think of a better combination.. Well, as long as the animals aren’t drinking the wine and you don’t go on a ride straight after eating 😉

Busch Gardens annual Food and Wine festival will be on every Saturday and Sunday from the 4th March until the 30th April. The festival area will be open from midday until 9pm and the headline concerts will start at 7pm. The whole 9 week festival will be jam packed with chart topping artists and enough food and drink to keep even the hungriest of people satisfied.

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‘From family-friendly animal encounters and crafts to festival games and live entertainment, the Busch Gardens® Food & Wine Festival is filled with exciting experiences around the park that pair perfectly with your culinary adventures.’

Loads of huge names will be taking centre stage each weekend and the headliners will begin at 7pm over on Gwazi Field. Some of the many artists include:

  • Sat 4th March – Daughtry
  • Sun 5th March – Andy Grammer
  • Sat 11th March – Goo Goo Dolls
  • Sun 12th March – Kool & The Gang
  • Sat 18th March – Young the Giant
  • Sun 19th March – Jason Isbell & John Hiatt Trio
  • Sat 25th March – NBC’s The Voice finalists Craig Wayne Boyd & Adam Wakefield
  • Sun 26th March – El Gran Combo
  • Sat 1st April – DNCE
  • Sun 2nd April – Walk Off The Earth
  • Sun 9th April – Daya and Matt Nathanson
  • Sun 16th April – Newsboys
  • Sat 22nd April – Gilberto Santa Rosa
  • Sun 3rd April – Lynyrd Skynyrd

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Here’s just a snippet of what food and beverage is going to be on offer..  duck tacos, lobster ravioli, bacon mac & cheese, brown sugar rubbed pork belly, banana foster panna cotta, gator bites, and cabernet-filled chocolates – as well as an expanded selection of wines, craft brews and cocktails. YUM!!

Don’t forget that this great event is included with your admission ticket for Busch Gardens – food and beverages are not included and will be available at extra fee’s.

So if you’re heading on down to Busch Gardens between the 4th March – 30th April then make sure you don’t miss out on this four senses masterpiece – my mouth’s watering just at the thought!

Smiles Included,

Jess

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Ever Wondered How Many Calories You Burn Visiting Busch Gardens Tampa?

Morning Thrill Seekers,

Burning calories has never been so much fun! I burnt over 1000 calories at Busch Gardens!Busch_Gardens_Tampa_logo

I know what you’re thinking, in order to burn over 1000 calories you should be running 10 miles or hiking up a huge hill or spending the day clearing out the loft (yes, its on my list of things to do too!) However, there is a better way!

Here at Orlando Attraction Tickets we just love interesting theme park data. So, on the 10th of June, as an experiment, we thought it would be interesting to find out just how many calories you could burn on an average day at a Florida theme park. Luckily for me I was spending a little time in Florida courtesy of our friends at SeaWorld Parks and Entertainments. On this particular day I was scheduled to be at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay.

So, 10 am I arrive at Busch Gardens. I am going to be using my Nike Fuel Band to record my daily steps and calorie burn. Here’s how my day panned out, ride by ride;

1) Cheetah Hunt – Roller Coaster

Thrill seekers take note. One of the best roller coasters in Florida. So fast, and well worth the wait! This triple launch coaster carries riders high above the park and then races down along the ground through a rocky gorge. At a length of 4,400 feet, it is the park’s longest thrill rides.

cheetah hunt fam trip

2) Iceploration – Show

As it was such a hot day, ducking out of the heat for a show seemed like perfect timing. Iceploration is an amazing show with some exceptionally talented cast members. This 30-minute show combines some of the most amazing aspects of the park’s rich entertainment history, including world-class ice skaters, larger-than-life puppets, amazing costumes, gymnasts, original music and even real animal stars.

Iceploration

3) Serengeti Safari

The closets you’ll get to a real life Safari experience. The Serengeti Safari is set in 65 acre recreation of life on the home of the last great migration on earth. You’ll meet familiar favourites like zebras, giraffes and ostriches while learning about other exotic animal species. Make sure your camera is handy as you’ll grab some amazing pictures.

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Break for lunch at the Zambia Smokehouse – if you like your ribs, this place is for you!

4) SheiKra – Roller Coaster

I love this ride! Climb 200 feet to the edge of a 90-degree drop that inches you mercilessly over the edge—and stops! Then surrender to speed as you dive straight down into a 70 mph coaster whirlwind with an Immelmann loop, a second dive into an underground tunnel and a splashdown finale that drenches SheiKra fans queuing up to catch their own piece of the fun.

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5) Animals

Take some time to view some of the amazing animal enclosures. I checked out the meerkats, Gorillas, Lions and elephants. I think it’s probably quite easy to fill up a whole day taking a lazy stroll round the park checking out the wildlife. You’ll get some stunning pictures too so make sure you have your camera handy!

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6) Congo River Rapids – Water Ride

The best way to cool off on a hot day? head straight to the water rides of course and Congo River Rapids does not disappoint. Climb aboard for an exciting white water rafting expedition that will send you twirling down this raging river, where thrilling plunges, looming waterfalls and a mysterious water cave are just a few of the surprises it holds. Be warned – you will get wet!

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So, there you have it. I actually burnt 1063 calories and took 14059 steps! But you know the most amazing thing is that it didn’t feel like I’d been exercising. I guess its all relative eh?

Just for the record, I suppose you should consider the fact that we are all different and we all burn calories at different rates. However, the next time you are at Busch Gardens and you suddenly fancy a nice cold ice cream, remember, you probably earned it 😉

Here is the information you’ll need if you plan on visiting Busch Gardens;

Busch Gardens is included within the following tickets

Top Tip: Busch Gardens offers FREE transport from Orlando. Check out the following post for more details: How to use the free shuttle bus service to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay

Car Rental: Alternatively for those that like to make their own way to the parks you can find cheap Florida car hire via our partner website usrentacar.co.uk

If you’re interested in knowing how I faired at SeaWorld Orlando then check back soon!

Thanks for reading,

Karl

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