Day 15 – Get Back to Nature With Alexandria at Busch Gardens

With our hearts full of love for wildlife, it was time to get them racing even more aboard the many breathtaking rides of Busch Gardens. First up, was Falcon’s Fury. Reaching heights of 335-feet, it’s the tallest free-standing drop tower in North America, offering blissful views beyond the park all the way to downtown Tampa before it plunged us face-first like a falcon at 60mph. In total, Falcon’s Fury takes just 5 seconds to free-fall back to Earth, but for extended thrills, look no further than the Congo River Rapids. I Know Floridians love being on the water, but think less fishing and more like being the fish, as you're sent twirling down racing waterfalls and caves that left me drenched. For the best of both skyline view and epic twists, you can’t beat the Tigris. Moving backwards and forwards through daring turns like a wildcat, we were catapulted into 360-degree loops that felt like the world was spinning around us.    

To steady our senses, for lunch we had the Zambia Smokehouse, a fast-casual barbecue restaurant where we got stuck into tasty ribs in the outdoor seating area. But we couldn’t keep all the food to ourselves, and soon bounced over to Walkabout Way to hand feed the kangaroos some slightly less tasty grass. Then testing our bellies, we buckled in for the revamped Iron Gwazi. Originally built in 1999, this iconic attraction has gone from a modest wooden ride to not only North America’s tallest coaster but the fastest hybrid coaster in the world: rip-roaring through the skies at 76 miles per hour and in my opinion, lives up to its hype. 

 

To break up our schedule, we watched “the hottest show on ice”, an ice-skating celebration at the Moroccan Palace Theater. Here, smash hits soundtracked ariel acrobats with electrifying moments that put us on the edge of our seats in awe. This award-winning show takes place from Thursdays to Mondays, and is not only family-friendly but wheelchair-accessible. 

To end the day, we continued our quest for the craziest rollercoasters, taking on Cheetah Hunt, Cobras Curse, Montu and more, but ultimately, Busch Gardens is what you make it. With over 60,000 animals on-site and endless nature-themed attractions, whether you have a five-star day like me or not comes down to one thing - are you wild at heart?

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Today’s Top Tips

✅  Do the Serengeti Safari if you get the chance - 100% worth it
✅  Stop and take the time to meet all the animals
✅  As the park is so large, I recommend planning the order of your day beforehand

Today’s Memorable Moments

✅ Meeting Bubba and Big Jim, the Aldabra Tortoises
✅ Hand-feeding the giraffes
✅ Riding the new Iron Gwazi