Gatorland opens to the public after Hurricane Ian with Halloween fun
ORLANDO, Fla. — Here in Central Florida hundreds of homes and businesses are still impacted by Hurricane Ian. But after weeks of repairs, the park is back open to the public. The park looks completely different here than two weeks ago as Hurricane Ian flooded this area, with gators floating overtop a small, submerged island. It’s a welcome sight for CEO Mark McHugh, who was forced to shut the park down for 17 days due to Hurricane Ian. I’ve been through a dozen or so hurricanes and we never even got close to flooding in a hurricane.
wftv.comHave you herd? Busch Gardens Tampa Bay welcomes baby southern white rhino
TAMPA, Fla. — Busch Gardens Tampa Bay recently welcomed a 150-pound rhino calf, and now it’s asking for your help to name him. Theme park guests will be able to see the southern white rhino calf within the coming days when he joins his mother and the remainder of the park’s rhino crash on the Serengeti plain. The public is invited to vote in an online poll to determine the baby rhino’s name now through Oct. 21. Photos: Busch Gardens Tampa Bay welcomes baby southern white rhinoExpand Autoplay Image 1 of 4 Southern White Rhino calf Busch Gardens Tampa Bay recently welcomed a 150-pound rhino calf, and now its asking for your help to name him. (Busch Gardens Tampa Bay)Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
wftv.comHere’s when Iron Gwazi will open at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
TAMPA, Fla. — Busch Gardens Tampa Bay has announced an opening date for its new coaster, Iron Gwazi. Iron Gwazi will plunge riders from a 206 foot-tall peak into a 91-degree drop, reaching top speeds of 76 miles per hour. READ: Gatorland extends Florida resident discountBusch Gardens said riders on Iron Gwazi will experience a dozen airtime moments, including three inversions, as they sink into crocodile-inspired thrills. The new coaster also features all-new thrill components and a reimagined track layout, Busch Gardens said. READ: Universal Orlando announces Mardi Gras concert lineup, more detailsExpand Autoplay Image 1 of 9 Iron Gwazi at Busch Gardens (Busch Gardens)Annual pass members can be one of the first to ride Iron Gwazi during exclusive preview days.
wftv.comChildren’s winter summer camps coming to SeaWorld Orlando, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
(SeaWorld)ORLANDO, Fla. — SeaWorld and Busch Gardens has announced action-park holiday camps for little ones this month. SeaWorld Orlando’s Winter Wonders Day Camp will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Session 1 will take place from Dec. 20-23, and session 2 takes place from Dec. 27-30. Additionally, all campers receive free admission to the park after camp each day.”READ: 9 things to do around Central Florida to get in the holiday spiritEach camp costs $199. The camps will take place at all five SeaWorld and Busch Gardens parks in the U.S. Silver passholders are eligible to receive a discount on camp admission.
wftv.comBusch Gardens Tampa Bay planning lineup of Easter fun
TAMPA, Fla. – Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is planning a lineup of fun and special activities for the Easter holiday weekend. The events will be available to guests with park reservations from this Friday through Sunday. Busch Gardens Tampa Bay’s Food & Wine Festival is currently underway. Guests will also get a chance to attend physically-distant concerts and ride the theme park’s world-class attractions. AdUse the form below to sign up for the ClickOrlando.com In the Loop: Theme Park Scoops newsletter, sent every Friday morning.
All things giraffes: Busch Gardens’ shows off Giraffe Bar, debuts new baby
The Giraffe Bar will feature craft brew flights on custom giraffe tasting paddles with Serengeti viewsTAMPA, Fla. – Busch Gardens Tampa Bay said Thursday guests visiting the theme park will soon be able to visit the Giraffe Bar. Artist rendering of the new Giraffe Bar at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay (Busch Gardens Tampa Bay)While guests sip and savor the flavors, they can also look at the panoramic indoor and outdoor views of the park’s expansive Serengeti Plain, which is home to giraffes, zebra, antelopes, ostriches and more. In addition to the new Giraffe Bar, Serengeti Overlook is home to the newly redesigned Oasis Pizza, which serves up favorites such as handmade pizza, chicken tenders, fresh salads and freshly baked desserts. Busch Gardens said guests can also look forward to more new culinary experiences coming this year. Use the form below to sign up for the ClickOrlando.com In the Loop: Theme Park Scoops newsletter, sent every Friday morning.
Food & Wine festival returns to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
TAMPA, Fla – Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is about to begin its fan-favorite Food & Wine Festival on Feb. 20. Busch Gardens Food & Wine Festival map (Busch Gardens Tampa Bay)Some new dishes include:Five-spice duck lettuce wrapsImpossible™ sliderLollipop chicken drumLobster white cheddar KRAFT mac ‘n’ cheese. A 5-punch sample lanyard will cost $34, an 8-punch lanyard costs $49, while the 12-punch sample lanyard begins at $64. The food and wine festival is free with admission, but reservations are required for entry into Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. Busch Gardens Tampa Bay has health and safety protocols in place including the wearing of facial coverings, temperature checks and social distancing markers.
Bengal tiger at Busch Gardens dies after fight with her brother
(CNN) - Bala, a 13-year-old Bengal tiger at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, has died, the park announced. They were born at the Texas Zoo and moved to Tampa to live at the Jungala habitat in Busch Gardens when it opened in 2007. In December, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay received the Humane Certified seal through the American Humane Conservation program for "demonstrating the good welfare and treatment given to the creatures in its care." "Bala has lived with her brother Bhutan at the park since 2007, receiving world-class care," the park said on Facebook. "Known for her unique coloring, Bala was loved by her care team and the guests who visited Jungala."
A Bengal tiger at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay died after an 'atypical interaction' with her brother
click to enlargeBusch Gardens Tampa Bay says one of its Bengal tigers has passed away. "Bala has lived with her brother Bhutan at the park since 2007, receiving world-class care," the park said in a post on Facebook. "Known for her unique coloring, Bala was loved by her care team and the guests who visited Jungala. "Bala incurred a major injury from an atypical interaction with her brother and was transported to the parks Animal Care Center for emergency care," said park spokesperson Rebecca Romzek. Sim Sim, the parks oldest male gorilla at the time of his death, passed away in September due to a degenerative condition in his right leg.
orlandoweekly.comSeaWorld unveils new multi-directional hybrid coaster coming in 2020
ORLANDO, Fla. - A new multi-directional roller coaster is coming to SeaWorld Orlando in 2020. The ride, which will be located in the Wild Arctic plaza, will be the sixth in the park and SeaWorld's first multi-directional roller coaster. The frosty theme of the ride is meant to highlight SeaWorld's conservation partner, Alaska SeaLife Center. "The Alaska SeaLife Center is excited to grow our partnership with SeaWorld. For many years, SeaWorld has been a stalwart supporter of the Center, and particularly our Wildlife Response program, Tara L. Riemer, president and CEO of Alaska SeaLife Center, wrote in a news release.
Man accused of killing Busch Gardens' flamingo killed
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay via CNNTAMPA, Fla. - A man accused of causing the death of Pinky, a beloved flamingo at Busch Gardens, was hit by a truck and died, two months before he was to go on trial. The Tampa Bay Times is reporting that The Florida Highway Patrol says 48-year-old Joseph Corrao was killed June 5 as he crossed a busy road in Orlando. Correa was accused of grabbing the Chilean flamingo from a pen and slamming it to the ground while visiting the Tampa theme park with his mother and daughters. The severely injured flamingo had to be euthanized. Corrao told police he was trying to show off to his daughter and didn't mean to harm Pinky.
Guests at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay can feed sloths and pet rhinos in new 'Encounter' tours
click image Image via Busch Gardens Tampa BayEven as Busch Gardens Tampa Bay focuses on upcoming big thrill attractions , the animals at the park arent being overlooked. Two new upcharge tours provide guests with unique behind-the-scenes experiences.One tour gives guests a 30-minute visit with the park's numerous sloths, while the other is a 45-minute rhino experience. Similar to the sloth tour, guests on the rhino tour will also see rhino care firsthand and have the chance to pet white rhinos.These new tours are two of more than 10 that the park offers . Both the sloth and rhino tour require all guests to be at least 8 years old. The rhino tour also requires guests to be least 54 inches tall to participate.
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