Adventure Island and Busch Gardens are both SeaWorld recreational parks located at Tampa, Florida. This essay aims to compare and contrast the two parks.
Theme and Land area
Adventure Island is Busch Gardens’ water park. It is located right across Busch Gardens and has an area of 30 acres. It mimics a beach atmosphere which offers lots of fun on the sand and water. Busch Gardens on the other hand, is more of a nature and wildlife park. It has an area of 335 acres, much bigger than Adventure Island.
Park Hours
Park hours for Adventure Island begins at either 9:30 am or 10:00 am and may end at 5:00 pm or 6:00 pm or 9:00 pm depending on the day of the week. Busch Gardens is open from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. Both parks are open the whole year round.
Rides
Adventure Islands has several rides which park visitors can enjoy. They have the Aruba Tuba, Calypso Coaster, Caribbean Corkscrew, Everglides, Gulf Scream, Key West Rapids, Riptide –Florida’s Original Four-Lane Mat Slide, Runaway Rapids, Wahoo Run, and Water Moccasin. The rides in Adventure Islands are mostly water rides. If one is thrilled at getting wet, this is the park to go to.
Busch Gardens has rides that both the young and old can enjoy. These include the Cheetah Hunt, The Wild Surge, Air Grover, Gwazi, Kumba, Montu, Rhino Rally, Scorpion, Serengeti Railway, SkyrideJungle Flyers, Falcon’s Fury, SheiKra and SandSerpent. Unlike Adventure Islands, most rides in Busch Gardens are land-based.
Shows
A disadvantage of visiting Adventure Islands is that there are no shows at the park. If one wants to watch world-class performances, one has to go to Busch Gardens. Shows like the Iceploration, Madagascar Live! Operation:Vacation, Born to Rock, Let’s Get Loud!, A is for Africa and Critter Castaways will surely amaze any park visitor.
Other Attractions
Adventure Islands also have other attractions such as the Spike Zone, which is a white sand volleyball court; the Paradise Lagoon, Endless Surf, Fabian’s Fun Port, Rambling Bayou and Splash Attack. For Busch Gardens, its other attractions are the Animal Care Center, Treetop Trails, the Bird Gardens, Cheetah Run, Serengeti Safari, Edge of Africa, Jambo Junction, Jungala and the Rhino Rally. They also have tours such as the Elite Adventure Tour, the Guided Adventure Tour, and the Heart of Africa Tour. Another fascinating aspect of the Busch Garden is the various experiences which it offers its park goers. They have the Elephant Keeper Experience and the Tiger and Orangutan Keeper Experience which are educational encounters for the kids.
Dining Options
There are several dining options at Adventure Island. One can choose to eat at the Surfside Café, Mango Joe’s, Bayou Beach Club, Duval Street Market and Kurrents or simply choose to cool down and grab some ice cream at Gulf Scream Ice Cream. Busch Gardens also offers a wide array of dining options. There is the Garden Gate Café, Zagora Café, Kenya Kanteen, Crown Colony Café, Orang Café, Bengal Bistro, Desert Grill and the Zambia Smokehouse. For those with a sweet tooth, the Sultan’s Sweets, SheiKra Sweet Treats and Sahara Snacks are worth visiting. For the kids who love to dine with their favorite Sesame Street characters, the Sesame Street Safari of Fun Family Buffet, Sesame Street Safari of Fun Special Event Dining Experiences and Lunch With Elmo and Friends are dining events to look forward to.
Adventure Island and Busch Gardens are parks which are designed for the whole family. They are alternative relaxation places that are worth going to. If one’s family prefers water fun, then the Adventure Island is the place to visit. On the other hand, if one’s family is more into nature tripping, animal adventures and the wildlife, the Busch Gardens it the perfect getaway.
