- July 23rd, 2012, 3:55 pm
#49601
Once again my friend Kijofa and I traveled to Busch Gardens Tampa for a short, yet fun-filled vacation. Even though it's only 2 hours away, this was the first time I've gone in the summer. I try and avoid going during the hotter months of the year, plus it's the "wet season". Well the rain was on and off the entire trip, which was to be expected. Fortunately though because of this the temperatures were much more bearable. The highs were in the mid to upper 80's; much nicer than the perceived mid-90's-100's that some would expect Florida to have this time of year.
Day 1 July 16, 2012:
After arriving in Tampa we had somewhat of a "rough" start to the day. I won't go into those details but everything worked out. After check-in at the hotel, we relaxed a bit before heading on over to. We arrive at the park around 6pm. That may seem a bit late, but we were going for dinner and Kinetix so we were right on time.
Welcoming as always from Tram Stop 1 is this view of my favorite coaster at BGT: Montu. After boarding we head on to the entrance for a nice evening at the park.
Since it's summer, it's time for Summer Nights. The park is open later and with DJs all over the park entertaining guests. Also there is Kinetix, a nighttime show full of singing, dancing, acrobats and more in Gwazi Park at 9; followed by fireworks.
I always like to get a picture of the lion topiary at the entrance. Thank goodness there wasn't a crowd of tourists all around it.
These ducks welcomed us as we headed for the turnstiles
Once inside the park, we head to the right. The first animals we come upon are the Alligators. I always have to get a look at the gators...it's a tradition since my first visit in December 2007.
Continuing on we come to Cheetah Hunt. With 3 launch points and only one inversion, it still packs quite a punch and is family-friendly. It's definitely a good step up for the younger folks who aren't quite ready for the larger multi-inversion coasters.
Here are some more pics of Cheetah Hunt. I didn't ride this or anything else the first day. We basically went for dinner and Kinetix.
Here are a couple of Cheetahs just lounging around conserving energy for that next run.
We ate at The Crown Colony Restaurant. This was our first time eating there; though I have eaten at the Cafe once in '08. We came for the family-style all-you-can eat fish dinner. Normally it's only $15.99 for adults plus drink and tax. To my surprise they were running a special for pass holders after 5pm. It was 2 for $30 and not only included the all you can eat, but other menu items, a salad (or soup) and dessert was included. Not bad at all.
Here we are in the restaurant. The views were very nice.
Let the gluttony begin... Not only do you get all you can eat fish, but the sides as well. They had already brought hot rolls to the table upon sitting. I suggest not eating too many of those if you want to eat the rest of what's in store. The only refill we ordered was some more fish and fries...which I don't think either of us needed...dessert hadn't come yet...lol
Here are our desserts. Mine was a chocolate truffle cake and his a chocolate raspberry cheesecake. It was good. I struggled to eat it all. I rarely have dessert right after a big meal like this. But it was a special occasion. This was another reason I didn't ride anything this evening...I was too full....lol
After eating we go to the second floor so we can walk out onto the terrace. From here you can get more views of the Serengeti as well as this view of Montu. I really wanted to ride, but I don't think the aftermath would have been good. There's always tomorrow.
Here is the statue of Montu; the Egyptian Falcon god-of-war. The whole area is themed quite well. The only gripe I have is lack of rides in this area of the park. Perhaps something will come along in the not to distant future
Since we have some time to kill before the show, and definitely was in no condition to ride anything; we start walking all that food off. We head into the Edge Of Africa. I didn't expect the animals would be very active....point taken by this hyena.
The male lion however was somewhat alert, though resting. The females however were playing around some.
Here we have a Thompson's Gazelle.
We continue right through the Nairobi section of the park. Here's the entrance of Rhino Rally. The ride was much better when the working water portion was available. It's still a nice short attraction that will get you close-up to some of the animals you wouldn't otherwise see.
Also in Nairobi, you will find the park's Asian Elephants.
Next is Timbuktu. This area is like that of a bazaar with many shops, restaurants, games and many of the park's flat rides
The next areas you come to are Congo and Jungala. If you head to the right you will go through the Congo. We skipped that today but will go there later in the trip. We headed straight into Jungla. Here you will find Tigers, Orangutans, Gibbons as well as a few attractions geared toward pre-teen age children.
If you've ever read any of my postings before you will probably know that I love tigers. I could stay in this area all day just watching them play and sleep. If it wasn't so dangerous, I'd love to just go in there and join them.
The next area is Stanleyville. Here you will find 2 of the parks water rides as well as SheiKra.
Here's SheiKra. While it's not the most thrilling coaster I've ever been on, it is a nice ride and offers excellent views from 200 feet up. I guess it does take some nerve for some that have a fear of heights.
Well the time is going by real fast so we head on into Gwazi Park around 8:30 so we can get a seat for the Kinetix Show to finish the day off.
This is the second year this park has done Kinetix. While I don't care for some of the original artists/songs they used, I did enjoy their renditions of them in this show. It's a must see at least once If you ever visit in the summer.
Immediately following the show is a fireworks display.
After the fireworks are over we head towards the tram. After seeing the long line of people waiting we decided to just walk. It's not a short walk, but is manageable. I find it easier to just walk vs. standing in place for long periods of time anyways; especially after being on your feet a long time. We made it to the car faster too...lol After we left we went back to the hotel to relax and prepare for the next day.
Day 2 July 17, 2012:
After waking up around 7-ish and checking out the continental breakfast at the hotel, we head over to the park before they open. The night before we made an "attack-plan" for the park so I would make certain to ride certain coasters and see some of the animals who are generally more active in the morning. After parking and getting to the gates, they held us there until 9am. I could have sworn they let you in further than that, but perhaps something was going on and didn't want park guests in there just yet.
Since this was going to be a more full day at the park, and with afternoon rain chances being worse, I "ran" to Cheetah Hunt so I could get it out of the way.
I was on the 2nd train of the day. I was able to go back through the line and only had to wait about 5 minutes for the 2nd ride. I rode in the back seat both times....the best location to feel all the airtime this coaster provides. After I exited, the wait time had jumped to 30 minutes.
Sticking to the plan I head to Montu and get a couple rides on it as well...before this long line of tour groups got behind me...lol I rode in the back as well both times here. You feel all the g's back there. This is the best inverted coaster out there in my opinion. It's also my # 2 favorite coaster overall. I could ride all day...with bathroom and food breaks in-between of course.
Viewable to the left of Montu is the Serengeti Plain. Here are some of the giraffes.
From there we backtrack a bit and go through the Myombe Reserve; home of the park's gorillas and chimpanzees. This area is so peaceful (as long as it's not over crowded that is). They did a wonderful job recreating the habitats.
This gorilla was just munching on something while staring us down.
Continuing clockwise around the park we head into the original section of the park: Bird Gardens. Here you will find various species of birds and also one of the newer animal attractions: Walkabout Way.
Here in Kangaloom are kangaroos, wallabies, emu and various other species of birds.
Sometimes they let a few "stray" animals walk the paths in this area. Here we have a wallaby taking a nap.
This black swan is always gracing us with it's presence when we come.
Most of the kangaroos were quite active. It's definitely best to visit this area early in the morning before it gets too hot. You can also feed them for a nominal fee.
It's the Emus! Oh and a Cape Barren Goose.
After exiting Walkabout Way, you will find the Flamingos.
Also you will find my favorite topiaries in the the park: the butterflies.
Although it's technically located in the Bird Gardens area, Sesame Street Safari Of Fun is it's own area for the little ones.
Everything here is themed to Sesame Street with a safari twist.
Hey! It's Big Bird. Elmo was close-by but I didn't get him in this shot.
They have some of the cutest rides for children in here. This is Zoe-patra & the Hippos of the Nile; a child-size log flume.
This is Snuffy’s Elephant Romp. Passengers can control how high or low they go.
At Elmo’s Treehouse Trek, children can explore the area from above in this 3-story play area.
Big Bird’s Whirly Birdie looks like fun.
There are many other rides and even a junior size coaster called Air Grover for those just starting out. It's a great area for children.
Next up is Lory Landing, the park's largest aviary. This is always one of my favorite places to walk through. You never know if one of the residents is going to bombard you from above or just land on your shoulder and go for a ride.
Pictured here are a Scarlett Macaw and a Rainbow Lory.
This Roseate Spoonbill was hungry.
They are all so colorful. Here we have a Swainson's Lorikeet and a Red Lory.
I had never seen this one before. It's a Nicobar Pigeon. I had to look this one up. They are found on the Nicobar Islands in the eastern Indian Ocean as well as the islands of Malaysia.
Here we have a Spectacled Owl I've never seen before (or maybe I just didn't notice it). The Toco Toucan had me wanting some fruit loops....lol
Just outside Lory Landing are anteaters, Indian Muntjacs (small deer) and more birds.
Now on to Stanleyville. SheiKra just soars all around. I didn't ride, but have done so many times before. The wait was a little longer than desired and we were trying to get to some food...lol
We did however stop to ride Tanganyika Tidal Wave. Of all the times I've been to the park...this was the first time I've ridden it. This one got us drenched, but not quite as bad as some others I've been on at other parks. I think we were dry within about 30 minutes....well except for the shoes.
It's almost noon and time to eat. We finally get to eat at the Bengal Bistro in Jungala. We got in line at the right time too. As soon as we got through, the line was out the door.
Here's my lunch. Of course I had to bring my souvenir cup so I could take advantage of the $0.99 refills. I had a good ole burger. It was pretty standard, but good. The only complaint I would have is they didn't have pickles to put on it at this location....eh no big deal. My friend's on the other hand was not as good. He had the veggie burger and although the taste was ok, it wasn't as pleasant to look at. He should have gotten the fish after all.
Now that we've eaten, it's time to stroll around a bit in Jungala. Yes I have more tiger pics. They weren't as active as I'd like it tho.
This Orangutan was wading in the water. Not sure if it was looking for something or just trying to stay cool. The others were pretty much napping or hiding as I only saw this one and one other this day.
Due to the on and off again showers and storms after lunch time, most of the rides and outdoor shows had to be put on hold until it was safe again. In the meantime we were able to explore some and found some hidden treasures I'd never noticed. Some of those are these gibbons in Jungala.
The Wild Surge is a junior drop-tower style ride that looks as if you are being shot from a mountain crater.
After strolling through the rest of Jungala, it was time to take a ride on the Serengeti Express, the parks train. During this journey you can see many animals up close and views of some the steel beasts as well. Here is the back end of Cheetah Hunt.
Here you can see Montu in the distance along with some giraffes.
Along the journey you may spot several white rhinos.
These greater kudu look like statues. It was explained that this is a defense mechanism when they feel threatened.
After exiting the train back at the Congo Station, we head back towards the front of the park. Here in Nairobi are some very large tortoises. I thought this one was a statue until it started moving.
In Nairobi, there is a nursery/rehabilitation area for some of the parks animals called Jambo Junction. There are various animals from snakes, frogs, servals, lemurs and hogs to possum, rabbits, flamingos, cranes and more. Sometimes the animal keepers will be around feeding and talking about the different animals here. You may get lucky and get to feed them too.
One interesting animal here is the Indian Muntjac, a small deer species from southern Asia. You will also find them in the Bird Gardens area by Lory Landing.
Once we finish up checking out the animals in Nairobi, we head to the Moroccan Palace to catch the 3:00 showing of "Iceploration". This ice skating show takes you to the 4 corners of the earth on a journey into conservation.
The story revolves around a grandson who is all stuck on technology and isn't much for going outdoors. His grandfather takes him on a trip around the world to show him the wonders of enjoying the wild and being outdoors enjoying nature.
They begin their journey from Tampa and go to the African Serengeti, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, the Arctic and ends with the Amazon Rain Forest before returning home.
This show uses ice skaters in elaborate animal inspired costumes, puppetry, acrobats, live animals and projection screens to tell the story. It's a very nice show that is worth seeing at least once. I think tho it will never be to me what the previous show "Katonga" was. That was my favorite.
After the show, we walked around the park some more. The weather was still not cooperating. It began to rain once again and all the rides shut down. That's Florida weather for you. In between the down pours we made it around to a shop that sold Safari Mix-It-Up (basically a slushee). The location we got ours from you could mix up various flavors from coke and cherry to blueberry and lemonade. It was quite refreshing.
In hopes of getting to ride SheiKra, we headed right over there so I would be right by when the all clear was given. Well I get there and the queue was open. However the ride was not running. Then while in line they announced once again that all rides were temporarily shut down due to lightning in the area. I got out of line and we started heading back to the front. We only intended on staying until about 5 anyways since we were there the evening before. So we head on out after looking through the gift shops and went to the hotel to freshen up and relax before heading to The Olive Garden for dinner.
Day 3 July 18, 2012:
In my usual fashion, I woke up way too early for being on vacation. It was checkout day too. Even tho we were only planning on going into the park for short time, I wanted to get there early, especially to avoid the lines if at all possible. Plus I had a friend vising the area from Texas that was to meet us at the park. So I wake up about 7am and couldn't go back to sleep. I look outside and what do I see? Dark clouds, rain and lightning. I was like you have to be kidding me. It usually does this in the afternoons. Needless to say there wasn't a big hurry to get checked out at first. The rain let up around 9 and we decided to get checked out and head over to the park. We sat in the car for awhile until the rain let up. Once we got in the park, none of the rides were open yet. So I went around taking pictures and waited until something opened.
Once again, the tigers were a little less than active. I guess the weather works the same on them as it does me. I just feel like snoozing when it's raining.
Since none of the rides were open, I thought I'd takes some pics of things I hadn't ever taken before...like this sign by the Congo River Rapids. I still hadn't ridden this one, and it may be awhile still...I don't like getting that wet...lol
The rain let up some so I posed for this pic between Congo River Rapids and Kumba.
My friend posed too with the 'souvenir' $10 umbrella he had to buy. The one he came to the park with was broke....awww.
I saw a short line of ride warriors waiting for Kumba to open. So I thought I would join them and wait since I hadn't ridden it yet this trip. I took a few pics here and there in between the all calls and such.
This is an amazing coaster and is running great even after almost 20 years of service. At about 11:30, they gave the all clear for attractions to open. I was so happy. It's depressing walking around with an umbrella at a theme park and can't ride anything. I rode the 2nd train and was able to get right back on.
Here is another shot I've never taken; at least from this angle/location: Kumba's cobra roll.
Trying not to get a headache, I avoided the head banging U-Banga Banga Bumper Cars. I have never ridden this one. I mean once you've ridden them before somewhere else, it's pretty much all the same, right? I just like the ride's name...lol
I was able to get this great shot of SheiKra right across from the bumper cars. It appears it still hadn't opened yet. This was the first trip to the park where I didn't get to ride it. Oh well...next time.
Since noon was approaching, we were getting hungry so we started heading back to the front of the park. Along the way I stopped to ride the park's oldest standing coaster: Scorpion. I'm in the picture on the right wearing a blue shirt with my hands up in the air.
After making it back to the front of the park, we had lunch at the Zagora Cafe. We pretty much had the same thing as the day before; just a different location. It was better too. They not only had bacon for my burger, but also pickles! His veggie burger was much better too. Originally we hadn't planned on eating in the park for lunch, but the rain changed all that. We had planned on leaving around 1 or 2 with intentions on eating somewhere outside the park before heading home.
I still hadn't heard from my friend who was supposed to join us yet so we started walking back towards Cheetah Hunt. Of course since we had just eaten, I wasn't about to get on anything so we just walked around taking pictures.
Here is some of the theming around Cheetah Run.
I was happy to get a picture of this cheetah resting. It also appeared that Cheetah Hunt was still down due to the weather.
We headed back into Egypt taking more pics.
Then we head into King Tut's Tomb.
I was finally able to get a great picture inside without using a flash. I love my new camera!
Since my food had settled some, and the fact that the rides were running once again, I got in line for Montu. I only had to wait about 10 minutes.
After riding we went through the Edge of Africa once again. You never know what new shots you can get through here; especially when killing time.
Chilean Flamingos, ducks and meerkats..oh my.
Here we have an Impala grazing. I didn't even realize the giraffe was there until after I got home and started going through the pics.
Quite a surprise to me, this endangered White-backed Vulture was up moving around. A first in all the visits I've made to the park.
I was able to get this magnificent shot of the male lion with my new camera. I'm very pleased with how it came out. The females came out great as well.
The hyenas were especially active. Particularly this one who just kept running back and forth....and back and forth...over and over again.
A crocodile's life looks so easy. It's pretty much in the same spot every time we come. If I hadn't ever seen it move, I'd think it was a statue.
The hippos were very active compared to previous trips. This was only the second time I've seen them move around so much. This young one kept biting on a branch in the water. I'm assuming it was doing so to sharpen it's teeth. Where are those animal keepers when you need one?
The Ring-tailed Lemurs were being a bit shy today. There are usually a few right by the glass, but they were nowhere near it. Good thing for zooming.
After finishing up there we decided to ride the train. We waited for it, however once again all the rides were shut down. It was nearing 3pm so we headed to the front of the park to head through the shops before leaving. I still hadn't heard from my fellow coaster-loving friend Jerome. I checked my phone before exiting and saw that he had called about 30 minutes before letting me know he had gotten there so I tried calling him back. After about 30 minutes of trying to reach him, we went to meet him and his friend at Montu.
As I was walking up to the queue, I heard yet another announcement that the rides were down due to weather. So I called him back to see if he was still in line and then joined him in the front row. We talked and caught up on all the coaster gossip/debating/talk. Finally the ride re-opened and we were able to ride a coaster together for the first time. I've known him for about 6 years, but this was the first time we were at the same park at the same time. I hadn't seen him in 4 years and was great seeing him again. After the ride we talked some more before it was time for us to leave.
Overall this was a great trip. I can't wait to go back again. We left the park a little bit later than expected, but we can't control the weather. It was about 4:30 when we headed for the trams. We stopped to gas up and got back to Gainesville about 7.
Day 1 July 16, 2012:
After arriving in Tampa we had somewhat of a "rough" start to the day. I won't go into those details but everything worked out. After check-in at the hotel, we relaxed a bit before heading on over to. We arrive at the park around 6pm. That may seem a bit late, but we were going for dinner and Kinetix so we were right on time.
Welcoming as always from Tram Stop 1 is this view of my favorite coaster at BGT: Montu. After boarding we head on to the entrance for a nice evening at the park.
Since it's summer, it's time for Summer Nights. The park is open later and with DJs all over the park entertaining guests. Also there is Kinetix, a nighttime show full of singing, dancing, acrobats and more in Gwazi Park at 9; followed by fireworks.
I always like to get a picture of the lion topiary at the entrance. Thank goodness there wasn't a crowd of tourists all around it.
These ducks welcomed us as we headed for the turnstiles
Once inside the park, we head to the right. The first animals we come upon are the Alligators. I always have to get a look at the gators...it's a tradition since my first visit in December 2007.
Continuing on we come to Cheetah Hunt. With 3 launch points and only one inversion, it still packs quite a punch and is family-friendly. It's definitely a good step up for the younger folks who aren't quite ready for the larger multi-inversion coasters.
Here are some more pics of Cheetah Hunt. I didn't ride this or anything else the first day. We basically went for dinner and Kinetix.
Here are a couple of Cheetahs just lounging around conserving energy for that next run.
We ate at The Crown Colony Restaurant. This was our first time eating there; though I have eaten at the Cafe once in '08. We came for the family-style all-you-can eat fish dinner. Normally it's only $15.99 for adults plus drink and tax. To my surprise they were running a special for pass holders after 5pm. It was 2 for $30 and not only included the all you can eat, but other menu items, a salad (or soup) and dessert was included. Not bad at all.Here we are in the restaurant. The views were very nice.
Let the gluttony begin... Not only do you get all you can eat fish, but the sides as well. They had already brought hot rolls to the table upon sitting. I suggest not eating too many of those if you want to eat the rest of what's in store. The only refill we ordered was some more fish and fries...which I don't think either of us needed...dessert hadn't come yet...lol
Here are our desserts. Mine was a chocolate truffle cake and his a chocolate raspberry cheesecake. It was good. I struggled to eat it all. I rarely have dessert right after a big meal like this. But it was a special occasion. This was another reason I didn't ride anything this evening...I was too full....lol
After eating we go to the second floor so we can walk out onto the terrace. From here you can get more views of the Serengeti as well as this view of Montu. I really wanted to ride, but I don't think the aftermath would have been good. There's always tomorrow.
Here is the statue of Montu; the Egyptian Falcon god-of-war. The whole area is themed quite well. The only gripe I have is lack of rides in this area of the park. Perhaps something will come along in the not to distant future
Since we have some time to kill before the show, and definitely was in no condition to ride anything; we start walking all that food off. We head into the Edge Of Africa. I didn't expect the animals would be very active....point taken by this hyena.
The male lion however was somewhat alert, though resting. The females however were playing around some.
Here we have a Thompson's Gazelle.
We continue right through the Nairobi section of the park. Here's the entrance of Rhino Rally. The ride was much better when the working water portion was available. It's still a nice short attraction that will get you close-up to some of the animals you wouldn't otherwise see.
Also in Nairobi, you will find the park's Asian Elephants.
Next is Timbuktu. This area is like that of a bazaar with many shops, restaurants, games and many of the park's flat rides
The next areas you come to are Congo and Jungala. If you head to the right you will go through the Congo. We skipped that today but will go there later in the trip. We headed straight into Jungla. Here you will find Tigers, Orangutans, Gibbons as well as a few attractions geared toward pre-teen age children.
If you've ever read any of my postings before you will probably know that I love tigers. I could stay in this area all day just watching them play and sleep. If it wasn't so dangerous, I'd love to just go in there and join them.
The next area is Stanleyville. Here you will find 2 of the parks water rides as well as SheiKra.
Here's SheiKra. While it's not the most thrilling coaster I've ever been on, it is a nice ride and offers excellent views from 200 feet up. I guess it does take some nerve for some that have a fear of heights.
Well the time is going by real fast so we head on into Gwazi Park around 8:30 so we can get a seat for the Kinetix Show to finish the day off.
This is the second year this park has done Kinetix. While I don't care for some of the original artists/songs they used, I did enjoy their renditions of them in this show. It's a must see at least once If you ever visit in the summer.
Immediately following the show is a fireworks display.
After the fireworks are over we head towards the tram. After seeing the long line of people waiting we decided to just walk. It's not a short walk, but is manageable. I find it easier to just walk vs. standing in place for long periods of time anyways; especially after being on your feet a long time. We made it to the car faster too...lol After we left we went back to the hotel to relax and prepare for the next day.
Day 2 July 17, 2012:
After waking up around 7-ish and checking out the continental breakfast at the hotel, we head over to the park before they open. The night before we made an "attack-plan" for the park so I would make certain to ride certain coasters and see some of the animals who are generally more active in the morning. After parking and getting to the gates, they held us there until 9am. I could have sworn they let you in further than that, but perhaps something was going on and didn't want park guests in there just yet.
Since this was going to be a more full day at the park, and with afternoon rain chances being worse, I "ran" to Cheetah Hunt so I could get it out of the way.
I was on the 2nd train of the day. I was able to go back through the line and only had to wait about 5 minutes for the 2nd ride. I rode in the back seat both times....the best location to feel all the airtime this coaster provides. After I exited, the wait time had jumped to 30 minutes.
Sticking to the plan I head to Montu and get a couple rides on it as well...before this long line of tour groups got behind me...lol I rode in the back as well both times here. You feel all the g's back there. This is the best inverted coaster out there in my opinion. It's also my # 2 favorite coaster overall. I could ride all day...with bathroom and food breaks in-between of course.
Viewable to the left of Montu is the Serengeti Plain. Here are some of the giraffes.
From there we backtrack a bit and go through the Myombe Reserve; home of the park's gorillas and chimpanzees. This area is so peaceful (as long as it's not over crowded that is). They did a wonderful job recreating the habitats.
This gorilla was just munching on something while staring us down.
Continuing clockwise around the park we head into the original section of the park: Bird Gardens. Here you will find various species of birds and also one of the newer animal attractions: Walkabout Way.
Here in Kangaloom are kangaroos, wallabies, emu and various other species of birds.
Sometimes they let a few "stray" animals walk the paths in this area. Here we have a wallaby taking a nap.
This black swan is always gracing us with it's presence when we come.
Most of the kangaroos were quite active. It's definitely best to visit this area early in the morning before it gets too hot. You can also feed them for a nominal fee.
It's the Emus! Oh and a Cape Barren Goose.
After exiting Walkabout Way, you will find the Flamingos.
Also you will find my favorite topiaries in the the park: the butterflies.
Although it's technically located in the Bird Gardens area, Sesame Street Safari Of Fun is it's own area for the little ones.
Everything here is themed to Sesame Street with a safari twist.
Hey! It's Big Bird. Elmo was close-by but I didn't get him in this shot.
They have some of the cutest rides for children in here. This is Zoe-patra & the Hippos of the Nile; a child-size log flume.
This is Snuffy’s Elephant Romp. Passengers can control how high or low they go.
At Elmo’s Treehouse Trek, children can explore the area from above in this 3-story play area.
Big Bird’s Whirly Birdie looks like fun.
There are many other rides and even a junior size coaster called Air Grover for those just starting out. It's a great area for children.
Next up is Lory Landing, the park's largest aviary. This is always one of my favorite places to walk through. You never know if one of the residents is going to bombard you from above or just land on your shoulder and go for a ride.
Pictured here are a Scarlett Macaw and a Rainbow Lory.
This Roseate Spoonbill was hungry.
They are all so colorful. Here we have a Swainson's Lorikeet and a Red Lory.
I had never seen this one before. It's a Nicobar Pigeon. I had to look this one up. They are found on the Nicobar Islands in the eastern Indian Ocean as well as the islands of Malaysia.
Here we have a Spectacled Owl I've never seen before (or maybe I just didn't notice it). The Toco Toucan had me wanting some fruit loops....lol
Just outside Lory Landing are anteaters, Indian Muntjacs (small deer) and more birds.
Now on to Stanleyville. SheiKra just soars all around. I didn't ride, but have done so many times before. The wait was a little longer than desired and we were trying to get to some food...lol
We did however stop to ride Tanganyika Tidal Wave. Of all the times I've been to the park...this was the first time I've ridden it. This one got us drenched, but not quite as bad as some others I've been on at other parks. I think we were dry within about 30 minutes....well except for the shoes.
It's almost noon and time to eat. We finally get to eat at the Bengal Bistro in Jungala. We got in line at the right time too. As soon as we got through, the line was out the door.
Here's my lunch. Of course I had to bring my souvenir cup so I could take advantage of the $0.99 refills. I had a good ole burger. It was pretty standard, but good. The only complaint I would have is they didn't have pickles to put on it at this location....eh no big deal. My friend's on the other hand was not as good. He had the veggie burger and although the taste was ok, it wasn't as pleasant to look at. He should have gotten the fish after all.
Now that we've eaten, it's time to stroll around a bit in Jungala. Yes I have more tiger pics. They weren't as active as I'd like it tho.
This Orangutan was wading in the water. Not sure if it was looking for something or just trying to stay cool. The others were pretty much napping or hiding as I only saw this one and one other this day.
Due to the on and off again showers and storms after lunch time, most of the rides and outdoor shows had to be put on hold until it was safe again. In the meantime we were able to explore some and found some hidden treasures I'd never noticed. Some of those are these gibbons in Jungala.
The Wild Surge is a junior drop-tower style ride that looks as if you are being shot from a mountain crater.
After strolling through the rest of Jungala, it was time to take a ride on the Serengeti Express, the parks train. During this journey you can see many animals up close and views of some the steel beasts as well. Here is the back end of Cheetah Hunt.
Here you can see Montu in the distance along with some giraffes.
Along the journey you may spot several white rhinos.
These greater kudu look like statues. It was explained that this is a defense mechanism when they feel threatened.
After exiting the train back at the Congo Station, we head back towards the front of the park. Here in Nairobi are some very large tortoises. I thought this one was a statue until it started moving.
In Nairobi, there is a nursery/rehabilitation area for some of the parks animals called Jambo Junction. There are various animals from snakes, frogs, servals, lemurs and hogs to possum, rabbits, flamingos, cranes and more. Sometimes the animal keepers will be around feeding and talking about the different animals here. You may get lucky and get to feed them too.
One interesting animal here is the Indian Muntjac, a small deer species from southern Asia. You will also find them in the Bird Gardens area by Lory Landing.
Once we finish up checking out the animals in Nairobi, we head to the Moroccan Palace to catch the 3:00 showing of "Iceploration". This ice skating show takes you to the 4 corners of the earth on a journey into conservation.
The story revolves around a grandson who is all stuck on technology and isn't much for going outdoors. His grandfather takes him on a trip around the world to show him the wonders of enjoying the wild and being outdoors enjoying nature.
They begin their journey from Tampa and go to the African Serengeti, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, the Arctic and ends with the Amazon Rain Forest before returning home.
This show uses ice skaters in elaborate animal inspired costumes, puppetry, acrobats, live animals and projection screens to tell the story. It's a very nice show that is worth seeing at least once. I think tho it will never be to me what the previous show "Katonga" was. That was my favorite.
After the show, we walked around the park some more. The weather was still not cooperating. It began to rain once again and all the rides shut down. That's Florida weather for you. In between the down pours we made it around to a shop that sold Safari Mix-It-Up (basically a slushee). The location we got ours from you could mix up various flavors from coke and cherry to blueberry and lemonade. It was quite refreshing.
In hopes of getting to ride SheiKra, we headed right over there so I would be right by when the all clear was given. Well I get there and the queue was open. However the ride was not running. Then while in line they announced once again that all rides were temporarily shut down due to lightning in the area. I got out of line and we started heading back to the front. We only intended on staying until about 5 anyways since we were there the evening before. So we head on out after looking through the gift shops and went to the hotel to freshen up and relax before heading to The Olive Garden for dinner.
Day 3 July 18, 2012:
In my usual fashion, I woke up way too early for being on vacation. It was checkout day too. Even tho we were only planning on going into the park for short time, I wanted to get there early, especially to avoid the lines if at all possible. Plus I had a friend vising the area from Texas that was to meet us at the park. So I wake up about 7am and couldn't go back to sleep. I look outside and what do I see? Dark clouds, rain and lightning. I was like you have to be kidding me. It usually does this in the afternoons. Needless to say there wasn't a big hurry to get checked out at first. The rain let up around 9 and we decided to get checked out and head over to the park. We sat in the car for awhile until the rain let up. Once we got in the park, none of the rides were open yet. So I went around taking pictures and waited until something opened.
Once again, the tigers were a little less than active. I guess the weather works the same on them as it does me. I just feel like snoozing when it's raining.
Since none of the rides were open, I thought I'd takes some pics of things I hadn't ever taken before...like this sign by the Congo River Rapids. I still hadn't ridden this one, and it may be awhile still...I don't like getting that wet...lol
The rain let up some so I posed for this pic between Congo River Rapids and Kumba.
My friend posed too with the 'souvenir' $10 umbrella he had to buy. The one he came to the park with was broke....awww.
I saw a short line of ride warriors waiting for Kumba to open. So I thought I would join them and wait since I hadn't ridden it yet this trip. I took a few pics here and there in between the all calls and such.
This is an amazing coaster and is running great even after almost 20 years of service. At about 11:30, they gave the all clear for attractions to open. I was so happy. It's depressing walking around with an umbrella at a theme park and can't ride anything. I rode the 2nd train and was able to get right back on.
Here is another shot I've never taken; at least from this angle/location: Kumba's cobra roll.
Trying not to get a headache, I avoided the head banging U-Banga Banga Bumper Cars. I have never ridden this one. I mean once you've ridden them before somewhere else, it's pretty much all the same, right? I just like the ride's name...lol
I was able to get this great shot of SheiKra right across from the bumper cars. It appears it still hadn't opened yet. This was the first trip to the park where I didn't get to ride it. Oh well...next time.
Since noon was approaching, we were getting hungry so we started heading back to the front of the park. Along the way I stopped to ride the park's oldest standing coaster: Scorpion. I'm in the picture on the right wearing a blue shirt with my hands up in the air.
After making it back to the front of the park, we had lunch at the Zagora Cafe. We pretty much had the same thing as the day before; just a different location. It was better too. They not only had bacon for my burger, but also pickles! His veggie burger was much better too. Originally we hadn't planned on eating in the park for lunch, but the rain changed all that. We had planned on leaving around 1 or 2 with intentions on eating somewhere outside the park before heading home.
I still hadn't heard from my friend who was supposed to join us yet so we started walking back towards Cheetah Hunt. Of course since we had just eaten, I wasn't about to get on anything so we just walked around taking pictures.
Here is some of the theming around Cheetah Run.
I was happy to get a picture of this cheetah resting. It also appeared that Cheetah Hunt was still down due to the weather.
We headed back into Egypt taking more pics.
Then we head into King Tut's Tomb.
I was finally able to get a great picture inside without using a flash. I love my new camera!
Since my food had settled some, and the fact that the rides were running once again, I got in line for Montu. I only had to wait about 10 minutes.
After riding we went through the Edge of Africa once again. You never know what new shots you can get through here; especially when killing time.
Chilean Flamingos, ducks and meerkats..oh my.
Here we have an Impala grazing. I didn't even realize the giraffe was there until after I got home and started going through the pics.
Quite a surprise to me, this endangered White-backed Vulture was up moving around. A first in all the visits I've made to the park.
I was able to get this magnificent shot of the male lion with my new camera. I'm very pleased with how it came out. The females came out great as well.
The hyenas were especially active. Particularly this one who just kept running back and forth....and back and forth...over and over again.
A crocodile's life looks so easy. It's pretty much in the same spot every time we come. If I hadn't ever seen it move, I'd think it was a statue.
The hippos were very active compared to previous trips. This was only the second time I've seen them move around so much. This young one kept biting on a branch in the water. I'm assuming it was doing so to sharpen it's teeth. Where are those animal keepers when you need one?
The Ring-tailed Lemurs were being a bit shy today. There are usually a few right by the glass, but they were nowhere near it. Good thing for zooming.
After finishing up there we decided to ride the train. We waited for it, however once again all the rides were shut down. It was nearing 3pm so we headed to the front of the park to head through the shops before leaving. I still hadn't heard from my fellow coaster-loving friend Jerome. I checked my phone before exiting and saw that he had called about 30 minutes before letting me know he had gotten there so I tried calling him back. After about 30 minutes of trying to reach him, we went to meet him and his friend at Montu.
As I was walking up to the queue, I heard yet another announcement that the rides were down due to weather. So I called him back to see if he was still in line and then joined him in the front row. We talked and caught up on all the coaster gossip/debating/talk. Finally the ride re-opened and we were able to ride a coaster together for the first time. I've known him for about 6 years, but this was the first time we were at the same park at the same time. I hadn't seen him in 4 years and was great seeing him again. After the ride we talked some more before it was time for us to leave.
Overall this was a great trip. I can't wait to go back again. We left the park a little bit later than expected, but we can't control the weather. It was about 4:30 when we headed for the trams. We stopped to gas up and got back to Gainesville about 7.
Last edited by cwgator on August 9th, 2012, 2:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.
COASTER COUNT: 130
Top 10:
Top 10:
