Disney Water Parks vs. Anheuser Busch Water Parks - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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Ok, we have season passes to all the anheuser busch theme parks. I am wondering if we should save the extra $$ and just go to Aquatica and Adventure Island (Tampa) or should we bite the bullet and spend the money for the 2 Disney Water parks?? We haven't been to ANY of the 4 water parks, so I know nothing about any of them. I would LOVE to hear reviews of each park!!! Thank you so much for helping me with this!!
Do NOT go to the water park in Tampa. That area of Tampa is very urban and that's where the local residents go because season passes to AI are very cheap. It's dirty and small and crowded. I lived 1.9 miles from Busch Gardens and I wouldn't even go there. I'd rather drive the 53 miles that it was to Disney.
I've heard nothing but great things about Aquatica. I was tempted to go there, but I have mobility disabilities and I cannot climb the stairs, but the slide where you go through the dolphin tank sure looks neat. I would give them a shot before I drove over to Tampa.
I LOVE Typhoon Lagoon. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it. I think Typhoon Lagoon is good for families with small children. Looking at your picture, I think you might do better at Blizzard Beach as I think you would find that park more well rounded. Typhoon Lagoon has a great surf pool, but you need to be a strong swimmer to handle it. There is the shark snorkeling, which is cheesy, but ok. There is the lazy river which you use to get around the park, but I like to go to Typhoon Lagoon because it is easy for me to get to a spot on the beach, the lazy river is behind me, the wave pool is in front of me and that's all I do when I am there.
Blizzard Beach is where the big slides are. There is a better area for children. I think it caters to all age levels where Typhoon Lagoon is really for families with younger children. I've been to both and I enjoyed Typhoon Lagoon because I felt it was more relaxed while my son loved Blizzard Beach because there was more action.
We have only been to the Disney Waterparks. We are Disney loyalist. They are both a lot of fun. The travel channel has rated Blizzard Beach #2 waterpark in the country for several years now. #1 is Shlitterbaun in Austin TX.
We have only been to the Disney Waterparks. We are Disney loyalist. They are both a lot of fun. The travel channel has rated Blizzard Beach #2 waterpark in the country for several years now. #1 is Shlitterbaun in Austin TX.
Ohhh, we have been to Schlitterbaun and it is AWESOME!!! If ever you are near San Antonio, Tx...plan a day there!! Totally worth it!!
Thank you so much!!!! For some reason, I had a feeling about Adventure Island. I am so glad I asked and didn't waste a day there.
Ok, now I am worried about Busch Gardens. Is Busch Gardens another park we should avoid????
Um, I don't know. I have mixed feelings about Busch Gardens. It's just not Disney, ya know? I was there once and I didn't go back. It reminds me a lot of Six Flags and I worked at one for 10 years so I just wasn't impressed. I lived 1.9 miles from Busch Gardens and 53 miles from Disney, yet I chose to spend my money every time at Disney.
There is a world of difference between Tampa and Orlando. The areas around Universal, Sea World, and Disney are catered and designed toward tourists. There are nice hotels, great restaurants and dinner shows, as well as good shopping. Busch Gardens Tampa is like someone bought a city block in the most urban area of Tampa and decided to plunk down an amusement park. The rest of the neighborhood stayed just as it was and did not consider the possible economic advantages to being across the street from a major amusement park. Nearby attractions include MOSI (Museum of Science & Industry) which I visited for the Bodies exhibit. Besides that exhibit, the rest of the place left something to be desired. USF main campus is across from MOSI, featuring the SunDome, but football season is over and the Tampa Aquarium is located in downtown Tampa. From Busch you would take 275 toward the cruise terminals and the aquarium is located there.
If you have season passes already then go ahead and give it a shot if you want to make the drive. It's about 1 hr from Disney and it's not exactly in a touristy spot of town. There's nothing else to see and it's not surrounded by nice restaurants or anything. In fact, the nicest restaurant in the area is located in Busch Gardens. If you are going because you want to make use of your passes and you already are driving then go for it. If you have to incur extra expenses like a rental car (parking is $16!!, but I think there is some kind of shuttle that goes back and forth between the parks), parking, etc., then stay in Orlando.
Thanks for the tips, TheMaddona3! We do have season passes to all of the Anheuser Busch park and our passes include parking. We are driving from Texas and were thinking on stopping in Tampa for 2 days. One day for BG and one day for the beach. After that we are going to head on to Orlando.
May I suggest Fort DeSoto State Park for the beach day?? It's absolutely fabulous and a lot of tourists don't know where it is.
Enjoy your day at BG. If you already have the passes and don't have to pay that atrocious parking then I am sure you will have a good time.
If you feel like it, maybe drive over to Orlando and have a late dinner and check into a hotel after the day at BG? The Boston Lobster Feast is not to be missed. The one on International Drive is the best.
May I suggest Fort DeSoto State Park for the beach day?? It's absolutely fabulous and a lot of tourists don't know where it is.
Enjoy your day at BG. If you already have the passes and don't have to pay that atrocious parking then I am sure you will have a good time.
If you feel like it, maybe drive over to Orlando and have a late dinner and check into a hotel after the day at BG? The Boston Lobster Feast is not to be missed. The one on International Drive is the best.
Thanks for the tip on the beach! I have been asking around about what beach to go to. You must have been reading my mind in regards to the Boston Lobster Feast!!
I personally love BG due to me being a roller coaster fanatic. Its worth it if u have season passes. they have a cute kid section for your lil ones. I fu like Rcs i suggest going to it. Another suggestion for a beach in that area is Clearwater near Tampa. My aunt and Uncle have a condo along that beach and the views r fabulous. If your kids like Seashells, they will love clearwater as most of the beach has amazing shells. We went there on christmas day 2008 and the temp of the water couldn't have been more perfect. Look up Busch gardens in Fl on the web and some of the rides have mini videos.
Wow, I am surprised about the negative responses you have gotten regarding Adventure Island. I have been to AI, Blizzard Beach, and Typhoon Lagoon. As far as slides are considered, I honestly think AI is the best of the three. For theming, it would be BB. I was not really a huge fan of Typhoon Lagoon. I know someone mentioned AI was small...maybe they missed part of it, because AI has always seemed bigger to me than BB and TL. True, I haven't been to AI in several years, but I looked at the website and it doesn't seem like it's changed that drastically. If I had free passes for AI, as opposed to paying for passes for BB and TL, plus you are planning to be in Tampa already it sounds like, I would go to AI. That area is really not that bad, it's just old. It's about two blocks from the Univ. of South Florida, which is a very nice and SAFE campus (and my alma mater, so ok, I am a little biased... ). It's true it's not Disney as far as theming goes, but the slides are great (especially Everglides!).
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I personally love BG due to me being a roller coaster fanatic. Its worth it if u have season passes. they have a cute kid section for your lil ones. I fu like Rcs i suggest going to it. Another suggestion for a beach in that area is Clearwater near Tampa. My aunt and Uncle have a condo along that beach and the views r fabulous. If your kids like Seashells, they will love clearwater as most of the beach has amazing shells. We went there on christmas day 2008 and the temp of the water couldn't have been more perfect. Look up Busch gardens in Fl on the web and some of the rides have mini videos.
Clearwater is crowded and it's hard to find parking anywhere near the beach unless you get there at the crack of dawn. Parking is also expensive for the adjacent lots and then you still have to haul you and all your stuff to the beach. At Ft. DeSoto, it's a state park so it's easy to get a place to park, it's only a few dollars a car load for the whole day, cheaper parking then at Clearwater, and is fabulous for wildlife as well as shelling. Also, it's usually only visited by the locals and therefore is quiet. It also has ammenities like picnic huts that have wonderful views. I think Fort DeSoto paints a picture of the "real" Florida Gulf Coast.
I thought Busch Gardens in Tampa was very fun, my 2.5 year old at the time LOVED it. I was pregnant so I couldn't ride any of the roller coasters, but they have animals and a train to ride around the park. We really liked it. I wouldn't want to spend more than 1 day there though, it would be boring.
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