Busch Gardens Review:
By Joy Atkinson (Summer Intern)

Busch Gardens is located just North of Interstate 4 on Interstate 75, right outside of Tampa. Busch Gardens is located about 1_ hours from Orlando, FL. Busch Gardens contains wildlife and wild rides. With every admission ticket into the park, it helps
protect and help out the wildlife foundation.

This park is ideal for any family. There are exciting rides for the thrill seekers and shows and wildlife for those who are not. The thing I loved the most about this park was the lack of waiting in line. Of all the amusement parks that I had the opportunity to attend, Busch Garden's lines were the shortest. I had the opportunity to ride roller coasters twice in a row without having to wait more then a half an hour. There were 2 large steel roller coasters and 2 large wooden roller coasters. Other coasters in the
park were made in the late 80's and are fun, but not as impressive. If you are a roller coaster fanatic, be sure to ride the Montu. The Montu is a hanging coaster. This ranks in the top ten for longest roller coasters. It is full of loops and tunnels, flips, and goes 65mph, a must do.

Since I needed to cool down from the hot Florida temperatures, there were plenty of water rides available to get me soaked. One of them was, the Congo River Adventure. Some of my fellow park attendees purposely sprayed me with water while I was on my adventure. I was drenched by the time the ride was completed. The tidal wave had a bridge that gets everyone standing on it soaked to the bone. These rides were great additions to my day and made it much more comfortable in the hot sun.

Next, I wanted to sit down for a while. I went to a few shows inside the park. The dolphin show; Wow! These dolphins jumped, twirled, splashed, and performed remarkably. They even selected an audience member to help with the show. Watch out, the closer you sit to the performance, the more likely you will get wet. On command, the dolphin splashed the audience. It was fun to watch everyone get wet while I stayed dry. Second, I attended the Asian acrobatic performance. I was entertained and amazed. These men and women were skilled in moving their bodies' ways that I thought only a pretzel could bend. The humor of the show was when they sought out an audience member for a demonstration. There were other shows such as ice-skating, birds, and Kaptain Kangaroo. But, I wanted to do the final aspect of the park.

The wildlife is located throughout the park. Just walking to all the attractions gave me a small taste of the diverse wildlife located in the park. There were elephants, hippos, giraffes, ostriches, hundreds of pink flamingos, deer, tigers, and many more.
Taking a ride on a Rhino adventure lets you off road and off land into rhino territory. There is also a train and a skyline that allowed me to view part of the animal kingdom without even moving my feet.

Word to the wise, the earlier you get there the shorter the lines will be. Drink plenty of water! It is hot! The shows run throughout the day, keep a good idea of the time, so that you will not miss them. Otherwise, have fun!

Busch Gardens Review:
by Ada Ospina

This is a great family park. There is something for everyone here. Whether you go to the park to ride some of the best coasters in the U.S. or to see some of the most exotic animals in the world, you certainly will have a fun filled day. This park comes equipped with four steel roller coasters, a double tracked wooden rollercoaster, and tons of other impressive rides. The animals go from the American crocodile, to Sloths (like the movie Ice Age), or beautiful Scarlet Macaws.

My day at the park was great. I headed straight for the first thing I saw, Gwazi. This roller coaster is a real thriller. The best part would probably be the feeling of seeing both cars barreling through tracks that come SO close to each other. The adrenaline rush is the best. Kumba and Montu are the other two featured coasters at the park. These steel rollercoasters are ranked highly for a reason. With their speeds, loops, and drops you are left with the feeling that you have mastered the best of the best. The other two coasters, Python and Cyclone, are a bit more simple but still fun to ride.

The heat called for a little water, and Busch Gadens has plenty. Congo River Rapids leaves you nice and wet. You are sitting in a circular raft watching your friends and family get soaked as you spin through the course, not knowing when it is your turn to become drenched. Tidal wave is another fun water ride. The drop felt as good as the water the felt as the boat made its way to the bottom of the drop. If you fear heights you can stand out on the bridge and let the water catch you as you watch the boat plunge towards the bridge.

Lunch at the park was beyond my expectations. The prices were reasonable and the service was top notch. They have more than the basic burger and fries. You can get filet mignon, baby back ribs, or roast beef sandwiches at various places throughout the park. I also got to have a big peice of fresh baked chocolate cake.

After lunch I tried Rhino Rally, which takes you in an off road vehichle and you get to see the animals up close, which was very exciting. As you are in the truck you see rhinos, elephants, and zebras walking by. If you want to see the animals up close, this is a definite must ride.

Throughout the park I got the chance to see many animals that I've never seen up close before. There was the baby bird area, which had baby flamingos, african greys, and a bunch of other cute birds. There were baby crocodiles swimming in their little pond, right across from the sloths and bats. You see camels hanging around as you ride the sky ride and elephants laying out in the warm Florida sun.

The last thing I did before I left the park was went to see the Haunted Lighthouse show. This show was amazing. It's a 4-d show that does a good job at scaring you. The show comes from R.L. Stine, who is great at scaring people. It worked on me.

In all my day at the park was great. It is really worth the trip to Tampa to go to Busch Gardens. You get theme park, zoo, and great dining all in one.