Starting November 21st Busch Gardens will be unveiling its new look for the holiday season. The park is in its 50th year of operation, bringing a large variety of entertainment options to its guests. Whether you love to ride roller coasters or check out beautiful animals and greenery, there is something for you at Busch Gardens. Unlike the Orlando theme parks, Busch Gardens is located just a short car trip away in Tampa Bay. It’s the #1 destination spot for the bay area and receives a record number of visitors every year, mostly thanks to its amazing roller coasters like Montu, SheiKra, Scorpion and Kumba. For thrill-ride enthusiasts this is definitely the place to be and, usually, Busch Gardens is considered a more adult-friendly theme park. That doesn’t mean it’s not a good place for the kiddies, it’s a great place for everyone—especially during the holidays!

Over at the Stanleyville Theatre, guests will be treated to the show Christmas on Ice. It’s only a limited engagement show, so you’ll have to make sure you get your discount theme park tickets and plan your trip accordingly. Professional ice skaters will delight you with routines choreographed to your favorite holiday songs. Over at the Marrakesh Theater, Christmas from the Heart will feature an amazing gospel choir that will lift your spirits as they perform an incredible medley of holiday and spiritual favorites.

If you like to have a big breakfast experience, reserve a spot at the Santa breakfast at the Desert Grill. At this special breakfast, Santa and his Elves will join diners for a commemorative photo op and then a private performance featuring seasonal songs and tap dancing. Along with all of these great shows, you will also find merry carolers singing throughout the park, beautiful decorations and endless, bright poinsettias. This is just the beginning for the holidays at Busch Gardens, since New Year’s Eve is right around the corner! Special fireworks for the New Year’s celebrations begin December 26th through the 30th and they culminate with a big bash on the 31st.

If you’ve never been to the Busch Gardens Tampa Bay theme park for the holidays, this is a great year to start! You will enjoy the beautiful holiday shows as well as the classic Busch Gardens traditions!

Walt Disney World isn’t the only place in Orlando where you can get fun free treats on your birthday (read up on the What Will You Celebrate? promotion if you have no idea what we’re talking about). At Busch Gardens in Tampa, the park is now offering a free Serengeti Safari if you come to the park on your birthday. Great thrill rides, fun animal encounters, and a one-of-a-kind journey into the park’s animal habitats – what else could you ask for on your birthday? Except for cake, of course.

An up-close, 30-minute-long open-truck tour, the Serengeti Safari at Busch Gardens takes guests into the wild of the park’s 65-acre Serengeti Plain, where they’ll see some magnificent animals from a perspective most guests don’t get to enjoy. Safari riders will get nose-to-nose with a giraffe, learn a thing or two about zebras, and understand exotic species like bongo, eland, and ostrich. They’ll even get to hand-feed giraffes and antelopes. Guests are guided on their trek into the wild by a Zoo Educator, who’ll help bring them closer to the wildlife while sharing their seemingly infinite knowledge.

Normally, the Serengeti Safari at Busch Gardens is only available with an extra fee of .99. But from now through the end of the year, if you come to Busch Gardens on your birthday, you can explore the Serengeti Plain for free! Simply visit the Adventure Tour Center located in the Moroccan Village area of the park to reserve your safari expedition.

If you plan on taking advantage of this great offer, be sure to bring proof of your birth date to the park in the form of a valid driver’s license, government-issued ID, or an original or certified copy of a birth certificate. The offer is valid for the birthday adventurer only, who must be five years of age or older to participate, and it doesn’t include free admission to Busch Gardens, which is still required.
Incidentally, this free birthday Safari is being offered in honor of Busch Gardens’ 50th anniversary. To kick off a year-long celebration of 50 years of fun, the park is also hosting Summer Nights at Busch Gardens, a summer-long series of nightly parties filled with entertainment, music, and food. Busch Gardens has also opened a brand-new exhibit dedicated to the history of the park, featuring a historical photo timeline and artifact displays including vintage uniforms, classic coaster cars, ride designs, and more.

To join in on the celebrations and to take advantage of a free Serengeti Safari if your birthday’s coming up soon, plan a trip to the wildest theme park in Tampa. Take a look at discount Busch Gardens tickets on DWTickets.com and have fun safari-ing!

As we’ve previously reported, Busch Gardens is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, and to mark the occasion, the park will be pulling out all the stops this summer with extended hours, special entertainment, and festive food and drink every night. Summer Nights at Busch Gardens will heat up Tampa Bay every evening from June 6 through August 16, and it’s sure to be the best event of the season as the park marks half a century of providing family adventures.

The fun kicks off this Saturday, June 6, with music from the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s performed by original artists in Gwazi Park. The night will be capped by a spectacular fireworks display. Then on July 3, guests will be able to groove to David Cassidy in Concert, while the 4th of July features Starship and Mickey Thomas, along with another amazing fireworks show.

On every night in between this Saturday and the festivities in July and thereafter, Busch Gardens will also feature Darren Romeo, the voice of magic, presented by master magicians Siegfried and Roy. Romeo will thrill the crowds with his captivating mix of magic and music in the Moroccan Palace. Meanwhile, at the Marrakesh Theater, Jeff Civillico will present his amazing blend of comedy, juggling, balancing, athleticism, and audience participation. And every night, an infectious new dance choreographed expressly for park guests will keep the energy in the park amped, while DJs spin party songs from four different spots throughout Busch Gardens.

While guests enjoy the hot tunes, fun shows, and the thrill of riding their favorite coasters in the dark, they can also visit the new exhibit honoring Busch Gardens’ 50th birthday. Hundreds of items, including photos, souvenirs, and artifacts, are on display, along with a 70-foot timeline marking milestones from the park’s humble beginnings as a bird garden and brewery tour, all the way to its present day status as a world-renowned adventure park. The exhibit is located between the Crown Colony House Restaurant and the Clydesdale Hamlet and is open during regular park hours.

While normal park hours usually end at 7 pm, during Summer Nights at Busch Gardens, the park will be open until 9 pm Sundays through Thursdays and until 10 pm on Fridays and Saturdays. Best yet, all these extra hours of fun and excitement are included with regular Busch Gardens admission, making it one of the summer’s hottest deals.

So if you love the atmosphere of a high-energy street party, check out discount Busch Gardens tickets on DWTickets.com to get your pass to summertime dancing, music, and partying at the hottest theme park in Tampa, Florida.

In addition to being a super-fun theme park with adrenaline-rushing thrill rides, wild animal experiences, and other unique attractions, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is a great place to hear some great music. Recently, for example, the park hosted the Viva La Musica festival, which was a feast for the ears with a wide range of great Latin music. And before that, the Bud & BBQ festival lit up the park with some of today’s hottest country artists. Now, the park continues its dedication to great tunes with Glory at the Gardens, a Christian music series taking place May 9 and May 16.

A brand new event premiering at Busch Gardens Tampa, Glory at the Gardens will offer a jam-packed festival of music and fellowship set amid the thrills, animal encounters, and world-class entertainment of the park. Five concerts will take place each day with performances from the biggest names in contemporary Christian and Christian rock, including Dove Award winners and nominees.

On Saturday, May 9, Busch Gardens will welcome headlining performer Reliant K; there’ll also be performances by NEEDTO BREATHE, This Beautiful Republic, Worth Dying For, and Sanctus Real.

And on Saturday May 16, you can catch headliner Steven Curtis Chapman, along with other performing guests Matthew West, Brandon Heath, Sara Groves, and Joel Auge. On each day, Gwazi Park will open at noon with music, radio personalities, vendors, and food. Concerts start at 1 pm, and the headliner will perform at 4 pm.

If you really love Christian music and want to make an experience out of one of the Glory at the Gardens concerts, you might want to check out a Glory at the Gardens VIP Ticket. Separate from Busch Gardens admission, this ticket will get you front and center stage for the concerts in the “VIP Circle.” It also scores you a meal certificate redeemable at any one of Busch Gardens’ restaurants for an entrée, any one extra item like a side or dessert, and a beverage.

However, you can always score a great seat at the featured Glory at the Gardens concert by arriving early and staking your spot in Gwazi Park. No extra fee or ticket is necessary for attending the concerts; both days of concerts are included with regular admission to Busch Gardens. So if you’re a big fan of great music in a fun atmosphere, you won’t want to miss out this first-ever concert series at Busch Gardens. Check out Busch Gardens tickets at DWTickets.com now and get your access pass to Glory at the Gardens, which is sure to be the hottest Christian music series of the year in Orlando.

If you want to go get up close and personal with marine animals, go behind the scenes to meet a penguin, and plunge into the realm of the shark, chances are that a regular trip to SeaWorld Orlando just isn’t going to do it for you. But don’t fret! Those who want to experience the Orlando theme park in a truly unique way can try one of SeaWorld’s brand new tours. Perfect for those who have seen and done everything at the park or want a truly memorable trip out of their visit, these new 2009 tours blend adventure and education into an amazing day of fun with the animals.

First, there’s nothing like getting a close look at the inner workings of SeaWorld on the Behind-the-Scenes Tour. On the tour, guests will visit SeaWorld’s Rescue & Rehabilitation Center, explore a polar bear’s hidden den, come inches away from a penguin, and interact with a small shark. Best yet, ten percent of each tour admission is donated to the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund.

For dolphin and penguin fans, SeaWorld offers the Dolphin Spotlight and the Penguin Spotlight tours. The first offers the opportunity to learn from SeaWorld’s animal care specialists about what it’s like to work with dolphins. Guests will go backstage to the Whale & Dolphin Stadium and witness training sessions with the Atlantic bottlenose dolphin. Then they’ll get to practice what they saw at SeaWorld’s Dolphin Cove during a special training session.

During the Penguin Spotlight, guests will meet some of SeaWorld’s amazing puffins and penguins. They’ll learn about caring for these amazing birds from aviculture experts while exploring SeaWorld’s Penguin Encounter.

And for extra special visitors to SeaWorld, there’s the VIP Tour and the Elite VIP Tour. On the former, guests will embark on exhilarating thrill rides, enjoy spectacular shows and find out what it’s like to feed dolphins, sting rays, and sea lions. They’ll even get close to everyone’s favorite killer whale during Dine with Shamu, a poolside lunch.

On the Elite VIP tour, similar fun abounds with Manta, SeaWorld’s new flying coaster set to open May 22. Guests will get splashed by an 11,000 pound whale, encounter amazing animals, and meet a tuxedo clad penguin. The day finishes with dinner at the Sharks Underwater Grill.

But that’s not all; SeaWorld also offers Animal Connection Programs, which offer incredible opportunities to interact with amazing animals and experience up-close encounters. There’s the Beluga Interaction Program, which allows guests to step into the Wild Arctic’s chilly 55 degree water and come face-to-face with the beluga whale, and the Sharks Deep Dive, which puts guests into a wet suit and a Sea Trek helmet and plunges them underwater for a close encounter with more than 30 sharks.

All these amazing tours and programs require an additional ticket and can be reserved via SeaWorld’s website. However, SeaWorld admission isn’t included in that ticket and is required. So if you want to experience SeaWorld in a whole new way while saving money, be sure to visit DWTickets.com for discount SeaWorld tickets. And check out the park’s behind-the-scenes adventures and animal encounters for an adventure you’ll never forget.

If you’re looking for a festive celebration, you’ll definitely find it this time of year in Orlando; Universal Orlando is kicking up the fun a couple notches with its Mardi Gras celebrations, and Busch Gardens recently had their own version of the festival with the Bud & BBQ event. But the Worlds of Discovery parks aren’t stopping there; as springtime begins to heat up the Orlando air this month, SeaWorld and Busch Gardens will also be turning the temperature up a few degrees with its Viva La Musica Festival, taking place on Saturdays and Sundays from March 7 through March 29.

A great event celebrating Hispanic culture at its best, Viva La Musica will spice up the usual fare at SeaWorld and Busch Gardens with live performances from a different award-winning Latin artist each day. In addition, guests will be able to enjoy the flavor of the heritage with popular Hispanic food as well as authentic arts and crafts. The fun starts on Saturdays at SeaWorld and Sundays at Busch Gardens, with the festival starting at 11 am and the concert beginning each day at 4 pm.

At SeaWorld, the Viva La Musica Festival will kick off this weekend with a performance from El Gran Combo on March 7, who will thrill the crowds with their legendary Puerto-Rican flavored salsa. On March 14, Tito El Bambino will take the stage with his reggaeton hits. On March 21, the world renowned “Princess of Salsa,” La India, will perform salsa hits from her Grammy-award winning career. And on March 28, the festival will wrap up at SeaWorld with a concert from Fonseca. At Busch Gardens, El Gran Combo will return to launch the concert series on March 8. On March 15, Puerto Rican reggaeton duo and 2008 Viva La Musica Festival performers RKM & Ken-Y will take the stage. On March 22, the popular meringue group Grupomanía will perform. And the festival will conclude on March 29 with Columbian band Guayacan, who’ll perform exhilarating salsa songs.

And to cater to the parks’ Hispanic guests, Busch Gardens and SeaWorld will be offering exclusive Spanish Language tours on the days of Viva La Musica. At SeaWorld, guests will be able to experience the Viva Behind the Scenes Tour, a 90-minute tour of the park that includes animal interactions and a behind the scenes look at animal habitats. Busch Gardens will offer two Spanish tours, the Viva La Musica Serengeti Safari, a 30-minute Serengeti Safari, and the Viva La Musica VIP Experience, a 5-hour group tour hosted by a Spanish-speaking tour guide. The Experience will include reserved seating for the day’s concert, a complimentary Latin lunch, front of the line access to most major rides, and a Serengeti Safari.

The tours cost extra, but admission to the Viva La Musica festival is free with a regular Busch Gardens ticket or SeaWorld ticket. So sign on for an amazing cultural celebration by getting your tickets today at DWTickets.com. Whether you’re Hispanic or not, you’ll be sure to enjoy the fiery beats and tasty Latin fare, along with all the usual rides, attractions, and shows of SeaWorld and Busch Gardens.