 Santa Claus is coming to town - oh wait, no, he's already here! That's right - if you saw my post from earlier in the month (see here), then you may already know that Busch Gardens Tampa's Christmas Town has arrived earlier this year! I was again lucky enough to be invited out to check out the grand opening weekend of their brightest holiday event and it did not disappoint! Different entertainment and special things are offered throughout the day, so I would check the schedule for the day you are interested in going to ensure you get to do everything you want to do.  My friends and I decided to go a bit later in the day so that we could enjoy the food and drink booths in the "Christmas Town Village" - always a favorite of mine, plus see all the beautiful lights, and the fireworks! We had perfect chilly weather, which really added to the feeling of the holiday season.  Let’s talk drinks. This year I really enjoyed the frozen eggnog, but I think my favorite was the apple brandy hot toddy. When it got cold enough outside I order one and it was just SO good! My significant other ordered the Jack Fire, which was too strong for me but he loved it - definitely high on the alcohol content, so if you are looking for bang for your buck - that is your drink! Between the four of us that night, we had 3, 8-punch sampler cards, which I highly recommend. The sampler cards are the BEST way to try out different drinks and if you love one, then buy it in the bigger size. Plus, you can use it on the food, which is normal size. Seriously, an AMAZING DEAL - I always recommend this!  Totchos: Sweet Potato Tater Tots, Smoked Brisket, Bacon Onion Jam, Beer Cheese, Green Onions  Bison Chili Mac: Gemelli Pasta, Sam Adams Beer Cheese, Parmesan Crumbs  Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie: Woodford Reserve Bourbon, Vanilla Whipped Cream For food, I was a little bit limited on what I could eat. Although many of the food options sounded good, many of them included some form of pork, which I do not eat. I was able to have them make me the totchos without the bacon onion jam and it was still very good - but my friend got it with so that is the picture that you see. The bison chili mac was outstanding - honestly, so good. My friends agreed it was one of their favorite things of the night. The maple bourbon pecan pie was very good too. There were a few other items I wanted to try but I waited too long and they sold out - so be sure to grab what you want when you can - you don’t want to miss out if something is popular!  As always, the lights around the park were beautiful. I love how they use such colorful lights, especially near the kids area, I feel like you never see these colors anywhere else and it is just so magical! One of my favorite places every year is the bridge that is full of lights that change to the song that is playing. I definitely spent a little time in there in awe as always.  We used this park visit to feel like kids again and we took a ride on the merry-go-round, which if you haven’t been on it, they have some pretty cool looking horses - even a camel! We also rode one coaster before deciding it was back to food and drinks before fireworks, because hey - who doesn’t like more holiday beverages and fireworks?   There is a special viewing area for the fireworks, but I recommend watching from the Christmas Town Village. You get a wonderful view while still being able to drink and/or eat if you want, and be around less crowds. The fireworks went off at 9pm, but the park did not close for another hour, which was nice, as we were able to continue enjoying the park a bit before heading out.  You can experience Christmas Town daily - which is included in park admission - until January 2nd! Fireworks are on select days. Looking forward to returning next year! As always, thank you for reading and if you go, let me know what your favorite food and drink were! I am a Busch Gardens blogger ambassador. In exchange for sharing upcoming information sometimes I receive complimentary admission to events. As always, all opinions are my own.
0 Comments
 BUSCH GARDENS® CHRISTMAS TOWN™ RETURNS EARLY WITH MILLIONS OF HOLIDAY LIGHTS, SPECTACULAR FIREWORKS AND A NEW SANTA EXPERIENCE Tampa’s biggest and brightest holiday event opens earlier this year with MILLIONS of twinkling holiday lights throughout the park’s 335 acres, spectacular fireworks, and a brand-new experience with Santa that will create merry memories for guests of all ages. Included in park admission, the award-winning holiday event features all-new activities for the whole family, including:
 Other fan favorite holiday entertainment returning to this year’s Florida-style winter wonderland includes:
As guests dash through the night between iconic rollercoasters, they can explore the Christmas Town Village: a delicious destination filled with drinks and dishes from an indulgent holiday menu. These unique, limited time options include NEW specialty cocktails like the “Mistletoe Margarita” and the “Apple Brandy Hot Toddy”. Complete the night with a signature Christmas Town Hot Chocolate featuring festive flavors like peppermint or gingerbread. Feel the spirit of the season in each bite with the new maple bourbon pecan pie or feast on holiday favorites like the smoked brisket “totchos.” The best way for guests to savor and save during the holidays is with a Christmas Town Sampler Lanyard, starting at ONLY $44.99 for an 8-punch lanyard. Give the Gift that Gives All Year: Busch Gardens Fun Card and Annual Passes! For a limited-time, guests who purchase a 2022 Busch Gardens Fun Card receive park admission to visit NOW through the end of 2022 for only $119.99. For even more value, guests can purchase an Annual Pass for unlimited visits and unbeatable benefits ranging from no blockout dates, up to six free guest tickets, and exclusive monthly rewards for 2022. The Annual Pass is organized in easy-to-use tiers, and includes one-park, two-park Busch Gardens and Adventure Island Passes, and the popular Florida four-park options, allowing guests to choose the pass, benefits and the parks that are the best fit. To be the first to know about event details and special offers, visit www.ChristmasTown.com and follow Busch Gardens Tampa Bay on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Guests are encouraged to check the park’s website before visiting to learn which event components are available each date. Christmas Town runs daily with park-wide festive fun from November 12 through January 2. Guests can get a head start on the holiday celebrations with a Preview Weekend November 6 & 7 and enjoy shows, holiday character meet-and-greets, and iconic holiday light displays. Annual Pass Members get exclusive access to the 2 p.m. Christmas on Ice performance during the Preview Weekend. I am a Busch Gardens blogger ambassador. In exchange for sharing upcoming information sometimes I receive complimentary admission to events. As always, all opinions are my own.  Each weekend, park guests can toast delicious brews and coast on epic thrill rides at Busch Gardens’ open air, beer-inspired food festival, now serving every Friday – Sunday through October 31. During the fourth year of Bier Fest at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, guests can sip seasonal beverage offerings and savor new recipes featuring fan-favorite breweries. Beer flows through the park on an all-new beer trail, weaving between iconic coasters, local live music and fascinating animal habitats while incorporating fan-favorite restaurants and outdoor culinary stations, including the new Giraffe Bar. This year, park guests can toast to new adventures each Friday through Sunday, from August 13 to October 31. Pair Epic Thrill Rides with NEW Hoppy Culinary Delights Brew fans will have dozens of beers to choose from at this year’s Bier Fest, featuring over 50 varieties of IPAs, wheat ales, stouts and more! This year’s event shines a spotlight on breweries that bring flavor to Florida and beyond, with iconic local, regional and national brews incorporated into new shareable samples at over a dozen culinary locations, including:
Not into Beer? No fear! Enjoy frozen cocktails, live music and more! Beyond the brews, Busch Gardens offers plenty of delicious options for everyone to enjoy at Bier Fest this year. From delectable bourbon tastings to chilling frozen cocktails and seltzers, satisfying refreshment is abundantly available in every corner of the park. Several festival locations feature non-alcoholic beverage options as well, including the new Giraffe Bar. Barrilitos® strawberry hibiscus or watermelon Agua Frescas offer cool relief on warm summer days and Serengeti views from panoramic windows or the open-air patio. After enjoying live local music at the Coke Canopy, a stop at Xcursions gift shop is a must for anyone with a sweet tooth. The NEW sangria and mimosa bar pairs with the whiskey-inspired gourmet cupcake flight fresh from the park’s bakery for the perfect dessert combo. Savor and save with a Bier Fest lanyard! For the best value to taste a variety of food and drink offerings, guests can purchase a Bier Fest Sampler Lanyard, starting at only $49.99 for a 8-sample punch card. Pass Members get an exclusive offer: 15 items for the same price as a 12-item Sampler to enjoy three extra samples for FREE! For all alcohol purchases, including sampler lanyard redemption for alcoholic items, guests must be 21 years of age or older to be served. Enjoy fan-favorite events all year with a Busch Gardens Annual Pass or Fun Card! Visit again and again with a Busch Gardens Fun Card, where guests can pay for a day and play all year!* For the price of a single-day ticket to Busch Gardens, the Fun Card allows access throughout the year, so guests can visit again and again, and experience great events like Bier Fest, Christmas Town and more! For the best value and benefits, guests can upgrade to a Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum Annual Pass to enjoy the perks they want most throughout 2021. Annual Pass Members* receive 12 months of visits with the best benefits ever, including FREE parking, up to 6 free guest tickets, and exclusive savings on merchandise, Quick Queue, and more! Annual Pass Members and Fun Card holders get special discounts for the best deals on Howl-O-Scream, starting at $26.99 for a limited time. Guests can visit www.BuschGardensTampa.com for more information and to purchase tickets, Fun Cards, or Annual Passes. Fans can stay up to date with park events, attractions and more by following Busch Gardens Tampa Bay on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The safety of our guests, Ambassadors and animals in our care remains our top priority. Consistent with CDC guidance, we recommend that our guests wear face coverings while indoors. *Some restrictions apply I am a Busch Gardens blogger ambassador. In exchange for sharing upcoming information sometimes I receive complimentary admission to events. As always, all opinions are my own.
 Enjoy NEW “Spark! A Nighttime Spectacular”, now launching EVERY NIGHT from Friday, June 11 through Sunday, August 8!  Summer Nights just got brighter at Busch Gardens! Due to popular demand, the park’s NEW nighttime spectacular, “Spark!” can now be enjoyed every night starting Friday, June 11 through Sunday, August 8. As the biggest and brightest show ever to light the park’s sky, “Spark!” features an explosive array of fireworks and exciting effects from dazzling lasers to graceful water elements and dramatic pyrotechnics. From the electrifying pre-party to the epic grand finale, the dazzling experience of “Spark!” can be enjoyed with any park ticket, Fun Card or Annual Pass. After August 8, “Spark!” will continue to light the night sky at Busch Gardens with presentations each Friday, Saturday and Sunday night through September 6, including Labor Day. I am a Busch Gardens blogger ambassador. In exchange for sharing upcoming information sometimes I receive complimentary admission to events. As always, all opinions are my own.  Turn It Up! As Busch Gardens continues to prioritize the health and safety of its guests, ambassadors and animals in its care, soon guests will be able to enjoy indoor world-class entertainment beginning Friday, May 28. From “Turn It Up!”, the park’s award-winning ice-skating production to an all-NEW acrobatic show, “Cirque Electric,” modified operations in the park’s theaters will make it possible for guests to once again enjoy incredible shows as they explore Busch Gardens’ 300 acres of exhilarating rollercoasters and fascinating animal habitats. In addition to the park’s already strict health and safety measures, which include enhanced cleaning and sanitization, temperature checks, and face covering requirements, many modifications will be in place at Busch Gardens’ theaters upon reopening, including:
“Bringing more live entertainment safely back to the park is another huge step in returning to world class entertainment at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay,” said Neal Thurman, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay Park President. “Since our reopening in June, our park teams have been incredibly innovative and adaptable with bringing our productions to life in new ways and we’re thrilled to expand our offering to include new programs in addition to fan-favorite shows.” Just in time for Memorial Day Weekend, guests will be able to enjoy the following productions on select days beginning Friday, May 28: Turn It Up! Thursday – Monday, multiple shows per day The Moroccan Palace Theater will once again be home to Busch Gardens’ spectacular, year-round ice-skating shows, including “Turn It Up!” With contemporary performances, dazzling aerial moments and eclectic pop music, it’s no wonder this production has earned a spot on “USA TODAY’S 10Best” Readers’ Choice Awards. ALL NEW: Cirque Electric Friday – Monday, multiple shows per day For awe-inspiring feats that spark the imagination, the dynamic performance of “Cirque Electric,” an all-new acrobatic stunt show exclusively produced for Busch Gardens, will soon thrill guests at the Stanleyville Theater. From the daring airborne aerialist to stunning displays of balance and strength and a fascinating act on wheels that cannot be missed, guests will be dazzled by world-class performers.  ALL NEW: Cirque Electric (please note this image does not show the masks that will be worn by performers) Best Way to Play – Busch Gardens Fun Card and Annual Passes Enjoy each show again and again with a Busch Gardens Fun Card, where guests can pay for a day and play all year!* For the price of a single-day ticket to Busch Gardens, the Fun Card allows access throughout the year, so you can visit again and again, and experience great events like the Food & Wine Festival, Summer Nights, Christmas Town and more! For the best value and benefits, guests can upgrade to a Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum Annual Pass to enjoy the perks they want most throughout 2021. Annual Pass Members* receive 12 months of visits with the best benefits ever, including FREE parking, up to 6 free guest tickets, and up to 50-percent savings on merchandise, Quick Queue, and more! Guests can visit www.BuschGardensTampa.com for more information, reservations and tickets. Fans can stay up to date with park events, attractions and more by following Busch Gardens Tampa Bay on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Expanded Health and Safety Measures: Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is committed to the health and safety of our guests, employees, and the animals in our care. The park has worked diligently with state and local health experts, outside consultants and attraction industry leaders to enhance our already strict health, safety, and cleanliness standards. These protocols and guidelines will be modified based on evolving industry standards and methodologies, public health, and governmental directives, and advancing scientific knowledge on the transmissibility of COVID-19. For detailed information about the measures that guests can expect when visiting the park, including key operational changes, visitbuschgardens.com/tampa/safety I am a Busch Gardens blogger ambassador. In exchange for sharing upcoming information sometimes I receive complimentary admission to events. As always, all opinions are my own.  The Orlando Millennial was invited to attend Busch Gardens Tampa Bay’s Food & Wine Festival this year and it sure did not disappoint. Just like the past few festivals, this one required a park reservation, social distancing, and masks. Y’all, the food at each festival just keeps getting better. I have been to Food & Wine at Busch Gardens before, but hands down, this one was THE BEST. I thought Mardi Gras had the best food and drink- NOPE - this one did! Never have we at The Orlando Millennial eaten or drank so much while at one of the events - but we used THREE sampler cards. Two 5 stamps, and one 12 stamp. Yes… it’s true. The drinks were wonderful and honestly, the festival area was empty as everyone was on the rides, which made it even better.  FAVORITE DRINKS: Hungry Elephant [Frozen] (Giraffe Bar), The Posh Puffin (Giraffe Bar), Chandon Sparkling Brut (Napa Nook), Main & Vine Blood Orange Mango (Vino, Vidi, Vici), Bud Light Seltzer Lemon Lime (#CorksandCoasters Draft House), and the grape Jell-O Shots (XCursions) .  You MUST stop at the Giraffe Bar!  Every festival there are different flavor Jell-O shots. This event: Grape & Titos- So YUM! FAVORITE FOODS: Fried Chicken & Biscuit Slider (Southern Kitchen), Lobster, White Cheddar KRAFT Mac ‘N’ Cheese (All American Eats by KraftHeinz), Drunken Shrimp Tostada *This is listed as beer battered but it is actually not fried* (West Coast Catch), Baileys Bliss Cupcake (XCursions), Hand Carved Espresso-Rubbed Tenderloin (Yuengling Butchery)  Hand Carved Espresso-Rubbed Tenderloin (Yuengling Butchery)  Lobster, White Cheddar KRAFT Mac ‘N’ Cheese (All American Eats by KraftHeinz)  Drunken Shrimp Tostada (West Coast Catch)  Fried Chicken & Biscuit Slider (Southern Kitchen) As always, I highly recommend getting the sampler card. This is a GREAT way to save some money. The drinks will be smaller, but if you want to try a bunch, it's also a great way to do that while saving room in your belly and saving a penny - plus once you know what you love, you can then go back and grab a big one! The food portions stay the same size, which is great. There was tons of seating and tables for eating for this festival. My absolute favorite spot for sure though, was the #CorksandCoasters Draft House area. It is a little hidden gem. We sat there for about an hour or more. Very peaceful in that area and close to drinks if needed. Starting this weekend bands will be playing, so I’m sure it will change, but in the evening a live musician was playing, which also made it nice.
Busch Garden’s Food & Wine Festival will be taking place on weekends until April 25th. It is included with park admission, but food and drinks are sold separately. Park reservations are required, as are masks and social distancing. I am a Busch Gardens blogger ambassador. In exchange for sharing upcoming information sometimes I receive complimentary admission to events. As always, all opinions are my own.
 ampa Bay’s largest food festival returns this spring with limited capacity, enhanced health and safety measures, live music and 22 NEW dishes. This spring, flavors are in bloom at Busch Gardens with the return of the park’s fan-favorite Food & Wine Festival. Guests are invited to take their taste buds on an adventure as they sample more than 110 tasty treats, including 22 NEW dishes. Serving guests every weekend from February 20 to April 25 with limited capacity, this year’s menu features festival favorites and fresh twists on classic cuisines from around the country that pair perfectly with more than 80 wines, brews, and cocktails. In addition to the park’s already strict health and safety measures, which include increased cleaning and sanitation, temperature checks, and face covering requirements, capacity will also be significantly limited to create more open space for guests to maintain physical distancing in a safe environment and enjoy their experience. Here are a few of the more than 110 tasty reasons to come back week after week:
 BRAND-NEW Giraffe Bar! Featuring 2 NEW Cocktails and 2 NEW Wines! Return to Live Music with Physically-Distant Concerts—Coming Soon to the Festival Field From nationally recognized bands to local favorites, safely eat to the beat with plenty of open space across the expansive Festival Field. All concerts are included with theme park admission and will take place on select dates in March and April. Concert acts will be announced soon, including upgrade opportunities for premium seating. For the first course of the Food & Wine Festival, guests can enjoy a taste of local acts at the Coke Canopy stage starting February 20 and running throughout the duration of the festival. Physically distant seating will be available in the open-air pavilion. Best Way to Play – Busch Gardens Fun Card and Annual Passes With a Busch Gardens Fun Card, you pay for a day and play all year!* For a limited time, guests who purchase the Busch Gardens Fun Card for $113.99 will receive an Adventure Island Fun Card, plus a bonus single-day ticket to Adventure Island so you can bring a guest for FREE! For the price of a single-day ticket to Busch Gardens, the Fun Card allows access throughout the year, so you can visit again and again, and access great events like the Food & Wine Festival, Summer Nights, Christmas Town and more! Offer ends February 14, 2021. For more park benefits, guests can upgrade to a Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum Annual Pass to enjoy the perks they want most throughout 2021. Annual Pass Members* receive 12 months of visits with the best benefits ever, including FREE parking, up to 6 free guest tickets, and up to 50-percent savings on merchandise, Quick Queue, and more! Enjoy the Best of the Food & Wine Festival with a Sampler Lanyard The best way for guests to savor and save on their favorite dishes and drinks at this year’s Food & Wine Festival is with a sampler lanyard. Guests can purchase a 5, 10 or 12-item sampler lanyard to use at each festival cabin to explore sample-sized dishes and drink offerings with ease, starting at just $34.99 for a 5-punch lanyard. Pass Members can purchase an exclusive 15-item sampler for the same price as a 12-item sampler to enjoy three FREE samples! Visit buschgardens.com/tampa/events/food-and-wine-festival/ to view the full festival menu. Guests can visit www.BuschGardensTampa.com for more information and reservations—and to purchase tickets, Fun Cards, or Annual Passes. Fans can stay up to date with park events, attractions and more by following Busch Gardens Tampa Bay on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Expanded Health and Safety Measures: Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is committed to the health and safety of our guests, employees, and the animals in our care. The park has worked diligently with state and local health experts, outside consultants and attraction industry leaders to enhance our already strict health, safety, and cleanliness standards. These protocols and guidelines will be modified based on evolving industry standards and methodologies, public health, and governmental directives, and advancing scientific knowledge on the transmissibility of COVID-19. For detailed information about the measures that guests can expect when visiting the park, including key operational changes, visit buschgardens.com/tampa/safety  I am a Busch Gardens blogger ambassador. In exchange for sharing upcoming information sometimes I receive complimentary admission to events. As always, all opinions are my own.  This year Orlando Millennial was invited to experience Mardi Gras at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay for the first time ever! Although we imagine things are different than years past due to enhanced safety measures with COVID, we have to say - Mardi Gras is definitely a MUST this season! Unlike some of the other festivals at Busch Gardens, where food and drink is more the bottom tier of the festival and the holiday is the main attraction (such as Halloween or Christmas) this festival is A LOT about the food and drink! Now, Mardi Gras may be a religious celebration, but at Busch Gardens, it can be celebrated by all - it really is just a FUN event full of bright colors, New Orleans must, delicious food, strong drinks, and a good time! I personally do not celebrate Mardi Gras, but I will celebrate Mardi Gras any day if it’s at Busch Gardens again- we had a blast! I recommend arriving early, since this festival starts at noon, so you can enjoy the park all day long. As I have said in some of my other posts, with COVID, I rarely leave the house and only will do outdoors things if I do, so I also do not ride rides right now, but they definitely had the rides going, so if you are currently riding rides - be sure to arrive early to enjoy it all! For me, it was about also getting to see all the animals and get in some of the great walking that you can get in while at this huge park. We got to see all the animals - it was truly the perfect day.   There's a baby in the pouch! Now, Mardi Gras - as previously mentioned, the food and drink is the main attraction, and I mean it. The food was REALLY good! Some of the items we tried were: the shrimp po’boy and chicken po’boy which both come with their own full bag of Zapps voodoo chips (yes! Full bag!), jambalaya, impossible jambalaya, crawfish etouffee, braised brisket, beignets with rum glazed bananas foster, Hurricanes - punch and traditional, smoked bloody mary, French Quarter salted caramel thrill shake, gold coin mojito, Tampa Vice, Cinnamon spiked dark roast coffee, and jello shooters. Personal Favorites: Shrimp po’boy and chips, impossible jambalaya, braised brisket, beignets, punch hurricane and the beignets. Honestly though, there wasn’t anything that wasn’t good. We all kept raving at how good all the food was during this festival. We got full, walked around the park, and then ate some more. I recommend getting the Sampler card so that you can try many of the foods and drinks to see what you like. If you are a passholder, you can actually get a 12 punch sampler for the price of a 10 punch; something that isn’t offered to anyone else! There is a small little pop-up parade that comes by periodically and two different bands that play. We did not explore the bead garden, but it is right near the kangaroos if you are interested. 
All in all, we enjoyed ourselves immensely. We used this as a pretty relaxing girls day of eating and drinking. This festival only lasts until February 16th, so be sure to catch it before it’s gone! After that - it’s Food and Wine Festival - and who doesn’t like a good Food & Wine Festival?
I am a Busch Gardens blogger ambassador. In exchange for sharing upcoming information sometimes I receive complimentary admission to events. As always, all opinions are my own.  Families can experience safe thrills, incredible animal encounters, seasonal events and more with the 2021 Preschool Card, offering FREE UNLIMITED admission to children age five and younger to both Busch Gardens and Adventure Island through December 31, 2021. Florida preschool children receive FREE admission for a year full of fun and safe park experiences in a spacious outdoor environment with limited capacity and enhanced health and safety protocols, including special events like Sesame Street Kids’ Weekends. Offered in spring, fall, and winter, this weekend series is perfect for pint-sized explorers and kicks off this year on Saturday, January 30 through Monday, February 15. Throughout 2021, Busch Gardens offers many opportunities for families to make safe new memories together such as enjoying the kid-friendly options at the Food & Wine Festival, trick-or-treating and participating in Halloween hijinks with fan-favorite Sesame Street Characters at Howl-O-Scream, and celebrating holiday moments with Santa during Christmas Town, and more. In addition to enhancing the park’s already strict health and safety measures including increased cleaning and sanitation, temperature checks, and face covering requirements, capacity will be significantly limited to create more open space for guests to enjoy their experience, while maintaining physical distancing in a safe environment. Register Now for the FREE Preschool Card! Busch Gardens and Adventure Island will offer kids ages 5 and younger a FREE Preschool Card, now available exclusively to Florida residents, and valid for visits through December 31, 2021 for unlimited admission to both Busch Gardens and Adventure Island. Advance registration must be completed online and is only valid for children ages 5 or younger at the time of redemption at the park. Please note registration is required by February 3, 2021 and first visit ticket redemption must occur by February 28, 2021. To learn more about the Preschool Card, Florida residents can visit BuschGardensTampa.com/Preschoolcard to register today.  Safely Celebrate All-NEW Themes for Sesame Street Kids’ Weekends From partying for Elmo’s birthday to a very fuzzy Valentine celebration, limited-time festivities at the Sesame Street Safari of Fun play area offer more special moments for families to safely make incredible memories together with physical distancing measures in place. Elmo’s Birthday Celebration: Jan. 30 – 31 and Feb. 6-7 Kids can celebrate Elmo’s birthday with meet and greets, special treats, physically distanced photo opportunities with Sesame Street friends and much more! NEW Birthday Dance Party Guests can get moving to the birthday beat with Elmo! Join in for a fun-filled dance, physically distanced party, including a special song for the guest of honor. Giant birthday cards will be available for families to send well wishes to their favorite red monster. Be sure to boogie over to the Sesame Street Pavilion early, as space is limited for everyone’s health and safety. NEW Elmo’s Birthday Storytime Elmo has a very special story to tell for his birthday, and he wants his friends to be there! Families can take a physically distant seat at the Sunny Day Theater to celebrate safely. Physically Distant Photo Opportunities It’s Elmo’s birthday celebration, and the best present would be a special (and physically distanced) photo with you! Guests can meet Elmo and his Sesame Street friends in a safe way throughout the day at the Sunny Day Theater. Limited-time Birthday Treat! What’s a party without cake? Be sure to stop by Snack-N-Geti for a delicious celebration cupcake in honor of Elmo, available for purchase for a limited time. NEW My Fuzzy Valentine Weekend: Feb. 13-15 Sesame Street fans will find more to love this season at Busch Gardens including special moments with their favorite furry friends especially for Valentine’s Day! NEW Valentine’s Storytime Families can learn what love means to each of their favorite characters during a heart-warming reading of “Love from Sesame Street” at the outdoor Sunny Day Theater with plenty of physically distant seating available for everyone. NEW Find the Valentines Scavenger Hunt Everyone’s favorite Sesame Street friends have lost their valentines, and they need help from you to find them throughout the Sesame Street Safari of Fun play area. Once families have found all the valentines, they can pick up their appreciation sticker at Abby Cadabby’s Treasure Hut gift shop. NEW Valentine’s Art with Sidewalk Chalk Guests are invited to take their imagination to the streets as they learn to draw Sesame Street friends in a physically distant sidewalk chalk activity near Air Grover. NEW Make-Your-Own Valentine Families can get crafty together and embrace their artistic abilities with special messages at the Sesame Street Pavilion throughout the day. Physically Distant Photo Opportunities Guests can share their love for their favorite furry friends -with physically distant photo opportunities just for Valentine’s Day at the Sunny Day Theater. NEW Cookie Decorating To-Go! Guests can unleash their inner culinary creativity as they create a heart-shaped version of Cookie Monster’s favorite treat. Cookie Monster will even make special guest appearances at the Sesame Street Pavilion to wave hello! Specialty cookie decorating kits available for purchase at Snack-N-Geti for a limited time. Best Way to Play -Including Great Offers for Parents! With a Busch Gardens Fun Card, you pay for a day and play all year! For a limited time, guests who purchase the Busch Gardens Fun Card for $113.99 will receive an Adventure Island Fun Card and a bonus one-time parking voucher for FREE! For the price of a single day ticket to Busch Gardens, the Fun Card allows access throughout the year to visit again and again, including access to great events like Mardi Gras and the upcoming Food & Wine Festival. Offer ends January 31. For more park benefits, guests can upgrade to a Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum Annual Pass to enjoy the perks they want most throughout 2021. Annual Pass Members* receive 12 months of visits with the best benefits ever, including FREE parking, up to 6 free guest tickets, Pass Member-exclusive ride events for the NEW Iron Gwazi opening in spring and up to 50% savings on merchandise, photo prints, Quick Queue, and more! Guests can visit www.BuschGardensTampa.com for more information and reservations—and to purchase tickets, Fun Cards, or Annual Passes. Fans can stay up to date with park events, attractions and more by following Busch Gardens Tampa Bay on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Expanded Health and Safety Measures: Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is committed to the health and safety of our guests, employees, and the animals in our care. The park has worked diligently with state and local health experts, outside consultants and attraction industry leaders to enhance our already strict health, safety, and cleanliness standards. These protocols and guidelines will be modified based on evolving industry standards and methodologies, public health, and governmental directives, and advancing scientific knowledge on the transmissibility of COVID-19. Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is excited to continue to provide our guests with fun, inspiring and memorable experiences, while addressing important health and safety needs during this time. For detailed information about the measures that guests can expect when visiting the park, including key operational changes, visit buschgardens.com/tampa/safety I am a Busch Gardens blogger ambassador. In exchange for sharing upcoming information sometimes I receive complimentary admission to events. As always, all opinions are my own.  Last weekend I was invited to visit Christmas Town at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay for the third year in a row. This year was very different than the last few years due to COVID-19. I have to say, I think I enjoyed it even more! Just like in previous years, there was the Christmas Village which was full of food and beverage vendors with tons of holiday treats. Plus there was still meet and greets, Santa, the ice skating show, and more just in a more social distanced and masked-up way! Honestly, I love that the park requires reservations and is at limited capacity because it means a much more enjoyable experience (IMO). We felt like we had SO much room and we rarely waited in line for food or drinks. We felt very safe, especially since we mainly stay in our homes during this time, so this was a huge thing for us. We did not have a chance to catch the ice skating show, but I loved that they held it outdoors this year, because in the past going inside made me a little claustrophobic plus a little warm. The weather was beautiful, so it was perfect to have it outdoors so that people could enjoy the weather and have their holiday food and beverage. The show took place 3x that evening as well. There are things to do ALL day as part of the "Christmas Town" experience, but the food/drink vendors don't open until 4pm. Just like many of the other festivals, you will find this area by taking a LEFT once you start getting into the park. I LOVED that the first thing you saw this year was Frosty! Last year he was a bit hidden, but this year he was your first friendly holiday face to greet you!  After Frosty, once you get to the Christmas Village, this is where the yummy food and beverage vendors begin!  Let's talk holiday food and beverages - let's be real, this IMO is the best part of holiday fun at the parks other than - FIREWORKS, but we'll get to that.  There are SO many different foods and treats, but for sure an emphasis on TREATS. If you have a sweet tooth, you are going to LOVE this! I mean, look at those cookies and donuts! Is your mouth watering yet? Just wait...  Apple Cobbler Cake Cone from North Pole Bakery  Chicken & Waffles, Bison Beef Sliders, and Beer Cheese Soup from Winter Waffles & Bites Those were just a few, there's plenty more to be had, but let's talk about some of the drinks!  Frozen Hot Cocoa with Baileys added in from Jack Frosty Cocktails (not sampler lanyard size)  Frozen Kahlua Eggnog from Jack Frosty Cocktails (sampler lanyard size) Above: Cinnamon cranberry mimosa - all the holiday feels in a delish mimosa! Perfect for a holiday cheers! Below: Peppermint Hot Cocoa with Baileys added in a refillable mug - yum! Nothing says "it's the holidays!" like some hot cocoa! How did we eat and drink so much? Well, the best deal is to purchase the Christmas Town Sampler Lanyard. The 5-item lanyard is $34.99 and the 10-item is $49.99 (this makes everything $5!) Now, the drinks WILL be a smaller size, but that just means you get to try more! Honestly, I love the sampler lanyard because I never have to worry about how much I am spending nor do I have to worry about taking out my wallet - easy peasy! PLUS, if you love the hot cocoa, there is a souvenir refillable mug - super cute and highly recommend! To learn more about the other food and drink offered during Christmas Town, GO HERE.  During COVID, I do not go on rides or really go inside places, it still makes me pretty uncomfortable, so I love that Busch Gardens has tons of things to do outside while being socially distanced. There were a few meet and greets with some Princesses and also Santa (we did not meet Santa). We did decide to ride the Christmas Train as they were offering social distancing (skipping a row between parties) and it was only one way. This was a nice little break as you get to see different parts of the park while also hearing holiday music. I loved that they kept parties separated, so we felt very safe.  As previously stated, I did not visit with Santa, but I did see this GIANT Coke Santa that the had on display, which was pretty amazing:  Now, for the part that really made the evening SUPER special - FIREWORKS! This does not happen every night during Christmas Town, so be sure to check out their schedule online before booking your reservation if this is something you want to see - which I recommend! I live in Central Florida and I have been seriously missing fireworks, so this was something really special right now. I was so happy to see fireworks again! Most people watch them from the field where they had the ice skating show, but we watched from the Christmas Town Village - this was awesome because we were able to sit down and were almost all by ourselves. We could see and hear the music just fine.  Christmas Town was a wonderful this year, even with social distancing, masks, etc. If you are looking for a fun holiday experience, I recommend going. Christmas Town is included with daily admission, so you can start your day with rides and animals, and end your day with Holiday Cheer!  I am a Busch Gardens blogger ambassador. In exchange for sharing upcoming information sometimes I receive complimentary admission to events. As always, all opinions are my own.
|
Hey Ya'll!
Hi all! I'm Michelle and I have been a lifestyle blogger since 2017. I used to host fun networking events around Orlando and now I've decided to take a step back and continue to focus on my favorite part - bringing you all the fun happenings around Central Florida, plus filling you in on my travels, life, and more! I'm a foodie, selfie-taking Millennial that loves spending time at the theme parks, traveling, and spending time with her dog, and trying new wine. I hope you enjoy reading my blog!
Archives
February 2021
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed
Copyright ©2019-2021. The Orlando Millennial. All Rights Reserved.