Update July 2025: It appears Wild Oasis will finally open to the public on July 15, 2025 and to pass members starting July 13, 2025. This has had a couple of delays, but this large redesigned and new land should be worth the wait. The full schedule is below.

• Platinum Pass Members Only: Saturday, July 12 l 10:30 A.M. – 5:00 P.M.

• Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze Pass Members: Sunday, July 13 | 10:30 А.М. – 5:00 Р.M.

• All Pass Members & Fun Card Holders: Monday, July 14 | 10:30 А.М. – 5:00 P.M.

• Grand Opening Ribbon Cutting – Open to All Guests: Tuesday, July 15 | 10:30 – 11:30 A.M.

On July 15, 2025 the Wild Oasis area will open at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. This isn’t just a ride, but a whole new area or realm of the park located in Jungala. This area will contain a family drop tower ride, climbing area, splash pad, interactive elements and a new animal habitat! For many the animals will be the highlight with Giant anteaters, Squirrel monkeys, Tropical birds and Capybaras coming to the park.

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay invites explorers of all ages to “Wild Oasis” at Jungala, North America’s Most Immersive Kid-Friendly Adventure Realm designed to entertain, educate and inspire.

Wild Oasis has 5 main parts, Enchanted Falls (splash pad), Treetop Drop (family drop tower), Canopy Climb (playground climbing area), Habitat Hideaway (animals) and Rainforest Quest (interactive activities). If you remember this area of the park prior to renovation you’ll find it pretty similar. The Treetop Drop is similar to Wild Surge, the Canopy Climb is similar and there was a small splash pad before. The animal additions are new and no doubt everything else will be new or improved. This area was really great before, but was an underutilized hidden gem, so hopefully this revitalization puts this area to better use.

One of the highlights of this new area is the addition of capybaras to the park’s 200+ species. The capybara is having a bit of a social moment right now with everything from game apps to stuffed animals to capybara cafes popping up around the world. For those not familiar, the capybara is a giant South American rodent who lives in both land and water. These creatures are gentle, adorable and tons of fun to watch. No doubt they will be popular at the park and probably move some merchandise too. The park’s new capybaras are named Rudy and Nugget and they’ve been featured prominently on social media marketing.

This is slightly delayed from two previous announcements, but they said “spring” (and summer didn’t start until June 20th, so it didn’t miss by much) Also, if the area wasn’t ready surely it was best to wait. The park message also mentions that the animals are still adjusting to their new home, so hopefully this brief delay has been helpful to them. After being closed for several years it is great to see this area of the park roar back to life. With a Chick-fil-A next door this area could be a family paradise. Although not a giant coaster or thrill ride, Wild Oasis should make a great addition to Busch Gardens.