I recently had a chance to attend an IAAPA webinar entitled, “Off with Their Heads! Build Unforgettable Experiences with XXL 3D Printing” that was tied directly to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. The webinar was put on by Massivit, a company involved in large scale additive manufacturing (3D Printing). In the webinar Massivit highlighted the “Giant Chess Queen” character at the Shadows of Wonderland haunted house at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay’s annual Howl-O-Scream event. This house is based on the story of “Alice in Wonderland” and made its debut in 2024 and returned for 2025. Out front of this Howl-O-Scream house was a 9 foot 3D printed sculpture of the queen of hearts created by Hatch X and Massivit. You can watch the video below with the Busch Gardens content starting at ~10:30 mark.
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New Water Attraction Coming to Busch Gardens Tampa to Replace Stanley Falls Flume
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay filed plans for a major new water attraction and will serve as a flume-style replacement for the demolished Stanley Falls Flume. According to the permit description this is the “removal of an existing water ride and construction of a new water attraction”. It appears some things (perhaps the station) may be salvaged as the project is a redevelopment with improvements including themed structures, building modifications, utility upgrades and hardscape/landscape enhancements. The project will span a 91,400-square-foot footprint, has a price tag of $16.5 million and has the codename: “Project Driftwood” . So now let the speculation begin!
Continue readingStanley Falls Flume Ride at Busch Gardens to Close Forever September 7, 2025
Stanley Falls at Busch Gardens will close on September 7, 2025 to make room for a future attraction according to announcements from the park on its website and social media.
Continue readingAfter more than 50 years of splashes, smiles, and summer memories, Stanley Falls Flume® is taking its final plunge on September 7, 2025. As one of the original rides from the park’s opening in 1973, this classic has been a fan favorite for generations. This is your last chance to ride before we say goodbye and make way for an exciting new future attraction! Come relive the fun and help us celebrate a true Busch Gardens legend.
https://buschgardens.com/tampa/rides/stanley-falls/
Wild Oasis at Busch Gardens is Now Open!
Wild Oasis opened to the public on July 15, 2025 after a couple of delays, but appears to be worth the wait. This isn’t just a ride, but a whole new area or realm of the park located in Jungala. This area contains a family drop tower ride, climbing area, splash pad, interactive elements and a new animal habitat including Capybaras! I want to give a HUGE shout-out to @SaxOnTracks for the images in this article from the grand opening festivities, he’s a great follow for the latest happenings at Busch Gardens.
Continue readingCelebrate Friday the 13th at Busch Gardens with Lights-On Tours of the Stanglewood Estate Howl-O-Scream House!
Howl-O-Scream doesn’t start until September, but Busch Gardens is using Friday the 13th to help promote this year’s event a few months in advance. In this case they’re having a faux realtor style “open house” for Stranglewood Estate which essentially amounts to a lights-on tour opportunity. The event is actually two days, running Friday the 13th and Saturday the 14th. Halloween is big business at theme parks with year round planning for what are essentially several large extra attractions for those months. Tickets are already on sale for Howl-O-Scream 2025 at Busch Gardens Tampa and no doubt the goal of the June 13-14, 2025 event is to build excitement for this year’s event.
Continue readingKumba’s Roar Returning to Busch Gardens Soon!
Busch Gardens Tampa announced on its social media on April 21, 2025 that Kumba would be returning this summer! This announcement came on the rides 32nd birthday and it’s currently the oldest roller coaster at Busch Gardens. The ride’s future had been in doubt for just this reason after sitting idle for months with no official word from the park about its future. However, with this announcement it appears rumors of its demise were greatly exaggerated.
Continue readingTwo Kiddie Rides Displaced by Phoenix Rising are Making a Comeback at Busch Gardens
In a filing last week with the City of Tampa Bay it appears Busch Gardens is resurrecting two Kiddie rides that were removed back in 2023 from Pantopia to make room for Phoenix Rising. This is two of four working rides (five if you count the SBNO Phoenix Looping Starship) that were removed. The rides returning are the Busch Flyers and the Kiddie Train and they are going next to the the Ubanga Banga Bumper Cars in the spot currently occupied by the remote control boats and trucks.
Continue readingSunset on the Serengeti is an Exclusive Evening Dinner Adventure at Busch Gardens Tampa
Update January 2026: Sunset on the Serengeti is back at Busch Gardens! It is being offered January through March. The good news is the price is unchanged at $89.99/person.
Busch Gardens Tampa has begun offering a Sunset on the Serengeti adventure that is both an animal encounter and a dinner. The adventure begins promptly at 5:30pm with a guided safari experience at sunset followed by dinner and drinks at the park’s Treetop Kitchen. The experience is currently offered only on Saturdays and starts at $89.99/person, but this does include dinner, a cocktail and the animal encounter portion and park admission is NOT required to participate. The park describes the experience below:
Continue readingHurricane Milton Closes Disney, SeaWorld, Busch Gardens and Other Florida Parks
UPDATE 10/11/24: Most of the Orlando Area Parks including Disney, SeaWorld, Universal Studios, LEGOLAND and Fun Spot are set to reopen on Friday, October 11, 2024 (Fun Spot actually reopened at 3pm on Thursday). These parks sustained minimal to no damage. Busch Gardens in Tampa remains closed through Saturday, October 12, 2024 with the park asking guests to check its website for further updates. There is no word yet on any damage to the park itself, however there was extensive damage to the surrounding Tampa region.
Continue readingWild Surge Rising? Busch Gardens Announces “Wild Oasis” Realm for 2025!
Busch Gardens Tampa announced it will be opening a new area of the park called “Wild Oasis” in Spring of 2025. This appears to be a retheme of the old Tree Top Trail area in Jungala which by no means is a bad thing! We reported months ago about construction walls being up at Tree Top Trails with speculation of what was to come and now we know the reason. The area is set to be called a “realm” which is interesting and will contain climbing areas, water features, new animal habitats and a reimagined drop tower.
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BGT Safari 