Busch Gardens Tampa, 6/22/23

[Yoshi]

I visited Busch Gardens last Thursday. With the heat index getting up to 105 degrees during the day, I only visit parks later in the day until the weather gets cooler. That also allows me to visit with lower crowds since most people are leaving by around 6 - 7 p.m.

 

The main focus of the trip was to ride Sand Serpent before it closes. I'm going to miss the ride, not only because it's one of the only tamer coasters in the park but also because it reminds me of being back home with it the ride similar to the Wild Mouse coasters at Hershey and Dorney and somewhat similar to the layout of the Dark Knight. I rode 4 times waiting around 5 minutes each time. I saw other people going back for multiple rides either taking advantage of the short wait time or trying to get their final rides in.

 

Sheikra was next with a 1 train wait. As many times as I have ridden the coaster, the holding brake on the drop is still a little scary especially in the front row.

 

Iron Gwazi had been closed when I first got to the park but reopened with 1 train running. I used my Quick Queue there and waiting a little less than 15 minutes. The wait time sign had 60 minutes posted with most of the station full. I usually don't get to ride Iron Gwazi later in the day too much and the difference between an early afternoon ride and an night ride is amazing. It feels so much faster at night after it has been running all day.

 

On the way out, I stopped at the main store to use my $10 in Busch Bucks. They really were generous this month with $10 at SeaWorld and $20 each at Adventure Island and Aquatica plus an extra 10% pass holder discount. My display shelf is starting to look like a Busch Gardens and Sea World gift shop with all the souvenirs I get (but I still have my Nitro and Kingda Ka shot glasses right up front).

 

The chain link fence has been added sometime in the last few weeks  after some idiot jumped over the lower fence and walked into the alligator enclosure.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[29yrswithaGApass]

It is sad that there are idiots in this world like the guy who jumped into the alligator area which warranted the addition of the chain-link fence.  It seems common sense is becoming scarce especially post covid.

[pashacar]

Every time I see those 10-foot fences with the big red signs at parks I think of the idiots who made them necessary. I visited Kings Island earlier this month and was shocked that in a lot of spots, they just had standard six-foot fences. What a concept, that that should be enough to stop people from jumping over!

[BillyG]

57 minutes ago, pashacar said:

Every time I see those 10-foot fences with the big red signs at parks I think of the idiots who made them necessary. I visited Kings Island earlier this month and was shocked that in a lot of spots, they just had standard six-foot fences. What a concept, that that should be enough to stop people from jumping over!

Actually, the higher fencing isn't needed.  As long as they had the posting of signs that say not to enter, if someone is dumb enough not to follow them it becomes their fault.  They might try to go after the park, but if these places would actually fight stupid things like this, they would win and maybe others would get the point!

[pashacar]

I mean, I totally agree that it's not needed in theory, but there's clearly a reason that so many parks have put them up –– most likely just to cover their butts legally.

 

I'm not sure what you mean when you say "If these places would actually fight" things like this, because parks' legal teams have definitely fought, and won, when they've had frivolous suits thrown their way for things like people jumping fences and getting hurt.

[BillyG]

On 7/12/2023 at 11:23 AM, pashacar said:

I mean, I totally agree that it's not needed in theory, but there's clearly a reason that so many parks have put them up –– most likely just to cover their butts legally.

 

I'm not sure what you mean when you say "If these places would actually fight" things like this, because parks' legal teams have definitely fought, and won, when they've had frivolous suits thrown their way for things like people jumping fences and getting hurt.

Good that they did do that, then - it just seems that many major companies automatically settle cases to avoid the time/effort needed to fight them, even when they are totally the fault of someone else and not the company.