Animal Action

At a newly minted seven years old, Lindsay kind of finds herself in a bit of a no-man’s land when it comes to Busch Gardens Tampa. She’s outgrown many of the rides at the Sesame Street Safari of Fun area, both in terms of interest level (she pointed out the lack of excitement on the Big Bird’s Whirly Birdie Ferris wheel–style ride) and size (she’s taller than the height limit on some of them). But she’s nowhere near brave enough for many of the park’s thrill rides, even if she’s got the height to ride them.

So during our most recent visit to Busch Gardens, we wound up exploring areas that we’ve often overlooked or quickly passed through during Lindsay’s younger days. One of our new favorite sections is the Jungala area, home to all kinds of cool animals and a couple of rides just right for our first grader.

 

The Wild Surge has become a Lindsay must-do. We strapped ourselves in four times on this ride, which shoots up four stories out of a rocky outcropping and plunges back down several times over. Think of it as a slightly less intense version of the Tower of Terror at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Another newfound fave is the Jungle Flyers. Lindsay was disappointed that it wasn’t operating during our recent visit; it was a highlight from our time at Busch Gardens last spring. The zipline-style ride soars fifty feet above the Jungala area, offering riders a bird’s-eye view of the animals below. I admittedly experienced a few moments of panic as I stood below and watched Lindsay take off, but seeing the smile on her face as she flew overhead quickly calmed me down.

Opportunities for interesting animal encounters abound in the Jungala section. I’m usually not a fan of the often-crazy, playground-style climbing structures at theme parks. (We can go to a playground for free, I always tell Lindsay.) But the one here has some nooks and crannies kids can scramble into for out-of-the-ordinary views of animals like gibbons and flying foxes.

In another portion of Jungala, a trail leads visitors to all of the different viewing areas for observing the park’s Bengal tigers, including a very cool “pop up” spot where folks can get an incredibly close look at the fierce creatures. “I could see the tiger breathing!” Lindsay exclaimed after emerging from the enclosure.

Maybe it’s because I’m not a thrill-seeker myself, but I’m happy that Lindsay’s in-between age has afforded us the chance to explore things at Busch Gardens Tampa we might miss otherwise. After all, it’ll only be a matter of time before she’s ditching mom and dad and running off for the twists and turns of a heart-stopping roller-coaster. So I’ll take these more sedate kinds of experiences while I can get them.