Viva La Musica 2012 Line-Up

Viva La Musica is back for 2012! Feel the fiesta fire rising all around Busch Gardens with Viva la Musica! Hear top Latin performers play their Grammy-winning music or Enjoy festival atmosphere and spicy, flavorful Latin food. The event runs on April 15, 22, 29 & May 6.


2012 Line-Up:
April 15th- Victor Manuelle
April 22nd- Grupo Mania
April 29th- Dyland & Lenny
May 6th- Jerry Rivera

Emus Arrive in Walkabout Way

The Emus have arrived in Walkabout Way! Emus belong to a group of flightless birds which are known as "ratites". As you might have already guessed by their looks, ostriches among other birds like kiwis are related to them and in the ratites family.

They are fitting in perfectly in Walkabout Way. They are native to Australia and very curious animals so they love seeing guests each and every day. There are currently 2 emus in Walkabout Way and you can find them in Kangaloom. See them daily as they play with wallabies, other birds and observe guests. 

Let's Dance Featuring Burn The Floor 2012 Review

Let's Dance Featuring Burn the Floor opened its curtains for the 4th year in a row on January 18th and will be performing through April 15th.
It is a high pace contemporary ballroom dance performance and will dazzle people of all ages.  This year there are a ton of new dances and songs added. From the waltz to the tango and from Sway by Michael Buble and Proud Mary by Tina Turner you don't want to miss a beat of all the action. You will be able to experience dancing styles from around the world with performers in the Burn the Floor group from Italy, Russia, Ireland, Australia and more. This is one of the best shows at Busch Gardens Tampa and it shows, even on a slow day, Desert Grill is packed with people of all ages dazzled at the talent portrayed in the show.

Even the singing and instrumental aspects of the show are amazing. The upbeat music provides yet another element to be entertained by. It is a whole new show with all the new songs and dances so be sure to check out Let's Dance feat. Burn the Floor in Desert Grill only at Busch Gardens Tampa through April 15th. Check out a video and tons of pictures of the show below: 

Adventure Island Opens For The 2012 Season On March 10th

Adventure Island kicks off another season of fun in the sun on March 10th! It will continue daily operation through September 3rd and weekend operation through October 14th. Island Nights is also returning this Summer with dates to be announced this Spring. You can now get some great deals on tickets by buying them online now! 

The 2012 Weekday Pass is only 49.99 for adults and 45.99 for children. It is valid on  weekdays from 3/12/12 through 9/3/12. 

Or you can experience both Adventure Island and Busch Gardens Tampa with a Fun Card for only 124.99 for adults and 112.99 for children. Valid all year for Busch Gardens and through 10/14/12 for Adventure Island.

Visit AdventureIsland.com for extended hour schedules during Spring Break and summer. Single-day admission tickets for Adventure Island are $42.99 for adults and $38.99 for children. Children ages 2 and younger are free, and all children must be accompanied by an adult. 

Iceploration Pass Member Event Dates Announced

Busch Gardens will be offering Pass Members exclusive show times for Iceploration all next month!  Every Friday and Saturday in February Pass Members can enter through the Nairobi Gate and see an exclusive show of the all new Iceploration. Show time is at 10am and runs every Friday and Saturday from February 3rd-25th.
Pass Members can also enjoy 20% off Iceploration merchandise and photos with their favorite show characters for only $5. Click here for more information about Iceploration which opens on February 2nd. 

Mystical Mirage In Desert Grill Review

Between major shows like Christmas Celebration and Let's Dance Feat. Burn the Floor, Desert Grill has "filler" shows. This years might be the best one yet! Mystical Mirage is an up beat African themed show featuring percussionists, an acrobat, and the returning favorite, belly dancers. 

While the belly dancers were outside last Summer in the Cheetah Hunt realm, they are now in doors with multiple drummers and lots of neat lighting and effects. They are very talented and with the drummers supporting them you won't want to miss a beat of it. 

The balancing act was 5 minutes of on the edge of your seat excitement. From balancing on one pole and wooden board to multiple ones while juggling swords and a plate, the kids are going to love this one! 

There are only a few more days to experience this show but you never know when it will be back in between major shows so stay tuned! Mystical Mirage runs through next Tuesday in the Desert Grill and has several showings a day.

Animal Care Center Preview With Pictures and Video

While the Animal Care Center officially opens on the 23rd of January, we got a sneak peak of it today with a tour from Jack Hanna! For the first time ever everything that happened behind the scenes is now conducted in guest view. From nutrition to surgeries you can see everything first hand in this state of art facility.

Jack Hanna lead our tour today and told us about how unique the Animal Care Center really is.  He was one of the nicest people I've meet and you can tell he truly cares about wildlife.

They have 4 major sections in the facility. First off is The Nutrition Center which is a kitchen and set up like a cooking show. Guests can help prepare and plan the diets for the animals. 

The Treatment Center is next which will allow guests to see inside the rooms and watch the vets perform check ups and surgeries on various animals. Cameras are placed over head and give you an up-close view at what they are doing. 

In the Clinical Center you can look at microscopic samples collected from the animals at the same time the staff is. 

Lastly, guests can take part in the Diagnosis Center where they can scan interactive cards at stations around the Animal Care Center to follow an animal through the diagnosis steps.


Overall this 16,000 square foot facility is one of a kind and is revolutionary to animal care. It's what SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment does best, bring people and animals together through education. Remember, The Animal Care Center opens up on the 23rd of January! It's one place in the park your gonna want to visit over and over again to see all they are doing. Check out a video walk-through of the facility and more pictures below:

2012 Preschool Pass For Busch Gardens Tampa & SeaWorld Orlando

Children five and younger can now explore the wonders of Africa and the depths of the ocean for FREE with the new SeaWorld and Busch Gardens Preschool Pass. 

The Preschool Pass offers unlimited admission to both SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa for all of 2012. 

Little ones can experience kid-size thrills, get up close to their favorite animals and see shows brought to life in ways that only SeaWorld and Busch Gardens can. 

 At the park’s restaurants, kids’ meals are now just $5.99, including a drink, making it even more affordable to not only entertain, but also feed your little ones at Busch Gardens.

The FREE SeaWorld and Busch Gardens Preschool Pass is an online-only offer, exclusively for Florida residents ages 5 and younger. Click here to register online!

What To Expect In 2012

Each and every year Busch Gardens Tampa has tons of new offerings for guests, from attractions to special events you don't want to miss a second of all the action. In 2012 the tradition continues with the all new epic ice show Iceploration, the Animal Care Center's opening, and the return of special events like Bands, Brew and BBQ, Real Music Series, Howl-O-Scream and much more! Check out the details of all there is to enjoy in 2012 at Busch Gardens Tampa:

• Animal Care Center: From nutrition to treatments, X-rays to surgeries, much of Busch Gardens’ animal care will be conducted in guest view in this new state-of-the-art facility. Opening on January 23rd!
• Real Music Series: Hear the music you loved as a kid performed by the singers and bands that made those songs famous. Performing select days from January 18th through March 24th. For more details click here. 
• Iceploration: Explore the world...on ice! Experience this 30 minute show including world-class skaters, larger-than-life puppets, amazing costumes, original music and even animal stars. Opening on February 2nd.
• Bands, Brew, and BBQ: Eat, drink, sing and dance at Bands Brew and BBQ. It’s all about great food, cold Budweiser and live music from big-name performers. Taking place select days from February 11th through March 4th! Click here for more details.
• Viva la Musica: Feel the fiesta fire rising all around Busch Gardens with top Latin performers playing their Grammy-winning music. Performing April 15th, 22nd,  29th and May 6th. More details coming soon! 
• Summer Nights: End a perfect day by lighting up your night with the incredible fireworks, special effects and the award winning show Kinetix. Taking place nightly from June 9th through August 12th.
• Howl-O-Scream: Howl-O-Scream will, again, leave you begging for mercy… and screaming for more. Your pulse will be pounding all night long. This event will be held on select nights from September 21st through October 27th. More details coming this Summer!

Experience it all with a Fun Card where you can pay for a day and come back all year. To purchase visit http://seaworldparks.com/en/buschgardens-tampa/.

Desert Grill Opens A New Full-Service Bar

Celebrate the new year with a drink at the brand new full service bar the "Desert Pub".   The Desert Pub is located inside the Desert Grill in the Timbuktu Realm at Busch Gardens Tampa. Drinks offered vary from Margaritas to Beer. Check out pictures of the bar and all of it's offerings below and Happy New Year everyone! Keep checking back for all the latest news at Busch Gardens Tampa!