One of the original roller coasters from when I used to come here. Originally opened in 1993 and…read moregoes 60 mph. The ride goes upside down 7x and is the longest coaster at the park. Wow does that bring back memories. I used to ride this thing all the time when I'd come here in high school. I don't ride these today however now my daughter does! She loves this one and has to ride it every time we come here. My complaint about it is that it never seemed like the seat harness fit me very snug. Being a thinner person I would alway lift out of my seat when taking the loops.

This is one of the oldest rides. I rode this one time and only had one train running. The wait…read morewas not too bad, but operations here can be a little slow, but we had to wait around 20 minutes and we waited for the front just to experience this. This ride definitely needs to go as when we rode it, it was shaky and rattle quite a bit. It was definitely showing its age. I think if they retracked it, the ride would be smooth and not so bad. Anyways I rode this once, but did not ride this again the 2nd day I went here as this was something I would avoid.

For today's review, we're going back in time to 2020 (when I visited) to review Scorpion, Busch…read moreGardens Tampa's old Schwartkoph looping coaster. Now, on paper, this ride didn't seem like anything special. However, this is actually one of the most underrated coasters that I've ridden. No seriously, this thing even cracked my Top 25 back in 2020! Granted, it's much lower since then due to me riding far more coasters. But I still really like it! However, the ride is now closed forever. So let's go back and talk about it. We first enter the typical Schwartzkopf trains and then head up the lift hill, we then hit a drop which is fun, but nothing too standout-ish. But then we hit the loop, and WOW, this is a powerful inversion. I remember greying out here. We then twist up into an overbanked turn and get some decent laterals and even go through that amazing loop! We then hit the helix, which WOW, this is powerful! I actually managed to black out here. It was very intense. And then we hit the brakes. Yeah, this ride is very short. But considering it was 44 years old, it was pretty damn good! The helix and the loop made this ride awesome and easily one of the most underrated coasters ever. Sure, it was no Montu Kumba or Iron Gwazi (really looking forward to riding this next time I go), but it was great! However, this coaster is closed forever now, which, as someone who really liked Scorpion, pisses me off. AND I'M ESPECIALLY PISSED THAT THEY DECIDED TO CLOSE IT OUT OF THE BLUE WITH HARDLY ANY WARNING WHATSOEVER. AS WELL AS DOING IT AROUND THE SAME TIME ANOTHER COASTER GOT REMOVED. Schwartzkopf loopers are super rare, and now with Montezooma's Revenge, Mindbender, and this gone, absolutely take any chance you can get to ride one of these. Final Score: 75/100 Opened: 1980 Died: September 8th 2024 Built By: Schwarzkopf Last Ridden: January 12, 2020

In 1978, this was my first roller coaster, so it's a 5 star review for me from then to now. Back…read morethen, with their parents' blessings, I took former students to the park when we all had summer passes. These 14 year olds dared this 28 year old woman to ride it. I did, and I loved it. And we rode it every time we visited that summer. Today, 1/21/23, was the first time I'd been on this coaster since 2001 when I rode every coaster in the park for my 50th birthday. I rode it only once, because I wanted to ride faster, more exciting coasters, and the waits for those other coasters were long. Yes, the Scorpion is not as fast, has no death defying drops, & it is a short ride. But like a first love, I have a soft spot for the Scorpion, so when I come back to Busch Gardens, I'll ride the Scorpion if the line is short. Today I only waited 10 minutes. So I rode it, and it was a joyful experience (see picture taken by Husband). By the way, the lockers are $2 for 2 hours. Since it's a safety issue to take no loose items on any coaster, lockers should be complimentary. But that's my opinion. So Husband babysat our loose items while my friend and I rode the Scorpion.

Excellent kids section! Plenty of rides with ample variety and short waits. There are also shows…read moreand a splash pad my toddlers had a really great time!

Always a favorite race! The Zoo Run Run (always in August) and the ZooZoom (usually in March) at…read morethe Lowry Park Zoo is such a great time and you get some great perks for entering early like free entry to the zoo on the day of the race, as well as free tickets to come back within the next 365 days! Talk about a great deal. The course pretty much kicks butt: they always change it up which way they take you so it's not a boring out-and-back race. You get to run along the Hillsborough River, and my favorite park: you get to run through the zoo exhibits!!! Depending on the route they take you, you could end up running through the indoor exhibits by the snakes, reptiles, and manatees or by the orangutans. How cool is that?? The race is all chip-timed (with the chip on the bib number), and really professionally done. After having a mishap at one of the races where a bunch of runners ended up getting lost on the course, this year they did a killer job of marking the race path very well so I didn't get lost this time! Hooray! The post-race party is always fun and they usually get some great food vendors and fun freebee offers to come in and sample. This year, PDQ came along with Lenny's subs, Chik-fil-A, KIND bars, Orange Theory fitness, and their faithful, long-time sponsor Sagicor. If you're into races, this one definitely needs to be on your list.

Elmo's Safari Go-Round is a Sesame Street & Safari themed carousel in the Sesame Street Safari of…read moreFun kids play area of Busch Gardens Tampa Theme Park and is slightly smaller than the Classic Carousel in the Pantopia Area of Busch Gardens Theme Park All ages are permitted. There are no minimum or maximum height requirements for this ride. Parents can join their kids or infants on this ride! Infants must be accompanied by a parent or companion 14 years or older. Guest can board lions, zebra, or buffalo with Sesame Street style eyes and a spinner that guests control the speed of by tugging on it. I would not recommend going in circles too fast or you'll come off very dizzy. Somehow, as an adult, I got a lot dizzier than as a kid on this ride. Aside from the Sesame Street style eyes on the animals and the Sesame characters way on the top of the ride, there is very little Sesame Street theming on this ride once you are on it at eye level. If management wanted to add to the sesame street theming, they could add more characters on the inside of the carousel at the base. Sesame characters featured at the top of this ride include Rosita, Count Von Count, Cookie Monster, Telly, & Elmo. This ride's Sesame Street mascot is Elmo. Elmo is a friendly 3 and a half year old red monster with a high pitched voice and a contagious giggle who talks in the third person. Elmo's best friends are Zoe and Abby, and lives with his sister Daisy.

Tallest launch roller coaster in Florida!…read more I've ridden this one countless times and I still love it and recommend it. Another one that gains quite the speed, good twists and turns and drops, and also have slower moments.

The Twelve Days of Yelpmas Day One…read more Tigris is a fun burst of adrenaline but I really can't escape the feeling of it being nothing more than a supersized carnival ride. Nice hang time and nice belly dropping descents but it's over pretty quickly and it's hard to shake the feeling it could be a lot more. The reviewer who said they honestly just wished it could be bigger and taller really hit the nail on the head. Tigris is low capacity and the line wasn't terrible but it kept it being a one and done for me... especially with the spectacular Iron Gwazi in the same park. And it's pleasant enough to look at but it says something it was the only coaster I hadn't ridden at Busch Gardens Tampa that I didn't think to snap any photos of. I also didn't take any new photos of Shiekra but I did take some back in 2017 and it really dominated this area of the park with Tigris looking like an opening band supporting a headliner. It is a fun diversion. (A ride like this would slay at say Fun Spot.) I am giving it 4 stars but it just lacks that extra special big time something.

At Sesame Street Safari of Fun Kids play area, kids can enjoy kid-friendly rides, cool water fun…read moreand plenty of memorable adventures with Sesame Street friends! Guests can Fly through the desert with Grover, Climb in Elmo's Tree House, Splash in Bert and Ernie's watering hole, splash with Zoe-Patra and the Hippos of Nile, swing through the jungle on Rosita's Djembe Fly-Away, and even dine with your child's furry friends. Turn the kids loose in Bert and Ernie's wildly fun water adventure filled with bubblers, geysers, jets, dumping buckets and more. Kids & families can enjoy live shows with Sesame Street characters including "Let's Play Together", Story Time", and seasonal Holiday themed shows. Families can meet Sesame street characters at Sesame Street Friends. 1. Air Grover is a fun roller coaster made for tiny riders. Must be at least 38" tall to ride. 9/10 2. Elmo's Safari Go-Round is a beautiful carousel, slightly smaller than the Classic Carousel we have in Pantopia. All ages permitted. Infants must be accompanied by a companion 14 years or older. 7/10 3. Rosita's Djembe Fly Away is a fun, small carousel swing that your little ones can ride all on their own. Under 42" to ride. Infants not permitted. 8/10 4. The Count's Zambezi Rally is a ride your children won't want to skip! Watch as they go round and round on the track in their own personal race car. Under 56" to ride. Infants not permitted. All kids love the joy of driving! 9/10 5. Big Bird's Whirly Birdie is the perfect ride for your child to relax and enjoy as they go around in their own bucket seat. Under 56" to ride & Infants not permitted. 8/10 6. Snuffy's Elephant Romp is for the mom or dad who wants to take a ride with their child. These stationary elephants go up, down and all around. Under 56' to ride unaccompanied & Under 36' must be accompanied by a supervising companion 14 years or older. Kids love adjusting their flying elephants to go up or down. 9/10 7. Zoe-Patra and the Hippos of the Nile is an easy and calm water ride with one small hill. It's the perfect ride to create a thrill for the little ones. Between 36" and 56" may ride. 9/10 8. Bert & Ernie's Watering Hole is by far one of our most popular kid-friendly attractions! Cool off in this water play area, made for all ages. All ages permitted. The Water splash area split into two spaces to help manage age groups. 10/10 9. Telly's Jungle Jam is great for taking a break in the shade. All ages permitted. Telly's Jungle Jam is temporarily closed. 9/10 10. Elmo's Treehouse Trek takes the fun to new heights! Now this is what you call a treehouse. All ages permitted. Infants must be accompanied by a companion 14 years or older. Elmo's Treehouse Trek is temporarily closed. 10/10 11. Cookie Monster Canopy Crawl - You can Sit back and relax while your little one has hours of fun in the elaborate Cookie Monster Canopy Crawl. Infants not permitted & Adults must be accompanied by a child. Cookie Monster Canopy Crawl is temporarily closed. 10/10 12. Smiley's Sahara Sands might be one of the most fun sand boxes around! Located right next to the Cookie Monster Canopy Crawl. All ages permitted. Slimey's Sahara Sand is temporarily closed. 8/10 13. Cookie Monster Cloud Bounce is a great way for kids to hop, jump, and play on an oversized bouncing area. The play area is completely covered, shaded, and monitored. Under 56' to play & Infants not permitted. Cookie Monster Cloud Bounce is temporarily closed. 9/10 While I personally liked the previous "Land of Dragons" theming at this kids play area more, I can see that many kids are more familiar with all the Sesame Street characters and value meet and greets with all the characters more than some random nameless dragons. Sesame Street Safari of Fun Kids play area at Busch Gardens Theme Park in Tampa provides young kids with more to do than any kids play area at Universal or Disney Theme park in Orlando and offers hours of enjoyment for kids and families and is the biggest reason young kids want to keep coming back to Busch Gardens Theme Park!

This is part of Busch gardens, not a separate business. Very fun and a great way to kill time with…read morethe kiddos though!!

This ride reminds me for some reason like a rat race maze lol. It's fast and fun. Even I'll ride…read morethis one. It swings around the corners abruptly and you feel like you're draped off the edge of the track. There are some minor drops that gets your stomach in your throat. Overall fun ride.

Don't let the small footprint of this coaster fool you. Off the ride, it is unassuming, but it…read moretruly is a real treat for a "kiddie" coaster. Each cart seats 4- 2 in front, 2 in the back. The quick climb to the top gets you started on the serpent-like sharp turns that give you an uneasy feeling as if you are about to be shot off the track. This gives this coaster a unique element! There are a couple of fun little drops that give you that wonderful floating feeling. This is a great first-time coaster for kids. Don't forget to smile at the camera near the end of the ride.