The Rise and Fall of Busch Gardens Tampa (Part 1) | A Complete History

[@Mrs_Homemaker]

Growing up in FL in the 90s/00s, we always hoped for school trips to Busch Gardens. Disney was fun but Busch Gardens had better rides

[@hyruleanraven81]

Recently visited Busch Gardens and I still see a uniqueness of this park. It is clean and has great rides. Compared to other park across the US it is still caliber of a park to visit. Most people just don’t go pass Orlando but if one does, this park still a worthy visit.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

It's a great park at a fundamental level, but they're running it poorly and future investment isn't particularly exciting. I remember when it used to be packed in the early 2000s and it was a ghost town when I went today.

[@matthewolson9704]

​@@PoseidonEntertainmentany thoughts or insight on the new BGT project? RMC Wild Moose to replace Sand Serpent? Or a Vekoma boomerang? 👀

[@harlandeke]

​@@PoseidonEntertainment conversely I went a couple of months ago and it was packed. The economy is having an adverse effect on a lot of parks imo.

[@kb6530]

There was super slow days back in its prime too dude , we woukd go on weekdays and have no line ,and not even need tk get off the roller coaster when it was done, those are the good days tho , sometimes it's super packed and miserable

[@AventaEdits]

@@PoseidonEntertainmentikr like one of the rides has been shut down for like 3 years

[@VideosJacked]

I always felt like this channel was one of the best theme park explainy type videos and then he's like I'm from Tampa. A fellow Floridian, hell yeah.

[@chinortega3]

That's what I said lmao

[@trentboring3426]

Losing their most themed attractions (Akbars Adventure Tours and Tidal Wave) that helped guests beat florida heat, with the former providing a ride that operated during tampas lightning storms, were the biggest losses. Losing an african themed broadway style show and a quality sit down restaurant also played key parts in its demise. These were essential experiences to the park, they closed more attractions than they've opened the past 20 yrs. Maintenance also a serious issue now, thanks to budget cuts and a revolving door of management. This just breaks my heart

[@carminecdinoproductions]

I agree…

[@carminecdinoproductions]

I want those attractions to come back along with the show and the sit-down restaurants.

[@oxy134]

It's been years since I've been to BG, I think when sheikra opened, I am now dismayed Tidal wave was closed and I will continue my apparent protest of not going haha. But I really have been itching for those new coasters.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

Tidal Wave was always interesting. I liked how it kept the village from the African Queen.

[@trentboring3426]

​@@PoseidonEntertainment REPLY FROM THE GOD HIMSELF. YOUR AFRICAN QUEEN BOAT RIDE POV AND NARRATION IS THE MOST LEGENDARY PIECE OF THEME PARK LORE I HAVE EVER SEEN!!!!!!

[@epeeypen]

I grew up in tampa. I am 35 years old. I have seen the park change so much over those years. My great grandmother used to tell me about what it was kind when it first opened. I really appreciate you doing this work

[@bdablader95]

Lived in Tampa for 25 of my 28 years of my life. I remember growing up with BG being THE park. If you ask any Bay area local, we'll all say BG is better than driving to Orlando for Disney and Universal. I remember skipping school with my dad when Sheikra has it's Grand opening, words don't describe the excitement in the cities around BG, EVERYONE was so hyped. It's sad seeing the park slowly deteriorate. They still have the best horror nights vs Universal and despite the condition, us locals all go at least once a year, it's a nice place to hang out with some friends for the day without paying an arm & leg or driving 90 minutes up to Disney Springs/Universal.

[@stot2614]

Deteriorate?? I think not... if anything it is the lack of employees that is the problem. BGT is doing everything it can within the confines of it now being a SeaWorld owned entity for a quite a number of years now since InBev bought the Budweiser company. Coaster building is huge in Florida and pretty much the entire industry these days. I wish intellectual properties weren't so oversaturated in the theme park industry, but at least BGT keeps that to a minimum unlike Seaworld and its Sesame Street I.P. If there were a better pool of folks wanting to be employees at theme parks like BGT, the park itself wouldn't have the appearance of deterioration. That being said, being in competition with the powerhouse that Orlando is, I do think that has a lot to do with the worker pool being weaker in the Tampa area compared to the metropolis of O Town.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

@@stot2614 The issue is that they don't pay people well enough and they cut hours to the bone. I don't recall what I've heard their most recent minimum pay is, but I think it's just over $9 an hour which is ridiculous for a place like Tampa. I know that SeaWorld pays a bit better (but is not at all competitive with Disney or Universal) but I know people who have worked there hourly and have said that they try to cut hours as much as possible, even closing coasters early to send people home to save money.

[@stot2614]

The cost of doing business in a competitive market... sucks but some of us understand that. Inflation because of spending on the federal scale is what is forcing this to happen not just here but in many industries.@@PoseidonEntertainment

[@fireflyfox93]

​@@PoseidonEntertainmentspot on, they're not competitive enough. You can't live off that job alone. Most employees are part time and the pay is still laughable for the area. I think it has gotten up around $10-11/hr but at only part time hours you still need a second job.

[@Afineaddition]

@@PoseidonEntertainment Sheesh, $9/hr? That's tough, especially considering Universal starts you at $17/hr.

[@Ataraxia462]

BGT is the only park I bought a season pass for when we moved to Florida, mainly because of how close it is to us and the affordability. Love the park, love their Halloween and Christmas events, but I do wish they had more rides. When we visited cedar point this summer I realized just how much there is to do at that park besides the coasters. BGT needs more flat rides and they definitely need a dark ride or two.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

When I went in the early 2000s as a child, there were so many flat rides. Many were mostly for children and located around Timbuktu and Congo but it did a lot in terms of capacity. I do think they need more accessible, family oriented attractions though. Most of their coasters are great, but the park is unbalanced.

[@karenbouchard7098]

We did as well and enjoy all their concerts!

[@LakeHowellDigitalVideo]

​@@PoseidonEntertainmentI agree and I think SeaWorld is also suffering from the same neglect. The fact that SeaWorld has 2 standing / not operating dark rides (Wild Artic / Antarctica) kinda says it all. Busch and SeaWorld desperately need a new indoor dark ride to get some air conditioning in the summer. Busch offering refunds for too much heat is crazy -- Disney and Universal don't need that policy because they have plenty of indoor attractions.

[@weston407]

that's ironic considering that roller coasters are the main draw for Cedar Point!

[@Irreve-rsible]

Cedar Point is considered the "Roller Coaster Capital of The World". Only one other park in the world even has close to the same amount of rides, not a very good comparision in my opinion.

[@Chaotic-po8oj]

I LOVE Busch Gardens. My middle and elementary school would often do field trips to the park because it was usually the cheapest but also because it was a really fun place. I have many childhood memories there. My favorite place is the Sesame Street part of the park, so many good memories. Hell, I cured my fear of heights at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. I got a caricature of me done back in 2010, and the Jungla area (I don’t remember the name because it’s been so long since I have gone) was also super fun. So many amazing memories at that park and pictures. I need to go back to Busch Gardens.

[@LChatmanFL]

This is also my home park. I really miss Rhino Valley. It was such a unique ride. I've never seen another attraction that went from land based ride to river rapids ride. I also used to operate the Black Mamba, the Python and Scorpion back in the early 90's. Only the Scorpion remains. Lastly, I wish the parks could have gotten that rumored make over before the Blackfish film killed momentum. The concept art looked stunning with onsite hotels etc.

[@DreadedWhiteKong]

Rhino Rally was so good. It was a nice break to get off your feet and the ride was also cool because the driver could really make it fun with a good sense of humor. It reminds me a bit of Jaws at Universal in that way. Completely forgot about that ride until you said it, thanks for the memory.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

I always felt that Rhino Rally was better than Kilimanjaro. The water part was also really novel and made it stand out well.

[@nicktorres1744]

Rhino rally was sick Python sucked ass though don’t miss that at all and there’s a lot of new coasters and rides

[@jessesims6232]

@@nicktorres1744Python was so shakey. It would slam your head into the seat 😂

[@TampaJohn]

Oh my god, the memories! My wife and I used to get the annual pass just to ride the coasters. Once you do the other stuff enough, it gets old, but the coasters never did!

[@makdaddi3921]

I went to Bush Gardens many times when it was just a brewery tour with some animals and most notably penguins. The escalator was a phenomenon in those days and I do remember the dwarf attraction. Home movies of old Bush Gardens were watched by us kids over and over... fond memories...

[@happgood]

I'm a Tampa Bay native who first visited the park in 1966 at age 4, and every year since. (I've also worked in the park on creating Spooky Safari & Howl O Scream events in the 1990s). Your overview is wonderful, so much fun to see the home movies and the background stories. I remember both iterations of the Jungle Cruise style boat ride well, my friend was one of the Skippers. As for the Escalator, for many years sea lions swam underneath to entertain the guests. When I was very young the Escalator scared me and thrilled me, but not as much as the rollercoasters to come. Thank you for your well researched videos and looking forward to Python, Scorpion and all their descendants in Part 2!

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

I had no idea there were sea lions under the escalator. I did find video of African Penguins underneath though. Also, what was Livingstone's Landing like? I've only found a few pics and 30 seconds of footage but absolutely no information on the ride experience.

[@mikemarquette924]

Id give anything to go back to my first visit and every time since. I didn't know what I had and what I was living through. I miss it so much

[@mandaschroeder1578]

St Pete native and I grew up with this park - it’s so cool learning where some of the buildings started so I’m excited for Part 2. I have so many memories of this park (30 y/o now) and photos with attractions that aren’t there anymore. I was actually picked as a kid to pet the dolphin at the dolphin show RIP. Ahhh, I needed this itch of nostalgia so thank you!

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

That dolphin show was my first memory, so the park is definitely a personal interest too.

[@matthewolson9704]

I'm 37yo but I have so many core memories from visiting in the 90s ❤ miss what it was, but I think its more that as an adult I see it for what it is 😂 the magic is long gone, but I still enjoy myself every time 🤌

[@ShardsOfNarsil]

No joke my friends little brother snuck in the park late at night and swam around with the dolphins. @@PoseidonEntertainment

[@taylorkarlberg2060]

Went last November on a Thursday; it was almost empty. Getting to ride all the coasters w no line was great, but the place is definitely showing it's age and lack of direction. I left by 2pm because apparently serially riding coasters 30+ times in a morning will give you a headache

[@cassandra6577]

I love the era appropriate music you included. It really adds to the feel of each time period of the park!

[@dillonworrall2739]

My grandfather was the vp of finance for BG for north of 10 years in the early 2000s, once Anheuser lost Seaworld Entertainment in 2009 Blackstone got it and basically used it to dump debt so from then to a few years before COVID the whole company was extremely in debt and was talking about shutting down the smaller parks( i forgot to add this but he worked there for around 30ish years and first started as a light technician for at the time Fest House, he retired about 6-8 years back but he still consults when he feels like it)

[@Visible7777]

I remember going as a kid with my family riding rides and seeing the shows, then being dropped off with friends and we'd run through the park all day, finally slowing down and riding the buckets or train around to cool off. I haven't been in 20 years. Thank you.

[@harrisonlichtenberg3162]

I was a child and lived within 2 miles of Busch Gardens during its heyday in the late 90s and early 2000s. I'm just glad I got to enjoy it when it was good.

[@canileaveitblank1476]

While living in Tampa in the early 80’s I had a yearly pass to Busch Gardens. Loved it back then!! Only downfall was the scammers in the parking lot, claiming to have run out of gas. ❤️🍀

[@diegeticfridge9167]

Part 1??? Well I’m hooked!!!!!

[@THE_EXPERTS_SHOW1]

Tampa Native, my grandma snuck me my first sip of beer here back in the day when they used to do the brewery tours. Place has gotten trashy, but the coasters are better than ever! Thank you for this video!

[@kellykerr5225]

I miss the bird shows and their tricks. Now they just fly across. It was so cute. I moved to Tampa when I was 15

[@rototiller345]

Loved busch Gardens in the 2000-2010's. Was so much fun

[@deannapeterson2217]

Thanks for taking me back to my early childhood.

[@rennie823]

Thank you so much for making this video. I moved to Temple Terrace in 90' and found Busch Gardens right down the street. I loved going there. It was an adventure and for me to put my fear of roller coasters to the test!!! I began to love them. I enjoyed all the shows, the food, the shopping and exercise!!! Sad to hear that it's not like it use to be....

[@lifekeepsflowing]

Thank you for all the work you put into these videos! I’ve been watching you since the start of the pandemic in 2020, and your quality has only increased and your storytelling has improved. The backstory of Busch Gardens was fascinating, along with the early days of the park. I’m excited for part 2 :)

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

I appreciate you continuing to watch!

[@trayne5151]

I live next door and have a fun pass so I can walk around the park. It’s hardly busy at all which is nice for me to see some animals and move my body. They had 2 main entrances with 16 gate attendants and a line to get in when I was a kid. Now they usually have 1 attendant and no line

[@angiedillman7963]

This is gonna be interesting, I love Bush Gardens, it helps that its like 30miles away, but we'd get the yearly pass, and go all the time...I remember when they only had 2 roller coasters, the python, and the scorpion..

[@Skye-Cabbit]

I grew up with this park too!! Haha! Remember when they gave free beer to adults? Gosh that was YEARS ago, i also remember the clydesdale horses over by the Swiss house

[@jadedk1tten]

I grew up always going to BG Williamsburg due to living in that area of VA my whole life so I love seeing coverage on BG Tampa

[@gregrichey840]

Once InBev acquired Anheuser Busch the theme parks took a nosedive in every way. The park looks blighted.

[@_SuniTea_]

As someone who has been going to Busch Gardens since 2010 and worked there for a little over a year, many people still go and it’s not dying down anytime soon. However the charm is definitely fading. They favor profit over enjoyment, and as someone who’s worked in the summer heat, there are now very few options to cool down when it comes to rides. There’s always something down for service, food is expensive and not always good, the fun rides are well over a hour wait, and after you’ve been on 2-3 rides you’re tired and ready to go home. However, there are many places to visit in the park that are enjoyable for adults/kids to help cool off and take a break from walking.

[@JustBeingMe1984]

Wow what a great trip down memory lane! I remember most if not all of it. My dad started working there in 71.

[@testuser55]

Cool video. Went there a ton in the 80s as a kid! Brings back a lot of memories!

[@conundrumming3532]

Brought back lots of memories from the 70s. You never disappoint

[@AmericanConstellation]

I was born in Tampa, 1958. I went there all the time when I was a kid. As a young man in my 20's it was still fun. They had a brewery there, free beer and it was a great zoo with lots of room for the animals to free run. I lived on Bush Blvd in the early 80's. I could walk there and I did. Now that neighborhood has since then gone to crap. I got a season pass for me and my girlfriend. I enjoyed the brewery. I could smell it where I lived. I loved to visit the animals. Then the place got carried away with roller coasters and got rid of the brewery. Budweiser was sold to a Belgium company and it's gone down the toilet ever since. I haven't been there in years and don't care to go back.

[@coffeelover5780]

It seemed to get run down during covid. The last time i went, it was looking more refreshed as they were repainting. I do miss the dark continent feel to it back in the 90s.

[@nikolascsernus8581]

Thank you for the history of Bushgardens, very interesting! I'm a Tampa native, been going to the park since I was born! The park is not what it used to be. Gone are the street entertainment, Gone are the great African or animal themed shows around the park... what happened to the snake charmer lady, she was good 👍 entertainment! All they add these days are big Rollercoasters 🎢 ...not everyone likes coasters 😢😅

[@MarcM143]

We just went there and had a blast! The only things concerning were that all the restrooms reeked of urine and there was nothing other than crap food like chicken tenders to eat. The shows were great and the safari was great. Iron Gwazi is amazing and so is Serengheti Flyer

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

Yeah, food is definitely something they need to improve on. I did go to the Food and Wine Festival in 2018 and it was far better than what Epcot offers though. I'll have to make an effort to go again and see if it holds up.

[@jl6714]

Born and raised in Tampa, This brings back so many great memories. Growing up we use to go at least twice a year as a family then when I had my own children I bought annual passes and we went about once a week. Thank you for sharing!

[@chester82gtstang]

They are losing their roots. Anheuser-Busch doesn't know anything about their target audience. I was an employee at BG 20 years ago and it was headed downhill back then. I watched tenured employees lose some fun benefits like a free case of beer every month. I know that doesn't seem like a big deal but I think its a cool benefit most employers wouldn't give. They also used to give guests a complimentary beer. I think they are bringing that back this year but hell for the ticket price you should get a case of beer LOL.

[@emma82032]

I used to go to Busch Gardens multiple times a summer almost every summer of my childhood. Great park and amazing memories.

[@danielknauss5019]

I also grew up in Tampa. I attended Chamberlain High school, literally right down Busch blvd from this park. I haven’t been back to the park in almost 20 years but have very fond memories of Kumba and Montu.

[@Kreege]

I havent watched the video yet but I lived very close to BGT as a kid and had season passes from 2001-05. I've got tons of great memories of the park from those days. looking forward to this video!

[@willswalkingwest7267]

This is a video long overdue. I give you props for the hard work and research. Busch Gardens WAS at one day a fantastic wildlife park. Good people working there with the animals, a good budget to see to their welfare. Those days are over. I knew many of the people there. They are no longer there. I long for the days past when this and other parks had quality missions. I love rides, coasters and such. But live animals and extreme rides don't belong together. Thank you again. I hope people will watch all parts to this.

[@clamcrewcarclub6017]

I don’t care, I still love BG. Two of my favorite memories were going with my mom when I was in middle school and riding all the rides at the time, and more recently going by myself for free with my universal Orlando ID, and riding all the current coasters multiple times bc none of my friends like roller coasters. Walked around all day by myself eating, looking at animals, and walking on rides

[@bonniehowell9206]

My first memory of Busch Gardens was after my dad found an injured sandhill crane in the road, loaded him up in his van, and called the local animal shelter. From there he was put into contact with Busch Garden's animal sanctuary and we were given free tickets and access to their sanctuary to transport the bird to their park. (3 hour drive) It was such a bizzare experience ,but at least I have pictures to prove it.

[@notpunkproductions]

I watched this the same hour it came out and then again today. Really looking forward to Part 2. I find it so fascinating that Busch Gardens is so intertwined with the brewery. Today it seems like building a family theme park on the site of one of the largest breweries and distilleries in the world is sort of a terrible idea, but we’re very lucky that we do have it. Not that I personally would have a problem taking my children to a brewery, but I know some people are weird about sheltering their kids from the existence of alcohol.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

I only ever knew it without the brewery, but it is interesting that it played such a large role for a little over 4 decades.

[@mmontes15]

It wasn't like people were standing around back in the 70's getting hammered with their kids there. At least not that I ever saw. It wasn't like Epcot's Food & Wine festival or anything like that. There everything is spaced out all over the park, and you can get alcohol anywhere you want. So it's not inconvenient for people to buy it whenever they want. It's easy to get your drink on there. The brewery at Busch Gardens was tucked away beyond the Bird Gardens, away from all the rides, and was one of the few places you could get beer in the park. They used to give out 1 free beer per visit when you went. So we would go over there so my mom could get her free beer, but it was so far away from everything that we kids wanted to do, that we didn't spend any time over there. No one did really, because it's not like there were "Busch Garden adults" back then 😂😂😂😂 that went to the park without their kids like you have with Disney today. I think The Festhaus in Tibuktu also served beer but that was probably about it. I do remember the betrayal the brewery workers felt when they made the decision to close it because it was right before Christmas, and it was such a fixture of the park. Those people had worked at that brewery, and lived in the community for years, and the company just sprung it on them, and then like a month later, cut them right before Christmas. I remember feeling terrible for those workers.

[@shenanitims4006]

Thank you so much! I grew up going to Busch Gardens, and it’ll always hold a special place in my heart. Especially, since, living in Tampa, you could buy a year pass for the cost of admission plus something minuscule (like + $5), and be able to go year round. Getting off of work with your friends around 4PM? Let’s go to Busch Gardens, ride a few coasters, and/or people watch.

[@theknowitall2491]

They've managed to take away everything that helped make it an "all day" adventure for the family. The reality is, its a huge park located in Florida, meaning the 4 main months (June-Sept), it is brutally hot. Rides like the Tidal Wave that let you sit for a while and get cooled off were necessities. Same goes for the monorail (which was A/C). If you're going to spend all day at the park in the summer, you need rides to give you a break, help you move about the park, and let you cool off temporarily. They've axed all of those rides. Add in taking away unique attractions like the bird show and the Clydesdales and I think it limits the time you need at the park. Or at least the time you may be able to stand it.

[@jnc07res]

Native tampa guy here too... I'll tell you what happened to BG, it's the $100+ ticket before Disney was even charging over $100! Locals used to support this park constantly. When I was a kid (admittedly, early '80s) a ticket was $16. Fast forward 20 years and boom, $100. People here can't afford that.

[@jimboshrump]

Idk season pass holder for years. Its fun. Plus you can go to all the parks its entertaining for a few hours as a local. Js.

[@kurtbrigandi]

I feel that there may be a solid explanation as to why parks like Busch Gardens Tampa, as well as other parks, run into this same issue. Its a loss of their identity. You have to keep in mind that when these places were designed and built, it was a culmination of like minded individuals who all had a similar vision of what they wanted. As time goes on, that creative might begins to age and either move along elsewhere or just retire. Replacing the original minds with new, similar minded people is not as easy as it would seem. At first it didn't matter as there was a mix of the new with the older minds, but as time goes on, that mix goes more and more towards just the new minds. New minds which never had the vision to create what the older minds did. That begins the internal erosion and leads to cases such as Busch/Seaworld. Disney is having the same identity issue as well.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

Generally I agree but I think that biggest change with Busch/SeaWorld was InBev purchasing Anheuser-Busch and selling off the parks. Investment firms don't care for legacy

[@bonniehowell9206]

Good point. This (IMO) is what happened to The Simpsons.

[@donkeypunchout]

Busch gardens is still my favorite park to go to..I have been going here for over thirty years and still like it just as much as the first time I ever went..

[@stj53]

I was there as a kid in the early 60's (10 yo from small town who had never seen such..) and then again with my wife and children in the mid-90's. I have wonderful memories of both visits.

[@brandonbyrne4753]

BGT has a very strange layout but seeing the timeline of the park’s construction and evolving purpose and focus helps to understand why the park flows the way that it does. Great video, about to watch part 2

[@Sludge73]

Enjoyed Busch Gardens as a kid in the 80s. Took the family there around 5 years ago. We loved it. I enjoyed riding some of the same rides.

[@THELORDOFTHEHOLLOW]

Busch gardens is still around and it's still an amazing park to visit

[@floridalife2419]

This was my home park growing up and I worked there in my college years from 2017-2020 up until the pandemic. From a guest perspective, the downfall was evident in lack of upkeep and cutting different offerings. It was painfully apparent in 2019 that BGT was in trouble. Seaworld Parks seemed to view BGT as a problem child and focused way more attention on BGW in renovating and expanding. Soon different services begun being outsourced to 3rd party companies. Games was first and the next up were security and food. I’m not sure if the two mentioned went through because COVID happened during that time. I made a lot of amazing memories there both as a guest and employee and it’s sad to see the potential rotting away

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

I think that COVID just really solidified a lot of those issues and made them way worse in a way that I didn't notice prior. I didn't know that BGT was ever considered problematic though. In fact, I thought that it was second best in attendance just below SeaWorld Orlando?

[@WBG123098]

I owned a Fun Pass (year passes) for about 15 of my 34 years alive, born and raised in South Florida. Busch Gardens in the summer for summer nights, where the park is open late and you can hit your favorite rides in the dark, and Hallowscream, the Hallowween Haunted Houses they do up every year, are two musts. Huge, defining part of my childhood and growing up, up until the year before covid, 2019, last year I held a Fun Pass. Not sure if it's lost any of its magic post-covid, but I have nothing but fond memories of the place, my most frequented out-of-town attraction. Long live BGT Shoutout to Gwazi, scariest wooden coaster I've ever been on.

[@superdonavanbrosgaming6206]

Conductor for the train ride here. Had to learn a lot about the park and both videos helped out greatly! if you need to add anything else in let me know!

[@dennisd9804]

Absolutely amazing! I did not realize how detailed the history of Busch Gardens was. Stanleyville was an excellent additon to the park, and Stanley Falls is arguably my favorite log flume ride!

[@novelgiani]

Man, I remember going to Busch Gardens every year through middle school. The moment I jumped on the Montu, I fell in love with roller-coasters. Unfortunately I haven't gone to any theme park because I had surgery back in 2018 that made me afraid of going on a roller-coaster for fear of health complications, but I wanted to go back. I didn't know that it was going under these past years.

[@helenwalker716]

I grew up in Sarasota and went to Busch Gardens a lot. It was such fun.

[@josephreiter1434]

I use to go to BG Tampa alot as kid with my grandparents and cousins who lived in Florida. The park always felt so alive back then. I went last year and while I had a good time, the park almost felt like it was struggling to breathe. There were entire sections of the park that were just dead/abandoned. The whole vibe of the park just felt depressed as compared to when I was a kid. I much prefer Busch Gardens Williamsburg recently, although I will admit that park has seen some better days too.

[@BriahnAznable]

Lived near here my whole life, Grandparents were like 30 minutes away max back in the early 90s. It’s such a wildly different vibe now. Shout out to all the good memories people have had there though ❤

[@JodieWithanIEOfficial]

I love your channel. All of your video essays are so well thought out, researched and presented. I’m from St Louis so I only know a smidge of the history of the Busch family, so getting to see this new aspect of it outside of St. Louis is a real treat. Can’t wait for episode two.

[@mmontes15]

I grew up in Tampa and went to college in St. Louis. STL is such a great city. I loved my time there, and I honestly think that City Museum is one of the great, largely unknown treasures in the nation. It's so unique, and fun to explore!

[@Theworldisyouroyster156]

It’s evident how many hours work of research you put into this. Very interesting and enjoyable.

[@karennadeau8251]

My kids and I always had years pass. We loved it. On my days off, I would go alone and enjoy the animals and garden.

[@yoongiyuu3086]

so many of my early childhood memories were made at this park. it feels crazy to see a youtube video about it

[@optimize0]

Never went to the Tampa park, but the Busch Gardens in Williamsburg was one of my favorites.

[@StevenSmith-pr7gw]

I’ve never been to the Tampa park but Bush Gardens Williamsburg is an amazing park with outstanding shows, great rides, and beautiful theming!

[@sashaflip7450]

I’ve had a yearly pass to Busch Gardens and Adventure Island since I was 11. Now I’m 38 and I take my kids a few times a month. It’s expensive but overall it’s fun and something to do on the weekends with kids and family.

[@rrsaga]

Watching your videos makes me miss the Florida I grew up in..

[@petahoee8281]

I have so many fond memories spent at BG as a child and teen. I still carry a pass as should every floridian but I find myself only using it during October...

[@codyrobins19]

Growing up in Tampa, BG was a staple. The theming was great and there were things for every age group to stay occupied. Recently they have leaned heavily into building new roller coasters while neglecting the others parts of the park that people enjoy. While coasters are thrilling, that was not what the heart of the park was based on and not what keeps people coming back. A majority of visitors don't ride any rides especially as Florida is a populous retiree state. People want to take in the theming, wildlife, and shows. All of which have been getting cut more and more each year. Now you walk around the park and it doesn't resemble the one we grew up with and if you don't want to ride a roller coaster, you are left with nothing else to do especially since they have no shows during certain parts of the year. I get that it's expensive to run these parks but you have to remain faithful to the things that people love and not just think that when attendance is declining, it's a good idea to cut a bunch of things and build a new roller coaster and that will fix your problems.

[@citizenofcorona8783]

Sea World has the same exact problem. But that should come to no surprise since they're both owned by the same company.

[@Jadentheman]

Sea World (SEAS) is rebranding since the Blackfish scandal. @@citizenofcorona8783

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

I like their coasters and they're mostly good additions (except for Tigris because I hate Premier trains) but I agree that they're leaning way too heavily into them. I generally avoid going on weekends but even today when I went to go film for the second part of the video, the park was empty. Iron Gwazi was a 5 minute wait. It's nice, but I also remember growing up with this park consistently packed and I think that adding in more accessible, family attractions like themed shows, maybe a simulator and even a few dark rides would go a long way in changing that.

[@codyrobins19]

@@PoseidonEntertainment yep I went last Sunday and it was a ghost town. Even parked in the first row and got right on the tram. I remember coming as a kid and having to park in the Adventure island parking lot then you have to go to multiple tram stops before you got to the gates. I do think the heat this summer hasn’t helped but that’s also because they only have a couple indoor options in the whole park for you to cool off throughout the day. I agree that a dark ride and more shows are needed to give people a break from the coasters which I love as well and to get out of the sun. The only show running right now until hallow scream starts is the ice show… which also makes little sense with the theming. Even when those shows start, they won’t be during the day, only at night during HOS. On top of that, the only place you have for kids to go is Sesame Street which isn’t a very popular property with kids these days either.

[@blabberfest]

Seeing a Poseidon upload really makes the week better. And it's only Monday!

[@JakeCoasters]

Phenomenal job on this! BGT is my home park and I grew up at this park throughout the 90's and 2000s...It's still my home park, but something definintely feels off....From the main park, to the dinning, to the exhibits and even to the special events like Howl-O-Scream...it feels like a shell of its former self sometimes...Hopefully brighter days are ahread

[@fearlv1rattata]

As a Tampa native, thanks for this! I grew up on BG doing the flume ride with my grandpa probably more than he wanted to.

[@sarahsusan3753]

I grew up in clearwater and I love Busch gardens and SeaWorld as a kid....like the Montu Era was the best. SeaWorld was a magical place and gave me my love and passion for marine life. I also went to zoo camp at BG and that was one of my favorite memories as a kid.

[@mamagrubbs]

Growing up in Tampa we went here a lot in the 90s and the water park called adventure island!

[@reiaino]

Oh this was great! I remember going to the park in the early 90's and loved how it was both a zoo and had roller coasters! It was also much closer, and more affordable than going to Orlando for us at the time. I actually tried to convince some friends to go to Bush Gardens and Weeki Wachee while we were in Florida a few years ago. But the pull of the Mouse was too strong to get them out of Orlando. I can't wait for part 2!

[@Section8dc]

Its surreal to see this having grown up in Florida, I probably went to this place 20 times when I was a kid, my grandparents got passes and took us so much we actually got tired of it lol, it was one of the only good parts of my childhood, and its strange to see something talking about its demise in my feed, very nostalgic

[@howardlloyd9183]

I grew up in Mad beach and now live in T.I. but I haven't been to Busch gardens in probably 10 years. Great content.

[@DixonCider954]

Will always remember getting lost here for like 4 hours from my family as a kid in the early 2000s!

[@typicaluser4116]

Even though I did not care for you in the past, great video, this is something that needed to be done with the parks 65th year coming, the facts where said exactly of the parks decline from great theming to your everyday amusement park. Thank you.

[@jonc3903]

What has kept us from going to BGT is their lack of nice close by hotels and decent restaurants inside the park.

[@saucyb3585]

Iron Gwazi and Cheetah Run are two of the best coasters I’ve been on.

[@cjhacker8367]

Liking this video as a fellow Tampa native.

[@cjhacker8367]

Got my sub to

[@Zoove1]

You should do a video amount the Beast at Kings Island. How it had such a huge impact of the amusement park industry. And it's incredible history.

[@linkmaxwell]

Ohio native RL Stein (Goosebumps author) even wrote a YA horror book about it.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

I should, but I actually want to go to Kings Island first. It's one of those places that can be a bit more spontaneously accessible if I choose to do a video on it.

[@happyyad]

Always look forward and appreciate the work you do on your videos. Can’t wait for part 2. We have a park here in Santa Fe Springs Ca, and back in the early 1900 was a lush garden with fountains and sculptures that was visited by people around LA, and was referred to as a fairy garden, similar to Busch Gardens. Must have been a popular back at that time. Hell, I enjoy the day there even today. The city of SFS has restored the area back to what it was in the late 1800’s.

[@MauriSky2437]

Growing up in the Bahamas, I fantasized about Busch Garden each time the commercials aired, wishing to one day experience the fun. When I came to the USA for high school and college, I totally forgot, thanks to distractions and life.

[@Objection_23and1]

I grew up at Busch Gardens, my dad would drop us off in the morning during the summer and pick us up after work, core memories for sure 🥺🥺🥺

[@penrodautorepair3170]

Still an amazing park. Use to have a annual pass as a kid. My Dad would take me my sister an brother. We had a blast as kids growing up as a child.

[@annabobanaasmr8411]

I always loved the themeing for Busch Gardens and the atmosphere than Disney, I loved all the shows and animals. But growing up, I always wondered too whether they take care of the animals properly. I do feel like Busch Gardens is more of a local favorite compared to Disney or Universal parks, It's much less crowded, less fake, no insanely loud music. I love the sheer amount of educational content in the park. But I'm also biased because Animal Kingdom is also my favorite out of the disney parks lol.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

Watching through a lot of footage from the 80s, many of the animals did appear miserable. It's not at all like that today though. I have a lot to complain about in terms of how it's run today in my other respects, but they do actually have excellent animal care.

[@christheghostwriter]

Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo has also come a long way since the 1980s

[@weefslider]

Hi! I shadowed zookeepers at BGT for 2 weeks as a part of their summer camps in high school, and now I work taking care of animals as a career. Busch Gardens is pretty far up there in terms of quality of care for their animals.

[@Gibbypastrami]

Fun fact! Busch Gardens is the reason we know what to feed gorillas now! One of their animal care team leaders back in the day pioneered a diet and it is now used at pretty much every place that keeps gorillas They were feeding them pellets before… now they get fruits and veggies and supplements and stuff

[@dorysmith2776]

When I was a little girl in the 70s, we walked to BG, rode the monorail, and looked at all the animals. As we walked up the steps to the ride, a black panther paced in a cage. BG has changed quite a bit since then.

[@ChrisClark31415]

I went to school at USF, which is right down the street, and would sometimes go to the park for an hour or so after classes let out. It was a good park with great coasters. I lived in Orlando for nearly 20 years and went to Disney twice, under protest.

[@tyler4728]

Busch gardens will always be my favorite theme park

[@serennosquadcast8297]

We have Busch Gardens Williamsburg here in Virginia. I’ve been going since 1999 and so much has changed! It’s cool to experience Tampas park in this video, thanks for the history!