Earlier this month, I visited Tampa, Florida for the first time with my mom. While there, we were lucky enough to experience Mardi Gras at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay! Today, I’m going to give you my review of this fun event!
Mardi Gras at Busch Gardens Tampa
Mardi Gras at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is a seasonal event held on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from mid-January to early March. It includes special food items and entertainment! We visited the park on Sunday and Monday. I can honestly say that the park felt like it was missing something on Monday without the event going on. So, I definitely think it’s worth it to visit when a seasonal event is going on.
Event Special Food
One of the biggest pros of attending during a special event at the park is the additional food options. Personally, I found the park to be lacking in the food department. The park mainly offers chicken tenders, hamburgers, and pizza at its restaurants. So, the addition of the event food booths really gave the park some much needed food diversity.
We purchased an event food and beverage sampler for our visit. It was worth it as the food was a little pricey at the booths when purchased individually. Plus, the sample sizes were pretty small. So, it was easy to eat a whole card’s worth between the two of us. I also appreciated that the booths opened around noon, instead of later in the evening unlike SeaWorld Orlando’s Christmas event did last year.
The food options were mostly good. I liked the sausage Po’ Boy, even though it had a bit of a kick. It was too spicy for my mom. She preferred the jambalaya. We both liked the muffuletta, but thought the sandwich was really small. We tried most of the desserts with varying degrees of success. The beignets were undercooked and doughy. The cupcakes sounded exciting, but the flavors didn’t exactly match the given descriptions. They tasted good, but didn’t match expectations.
Mardi Gras Entertainment
We were able to experience all three entertainment add-ons for Mardi Gras at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. First, we listened to the Sweet Beignet Brass Band while enjoying our food. It was nice to listen to as we relaxed in the middle of a busy theme park day. Then, later in the day we caught the parade. Having experienced Mardi Gras at Universal Orlando though, this parade was just ok. It began with a guy on a decorated bike and two ladies carrying a sign. Then, some people on stilts came through as well as the band. So, it was fun, but we were used to floats.
Immediately following the parade, three ladies got up on the “Bead Balcony” and tossed beads out to the crowd. This seemed slightly dangerous as everyone is going for a few beads. My mom and I managed to grab a few beads and then quit.
Overall Impressions
I think that Mardi Gras at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay really adds something to the park. It gives much needed additional food options as well as entertainment. However, you may be a touch disappointed if you go in expecting the caliber of another theme park’s event. Keep your expectations in check and be careful catching beads and you’ll have a great time.
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