Credit: Busch Gardens Tampa BayThe weather in the central Florida area has been less than ideal this weekend, and now, it will be shutting down on theme park early.
While theme parks like Walt Disney World Resort and Universal Orlando Resort are the two main places that many think about when visiting Central Florida for their vacation, there are other major theme parks only a short ride away from the House of Mouse and spinning globe. Disney World and Universal will rarely shut down or close early due to weather-related issues unless the weather is highly severe. As many of their guests are traveling from around the world to visit, closing the park would leave hundreds of thousands of guests unable to enjoy their vacation, and the company would lose quite a bit of revenue. That’s because at Disney and Universal, guests are going to show up on their allocated date, no matter what.
Down the road in Tampa, theme park goers can find Busch Gardens, a thrill park that is themed to animal life, similar to Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Busch Gardens does house multiple animals, as well as a ton of thrill coasters and rides like Cheetah Hunt, Tigris, SheiKra, Falcon’s Fury, Kumba, Montu, Iron Gwazi, and more.
Today, the official Busch Gardens Tampa Bay account shared that they would be shutting down early, at 6:00 p.m. on X. The post reads, “due to inclement weather, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay will close early today, Sunday, 2/18, at 6 P.M., and Mardi Gras activities, including food and beverage event locations, will not be open. The park will reopen at 10 A.M. tomorrow as scheduled.
We can’t wait to see you all tomorrow! ☀️
We can’t wait to see you all tomorrow! ☀️ pic.twitter.com/3jsXhHOUhc
— Busch Gardens Tampa Bay (@BuschGardens) February 18, 2024
This means that the park will be shutting down two hours earlier than expected. The post does not state that any refunds will be given for the shortened day.
News outlets like Click Orlando have called the weekend a “weekend washout”. The publication said, “Models continue to be in strong agreement that a stream of moisture will begin to push into Central Florida on Saturday, with the subtropical jet stream sending in even more copious amounts of rain through Sunday. This weekend, two storm systems will combine, increasing the chance of rain to 70-80% all weekend long.
On Saturday, a weakening cold front will stall across the peninsula. An area of low pressure is then forecast to develop in the Gulf of Mexico, shifting east along the boundary and crossing over Florida through Sunday.
Heavy rainfall will be the main threat this weekend, with 1-3 inches forecast — and locally higher amounts in excess of 4 inches possible. Localized flooding will be possible in areas that receive repeated rounds of heavy rain. Besides the rain, northerly winds will strengthen, with gusts 25-35 mph possible Sunday.”
With even the Daytona 500 race getting postponed until tomorrow, it is not too surprising to see Busch Gardens shut down.
Over in California, we recently saw Knott’s Berry Farm, a comparable theme park to Busch Gardens in terms of it being a regional theme park, shut down for multiple rain days, while Disneyland, located 10 minutes away, stayed open. For parks like Knott’s Berry Farm and Busch Gardens, while some guests may be visiting while on vacation, a majority of guests are local, and can reschedule their visit easily. Because a lot of guests are local, they likely would opt to not visit on a rainy day, as they will have the option to go when the weather is better, meaning the park may actually lose money by staying open.
At the moment, guests visiting Busch Gardens will immerse themselves in the vibrant essence of New Orleans’ most extravagant festivity. They’ll indulge in mouthwatering Cajun-inspired cuisine, witness a lively Mardi Gras parade adorned with colorful beads and spirited characters, and groove to the beat of live music performed by a variety of dynamic entertainers throughout the park.
Busch Gardens suggests that one of the most enjoyable ways to savor the event’s array of food and beverages is by acquiring a Mardi Gras sampler lanyard, available in sets of five and 10. Starting at $40, these sampler lanyards can be conveniently purchased at designated locations throughout the theme park.
Running until March 3, Busch Gardens’ Mardi Gras festivities are included with park admission.
During the Mardi Gras celebration, guests can also enjoy the park’s “Real Music” concert series, which continues until Feb. 25. Held at the Stanleyville Theater, this concert series features several tribute bands for guests to enjoy.
Would you visit a theme park if it was raining all day?