Taking some time out to discover Orlando’s wild side

Theme park update

Taking some time out to discover Orlando’s wild side

Alan Moore previews Florida’s popular leisure venues

Busch Gardens, Tampa

The combined animal park and white-knuckle-ride theme park is updating delegates on improvements, plus this spring’s introduction of a new African safari ride called Rhino Rally.

Land Rovers take passengers for a close-up view of African animals in the wild, as well as a journey through a 16-acre region where they encounter various obstacles such as simulated flash floods.

The park has also enhanced a 29-acre African savannah wildlife area, bringing guests closer to the animals via the Trans-Veldt Railway.

It forms part of the 70-acre Serengeti Plain animal attraction inside the 300-acre park, where more than 2,800 mammals, birds and reptiles are on show. As a precaution against foot and mouth disease, visitors from the UK and Europe are being asked to avoid certain areas of the park where guests are allowed to touch and feed some of the animals. Animals most susceptible to the virus are giraffes, antelopes, elephants and camels.

Now established as a top feature is the Gwazi, a wooden roller coaster built from more than one million feet of lumber.

Named after a fabled lion with the head of a tiger, the 7,000ft long, 50mph ride includes six fly-by manoeuvres with another coaster.

A gentler attraction is the World Rhythms on Ice show, a 36-minute tour “around the world” which features Africa, Brazil, China, England, Germany and Antarctica.

Going wild: nature calls at Busch Gardens Rhino Rally