Why Busch Gardens is the perfect theme park for families in Florida

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My eyes are closed tight and I feel the wind picking up as we climb, little by little, along the metal tracks of Iron Gwazi – the tallest, fastest and steepest hybrid rollercoaster in North America.

As we reach the top of its 63m tower, I catch a brief glimpse of panoramic views over the city of Tampa, before the coaster (and my stomach) suddenly drops.

I’d started at the park, along with a group of 13 UK travel agents, with some of the tamer rides, though there were still a few hair-raising moments. Kumba is a visitor favourite, featuring a 41m drop and multiple loops that leave you suspended, weightless, over the park.

We also tackle the Serengeti Flyer, a ride comprising two arms that swing round at speeds of up to 68mph, creating upside down G-force momentum that gets our pulses racing.

With Florida’s signature sunshine, the weather is a toasty 35C – but thankfully, our next port of call is one of Busch Gardens’ water rides, the Congo River Rapids.

Though how wet you get turns out to be down to the luck of the draw: sitting in an inflatable ring, we spin and bump our way along a raging river, white-water rapids foaming around us. Some escape unscathed while others are hit with jets of water, and I narrowly miss a dunking under a thundering waterfall.