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Yippee! Yay! Hooray! Huzzah!

This park looks seriously impressive. It has a real Islands of Adventure vibe going for it (especially Port of Entry & Lost Continent). Looks like it's going to be absolutely stunning when it's finished. I need to find a way to get to Rome sometime. I know the BF wants to go there one day... this looks like it would seal the deal for me!

She's alive and well, Joey. That bitch doesn't age because she looks pretty much the same as she did when I remember seeing her as a guest on Love Boat in the 70's & 80's! She put on a really good show. Can't understand a damn word she says, but she's funny! She embarrassed the hell out of some emo kid in the front row, which was a RIOT!

OMG that spider! OMG! OMG! *screams like a banshee* EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!! *shudder* Ok I'm fine now. I think. Anyhow, loving the trip report! That's crazy how the train for Orphan Rocker is still sitting on the track, locked up all these years. Love the cute animals. I want to go to Australia one day, but in the meantime, I got Walkabout Way at Busch Gardens to keep the cute quotient up for me.

Was at the park today and got some Cheetah Hunt pull-through shots! They were up to the inversion while I was there. Wheee! This would be a great postcard if the full coaster train was there. The completed jump over the Skyride. Different angle of how the train looks in the inversion. Theming over at the load station & Cheetah Run habitat is looking great! While I was there, I caught one of Charo's shows (she was there this week to close out the Real Music Series). I hope I look half as good as she does when I'm 60. I might not be in Australia with TPR, but that doesn't mean I can't see Aussie animals! I'm glad Robb isn't here to probe us! I'm too cute to be molested! WTF are YOU looking at?? Tug-Of-War! Loser gets eaten. Yeah I'll put my money on the 500lb kitty. Sleepy lion is sleepy.

Nice report! I never did the Jimmy Neutron ride, but I remember doing the Hanna-Barbara one back in the early 90's. Ellen will be there next Sunday (April 3) taping. I'm a little pissed because I found out Duran Duran (my favorite band for nearly 30 years) are going to be on again (they were on today & she had so much fun she invited them back)... and tickets have been sold out for awhile now. Boo. Oh well, I'll just watch when it airs (April 5 & 6).

The trains look AWESOME with the decals on them. Just beautiful. I'll be there tomorrow. If they're still doing the pull-through I'll try and snap some photos. the theming on the load station is looking great too! Looks like a whole new building now. Love it!

WTH?! That was one hot mess but totally freaking AWESOME!

More baby cheetah cuteness!

Ok time for some cute overload. Busch Gardens got a baby cheetah last week! http://www.buschgardenstampablog.com/busch-gardens-tampa-bay-welcomes-new-baby-cheetah

The zero-G roll on Montu and the first loop on Kumba. LOVE.

The Tazmanian Tiger kiddie coaster at Lowry Park Zoo. Because I'm a sad and pathetic credit whore.

Prince Desmond = WINNING

Heh. Yeah no kidding. It takes them FOREVER to get Gwazi loaded and on its way. They're a little better at the other coasters (they were quite good on Kumba when I was there last weekend), but Gwazi is definitely the worst.

I was hoping to finally go to the Strawberry Festival this year, but sadly it wasn't meant to be. The boyfriend & I are talking about possibly going to Parkesdale Farms for some strawberry shortcake this weekend though. I've been there before and it's the BEST strawberry shortcake I've ever had. So freaking huge it's a meal in itself. I didn't even make it to the State Fair this year either! Busch Gardens has those chipstix/ribbon fries on a stick thing in the Timbuktu area. Keep meaning to try it sometime as they have a few different flavors.

Post more of your awesome photos! You got it! I'm going through withdrawals having not been there for the last couple weeks.

Gator Golf! I first encountered this tackily awesome place back in the fall of 2007. I was in Orlando for work and my hotel was across the street from this (and the fabulously ghetto Magical Midway). I fed the gators out front the kibble from the little machines. I remember also in the pens out front, one of the gator handlers was out in one and had the gators swimming up to him and trying to jump in his lap like puppies! Last night the boyfriend & I were driving to John's Pass (a little touristy area on the Gulf near Indian Rocks, Reddington, Maderia Beach, etc.) to have dinner at Bubba Gumnp. We passed a couple of really cool themed mini-golf places called Smuggler's Cove (2 different locations down the road from each other). We already had other after dinner plans, but said, "We GOTTA do these sometime!" We did the Congo River golf that's practically around the corner from me in Clearwater. It's nice, but we're always looking for different things to do and play "tourist" sometimes.

Only tunnel I've done is Kumba. Do the trenches on Montu count?

I am totally counting down the days for this puppy to open. I'll be back at the park on the 12th. Looking forward to see the progress that's gone on over the last couple weeks. Oh and Montu reopened this past weekend after being down for 2-3 weeks for annual maintenance.

I'm definitely tempted as this a little closer for me than the other Bashes that are happening so far this year. Still a 7 or 8 hour drive but If I can afford it and get the time of work... yeah I'm interested!

Busch Gardens Tampa has a whole bunch of parking options: $13 - General parking for cars and motorcycles $15 - General parking for buses, trucks and recreation vehicles $20 - Preferred parking ($10 for 2 Year & 1 Year Passport members; Free for Platinum members) $26 - Valet Parking ($22 for Passport members) Valet and Preferred parking are both subject to availability. Tour buses may park for free. And another option is you can actually buy parking online at a discounted rate of $12.15 for general parking and $24.30 for valet parking.

The way I read it, it sounds like Cheetah Hunt is the first coaster ever to receive this new type of restraint. So it sounds like it's totally new and Cheetah Hunt is the lucky coaster to get it first.

Be prepared for very hot/humid weather and rain almost every day. Summer is the rainy season in Florida. You can pretty much set your watch to the rainstorms (it'll rain nearly every day between 3-6pm anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour or a little more... and rain HARD).

I wish there were food trucks in Florida.

Ohhh this is tough. So many good ones. All time fave is Gemini at Cedar Point. Great Arrow hybrid. But if we're talking strictly steel, then I'm going with Montu: And Kumba: Strictly wooden, then Wolverine Wildcat: And Gwazi (since the new trains came along):