BGTampa...crowd question

[outbackjack]

Kids have both cleared the 54" mark this season and I'm dying to take them to BGT for a few days.

 

We really try had to plan trips around crowded times, which is easy to determine at most parks. But the Central Florida crowd patterns are unique....

 

I figured if anyone knew the ins and outs of BGT crowds, it would be our friends on TPR.

 

We are initially looking at the S-M-T before Thanksgiving, or a MTW in the middle of March.

 

Also, are their water rides open in November?

 

Thanks in advance,

Outback

[outbackjack]

Also, if you wouldn't mind, let me know ANY time that is great...and times that are must avoids.

 

Thanks so much!!!

[jedimaster1227]

You will typically find that at the parks, weekdays, especially Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays will have lesser crowds than Fridays thru Mondays would. Luckily, aside from when they are closed for refurbishment, all of the Florida water rides stay open year round with the parks, regardless of the weather, so November should be fine.

 

One thing of note, you are better off visiting the park at opening, as the lines will increase significantly during the day, especially for Cheetah Hunt. So if you are interested in decreased wait times, be sure to get there early. Also consider investing in the park's Quick Queue option, which will help you skip the lines on the significant attractions.

[SharkTums]

Neither of those two time frames will find you a dead park. Most people vacationing now take off all of Thanksgiving week so the Saturday before you'll see a ton of people arriving into Florida.

 

Mid-March is prime Spring Break Season.

 

Like Adam said, go on a weekday and make sure you're at the park BEFORE opening.

[simon8899]

I might do the Orlando parks plus BGT in early-mid February - I hope crowds are "normal" at those times....

[IanKgtr]

^ I went on a slightly colder Tuesday in mid-February a few years back and the park was absolutely dead... I rode Kumba six times in a row without getting off!

[Tanks4me05]

I went to Busch Gardens on a Wednesday in mid February. Though the crowds were very minimal (I got on all the coasters multiple times) Montu is closed for renovation during February, so I wasn't happy about that. My best guess would be to go tues, Wed, and Thurs, between January 22 and February 2 (between Gwazi and Montu's maintenance periods) because no major rides are closed at that time (well, Sky Ride is closed, but if you don't care too much for photography vantage points, you'll be fine) and it's not a prime vacation time. Though it's only a few weeks before mid February, I'm not positive that the end of January would be best. Can someone else confirm whether or not that time is good to visit? I only went once in mid February once and mid April.

 

But if you don't get on everything, then that means that the next visit to the park will be that much more unique, because you have another experience that you couldn't get before. That's a mantra that I've been adopting over the past year or two. It made me worry much less about trying to plan a schedule/route to hit up all the credits and unique flat rides.