Welcome to my new series of renovation forums, where I provide my own take on how to make theme parks better than they already are.
This time, we shall focus on Busch Gardens Tampa, located one hour or so away from the Orlando heavyweights, but is still a good park in it's own right.
In my opinion, there are three major issues that prevent Busch Gardens Tampa from ascending into the same category as a Disney or Universal park. I shall explain all three of them in no particular order:
1. Lack Of High-Quality Family Friendly Attractions.
Busch Gardens is heavy on hardcore roller coasters and thrill rides but it lacks major attractions that cater to the entire family. True, you do have Jungala, some of Pantopia, and the Sesame Street Safari of Fun children's land, but much of this is geared towards children 6 and under.
The Sesame Street area, which is naturally geared to the toddler age group.
Kids who have outgrown the play areas but can't handle the thrill rides don't have much to do at the park other than view the animals at the park, which in this case, they might as well go to the zoo 15 minutes away for a much lower price. That can simply not do.
2. Unused Space and Non-Operating Attractions
A few attractions at the park are currently standing but not operating. Gwazi, for example, takes up a large footprint that could be used for further park expansion if the ride is actually torn down and replaced.
That is ONE large space...
Rhino Rally, although not really taking up much unused space (the ride takes place in the Serengeti Plain habitat, sort of like Kilimanjaro Safaris.), but it decreases an already low family friendly high-quality attractions list (as seen in Issue 1). If the issue is handled correctly, Busch Gardens can be made into a better park with more experiences.
3. Disjointed Theme and Aesthetics.
When Busch Gardens Tampa was called Busch Gardens Africa, there was an actual general theme to the park, which, to no surprise, was Africa. With the additions of Jungala (which focuses on Asian animals) and Pantopia (which is a celebration of animals all together), the previous African theme now feels a little bit discontent and should be reworked to fit the common theme, which is still largely apparent in the re-named park. Also, the visual appeal in each land just feels empty and not well themed, which I find to be the park's biggest issue.
If more visual excitement and story was put into the park's lands, Busch Gardens would really benefit from it.
With the three major issues adressed, I now have a general base for my renovation plan. With these in mind, here is a list of primary goals the renovation plan will set out to accomplish:
- Rework any unused space and standing but not operating attractions.
- Add more high-quality family-friendly attractions
- Restore the connecting African theme in the park.
- Improve the visual feel and aesthetics in the park.
Without further ado, let's begin the plan with the park's new name and logo!
We begin the retheming process by restoring the parks old name and editing the old logo.
Sound intriguing? I hope so, because in a few days we enter the park through the entrance land, Morocco.
This time, we shall focus on Busch Gardens Tampa, located one hour or so away from the Orlando heavyweights, but is still a good park in it's own right.
In my opinion, there are three major issues that prevent Busch Gardens Tampa from ascending into the same category as a Disney or Universal park. I shall explain all three of them in no particular order:
1. Lack Of High-Quality Family Friendly Attractions.
Busch Gardens is heavy on hardcore roller coasters and thrill rides but it lacks major attractions that cater to the entire family. True, you do have Jungala, some of Pantopia, and the Sesame Street Safari of Fun children's land, but much of this is geared towards children 6 and under.
The Sesame Street area, which is naturally geared to the toddler age group.
Kids who have outgrown the play areas but can't handle the thrill rides don't have much to do at the park other than view the animals at the park, which in this case, they might as well go to the zoo 15 minutes away for a much lower price. That can simply not do.
2. Unused Space and Non-Operating Attractions
A few attractions at the park are currently standing but not operating. Gwazi, for example, takes up a large footprint that could be used for further park expansion if the ride is actually torn down and replaced.
That is ONE large space...
Rhino Rally, although not really taking up much unused space (the ride takes place in the Serengeti Plain habitat, sort of like Kilimanjaro Safaris.), but it decreases an already low family friendly high-quality attractions list (as seen in Issue 1). If the issue is handled correctly, Busch Gardens can be made into a better park with more experiences.
3. Disjointed Theme and Aesthetics.
When Busch Gardens Tampa was called Busch Gardens Africa, there was an actual general theme to the park, which, to no surprise, was Africa. With the additions of Jungala (which focuses on Asian animals) and Pantopia (which is a celebration of animals all together), the previous African theme now feels a little bit discontent and should be reworked to fit the common theme, which is still largely apparent in the re-named park. Also, the visual appeal in each land just feels empty and not well themed, which I find to be the park's biggest issue.
If more visual excitement and story was put into the park's lands, Busch Gardens would really benefit from it.
With the three major issues adressed, I now have a general base for my renovation plan. With these in mind, here is a list of primary goals the renovation plan will set out to accomplish:
- Rework any unused space and standing but not operating attractions.
- Add more high-quality family-friendly attractions
- Restore the connecting African theme in the park.
- Improve the visual feel and aesthetics in the park.
Without further ado, let's begin the plan with the park's new name and logo!
We begin the retheming process by restoring the parks old name and editing the old logo.
Sound intriguing? I hope so, because in a few days we enter the park through the entrance land, Morocco.
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