Adventure Island Archives - On the Go in MCO

Shaka-Laka Shores to Debut at Adventure Island

Adventure Island, Tampa’s Premier Water Park, will open for the 2023 season on March 4, with the park’s newest addition, Shaka-Laka Shores, opening in late March.

The new splash and play zone, located in the heart of Adventure Island, will feature 25 individual elements and a central kid-friendly play structure bound to entertain and engage even the youngest guests.

Shaka-Laka Shores will greet guests as they enter the park and showcase the waterpark’s overarching tropical paradise theme.

The newest addition will have more than two dozen playful elements, and a variety of interactive aquatic components, all within a zero-depth area – ideal for smaller kids – and additional shaded areas.

The newly constructed area will also house three new private cabanas featuring convenient access to the new area. Shaka-Laka Shores joins a comprehensive list of exciting water slides, Endless Surf’s 17,000-square-foot wave pool, an additional kid-friendly option in Splash Attack, and more.

“Shaka-Laka Shores’ vibrant and interactive elements are bound to provide our youngest guests with a playful space to splash and explore,” said Neal Thurman, Park President of Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and Adventure Island. “Shaka-Laka Shores will bundle the elements of excitement and interactivity to serve as another great option for families experiencing Adventure Island.”

The opening of Shaka-Laka Shores and recently opened attractions, Rapids Racer and Wahoo Remix is part of the waterpark’s largest expansion in more than four decades. Guests are quickly immersed in a revitalized and vibrant theme from a newly designed front entrance and carried over into the park with new lounging areas, additional cabanas, and refreshment locations, such as the full-service Hang Ten Tiki Bar.

Annual Passes Offer the Best Way to Play

Adventure Island’s Annual Pass is the best way to enjoy an entire year of family fun under the sun, including the new Shaka-Laka Shores and exciting seasonal events. Categorized in easy-to-use tiers and starting at $10.50 a month with no down payment, all options provide guests with unlimited seasonal admission and unbeatable benefits like free parking, in-park discounts, and monthly rewards.

Guests can visit AdventureIsland.com to purchase tickets and learn more about the Annual Pass program benefits, new events, special deals, and future announcements.

Hang Ten All Year at Adventure Island

Adventure Island announces the previously seasonal waterpark will now stay open all year round with new heaters to provide that endless summer vibe.

From relaxing in tropical pools and the lazy river to braving thrilling water slides, guests can enjoy comfortable water temperatures any time of year.

Just in time to celebrate, the new Hang Ten Tiki Bar officially opens this Friday, September 10th, with an all-new menu of tropical delights.

As the waterpark’s first full-service bar, the laid-back vibes of Hang Ten Tiki Bar offer an all-new wave of refreshment to guests as they splash between thrilling slides and relaxing waterways. With hand-crafted signature cocktails, fan-favorite local brews, and a regional and international rum selection, Hang Ten Tiki Bar is the perfect island chill spot. Hang Ten also features multiple TVs so sports fans can tune in and cheer for their favorite teams when taking a break from the park’s thrilling water slides and wave pool. Guests can enjoy this new tropical oasis as they sip and savor seasonal small bites to fuel up for all-day fun.

With surf-style bar seating overlooking white sand beaches, the Hang Ten Tiki Bar features a mixologist-curated selection of signature drinks and island-inspired light bites that guests can only get at Adventure Island. These unique offerings will include:

Sparkling cocktails on draft including the refreshing Beach Bum Mojito, The Hang Ten classic daquiri with an island twist, Surfin’ Strawberry Margarita, and Mahalo Mule, all served in a souvenir tiki cup
What’s a tiki bar without frozen cocktails? Guest can enjoy the Island Lava Flow or Caribbean Corkscrew frozen specialty cocktails, or even get a non-alcoholic version the whole family can enjoy.
Hang Ten features an impressive selection of more than 20 international and local Florida-distilled rums.

Sip a surf-themed rum or beer flight: The “Shortboard Flight” features a unique selection of international or local Florida rums, or beer lovers can try the “Longboard Flight” with local craft brews.
New Island light bites include a Tiki Man soft pretzel, empanadas and local gulf smoked fish dip with a pineapple relish.
Non-alcoholic beverages are available for all ages, including refreshing juices which can be served in a souvenir tiki cup.

ANNUAL PASS OFFERS UNLIMITED VISITS AND UNBEATABLE BENEFITS!

Adventure Island is launching another incredible year for Pass Members as the BEST VALUE annual theme park passes in Florida with amazing benefits ranging from no blockout dates, up to six free guest tickets, and access to NEW exclusive ride preview events.

Adventure Island shows appreciation and love to our Annual Pass Members, now open year-round, with extra rewards every month for continuous tropical fun in the Florida sun.

The Annual Pass is organized in easy-to-use tiers, and includes one-park, two-park Busch Gardens, and Adventure Island Pass, and the popular Florida four-park options, allowing guests to choose the pass, benefits, and the parks that are the best fit.

Additional benefits include FREE parking, special savings on cabanas, culinary options, and ride quick queue among other perks. Waterpark Passes for Florida Residents start at an affordable $9.25 a month, plus tax, with no down payment required. For a full overview of the Annual Pass lineup click here: http://adventureisland.com/annual-pass/

New in 2020: SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay

SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay have revealed details regarding new attractions coming to the parks in 2020.

This marks the first time in four years that both parks have launched new coasters in the same year.

Iron Gwazi – Opening Spring 2020 at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay

A NEW legend is surfacing in 2020 at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay with the evolution of Iron Gwazi, North America’s tallest, and the fastest, and steepest hybrid coaster in the world. Manufactured by Rocky Mountain Construction, Iron Gwazi will be 206 feet tall, feature a 91-degree drop, and reach top speeds of 76 miles per hour. The journey will include three inversions and 12 airtime hills as it races along more than 4,075 feet of purple steel track. With a 48” height requirement, Iron Gwazi will be an exciting thrill attraction that families can take on together.

“Iron Gwazi is the evolution of a classic wooden coaster into a modern icon,” said Stewart Clark, Park President of Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. “From the bones of the original Gwazi, a new legend rises, reaching taller heights and faster speeds, delivering the next-level thrills that our coaster fans crave and expect from Busch Gardens.”

While elements of the former wooden attraction will be integrated into the new ride, the steel track and reimagined layout of Iron Gwazi present an entirely unique experience that tells a different story. Iron Gwazi will highlight the best of both worlds — the classic nostalgia of a wooden coaster and the bold innovation of a steel coaster.

Thriving and adapting over millions of years, this evolutionary crossroad is perfectly represented in the crocodile, the largest living reptile and the animal inspiration for Iron Gwazi.

Solar Vortex – Opening Spring 2020 at Adventure Island

Spin and splash at Adventure Island on Solar Vortex — America’s first dual-tailspin water slide.

This thrilling family raft slide combines high-banking rotations and rapid descents, sending sliders on a swirling journey through two open tailspin features. Manufactured by Whitewater, Solar Vortex will also include three dynamic AquaLucent elements — harnessing the power of the Florida sun into colorful patterns that shine through the slide as riders reach speeds of up to 20 miles per hour.

Solar Vortex will be an electrifying new ride for families next year when it opens with the 2020 Adventure Island season.

Ice Breaker – Opening Spring 2020 at SeaWorld Orlando

Making its debut in spring 2020, riders will shiver through family friendly adventures on SeaWorld Orlando’s first launch coaster: Ice Breaker.

Named after the icy Arctic summits, Ice Breaker will feature four launches, both backwards and forwards, culminating in a reverse launch into the steepest beyond vertical drop in Florida — a 93-foot tall spike with 100-degree angle.

Located near the Wild Arctic Attraction, the ride’s theme is reflective of this area with a nod to Ice Breaker’s conservation partner, Alaska SeaLife Center. Primarily dedicated to marine research, education and wildlife response, the Alaska SeaLife Center mission matches closely to SeaWorld Orlando’s, making them a perfect partner to help educate riders about the Artic and its inhabitants.

“The Alaska SeaLife Center is excited to grow our partnership with SeaWorld. For many years, SeaWorld has been a stalwart supporter of the Center, and particularly our Wildlife Response program,” said Tara L. Riemer, President and CEO of Alaska SeaLife Center. “We are grateful for SeaWorld’s contributions of funding and staff over the years to further our mission. This new collaboration will continue efforts to highlight Arctic rescue and conservation stories.”

The opening of Ice Breaker is the perfect addition to SeaWorld’s ever-growing ride portfolio. From the roller coaster thrills of Mako, Manta and Kraken, to the water rapids of Infinity Falls and the flume fun of Journey to Atlantis, Ice Breaker joins the park’s famed attractions as a must-do experience in Orlando.

Best value for Floridians – Enjoy all NEW rides with an Annual Pass!

With three ALL-NEW attractions to enjoy, there has never been a better time to be a SeaWorld and Busch Gardens Annual Pass Member. Upon the launch of each attraction, Pass Members will enjoy EXCLUSIVE RIDE TIME on Iron Gwazi, Ice Breaker and Solar Vortex.

For 2020, the best value for Floridians is the FOUR PARK PASS, which includes admission to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, Adventure Island, SeaWorld Orlando and Aquatica Orlando. In addition to exciting NEW rides coming next spring, guests who purchase an annual pass today can enjoy fan-favorite events included with their park admission in Orlando and Tampa.

For more information on Fun Cards, Annual Passes, and daily admission, visit SeaWorldOrlando.com and BuschGardensTampa.com

Adventure Island in Tampa 2014 Season

Adventure Island Kicks Off New Season With A Special Offer

Splash into spring when Adventure Island® begins the 2014 season of fun in the sun on Saturday, March 8. It’s time again to splash in the wave pool, amble down the Rambling Bayou, race down speed slides, including Everglides® and Riptide, or just kick back on the beach amidst a tropical Key West setting.

Now, for a limited time, the best value to visit all season long is the Adventure Island Fun Card:

Pay for a day and enjoy unlimited access to Adventure Island all season long with no blackout dates.
Valid March 8 through Oct. 12, 2014.
Purchase at AdventureIsland.com, at the Adventure Island or Busch Gardens® front gates or by calling 1-888-800-5447.
The Adventure Island Fun Card is $47 for adults and $43 children.
Add Busch Gardens for a combined Fun Card for $129 (adults) and $120 (children) at AdventureIsland.com.

CABANAS – make the most of your Adventure Island visit and rent a cabana for a shaded, exclusive spot for your family and friends to gather throughout the day. Each cabana includes four chaise lounges, a locker, a mini-fridge with bottled waters and four souvenir towels. Daily rental prices range from $99.99 to $189.99, based on the time of year.

ADVENTURE ISLAND

From the moment guests enter Adventure Island®, they are immersed in a Key West-themed paradise. The 40-acre water park features thrilling slides and tube rides, including Riptide, Wahoo Run®, Key West Rapids, Runaway Rapids, Everglides®, Calypso Coaster, Aruba Tuba, Caribbean Corkscrew®, Water Moccasin and Gulf Scream. Guests can also kick back on the beach or in the 17,000-square-foot wave pool, play on professional sand volleyball courts, breeze through the tropical gift shop or let the current sweep them through a half-mile of lush landscapes and tropical waterfalls on the Rambling Bayou.

Visit AdventureIsland.com for daily operating hours. Single-day admission tickets for Adventure Island are $47 for adults and $43 for children. Children ages 2 and younger are free, and all children must be accompanied by an adult. All prices are per person, plus tax. Park hours are subject to change. Visit AdventureIsland.com for more information.Follow us for more updates:

Spring into Adventures

Spring is in the air. Hopefully the pollen and my allergies will clear up soon and it is heating up and starting to feel like summer here in Florida. I thought I’d take this opportunity to share some of the things I’m most looking forward to over the next couple of months instead of doing that spring cleaning that I probably should be doing. Now that I’ve found out my schedule for the rest of the spring and beginning of summer, I thought I’d start planning some weekend adventures. The parks across the area have some fantastic special events this time of year, and before the kids are out of school it is a great time to get away while the crowds are lower.

At Epcot we are already more than halfway through the International Flower & Garden Festival. I love this event each year and have been attending since 1998! I dearly miss Davy Jones of the Monkees, as his was always my go to concert for the Flower Power Concert Series. The thing I think I am most excited about (aside from the newly added food and beverage kiosks) is that my favorite HGTV celebrity, David Bromstad, is going to be hosting presentations May 17 – 19 and I’m now off that weekend!

Another of my favorite things that I will get to do for the third year in a row is Star Wars Weekends at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. This fabulous event has quickly become a must do for me! I still have so many things I haven’t done yet that are on my to do list. I need to get up early enough and get to the park to see the Stormtroopers on top of the entrance to the park above the turnstiles. Also, I really want to get my picture taken with as many of the characters as possible and go to some of the presentations and shows. And then, of course, there is Hyperspace Hoopla, my favorite of all! My apologies to anyone who now has that song stuck in their head (Hoooooooopla, Hyperspace Hoopla…).

Busch Gardens and Sea World are playing host to an awesome special event that I got to experience last year for the first time: Viva la Mύsica! This great offering is one that features Latin American food, merchandise, cuture, and of course, music. I got to go just for an hour or so to Busch Gardens after work last year and got to try to some amazing food, but was too late for the concert. This year I was hoping to catch at least one weekend at Busch Gardens and Sea World each. I was so excited when I found out that my favorite salsa band, El Gran Combo, was going to be playing at both parks. I know where I’ll be that weekend!

One of the greatest things about these three events is that they are all included in park admission. Food and beverages of course are extra, but the entertainment and most of the presentations are free of charge with your ticket. These add tremendous value to your vacation or even just a day in the park for us locals.

Water parks are definitely on my list for the next few months. I’ve lived in Florida for almost 20 years and I’ve only been to Typhoon Lagoon for a couple hours and did the lazy river and snorkled with the sharks before the park closed due to weather. This needs to be rectified. I’ve visited Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach for functions, but haven’t done a single water slide. This is a travesty! I also would love to check out some of the other area water parks like Sea World’s Aquatica and Adventure Island in Tampa.

Now we all know that sometimes with the spring come those showers that we need for those pretty flowers. What to do when it isn’t exactly park weather? Why not catch a film? Two movies I am ridiculously excited to see this spring are Marvel’s Iron Man 3 and Disney/Pixar’s Monsters University (visit this site if you haven’t already – it is hilarious!). I am a huge Avengers fan and loved the first Iron Man movie, enjoyed the second one, and adored the Avengers, so I cannot wait to see what they have in store for Tony Stark in this next installment. Monsters Inc was a great, feel good family flick and I think that this will be very entertaining to see some of Mike and Sulley’s adventures before they were best buds.

What are you looking forward to this spring? Did I miss any of your favorite spring special events? Have you been to any of these before? What are some of your favorite things to do in spring when the weather doesn’t cooperate? Hit us up and let us know.Follow us for more updates:

Spring Break Kicks Off With A New Season at Busch Garden’s Adventure Island

Splash into spring when Adventure Island begins its 2013 season of fun in the sun on Saturday, March 9, 2013. It’s time again to splash in the wave pool, amble down the Rambling Bayou, race down speed slides, including Everglides® and Riptide, or just kick back on the beach amidst a tropical Key West setting,

The best value to visit all season long is the Adventure Island Weekday Pass.

Play weekdays all season long – Enjoy unlimited weekday access to Adventure Island during the 2013 season with no blackout dates.
Valid Mondays through Fridays, March 11 through Sept. 2, 2013
Purchase at AdventureIsland.com, at the Adventure Island or Busch Gardens front gates or by calling 1-888-800-5447.
The Adventure Island Weekday Pass is $51 for adults and children.

ISLAND NIGHTS RETURNS IN SUMMER

When the sun goes down, the fun heats up at Adventure Island® during Island Nights, a sunset celebration every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night from June 13 to Aug. 10. From 5 to 9 p.m. the energy revs up with music and games on the beach, entertainment and tropical-inspired cuisine, in addition to all the thrilling slides, tube rides and water-drenched fun of Adventure Island®.

CABANAS To make the most of your Adventure Island® visit, rent a cabana for a shaded, exclusive spot for your family and friends to gather throughout the day. Each cabana includes four chaise lounges, a locker, a mini-fridge with assorted drinks and four souvenir towels. Daily rental prices range from $99.99 to $189.99, based on the time of year.

ADVENTURE ISLAND

From the moment guests enter Adventure Island®, they are immersed in a Key West-themed paradise. The 40-acre water park features thrilling slides and tube rides, including Riptide, Wahoo Run®, Key West Rapids, Runaway Rapids, Everglides®, Calypso Coaster, Aruba Tuba, Caribbean Corkscrew®, Water Moccasin and Gulf Scream. Guests can also kick back on the beach or in the 17,000-square-foot wave pool, play on professional sand volleyball courts, breeze through the tropical gift shop or let the current sweep them through a half-mile of lush landscapes and tropical waterfalls on the Rambling Bayou.

Visit AdventureIsland.com for daily operating hours. Single-day admission tickets for Adventure Island® are $46 for adults and $42 for children. Children ages 2 and younger are free, and all children must be accompanied by an adult. All prices are per person, plus tax. Park hours are subject to change. Visit AdventureIsland.com for more information.

When The Sun Goes Down, The Fun Heats Up At Adventure Island During Island Nights

Adventure Island heats up this summer with a family-friendly sunset celebration during Island Nights. From June 14 to Aug. 11, Busch Gardens’ water park transforms into an island of fun in the sun with live music, eclectic entertainment, tropical wildlife and island-inspired cuisine.

Every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night from 5 to 9 p.m., DJs rev up the energy with music, dancing and games on the beach. Street performers, larger-than-life stiltwalkers and a steel drum band keep the celebration going until 9 p.m. each event night.

Magicians, jugglers and skilled fire performers captivate guests as they enjoy a vacation from the everyday. Guests can also sample the tastes of the islands with unique offerings added to the daily menu, including island shrimp, empanadas, black beans and rice, sangria and frozen drinks.

Open Late ALL Summer Long

Returning in 2012, Adventure Island will be open late every night this summer! From June 14 to Aug. 12, hours are from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

The best way to escape to Adventure Island every night this summer is with an Adventure Island Weekday Pass. Pay for a day and come back any WEEKDAY – that includes any Thursday or Friday of Island Nights – all season long.

Island Nights is the perfect nighttime escape for all ages, and admission is included with any daily park admission or Adventure Island Pass. Visit AdventureIsland.com for more information.

About Adventure Island

Located right across the street fromBuschGardensTampaBay,AdventureIslandis 30 acres of water-drenched fun in the sun featuring the ultimate combination of high-speed thrills and tropical, tranquil surroundings for guests of all ages.

Thrilling slides and tube rides include Riptide, Wahoo Run, Key West Rapids, Runaway Rapids, Everglides, Calypso Coaster, Aruba Tuba, Caribbean Corkscrew, Water Moccasin and Gulf Scream. Guests can also stretch out on the beach or in the 17,000-square-foot wave pool, play on professional sand volleyball courts, breeze through tropical gift shops or let the current sweep them through a half-mile of lush landscapes and tropical waterfalls on the Rambling Bayou.Follow us for more updates: