Christmas Town 2013

[bobwadd]

Christmas Town at Busch Gardens Tampa 2013

TAMPA, FL – Last year, Busch Gardens® Tampa launched the biggest Christmas celebration Tampa has ever seen. Tickets are now on sale for 2013’s Christmas Town, and the park is offering this year’s best deals to celebrate Christmas in July.

Advance-purchase tickets are now available on ChristmasTown.com. Children’s’ advance online tickets are just $10 and, for a limited time, adult tickets are $40. Busch Gardens pass members save even more with advance tickets at $25 for adults.

“When Christmas Town opened last year, it quickly became a unique holiday tradition for Tampa Bay area families,” says Jim Dean, Busch Gardens park president. “This year, we’re bringing back all of our guests’ favorites, including Santa’s House, Penguin Point and SnowWorld® Presented by Coca-Cola®. In fact, we’re tripling the size of our snow play attraction, offering guests 15,000 square feet of space to play in the snow, right here in Florida. It’s the kind of Christmas fun only Busch Gardens can create.”

This year’s event will transform the park into a nighttime holiday wonderland of wintery surprises and all things Christmas, filling guests’ senses with seasonal sights, sounds and flavors. Busch Gardens has added even more event nights to continue the beautiful new tradition for Tampa’s families on 18 select nights from Nov. 29 through Dec. 23. Guests can look forward to special entertainment, live music, festive treats, holiday shopping and thousands of twinkling Christmas lights around every turn.

Christmas Town is a separate-ticketed night event, and regular daytime Busch Gardens admission is not required or included. Discounts are available for annual pass members, groups of 15 or more and senior groups (ages 55+).

 

[Mike]

Thanks Bob!

I was already thinking of checking this out. Being setup in Orlando, is it worth a drive out to visit, with the notion that it is an upcharge? Am I better off just going to SeaWorld's free event? I have a SWO/BG fun card, and have not used the BG portion yet. I was planning to go to BG for a day already, and I am not sure if I want to time it all in one day to stick around for the night portion, or make a separate trip at night for this.

What is the quality of the event? Which restaurant does the Claus Dinner?

 

[bobwadd]

^ I have not yet attended the BGT Christmas town event. Based on the 2012 BGT Christmas thread the reviews seemed overall positive and the event has even sold out on some nights.

I purchased the unlimited pass for this years event and I am looking forward to attending. I believe the SWO event will be beautiful but there will be more to do at BGT. I feel you can't go wrong doing either event.

I believe that the dinner is held at The Desert Grill in Timbuktu. OF may be able to verify this.

 

[Felipe]

After going to BGT for HoS, I've been craving to get back out there... and then when I got the mailer for this event, my family got really captivated by it, so we're planning to have a little family stay-cation for the Christmas season at BGT soon :smiley:

 

[Mike]

Thanks for feedback Bob & Felipe. I might try it. It would be $80.00 for my group. Now just to figure out if I want to combine it with our original 1-day plan for the park, or to make the roundtrip drive out there a 2nd time just for the night.

 

[sierrak5]

I went to Christmas Town the very first event night last year. They put up some really nice light displays, there are some tasty food and drink options, the snow area seemed to be a hit with all the kids, and the ride lines were short! I know that other nights the event got very crowded, but my experience was great.

It sounds like they learned from last year based on the info Bob posted. More lights is always a good thing and the snow area definitely needed the size increase.

Just be aware that not all rides are open during the event including Montu and Kumba.

 

[bobwadd]

After going to BGT for HoS, I've been craving to get back out there... and then when I got the mailer for this event, my family got really captivated by it, so we're planning to have a little family stay-cation for the Christmas season at BGT soon :smiley:

Look forward to seeing you there :thumbs: :wave:

 

[knokout1]

While Seaworld's event is free, it doesn't really match Busch Garden's. It really only has the long strip of small themed stores and Christmas decorations, which Busch Gardens also has. And having seen the structure for the new Snow World I can definitely say it is a large increase.

 

[Felipe]

Look forward to seeing you there :thumbs: :wave:

Definitely! I'll let you know as soon as I have dates :thumbs:

 

[bobwadd]

^ We purchased the unlimited access so just let me know :thumbs:

 

[Felipe]

^ We purchased to unlimited access so just let me know :thumbs:

How much was that? And you got it with an AP discount, right?

 

[bobwadd]

No AP discount on multi night is what I was told. I believe it was $89.00. I double check when I get home.

 

[Octobers Fade]

It was Ok last year, only going again because the GF wants to take her mother.
It is full of stuff to see and decorations, which pisses me off that they don't do up BGT like this for Halloween, and it is great for families. It was agreat deal at $10 last year and the feast was OK but not near the value of the Fright Feast for HOS.
I liked the SeaWorld one as well, and its free so how can you complain?

 

[Mike]

It was Ok last year, only going again because the GF wants to take her mother.
It is full of stuff to see and decorations, which pisses me off that they don't do up BGT like this for Halloween, and it is great for families. It was agreat deal at $10 last year and the feast was OK but not near the value of the Fright Feast for HOS.
I liked the SeaWorld one as well, and its free so how can you complain?

Thanks. And no complaints from me on Seaworld. I think it is an awesome value compared to Disney. I might try it if it is above and beyond the Seaworld offerings, just need to justify the $80.00 for the group.

Any advice from those on here on whether I should combine with a day visit, or is it worth it to come back down I-4 just for the nighttime event?

 

[Octobers Fade]

Thanks. And no complaints from me on Seaworld. I think it is an awesome value compared to Disney. I might try it if it is above and beyond the Seaworld offerings, just need to justify the $80.00 for the group.

Any advice from those on here on whether I should combine with a day visit, or is it worth it to come back down I-4 just for the nighttime event?

IMO a daytime trip is good to get the rides you can't at night or to see the animals and as it is cooler they tend to be more active.

 

[bobwadd]

Any advice from those on here on whether I should combine with a day visit, or is it worth it to come back down I-4 just for the nighttime event?

Well that depends on what you would like to see and do in the daytime at BGT. Be aware that BGT is a 335 acre theme park. I have been multiple times in the past few months from open to close and still have not done everything there is to do and see.

When I attended this years HoS event I got a hotel room for the night and spent a few daytime hours visiting the park before the HOS event.

I personally would not recommend trying to cram both things into one day.

 

[bobwadd]

A few shots from last weekend . . .

 

[Felipe]

Nice pics, Bob! The park looks very festive already :thumbs:

So, I'm curious about one thing... The event hours are 6pm to 11pm on all nights I looked at... but the mailer I got mentions that if I purchase Mrs. Claus' Family Feast, I'll "get exclusive access to visit Santa's House between 3:00 and 6:00 pm before joining her festive family feast." So, for example, if I buy the Feast for myself (passholder) and my family (non-passholders) we'll ALL be able to enter the park at 3:00 pm? Because if so, that could mean that we might be able to go on all the other rides and areas of the parks not included in the event... right?

 

[bobwadd]

^ You do appear be correct about the early access to the park.

You are aware the "Mrs. Claus' Family Feast" does NOT include admission to "Christmas Town"?

Registration begins 15 minutes prior to start time. Christmas Town admission is not included but is required.

 

[Felipe]

^ You do appear be correct about the early access to the park.

You are aware the "Mrs. Claus' Family Feast" does NOT include admission to "Christmas Town"?

Registration begins 15 minutes prior to start time. Christmas Town admission is not included but is required.

Yep, but if for $20 extra you get food AND access to the rest of the park for 3 hours, that's a pretty great deal, methinks!

Basically, as an AP holder I could get myself and family access to the park from 3 - 11 pm, plus the event, plus food... all for $45 + Tax :thumbs: :thumbs: :thumbs: