This is an overview of our full, fun day at Busch Gardens Tampa as a family of 4 in the spring of 2025.
Having a hobby of “riding roller coasters” comes with it’s ups and downs (lots of pros and cons) – and one of the blaring cons is that you cannot control what rides are open vs. what rides are closed when you travel to visit a specific park.
We’ve encountered plenty of “but it should be open” roller coasters over the last few years (looking at you Xcelerator at Knott’s Berry Farm) and one of our most disappointing “misses” in 2024 was Phoenix Rising at Busch Gardens Tampa. The roller coaster opened a few months prior to our visit last year, so there was no reason that it shouldn’t be open – but it simply never did.
So, when we made plans to go back to Busch Gardens Tampa in 2025, Phoenix Rising was at the TOP of our “to-ride list. Let’s just say: it was quite the experience to get on, but WE DID IT and it felt very redemptive and wonderful to finally experience Busch Gardens Tampa’s newest roller coaster.
And because – what’s a blog post without photos – here are just a few (these are a mix of iPhone snaps & photos taken with my “big” camera).
