Tampa Bay Parent

If you are a Florida resident, you have a chance to have your preschooler get in free to Busch Gardens for 2010. Busch Gardens is giving away a free commemorative Busch Gardens Preschool Pass to kids 5 and under. You can go to Sesame Street Safari of Fun to register online for the free pass. This March, Busch Gardens will be opening the new Sesame Street Safari to the public. Sesame Street Safari will be replacing the Land of the Dragons as the new preschool play area at Busch Gardens.

Jack Hanna will be at Busch Garden Tampa Bay later this month. There will be several opportunities to meet the star of the Emmy Award-winning television series “Jack Hanna’s Into the Wild.”

Hanna will join families for an unforgettable Serengeti Night Safari on Nov. 13 and 14, and he will make a special appearance at a family sleepover on Nov. 13. He will also join guests for breakfast on Nov. 14 and 15, and will share animal facts and his travel tales during shows on Nov. 14 and 15.

See these events and other events posted at Tampa Bay Parent

Say goodbye to the Land of the Dragons and hello to Sesame Street. For years Land of the Dragons has been the place for toddlers, preschoolers, and other little kids to go and have fun while at Busch Gardens.

Now Busch Gardens is planning to double the experience for young children by building a Sesame Street amusement area that will replace The Land of the Dragons be twice its size.

This spring, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay welcomes families to an all-new, Sesame Street-themed, sunny, funny playland featuring Elmo, Big Bird and all their friends. Sesame Street Safari of Fun will be filled with rides, shows and adventures that celebrate the spirit of Africa. Sesame Street and Busch Gardens unite to create a signature attraction found nowhere else.

Sesame Street Safari of Fun will include a new junior roller coaster designed for parents and children to ride together. “Air Grover” is full of mini-dives and twisty turns as families soar through the Sahara. Other kid-sized rides include “Zoe-Patra & the Hippos of the Nile,” a splashy flume ride through the famed river; “Rosita’s Djembe Fly-Away,” a swing ride that sends kids whirling above the African canopy; “Elmo’s Safari Go-Round,” a tribal-inspired carousel with Elmo and his friends; and more. “Oscar’s Swamp Stomp” provides cool water fun, and “Bert & Ernie’s Water Hole” is a wet adventure filled with bubblers, geysers, jets, dumping buckets and more. A photography studio gives kids the chance to share a hug and a smile with Sesame Street friends, and musical performances bring tales of adventure to life.

The new destination for family-friendly adventure will be created where Land of the Dragons now exists, and will double the area’s current size.

“Sesame Street Safari of Fun will be a fantastic addition to Busch Gardens,” says Donnie Mills, Busch Gardens’ executive vice president and general manager. “With Sesame Street Safari of Fun, Busch Gardens truly has something for all ages, and this new destination in the park is certain to be a hit among families and kids.”

In addition to the rides and play areas, families also will be able to watch their favorite characters on the big screen. “Sesame Street presents Lights, Camera, Imagination!” will run in the park’s 4-D theater, located in Timbuktu. And families can share breakfast and lunch with Elmo and the rest of the characters on select days at an outdoor dining facility adjacent to Sesame Street Safari of Fun.

Sesame Street Safari of Fun expands upon the variety of unique experiences Busch Gardens offers. With thrilling rides, award-winning shows and exotic up-close animal encounters, Busch Gardens provides unrivaled excitement for guests of every age.

For more information on Sesame Street Safari of Fun, visit BuschGardens.com.

Sesame Street theme rides and games may be heading down to Busch Gardens in Tampa.  TBO.com is reporting that the theme park is planning to add to attractions by bringing in Elmo and his little Sesame Street monster friends.  Elmo does have a way of attracting a lot of attention and focus.  Look what the Tickle Me Elmo has done for retailers.  Maybe a little bit of Elmo will give Busch Gardens a boast in visitors.

When Jon and Kate Plus 8 first went to Sesame Place in Pennsylvania I thought the whole place looked cool.  I really wished we had something like that in Tampa Bay.  Now, we are possibly going to get a micro Sesame Place at Busch Gardens.  That is cool, the more rides for younger kids the better.

Source:tbo.com

Have a desire to entertain and share your talent? Busch Gardens Tampa Bay holds monthly auditions for entertainers. This includes singers, dancers, instrumentalists, improve actors, stilt walkers, costume characters, specialty groups, technicians, dressers, seamstresses, and make-up artists. You must be 18 years-old to apply.

Auditions are the first Wednesday of each month.

Upcoming Audition Dates:

Wednesday, July 1, 2009.

Wednesday, August 5, 2009.

Wednesday, September 2, 2009.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009.

Source: BuschGardensTalent.com

October 19,.2009 Busch Gardens is having a homeschool educational program. This does not include to the general park and rides. It will be from 9:45 am to 2 p.m. and $15 per student.

Their day will be full of animal interactions, including a special Wildlife Theater Presentation, a guided walking tour of select animal habitats and an educational train expedition, all led by a Busch Gardens educator.

More About the Busch Garden Homeschool Program