which is best animal kingdom or busch gardens

**tyson1212** · 15-02-2005, 16:03

ok forum which one will i go ?.

**poohbear** · 15-02-2005, 16:11

buusch gardens is well worth the drive....we all love it..

**julieanne** · 15-02-2005, 16:13

Never been to AK but love Busch Gardens.

**LiesaAnna** · 15-02-2005, 16:20

busch gardens for us, AK never appealed, loved it so much went there on both trips to florida.... its a lovely place to visit

**Nostromo** · 15-02-2005, 16:31

I have to say that I prefer AK. The park is cleaner and the Animal attractions quite good. Busch Gardens often show signs of mediocre maintenance compared with Disney and the attitude of some of the BG staff leaves a lot to be desired. The main advantage that BG has over AK is the former's big rides, but now with IoA available in Orlando, we don't see the reason to make the long trip west to see BG specifically. Having said that, if you're going to Clearwater Beach (which seems to be the case, judging by the other post), then your family should make arrangements to stay in the Gulf Coast for a couple of nights and see BG and Tampa as well.

**julieanne** · 15-02-2005, 16:47

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Nostromo
I have to say that I prefer AK. The park is cleaner and the Animal attractions quite good. Busch Gardens often show signs of mediocre maintenance compared with Disney and the attitude of some of the BG staff leaves a lot to be desired. The main advantage that BG has over AK is the former's big rides, but now with IoA available in Orlando, we don't see the reason to make the long trip west to see BG specifically. Having said that, if you're going to Clearwater Beach (which seems to be the case, judging by the other post), then your family should make arrangements to stay in the Gulf Coast for a couple of nights and see BG and Tampa as well.
[/quote]

Nostromo - it's some years since I went to Busch (pre AK days) so disappointing to hear it's letting standards slip. You'd have thought competition from AK would have the opposite effect.

**LiesaAnna** · 15-02-2005, 17:43

when we went there in December it was great! it was clean very clean and very well maintained!! the entertainment was great! sorry but couldnt find fault!![msnwink]

**heathercobbett** · 15-02-2005, 17:43

Busch if you have teenagers as they love all the roller coasters

Otherwise,flip a coin and save the other for another visit

**Nostromo** · 15-02-2005, 17:53

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by julieanne

[i]
Nostromo - it's some years since I went to Busch (pre AK days) so disappointing to hear it's letting standards slip. You'd have thought competition from AK would have the opposite effect.

You could be right to a point; others claim that BG has improved a bit in the last couple of years. On our 2000-1 trip, we went to BG and were disappointed; but lost our chance to compare it with AK when we had to cut our trip short by a week and return home. But in 2004, we went to and enjoyed AK; I had kept BG also as an option but most others were unenthusiastic to go there after the previous bad experience and so we left it.

Apart from its competition with AK, the entire Gulf Coast area is now trying to establish itself as a separate tourist destination rather than be an appendage to WDW & Orlando. Centered around Tampa airport, you have Clearwater Beach, Busch Gardens, Pinellas Park etc. That should be enough incentive for BG to get its act right. Hopefully, we might go there for a week in October, but getting leave is my problem

.