Boxing Day (Busch Gardens, Tampa)

Alex got up at 5am and wanted Breakfast. 

He didn't make life easy for anyone. He wanted porridge for breakfast!

Well, you could guess .... we woke the Reeds as well and they were not happy bunnies. That's the trouble with staying in a shared accommodation when you have a young child .... 

Got to Busch Gardens before 10am and it was already quite busy. We were all handed a note when we entered the parking area stating that they are expecting the park to be very busy today.

It is not always possible to do thing together when you have a small child. Adrinna and family went their separate way as the children wanted to do the big rides while Alex could only do the little ones. We decided to meet up for lunch and to stay in touch using Erin's cellphone.

Our first stop .... to get a stroller. The park map is bloody useless. It is not easy to find what you want. I had to ask the Janitor to tell me where to get a stroller. When we got there, paid for a stroller, I asked if they do a quick pass for special need children. She was clueless and asked her Supervisor whom is equally clueless. He said "As far as I am aware of, we don't do special passes for anyone". Thanks bloody much!

Not being one who give up easily, I asked for direction to the information counter. Walked around quite a bit and finally found the Customer Service desk at the other entrance (main entrance). I asked the ladies behind the counter if they do special passes and they said yes.

I showed them the letter from our Pediatrician and was told that they needed to see Alex and to measure him. 

Great! I had to go find Alex as he was with his dad at the other side of the park entrance. It was a long way to go back and fro and finally ... after measuring Alex and issued a special access pass, I finally get to relax. It was a very stressful morning for me.

We wanted to take the train at Nairobi Station but missed it. Had to wait 20 minutes for the next one and decided to do something else. Our first stop was Rhino Rally. It's a busy ride but we got in straight away using the pass. It was the best ride out of all the rides and Alex enjoyed the whole experience. According to Busch Garden's description "Rhino Rally transports guests aboard an off-road adventure through the wilds of Africa. Guests experience a blend of up-close animal encounters with an unpredictable safari competition." 

We went to Scorpion next .... "Feel the "sting" of Scorpion's terrifying 60-foot drop and 360 degree loop at incredible speeds. You can find the Scorpion in Timbuktu...If you dare. You must be 42 inches tall to ride and other safety restrictions may apply." Alex enjoyed it so much and was laughing all the way. Jeremy and I on the other hand .... not so much. It was too jerky when it slowed down and we almost had our neck broken. This is surely a sign of old age.

We were on our way to the Congo River Rapids when we past Congo Train Station and saw that the train will be arriving in two minutes. Went for the train instead. It was a fantastic way to see the park and the animals. Shamed we didn't have our cameras as we put our belongings in the locker when we went for Scorpion. 

After the train, we met the Reeds for lunch at Desert Grill in Timbuktu. Adrinna got wet and dry again after Stanley Falls Flume and the kids had fabulous time on Sheikra and Kumba (all the rides that Alex can't go and me ... chicken)

After lunch, we went separate ways again. It wasn't easy to find a ride suitable for Alex and on a full stomach. We walked around for a bit and finally really to face our challenge ..... the Congo River Rapids -  the swift-flowing white water of the Congo River Rapids. Spin through a geyser, face an ominous waterfall, and other thrilling obstacles in a 12-person raft.

I was totally drenched when we came out of the ride despite wearing a poncho from head to knee. I was the wettest of the lot. We saw Adrinna and she was about to queue for the ride and took my poncho. I wished her luck!

Trying to dry myself in the hot sun, we then went for a 4D Pirate show at the Timbuktu theater. Came out with a very wet patch on my chest area. What was dried out is now wet again. Whose idea was it to go for the show???? Oh right .... it was mine. All I wanted was a place to rest my tired feet. Alex was alright .... he was pushed around in the stroller while mummy and daddy walked for miles. And ..... every so often what seemed like every five minutes, Alex asked to go to toilet and we had to go search for one. Luckily, they are never short of loo in Busch Gardens.

After the show, I took Alex to two rides while Jeremy watched and took pictures. The ever popular Carousel and Sandstorm. 

Sandstorm was a popular ride for smaller children and the queue was never ending. I used the pass for this ride and had to stand at the exit to wait for an attendant to tend to us. There were no one there and I was approached by a man and told me that the queue was at the other end. A woman of Spanish descent came to my rescue as she too had a pass. She said that I could wait there with a pass and the man walked off feeling embarrassed.

I still couldn't get use to this special pass thing as I still feel that it isn't fair to the other children when they had to wait for ages while we walk in without having to wait. But, being a mother .... with a child who can't wait and flying 4,000 miles and paying lots of money to be at the park, I am prepared to face my fear and be a bit thick skin to make my child happy. After all, it was all for Alex.

We went looking for more rides suitable for Alex at the Land of Dragons but could not find it and ended up at the other end of the park in Egypt. We walked around Edge of Africa and saw many animals and shelter to rest our tired feet. I am not sure about other people but to me .... the signpost and map are useless. I can't find Land of Dragon and we are still wondering if it existed.

We met the Reeds again for KaTonga, a musical of tales about animals in the jungle. It was very good and a close resemblance to Lion King the musical. I haven't seen the Lion King but I have watched their promos and it was very much like that. It was a good show and I would recommend it to anyone. Alex enjoyed the show and was really excited when the monkeys went somersaulting.

After that, we had snack and drinks with the Reeds and called it a day when Alex complaint about tummy ache. The Reeds stayed on for the rides as it was a bit quieter now.

We got lost on our way back to the hotel and Alex kept saying "Mumma go go hotel .... poo"

Alex really need a Poo and he wasn't joking. Sounded a bit yucky to mention here but he exploded when he sat his bum on the seat. That's all I could reveal - LOL

Summary: It was a good day but stressful at the beginning. I prefer Disney to Busch Gardens as Alex is still too young to fully enjoy the rides. The customer service was poor as they don't know what Autism is and couldn't be bothered to find out making a parent with special need child feeling like a beggar. Disney on the other hand, was great. Didn't need to show them Alex for measurement and was treated respectfully.