Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
Featured In
Tampa
Ticket price: $124.99
The best theme park outside Orlando is a decidedly more-adult experience that offers a beautiful confluence of flowing beer and world-class roller coasters. This year’s new headline grabber is Iron Gwazi, a 206-foot behemoth that may take over the title of best coaster in the state. The high-speed coaster drops riders at 91 degrees at 76 miles an hour, and includes three inversions and 12 opportunities to catch air.
That'll be two minutes of your day. The rest you can fill with other lunch-launching rides like SheiKra, which drops you 200 feet and lets you experience 4Gs. Or take a spin on Cheetah Hunt, a nearly-mile-long track with a 30 mph launch and a 130-foot drop. Busch Gardens also offers a fantastic opportunity to cool off along the Congo River Rapids, easily the best whitewater you’re finding south of Georgia. Just remember to lock up your phone before you board.