Busch Gardens Unveils Wild Oasis: Thrills Await in 2025
Wild Oasis area opens at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay this spring. We went on a hard hat tour to glimpse the future theme park land.
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay announced in September 2024 that a former theme park section would be transformed into Wild Oasis. At the time, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay claimed that when it opened, it would be North America’s most engaging and interactive adventure realm. They also continued with that proclamation during the media event. While we are looking forward to this theme park land for the whole family, some work still needs to be done.
Wild Oasis at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
Guests will find Wild Oasis in the Jungala area of the theme park near the Chick-fil-A location. Busch Gardens Tampa Bay stated the following previously about Wild Oasis: “Wild Oasis is designed to ignite the imagination and engage the senses, promising non-stop excitement for every member of the family. Prepare to be captivated by the sights and sounds of the rainforest, the rush of a newly reimagined drop tower featuring state-of-the-art digital and sound effects, an interactive water-play wonderland, and a multi-level climbing canopy. Plus, discover an all-new, multi-species animal habitat for up-close encounters with some of the world’s most fascinating animals.”
“It’s been five years since guests last stepped foot in the tucked away realm of Treetop Trails in the Jungala area of Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, and we are thrilled to breathe new life into this corner of the park with the development of this realm,” says Stewart Clark, former president of Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. “The all-new Wild Oasis truly offers something for everyone – whether you love the thrill of the ride or learning about animals, getting wet or climbing high, or just cooling off under the shade of the rainforest canopy.”
“We’re incredibly excited to introduce the Wild Oasis—a vibrant, rainforest-inspired realm with amazing animal habitats, thrilling attractions, and interactive play areas that will entertain, educate and inspire our guests to cherish the wonders of the natural world,” said Jeff Davis, current park president of Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. “Our Annual Pass Members will get exclusive first access to explore this all-new adventure realm before anyone else, including fun experiences like the Tree Top Drop ride and Habitat Hideaway exhibit.”
Wild Oasis Hard Hat Tour at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
On Wednesday, January 29, 2025, we were invited to attend a media hard hat for a sneak preview of Wild Oasis. On that same day, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay released more information about this new theme park land and its attractions.
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay announced more details about Wild Oasis, including new animal species coming to the park, a new drop tower ride, new interactive climbing structures, and a splash pad. Wild Oasis will transport guests into a vibrant environment inspired by the beauty and biodiversity of the rainforest. Inside the realm, Habitat Hideaway will introduce guests to all-new animals, joining the park’s collection of over 200 animal species. In addition, guests will be able to encounter capybaras, giant anteaters, squirrel monkeys, and tropical birds. This all-new multispecies animal habitat will offer unique viewing perspectives from ground-level and aerial viewpoints, providing visitors with an up-close experience with these fascinating animals.
Other Wild Oasis Features and Attractions
Besides Habitat Hideaway, Wild Oasis will offer plenty of other activities for guests, including thrills for all ages.
Tree Top Drop
Thrill-seekers can take adventure to new heights aboard the all-new Tree Top Drop. This 35-foot drop tower features an immersive multimedia experience like Phoenix Rising, an attraction that opened in 2024.
Riders will be surrounded by jungle scenes displayed on screens throughout the ride’s cenote-themed environment. Still with a height requirement of 38 inches (with an adult) and 42 inches to ride alone, this attraction should be ideal for younger thrill-seekers looking for an exciting adventure.
This new drop tower replaces the former one in Busch Gardens Tampa Bay that we saw during our hard hat tour. The concept art indicates a new storyline that the Busch Gardens ambassadors have not yet been able to discuss with us. They stated that information would be released at a later date.
Canopy Climb at Wild Oasis
Explorers are invited to tackle the Canopy Climb, an expansive attraction featuring four levels of climbing structures, 200 feet of horizontal climbing trails, and vertical climbs reaching 45 feet high.
Enchanted Falls
Younger adventurers can cool off at Enchanted Falls. This interactive splash pad and play area contains fountains and spray towers.
Rainforest Quest at Wild Oasis
For those looking to journey further, the Rainforest Quest offers guests the opportunity to embark on a self-guided educational scavenger hunt. This should present guests with a fun exploration of the interconnected wonders of nature and highlight the relationships between different species in the rainforest. The Busch Gardens ambassadors also seemed very excited about this aspect of Wild Oasis when we experienced our hard hat tour.
What Did We See on Our Hard Hat Tour?
Busch Gardens invited us to view the status of the new Wild Oasis area. During this tour, we spoke with Busch Gardens ambassadors. They sound excited about this project, which is scheduled to open in spring 2025.
The Busch Gardens Tampa Bay area set aside for Wild Oasis was formerly used. However, it has been closed to guests for about five years. This area offers promise and space.
We saw a lot of cleanup done in that area of the theme park. Nevertheless, during our hard hat tour, we did not see many changes to the previous setup to allow Wild Oasis to open this spring. We understand that theme parks can build things very quickly when needed.
Still, much work must be done before Wild Oasis opens to the public. Of course, we have been on many theme park hard hat tours. We have seen less progress for attractions than Wild Oasis, and everything turned out fine. Since we visit Busch Gardens weekly, we should be able to gauge the progress of this new land in the upcoming months.
Mardi Gras at Busch Gardens
While guests wait for Wild Oasis to open, Busch Gardens has plenty to do. Mardi Gras season runs through March 2 at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay on weekends. Foodie fans can also enjoy the Busch Gardens Food & Wine Festival, which starts March 7 and runs on select days through May 18.
Please visit the official Busch Gardens website for more information about Wild Oasis and Busch Gardens. In addition, for more theme park-related news, visit MSM News.
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