Welcome to our Busch Gardens Tampa Crowd Calendar page, with a monthly look at estimated crowd levels, park hours, and general tips on crowds throughout the year.
Our crowd calendar for Busch Gardens Tampa is meant as a guide and is only an estimate of anticipated crowd levels. The calendar does not take into account weather, which can have an impact on attendance since most of the attractions at Busch Gardens Tampa are outdoors. Please verify operating hours directly with the park before you visit, as they can change without notice.
General Crowd Info
In general, Saturdays are the busiest day of the week at Busch Gardens Tampa. Sundays, holiday weeks, and event days also tend to draw in larger crowds than weekdays through the rest of the year. On those days, avoid arriving at the park between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Instead, arrive earlier (lots open about 30 minutes before park opening) or come in the early afternoon and you won’t spend as much time waiting in line to enter.
Mid-week visits, regardless of the season, typically will have lower crowds compared to the surrounding weekends. The summer season, spring break, and the weeks around Christmas are generally the busiest times of the year. Weekdays in winter, late spring, and fall typically have the lowest crowds.
Because most of the attractions at Busch Gardens Tampa are outdoors, a day with extended inclement weather will often reduce crowd levels. It’s worth keeping an eye on the weather in the days leading up to your visit – a few rainy days in a row will often mean the following day (especially if it’s a Saturday) could end up being busier than normal as guests who put off their visit all come on the same fair weather day.
December 2023 Crowd Calendar
Christmas Town continues all month long at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay with extended evening hours and lots of holiday cheer. Weekdays early in the month will be your best bet to enjoy the lights and sights with lower crowds, with it becoming busier as it approaches the end of the month. The week between Christmas and New Year’s is historically one of the busiest periods of the year, so if you’re visiting then we strongly recommend arriving early (parking lot will open 30 minutes or more before the park) or come early to mid-afternoon to avoid at least some of the crush of cars & people entering. Arriving early should also allow you to enjoy a couple of rides with lower waits.
If you’re visiting on weekends or the stretch between Christmas and New Year’s, please remember to be patient and understand that it will be busy. If you only have one day and are trying to do as much as possible, along with arriving early consider purchasing Quick Queue to reduce your wait times on attractions throughout the day. It would be better if you could spend two days, focusing on rides early & late in the day for lower waits, and enjoying the animals, shows, and culinary options in the afternoon & early evening.
See scheduled attraction closures on the park’s website.
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