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
Saturdays are usually 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 the park opens) or come mid-afternoon and you won’t spend as much time waiting in line to enter.
Mid-week visits, regardless of the season, typically have lower crowds than the surrounding weekends. The summer season, spring break, and the weeks around Christmas are generally the busiest times of the year. Winter, late spring, and fall weekdays 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 usual as guests who put off their visit all come on the same fair weather day.
October 2024 Crowd Calendar
Spooky season is here as Howl-O-Scream and the new family-friendly Halloween daytime events continue in October 2024 at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. Expect generally low crowds on most weekdays throughout the month, especially Monday through Thursday each week. More moderate crowds may be present on Fridays along with Columbus Day (October 14) and on Halloween. Weekends will be busier, with the two Saturdays leading up to Halloween likely being the busiest, especially if the weather is good.
See any scheduled attraction closures on the park’s website.
Howl-O-Scream at Busch Gardens Tampa continues in October 2024 and expands to Thursday through Sunday evening each week, plus Wednesday & Thursday, October 30 & 31. Check hours before you go – the closing times in September changed between midnight and 1 a.m. multiple times. As might be expected, the closer to Halloween you get, the busier the weekends will be. If you can only visit on Saturdays, consider arriving early (tickets get you in starting at 5 p.m.) and if budget allows, look at the Front Line Fear options to skip some of the lines at haunted houses and attractions. If your schedule is flexible, hit a Friday earlier in the month, or choose a Thursday or Sunday for generally lower crowds.
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