This past weekend I had the pleasure of visiting Busch Gardens for the grand opening of Christmas Town. The holiday event runs at Busch Gardens from November 30th to December 31st, every weekend from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. All throughout the month, the park is redecorated with colorful Christmas lights, plenty of great attractions for all ages, and more to celebrate the holiday season.
Select roller coasters are open through the evening, the best being Cheetah Hunt which quickly zooms participants through an impressive view of the lights in the theme park. Some parts were pitch black and honestly pretty cool. Sheikra was as entertaining as usual, although the view is not as good because of how high the ride travels into the sky. My guests and I found ourselves disappointed that Montu was not available as an attraction, and I hope Busch Gardens will consider adding it in the future.
There was plenty of great photo opportunities throughout the park and the areas Busch Gardens selected to redecorate are truly transformed magically. The line to see Santa Claus stayed consistently long throughout our visit, we opted instead to ride the Christmas Town Sing-A-Long train, which was a jolly trip that quickly allowed us to also make our way to the other side of the park towards Sheikra from the main train station while listening to holiday tunes and watching a few animals pass by.
The Carol of The Bells at Crown Colony was an entertaining light and audio show that drew large crowds. It was almost a little spooky how the areas familiar to Floridian regulars have been reinvented creatively in a way we have not seen before.
Christmas Town Village was filled with eateries and shops surrounded by snow machines. The belgian waffles were tasty treats, but make sure to ask for light ingredients because my waffle was doused in a little too much sweets. Other popular stands for us were the popcorn stand and the turkey leg stand. Frosty the Snow Man costumed characters were running this area offering plenty of photo opportunities.
My favorite area of Christmas Town was Snow World presented by Coca-Cola. The snow was a great idea and tons of fun for Floridians like us who rarely ever get to play in the snow at home. The kids there had a blast and we enjoyed watching friends struggle to get their grip. The iced slide was the best spot and a happy memory that I will not forget for a long time.
The price of Christmas Town is very fair at $34.99 for adults and $9.99 for children when purchased in advance, making for an affordable and fun family option. Passholding adults can receive a $10 discount as well. I would recommend Christmas Town to families and friends looking for an event to get into the holiday spirit this winter.
