Animal Kingdom OR Busch Gardens Tampa

Which would you prefer to go to?
My DH and I have been to Animal Kingdom before our DS was born.
Our DS will be 17 months old when we go to Orlando. We are going to Magic Kingdom and Epcot. I was thinking instead of Animal Kingdom going to Busch Gardens; they have Elmo there and I have a feeling it will definitely be less crowded. Any input would be appreciated! TIA!

Re: Animal Kingdom OR Busch Gardens Tampa

I have NOT been to Busch Gardens

but I would say Animal Kingdom.

For one, adding a day to your Disney tickets is probably going to be a lot cheaper than buying BG tickets just bc of the pricing structure. Another thing, and this is what would kill it for me, is that Tampa is I believe about a 90 minute drive away from Disney World. So that's 3 hours out of your day for one park. Not worth it to me. Busch Gardens is known for rollercoasters and they do have kid-friendly rides, but they don't have the amazing shows that Animal kingdom has, such as The Lion King, and Finding Nemo (LOVE those shows!).

I've heard people say the safaris, river raft rides, and animal experiences are similar at both, but I don't know first hand.

I personally would not make the 90 minute drive just for Elmo. if your DS really loves Elmo, then you can drive 90 minutes from home and go to Sesame Place and have a whole day of ALL kid-friendly rides. JMO!

Re: Animal Kingdom OR Busch Gardens Tampa

Thank you for your response Jennifer The prices are actually around the same, but a 90 minute car ride is definitely something to think about!