When it comes to holiday cheer, no one does it quite like Busch Gardens! For the second year in a row, a whopping 100 members of the Yelp Tampa Bay Elite Squad turned into Santa’s Little Yelpers during Christmas Town at Busch Gardens.
Nikki A notes with joy, “It is always nice to be treated like a VIP. Busch Gardens and Yelp rolled out the royal Christmas red carpet at this event. We were treated to front of the line passes, a swag bag, a really cute ornament, some tasty Elf Munch, and drink coupons!” First up, Yelpers enjoyed free preferred parking, which anyone who has visited a theme park can attest is – in a word – clutch. Once we were checked in and whisked through the turnstiles, we almost didn't know where to turn! There was holiday music piping over unseen speakers, and impressive light displays covering every familiar surface. A general feeling of glee filled the air!
Chris W raves, "Busch Gardens really treats us like royalty for these events. The highlight for me was the Crown Colony building. I'm so glad we able to see the light show. The whole building came alive with lights and lasers, timed to the music that was playing." Crystal H enjoyed the bird's-eye view of the park, gushing, "One of my favorite things was riding the skyride. You could see all of the lights and hear the music from above, plus there was a cool breeze. It was so romantic."This was Amanda C's first Elite Yelp event at the ol' BG. She exclaims, "The first thing we did, after enjoying some of the beautiful lights, was ride Cheetah Hunt. We both loved this roller coaster – it is definitely my new favorite in the park! After, we watched the Christmas tree light show. The lights danced to songs – it was so beautiful! We also rode Sheikra, which is just ridiculously fun and scary."
Rachel H enthusiastically adds, "The staff was really helpful and cheerful and the lines for rides was short. We did watch the kids playing in the snow for a while, and the tube slides looked fun. This would be a great place to take Florida kiddos that miss out on snow. It was well done – a neat place to play."
Meanwhile, Arthur F "highly recommends Christmas Town at Busch Gardens. Bring the kids, and don't forget parents and grandparents. The snow area is awesome – walk on ice, throw snow balls, and ride a tube down a snowy hill. Fun for all."
In addition to all of the entertainment, there was food and drinks to be enjoyed. Dianna B sums it up for us. "Food: Did I mention the Elf Munch? Don't forget the Turkey with a Twist and the Belgium Waffles! Everything looked delicious and smelled wonderful."
Cathy B "enjoyed hot chocolate and cool beers in the perfect weather. There were turkey turnovers filled with all of the trimmings, and pretty good ham & cheese on a pretzel roll. The signature holiday cocktail at the Colony House was definitely a favorite - made with triple sec, cherry flavored vodka and cranberry juice for only $7.50, it was well worth the short line."T'was the night before … well, a Saturday in early December, but this Elite event made it FEEL like the holiday was just around the corner. A HUGE THANK YOU goes out to the wonderful staff, crew, and entertainment at Christmas Town at Busch Gardens. We were thrilled to share the world of snow, hot cocoa, Coca-cola, and shows with Santa's Little Yelpers once again in 2013. Thank you to Gerardo Luna Photographs – check the photos out on Flickr.
And of course, THANK YOU, Elite Tampa Bay Yelpers! Here's to holiday spirit and a fabulous 2014!
– Brett N, Yelp TB CM, & Justine B, Yelp TB MA
Want to learn more about becoming Elite? Click here.
