Christmas Expedition in Tampa Bay

We left icy fields of central Illinois for warmer pastures in Orlando, Florida. Before we left, the windshield felt like -3 degrees outside, but when we landed, we were elated to walk into 70-degree weather. We took an uber to our hotel and had lunch at Cabana Bay's retro cafeteria, complete with large screen TVs that continuously stream 1950s commercials. Cabana Bay is our go-to resort for all things Orlando. It's well-maintained, has two pools, a lazy river, and some of the best food you could ever hope for.  

Then we made our way to Islands of Adventure where we were greeted by a world enveloped in Christmas decor galore. Garlands and Christmas-themed trees dominated the park's every sight. The first thing we did was see a Christmas-inspired play. Now, the great thing about this season is that Universal puts on a hilarious Grinchy play. It's family-friendly, witty, and doesn't overstay its welcome by having a 30 minute run time. This is an absolute must-see event if you are ever there in December.

Then we made our way to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, where we spent the majority of our time riding coasters and explaining the finer points of the Hagrid's ride to fellow Midwesterners (Michigan folks) we befriended in line. Then we came back to the hotel for more food and bed.

The next day, we traveled to Busch Gardens in Tampa Bay, via shuttle. A service provided by Busch Gardens, as long as you register. Busch Gardens is technically a smaller park, but there is significantly less foot traffic, so entry was a breeze. Unlike your typical theme park, which mostly focuses on having an array of roller coasters and smaller rides (it still has plenty of rides), Busch Gardens also maintains a fully functional zoo that is more expansive than any other zoo I have visited.

The animals are well fed, the staff appeared very interactive and eager to feed the animals during primary viewing hours, but the best part was the Serengeti Plain®. This is a field where several African animals reside, surrounded by a ranch style fence. We were able to purchase a safari-tour through this habitation and view rhinos, a zazzle of zebra, exotic bovine, and most exhilarating was feeding actual giraffes lettuce from our truck. Not only this, the tour guide, driver, and photographer expertly timed and guided the feeding so that we could get pictures with the long-necked creatures. It was an incredible adventure at Busch Gardens!