Busch Gardens Debuts New Show

If you love the movie “Madagascar” and its sequels, then Busch Gardens has a show for you. Its premier continues today, May 19, with dance parties, character meet-and-greets and Jack Hanna.

  Alex the Lion, Gloria the Hippo and King Julien take a vacation adventure at Busch Gardens in the 20-minute musical stage show, Madagascar Live! Operation: Vacation, which debuts on the Stanleyville Theater on May 18 and 19. “We are thrilled to partner with DreamWorks Animation to bring the hugely popular Madagascar characters to Busch Gardens,” said Jim Dean, park president, in an event announcement. He noted tha the show "is certain to have families engaged and amused and will round out the triple play of amazing shows, thrilling rides and unique animal encounters that our park delivers.” To celebrate the start of the show, the park will host a party at Stanleyville Theater May 18 and 19 with on-the-hour dancing and meet-and-greets …

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Busch Gardens’ Christmas Town Now Open

Like Howl-O-Scream, Christmas Town requires a separate ticket.

Busch Gardens is starting a new tradition this holiday season. Christmas Town, which opened this weekend, has transformed the park into a nighttime holiday wonderland, according to a Busch Gardens press release. The event will run 6-11 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights through Dec. 23. Like Howl-O-Scream, Christmas Town is a separate-ticketed night event, and regular daytime admission is not required or included. General admission for Christmas Town is $39.99 plus tax. A portion of the proceeds from Christmas Town will benefit All Children’s Hospital. For more information on the special events and attractions associated with Christmas Town, read this story: Christmas Town Unveiled at Busch Gardens.

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Valrico Resident Advocates on Behalf of Disabled as Ms. Wheelchair Florida

Diagnosed with cerebral palsy as an infant, Laura-Lee Minutello is busy spreading her message of acceptance and understanding.

Diagnosed with cerebral palsy as an infant, Laura-Lee Minutello learned early on in life what it meant to be a disabled person in an able-bodied world. The 24-year-old Valrico resident, who uses a wheelchair, was just 7 years old when her mother, Marcia, took her to Busch Gardens the first time, intending to give the little girl a day of carefree fun. The mother and daughter soon discovered, however, that the theme park wasn’t designed for children in wheelchairs. There was no way for her to access the theme park’s train; many of the thrill rides required riders to mount steps; and the magical Land of the Dragons she looked forward to playing in was virtually inaccessible to a child in a wheelchair. Marcia Minutello remembers placing her …

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Busch Gardens Welcomes Baby Giraffe

This cutie weighed 176 pounds at birth.

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay welcomed a new baby female reticulated giraffe nearly one month ago. At birth on Jan. 27, the calf was 6 foot, 2 inches tall and weighed approximately 176 pounds. Her father is Jafari and her mother is Cupid. This is Jafari’s second calf, and Cupid’s fifth, said Busch Gardens spokesperson Jill Revelle. Exactly one month to the day before this most recent birth, another female in the herd, Tesa, gave birth to Jafari’s first calf, which was also female. A reticulated giraffe’s gestation period is approximately 15 months, and the new baby will nurse for about one year, Revelle said. This birth is part of a successful long-term breeding program at Busch Gardens. The term “reticulated” refers to the giraffe’s net-like …

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The Brady Bunch Plus One

Hooky with Hubby: Making Time for Each Other

Finding time alone can be a challenge when raising an active family.

Until recently my youngest thought that every night after he was tucked away in his bed, the rest of us partied the night away. In his creative imagination, a theme park complete with Ferris wheel, arcade games and pony rides materialized in our back yard upon his bed time and his brothers and sisters, all older and thus allowed to stay up later, rode roller coasters and gobbled up ice cream and cotton candy, all while poor Michael slumbered soundly in his little bed. Even on nights when his imagination wasn't quite as active, he still thought the rest of us immediately changed the channel to Cartoon Network and munched on popcorn while he was forced to endure an 8:00 bedtime. Nothing, of course, could be further from the truth. We have …

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All Things Mommy

Family-Friendly Ideas for New Year's Eve

Here are some family-friendly ideas for ways to spend New Year's Eve with your children.

 New Year's Eve is traditionally a night to hit the town, overindulge in alcohol, and watch the ball drop at midnight with hundreds of other partygoers. But what about those of us with children who want to ring in the New Year with our families? Or those of us who don't have a small fortune set aside to pay a sitter and the expense of a night out? There are plenty of family-friendly ways to celebrate the coming of the New Year that are fun for everyone. For those who have small children, the Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa offers Noon Year's Eve. The festivities begin at 9:30 a.m. and end at 12:30 p.m. so that everyone can still get in that all important nap. The event is hosted by Radio Disney AM 1380 and features arts, crafts, games and live …

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