I am a Theme Park Aficionado. Every spare moment I have, (once my chores are done), I head up to my second home: which means any theme park within my driving vicinity.
My current pregnancy has not been easy. I have been vomiting on average about 4 times a day; not counting my bouts of Nausea in between. For the first 13 weeks of my pregnancy, I can’t function well. I didn’t have enough energy, I just wanted to crawl into my husband’s arm and fall asleep while he attempts to watch TV. But after 14 weeks, I seem to have some energy to walk around and be part of the living society.
My husband was taking the Bar Exam in Tampa and I wanted to come with him for moral support (and for him not to panic and to bring him his food and anything else he may need during the bar). It’s technically 2 days of hotelcation.
During the first day, I went to Busch Gardens. I didn’t go for too long though. I had to wait until my post breakfast nausea has subsided before I attempted my 30 minute drive to it.
I finally arrived! I had not been there in a few months. Right off the bat, I knew I can’t ride majority of the rides but I am a firm believer in enjoying my time as a preggy person. In my trip there, There were 2 rides I was able to Ride: the Sky Ride and the Serengeti Express.
The Sky Ride is a Cable Car ride that has a 360 view of the whole park. It runs between Egypt and Congo. You can see various animals (I love seeing the Elephants throw mud on their backs) and all of the thrilling roller coaster rides. This is the perfect ride if you’re too lazy to walk to the other side of the park and you see a great view to boot.
The Serengeti Express Train is the other Ride I went to. It shows you Busch Garden’s Serengeti Plain. It has 3 stops at Congo, Nairobi and Stanleyville so it’s also good if you don’t want to walk and just hop on and hop off the train. I was able to see the Giraffe and Zebra, but not much else as it was so hot so most animals are probably doing their best to cool down.
I was able to see the Opening Night Critters show. It features over 100 different rescue animals form birds to miniature horses to dogs. It was definitely a highlight of my day. If only my dogs can do those tricks.
Last but not the least, I was able to check out all the Animals! I wish I had brought my DSLR camera, but alas, my doctor told me not to carry anything more than 10 pounds so I am stuck with my point and shoot camera and 2 frozen water bottles. I was able to visit the Kangaroos, Emu, penguins, Cheetahs, lion, Turtles, Gorillas, Chimpanzees, zebra, giraffe, lemur, tiger.
Overall, it was a great experience! I enjoyed the park, albeit, it was only for 4 hours before my energy ran out.
My advice to all the pregnant women out there interested in visiting Busch Gardens, Seaworld, Disneyworld and Universal Studios, is to always stay hydrated, frequently rest (if you need to rent a scooter, then rent one) and follow the instructions on what you can and cannot ride. After all, you are carrying the most precious package in your life: your child.