If you have any additional questions about accessibility at Busch Gardens Tampa after reviewing the information on this page, we’re here to help. Please feel free to email us at [email protected], call us at (813) 884-4FUN, or simply stop by Guest Relations during your visit.

Accessible parking spaces are available in the parking lot near the park entrance, with many of those spaces accessible to vans.

Guest Relations is conveniently located just inside the Park Entrance. Please feel free to visit Guest Relations on the day of your visit if you have any questions regarding the services available. You will also need to visit Guest Relations to enroll in Busch Garden's Ride Accessibility Program (RAP).

Guests may utilize their own wheelchairs or Electric Convenience Vehicles (ECV’s). Guests are welcome join any ticketing or turnstile line to purchase tickets and enter the park. Wheelchairs and ECV’s are also available for rental, based on availability, inside the park to the right of Guest Relations. Reservations for Wheelchairs and ECV’s can be made online at www.buschgardens.com/tampa/upgrades/

Two-wheeled, self-balancing electric vehicles, such as Segways, are not permitted at Busch Gardens. We are pleased to offer alternative forms of personal transportation, including Electric Convenience Vehicles (ECV’s) and standard wheelchairs.

Guests are permitted to use their own rollator walkers; however, they may not be used as a substitute for a wheelchair or Electric Convenience Vehicle (ECV). Please note that guests are not allowed to be pushed while seated in a rollator walker. Rollator Walkers are not available for rental.

All restrooms in the park are wheelchair accessible and are marked with a wheelchair symbol. Additionally, Busch Gardens has Family or Companion restrooms available in the following locations:

• Stanleyville (next to Stanley Falls)

• Egypt (next to Montu)

• Nairobi (next to Kenya Kanteen)

• Pantopia (inside Main First Aid)

• Congo (next to Bumper Cars)

• Sesame Street Safari of Fun (behind Snack-n-geti)

• Stanleyville (next to Zambia Smokehouse)

First Aid facilities are located in Pantopia, Sesame Street Safari of Fun, Security, and near Cheetah Hunt. These locations are staffed by Registered Nurses or Emergency Medical Technicians. Please be aware that any Ambassador throughout the park can call for assistance on your behalf.

All gift shops are wheelchair accessible.

Please ask an Ambassador if you need any assistance. Busch Gardens also offers package-pickup assistance at all gift ships. This service provides guests the opportunity to shop throughout the park and pick up their purchases at the SeaWorld Store located near the exit of the park.

Most dining venues at Busch Gardens offer cafeteria-style service.

Please refer to the Food Allergen Information on this page for more information on the Busch Gardens' Allergy Friendly program prior to your visit.

No outside food, beverages, or coolers are allowed to be brought into Busch Gardens, with the exception of bottled water or refillable water bottles. Exceptions may be made for guests with special dietary needs, including food allergies and baby food/formula. Guest should contact [email protected] prior to their visit to request accommodations.

If you have any additional questions about accessibility at Busch Gardens Tampa after reviewing the information on this page, we’re here to help. Please feel free to email us at [email protected], call us at (813) 884-4FUN, or simply stop by Guest Relations during your visit.

For a complete list of guidelines and individual ride requirements, download our Accessibility Guide

Guests should visit Guest Relations, located just inside the park’s entrance, to enroll in the RAP. Guests will receive a list of the rides and attractions they can ride.
Following enrollment in the RAP guests will be granted Special Access to our attractions. Special Access is designed to allow our guests to enjoy select rides and attractions without waiting in line if the guest is not able to do so because of his or her disability. It is available only for the listed rides and excludes shows, special events, parades, meet and greet priority access, gift shop check-out, or restaurant lines. Guests enrolled in the RAP will be placed in a Virtual Queue, allowing them to enjoy the park until their estimated boarding time at the specific attraction.

The following procedures will assist you in utilizing our Ride Accessibility Program throughout the park:
Once enrolled in the RAP, review your RAP sheet, and proceed to the entrance of a listed ride to request a boarding time. If the entrance is not staffed, you may proceed to the ride exit to request a boarding time. Boarding times are based on the current estimated wait time.
For smaller attractions that are listed on your RAP sheet, proceed to the ride exit/entrance marked with a disabled sign, and inform the Ambassador of your desire to ride. You may be asked to wait 1-2 ride cycles if there is an estimated 10+ minute wait.
The guest enrolled in the RAP must ride for their party to board through the special access entrance. A maximum of 5 additional guests may accompany the guest needing special access. Additional guests must use the ride entrance.

Note: Guests may only have one active wait time at a time.

Rides create forces and speeds that may not be acceptable or tolerable to some riders and may cause injury to riders with known or unknown pre-existing conditions.

Many theme park rides incorporate safety systems designed by manufacturers to accommodate individuals of average physical stature and body proportion. These systems may impose restrictions on certain rider’s ability to safely experience the ride. 

As a rule, only ride if you are in good health. Do not ride if you know or suspect you may be pregnant, have abnormal blood pressure, heart, neck, or back problems, are prone to motion sickness, have recently undergone surgery, or have any other condition that could be affected by the ride’s features.

For all rides, guests must be able to:
• Maintain the proper riding position throughout the ride, bracing themselves upright, keeping their head upright, and their back against the seatback.  
• Properly use the ride restraint device, ensuring they can hold on tight and keep their hands, arms, legs, and feet down and inside the ride at all times.  
• Demonstrate willingness and ability to comply with verbal and written rider requirements and instructions.

Height requirements are posted at each ride. A height check station is also available at the front of the park. All guests, including those using wheelchairs, must meet the height requirement to ride.

To ride, all seatbelts, lap bars, and shoulder harnesses must be properly fastened and positioned closed to the body.  Due to rider restraint system requirements, riders of larger size may not be accommodated on: 

• Kumba
• Montu
• SheiKra
• Falcon's Fury
• Cheetah Hunt
• Tigris 
• Iron Gwazi

For your convenience, test seats are located at these rides and we recommend using these test seats before entering the queue line.

Guests wearing casts, braces or walking boots may be restricted from riding certain rides and should refer to Part 4, Individual Ride Information, of the Accessibility Guide for more information.

Generally, guests with walking boots and braces can ride if the boot or brace fits comfortably into the ride unit and meets the proper ride requirements.

Guests with any type of prosthesis may be restricted from riding certain rides. If permitted, riders must ensure that the prosthesis is properly secured before riding and should refer to Part 4, Individual Ride Information, of the Accessibility Guide for more information.

Ambassadors can offer assistance steadying a guest transferring to or from a wheelchair. Ambassadors may not lift or assist in lifting anyone using a wheelchair. All guests must be able to board a ride themselves or with the help from a member of their party.

Ride escorts may be required due to temporary interruptions in operation. If a ride escort is required, guests may need to negotiate stairs from the highest point of the ride and down steeply inclined catwalks or steps.

To expedite ride escort process, guests requiring assistance during the ride escort may be escorted last. Only one mobility-impaired guest may ride the attraction at one time unless they are in the same party. Please inquire about specific procedures prior to boarding a particular attraction.

Due to the dynamics and specific characteristics of the rides and attractions, oxygen tanks are not permitted on any ride except for the Busch Gardens Railroad and Skyride.

Oxygen Concentrators may be permitted on some rides if they can be secured and meet the loose article requirements for a specific ride. 

Oxygen tanks are permitted inside the park and may be brought into merchandise shops, restaurants, and other enclosed facilities.

Supervising Companion: Someone who meets all physical and mental requirement to ride the ride, is 14 years of age or older and demonstrates maturity equivalent to that of someone aged 14 or older.  

Accompanied By: When a guest requires accompaniment, the accompanying individual must meet all ride requirements and assist the guest accordingly.  This assistance includes aiding the guest in boarding and exiting, as well as assisting the guest down stairs, catwalks, or ladders if a ride escort is necessary.  Depending on the ride, the accompanying individual may also need to help the guest maintain postural control while riding.

Hand-held Infant: A hand-held infant is a child who is unable to walk to the ride unit independently or maintain independent seated postural control.

Functioning Extremity: A functioning extremity is a limb over which a person has control. A prosthetic device is considered a functioning extremity.

As described in Part 2 of this Accessibility Guide, Busch Garden's Ride Accessibility Program (RAP) aligns the individual abilities of our guests to the requirements of each ride, allowing guests to enjoy the park while keeping in mind the safety requirements of our rides and attractions. The RAP is based on the manufacturer's requirements for each ride and evaluates the physical and mental attributes required for a guest to safely ride an attraction.  Some of those may include the following:

Ability to maintain the proper riding position throughout the ride. The guest must have the body and spinal control to maintain the proper riding position throughout the ride without the aid of other people or devices and be able to maintain the proper riding position even during bumping or other characteristic movements of the ride.

Weight distribution to allow the restraint device to function as designed. The weight distribution of the guest’s body must not interfere with any of the ride or attraction’s safety and restraint devices as they were designed.

Control of upper torso – including head and neck. The guest must have sufficient muscle control to support their head, neck, and upper torso in the proper position during the ride or attractions designed dynamic motions.

Ability to hold on with one functioning hand. A functioning hand is an upper extremity or prosthesis with fingers that have the ability to grasp the restraint device and exhibits good grip control; the ability to brace and is strong enough to maintain the proper riding position throughout the duration of the ride.

Ability to hold on with two functioning hands. Ability to hold on with two functioning hands as described above.

Ability to hold on with one functioning arm. A functioning arm is an upper extremity or prosthesis that has the ability to arm-grip the restraint device by wrapping the arm around the restraint device and is strong enough to allow the guest to maintain the proper riding position throughout the duration of the ride.

Ability to hold on with two functioning arms. Ability to hold on with two functioning arms as described above.

Ability to brace self with one functioning leg. Guest must have one functioning leg, natural or prosthetic, for bracing their body during the course of the ride or attraction.

Ability to brace self with two functioning legs. Guest must have two functioning legs, natural or prosthetic, to be used for bracing their body during the course of the ride or attraction and maintaining balance when entering and exiting a ride or attraction.

Minimum of two functioning extremities. Guest must have a minimum of two functioning extremities, natural or prosthetic (two arms, two legs, or one arm and one leg), to brace themselves during the ride and assist in entering and exiting the ride or attraction.

Minimum of three functioning extremities. Guest must have a minimum of three functioning extremities, natural or prosthetic (two legs and an arm or two arms and a leg) to allow the guest to brace in a tripod manner during the ride.

Ability to hold on or brace: Ability to use one’s arms to maintain a grasp on an assist bar and support one’s body during normal and emergency procedures on a ride and to use one’s legs to brace to maintain a seated position during the forces of the ride.

Ability to enter and exit the ride without endangering self or others. Guest must be able to enter and exit the ride without jeopardizing themselves or others and to assist with their own evacuation, if necessary. This may include entering through an exit or having someone aid him or her in boarding. If a guest has to be lifted in and out of a ride unit, they must be accompanied by a supervising companion who is accustomed to doing this. For the safety of ride or attraction operators and the guest, our operators are instructed not to perform this function, other than in children’s ride areas.

Appropriate Observed Conduct. Guest must demonstrate appropriate observed conduct by indicating a willingness and ability to understand, participate in, and follow all rider requirements. Appropriate observed conduct may include but not be limited to, maintaining the proper riding position, attention to and compliance with safety instructions, proper use of restraints and safety equipment and a willingness to participate in the attraction.

In addition to the basic physical and mental requirements defined above, each ride is evaluated relative to temporary conditions which may prevent a guest from safely riding a specific ride. Some of the specific conditions evaluated include:

• Cervical collar or neck brace
• Broken collar bone
• Full arm cast
• Braced arm cast
• Lower arm cast
• Full leg cast
• Lower leg cast

• Note all safety warnings, both verbal and written, for each ride.
• Wait for all rides to come to a complete stop before attempting to board.
• Use caution when boarding, watching your head and step. 
• Obey all instructions given by operators and lifeguards.
• Face forward and remain seated in the proper riding position.
• Hold on tight until the ride comes to a complete stop.
• Keep arms, hands, legs, and feet inside the ride at all times.
• Finish all food and beverages before riding.

If you have any additional questions about accessibility at Busch Gardens Tampa after reviewing the information on this page, we’re here to help. Please feel free to email us at [email protected], call us at (813) 884-4FUN, or simply stop by Guest Relations during your visit.

Service Animals are welcome at Busch Gardens.  Service Animals are limited to dogs and miniature horses only that have been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability. 

Service Animals must always remain on a leash or harness and under the control of its handler. If at any time your service animal’s behavior is out of control, you will be asked to remove your service animal from the premises.
  
Service Animals must be housebroken.  Relief areas are marked on the park map.  

Service Animals are permitted in all guest areas; however, please note whether a Service Animal is permitted in a behind the scenes animal interaction will be referred to the Zoological Staff.  

Service Animals are discouraged from riding rides; however, at Busch Gardens Service Animals are permitted on:

• Big Bird's Whirly Birdie
• Bumper Cars
• Congo River Rapids
• Count's Zambizi Rally
• Elmo's Safari-go-Round
• Grand Caravan Carousel
• Jingle Bell Express
• Kiddie Train
• Railroad
• Snuffy's Elephant Romp
• Skyride
• Snuffy's Elephant Romp
• Zoe Patra Hippos of the Nile

Emotional Support Animals are not permitted at Busch Gardens.

Busch Gardens provides complimentary Qualified American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters upon request. To request an ASL Interpreter, please email [email protected], call us at (813) 884-4FUN. We kindly ask that you request this service at least 14 days prior to your visit.  You should receive a response to your e-mail within 7 days. However, if you haven’t received a response within 7 days, please don’t hesitate to email or call us again. 

Additionally, Busch Gardens provides scripts available for select presentations.  Please visit Guest Relations to request a copy of available scripts.

One (1) Saturday a month, Busch Gardens also hosts “ASL Saturday” at its park where presentations occur.  During ASL Saturdays, a Certified ASL Interpreter will be present, on a rotating basis, at select presentations.  Guests can learn more information about ASL Saturdays by visiting the park’s website.

Guests who are blind or have limited/low vision must have someone (either a companion or Ambassador) explain the ride and read the ride restrictions prior to boarding.

If you have any additional questions about accessibility at Busch Gardens Tampa after reviewing the information on this page, we’re here to help. Please feel free to email us at [email protected], call us at (813) 884-4FUN, or simply stop by Guest Relations during your visit.

Most dining venues at Busch Gardens offer cafeteria-style service with allergy-friendly options available throughout the park.  

Feel free to visit any dining venue to receive an Allergen Card with more details on our Allergy-Friendly program and culinary options that may meet your dietary needs. 

While none of our restaurants are allergen-free, our team will take the utmost care to ensure that your meal is free from cross-contact.  Upon arriving at your chosen food venue, please proceed directly to a cashier and request to speak with a supervisor to explain your allergen concerns in detail. The supervisor can answer your questions and take your food order, to ensure your meal is prepared without any cross-contact.