Sky rides are one of my favorite types of transportation rides featured at amusement parks, just behind monorails for my absolute favorites, but that’s a totally different story. Just the incredible views they provide of attractions from a unique perspective while at the same time serving as a means of transportation is a really special attraction. Some (cough: Canobie, SFNE: cough) fail to deliver satisfying rides, each for their own reasons, while others truly shine and show what this attraction is capable of. And that my friends would be none other than Busch Gardens’ incredible sky ride that really redefined what a sky ride is to me.
Offride, the attraction simply looks incredible with the simple skyways traveling high above the lush landscaping like a seagull flying over the beach on a summer day. With three stations in England, France, and Germany, Busch was ingenious for installing this triangular shaped railway in order to provide a quick means of transportation from area to area. I mean, Busch Gardens is a colossal park filled with multiple elevation changes and many twists and turns from land to land, and this really helped alleviate the stress walking from country to country. Not only that, but each of the three stations looked incredible and really captured their country’s culture flawlessly, something many parks would have just shunned in favor of for a generic station. Props to Busch.
Lines typically are a nightmare for sky rides due to their generally low capacity. Well, thankfully that is not at all an issue at Busch Gardens thanks to their top-notch operating procedures. Being one of the most popular parks in the country, Busch runs plenty of tubs on this sky ride and dispatches them incredibly quickly. Because of this, I encountered a fair 10-15 minute wait when I rode this, which was certainly worth it since the attraction was more relaxing and much possibly faster than walking from area to area, probably even with the wait.
Once seated in the roomy tubs, the attraction treated me to some simply amazing views. Traveling high above the treetops, I was able to fully appreciate and experience the masterful Busch landscaping featured so prominently in every inch of the park. But what I really cherished were the incredible views of the coasters, especially of the classic Loch Ness Monster, which showcased the old Arrow coaster from some really unique and neat angles. While down on the ground I could appreciate Busch Gardens, from above the park just took on an entirely new image that somehow amplified the park’s beauty to an all-time new high for me that just has to be experienced to comprehend.
And as I said earlier, not only does the Sky Ride provide dazzling views, but it also travels incredibly quickly, transporting riders from station to station in a little under than two minutes. That gave my feet a much needed rest and saved me a good 10 minute walk or so across the winding, hilly park from area to area! Not many sky rides can say that they’re quicker than walking from area to area, but this one can and there is no way of denying it.
Busch Gardens truly has an elite sky ride on their hands. Some sky rides simply transport riders from one side of a park to another. Others provide great views, and that’s all. Well, others…neither. This one somehow manages to succeed with flying colors at providing an enjoyable attraction that provides great views while simultaneously serving as a means of transportation. Under no circumstances should this incredible attraction be skipped during your visit, and at the very least if you aren’t high on experiencing breath-taking views or taking in Busch’s landscaping or getting some great photos of one of America’s most beautiful parks, at least save yourself a rather lengthy walk and give your tired feet a much-needed rest.
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