Sabrina's Brochure Spotlight: Busch Gardens Tampa 2004

Like many of you, I've been biting my nails in anticipation of what will happen after the inevitable sell-off of the Busch parks. But back in 2004, it was business as usual.


This brochure kills two birds with one stone. And if you just can't wait to find out what I mean by that, scroll to the last image!


When it comes to entertainment, the Busch parks do not mess around! The 2004 addition to Busch Gardens Tampa's stellar entertainment line-up was Katonga, "a musical celebration of animal folklore".


I just couldn't bear to break the flow of this brochure by dissecting it into small sections, so you'll have to view each image in full size to catch all the great details. And believe me, there are a LOT of details.


It's widely known that Busch Gardens Tampa is about more than just rides. A large portion of the park is dedicated to animals and there are many different options available for exploring these areas, from self-guided walking tours to the off-road adventures of Rhino Rally.


In addition to Katonga, 2004 also saw the addition of a Mack Wild Mouse christened "Cheetah Chase". [Hey... How come Cheetah Chase didn't get its own feature page in this brochure? No fair!]


Everything to come out of a Busch park screams quality and attention to detail, and their brochures are no exception. I love the way they blended Kumba into the vegetation in this image.


If the rides prove too scary and the animals too intimidating, younger children can always find sanctuary in Land of the Dragons, a special area created just for them.


This map illustrates just how much Busch Gardens Tampa has to offer. Note that they even have Adventure Camps which allow you to spend a night or even an entire week at the park. This is definitely not your typical "canned" park experience!


Okay, so back to that whole "killing two birds with one stone" notion. [Did you peek???] Adventure Island, of course, is Busch Gardens Tampa's "sister" water park. Now take a look at the back of the brochure below.


"Wait a second...I thought this was a Busch Gardens Tampa brochure, but this image looks like the cover of an Adventure Island brochure!" Bingo. Do you see the marketing genius at work? This brochure was designed such that it could be loaded into a rack with either side facing out, and it's likely you would have seen a row of each. The result? Theme park junkies unwittingly get the water park brochure, water park junkies unwittingly get the theme park brochure, all parties inevitably end up on the page that advertises combo tickets, and...Show me the money. Brilliant.

And after all, why shouldn't we show them the money? The uniqueness and value of a Busch theme park experience is worth every cent. Here's hoping things stay that way, regardless of how the InBev cards fall.