We went to Busch Gardens Christmas Town for the first time last week.
I wasn’t sure what to expect.
I thought it would be like Busch Gardens was on our last trip, but with a section of Christmas decorations and lights.
I was so wrong.
The entire park is decorated from the bridge at the entrance to the farthest points of the park. And it’s all so, so beautiful!
There are 6 million lights. Six million!
There are 1,500 lit Christmas trees throughout the park with large sections of lights in the same color. And each different country has its own different color, so everywhere you look the lights match.
It’s stunning!
I’ll try not to make you crazy with all of my photos, but seriously? I took dozens of pictures of just trees.
And trees with bridges. 🙂
Of course, the kids wanted to head to the rides. One of their favorites was the Peppermint Twist. The didn’t want to get off and rode it at least 10 times.
It was chilly out, so we all got mugs of Peppermint and S’mores hot chocolate and headed over to see the penguins at the Ice Palace.
The penguins were so adorable! They were right in front of us, looking through the glass at us.
We’ve seen penguins before at the zoo and at the aquarium, but never so close up. The kids loved looking right at them just a foot away.
After the Ice Palace, we walked around some more to enjoy the sights.
And suddenly, we saw snow!
My little boy started yelling “It’s Christmas! It’s Christmas!” and trying to catch the snowflakes.
It was the cutest.thing.ever.
I took 271 pictures of it. 🙂
It wasn’t really Christmas, of course.
And the snow was really small bubble clusters.
But it made all of the kids so happy and excited. We loved it.
We did a few more rides, including another of the kids’ favorite – The Plane Ride! (I have no idea what it’s actually called, but my son talked about The Plane Ride! for days before Busch Gardens and for days after.)
The sweetest and most memorable part of our trip to Busch Gardens Christmas Town was dinner with Santa.
The kids got to listen to Santa tell the story of the Night Before Christmas.
And they got to take pictures with and talk to Santa.
Santa was awesome!
The kids all talked about what they wanted for Christmas and all of the ways they’ve been good throughout the year. Santa took so much time talking to each of the children individually and making them feel special.
And just before they walked back down to our table, Santa whispered to my older daughter a secret about how she was being a wonderful role model for her little sister and brother.
It was so sweet and the kids were really excited to talk to him for so long.
I know they’ll remember the visit with Santa for years to come.
On the way out of Busch Gardens at the end of the night, we sat and watched carolers sing.
They were beautiful singers and the perfect way to end our wonderful day at Busch Gardens Christmas Town!
The decorations are beautiful! My grandsons would be in awe walking through the area with the lit up Christmas trees!
this looks beautiful but it sounds like it would be VERY cold!!
What a beauty!!! I would love to go visit, I love the first picture with those gorgeous blue tree’s!!!
That looks like so much fun! SO beautiful, too!
It seems like such a different experience to see it all without freezing your butts off, like we do here in the north. All the lights are very pretty!
How marvelous, there’s nothing quite like that out here in Southern California.
That looks like an incredibly magical place to take your family during the holidays! I’d love it 🙂
Looks so beautiful!
Where do you live? We went last year and had a lot of fun.
I’m in Raleigh, North Carolina and we drove up to Williamsburg, Virginia. 🙂
So cool and pretty!
We’re in Tampa, your Christmas Town looks so much prettier!!
That looks amazing! Even though it wasn’t real snow, I would still be excited to see it! LOL!
That’s beautiful! I want to go, that would be such a fun vacation.
I can’t even imagine how beautiful it was! 6 million lights is really impressive.
Wow, I haven’t been since I was a kid. Things sure have changed.
beautiful!! a few years ago we went to Dollywood during the Christmas season and it was beautiful, but i like these pictures just as much. love the pinguines.
This looks so fun!!
Looks like a great family vacation idea! It has been a long time since i have been to a Bush Gardens! I wanna go!
This is amazing. I wish they had more things like this closer to where I live.
Everything looks beautiful!! What a fun trip to get you in the Christmas spirit! Thank you for sharing!
What a great place to visit over the holidays!
I should take my daughter one of these years. It gets too dang cold around here to enjoy the lights and stuff.
Looks like a lot of fun. I love penguins!
What a cool experience! I wish we had something like that closer to us. 🙂
How awesome. What a fun experience for YOU and the kiddos!! I would love to go.
Those lights are so pretty! Lovely pictures. 🙂
It looks beautiful! I have not been there since I was a little girl, but I remember how much fun it was!
Gosh that is beautiful! I guess I never think of Christmas when I think of attractions like that but it makes sense. It looks like you all had a nice time.
Looks like a lot of fun!
This looks like an amazing and magical experience! Thanks for sharing!
Oh my gosh, it is beautiful, it looks like a fairy land!
wow just by the pictures it is absolutely stunning! love the snow, the penguins, where santa is! i have to go here!
i would imagine it would be very cold as well! but certainly pretty
looks like fun
This looks absolutely beautiful and i LOVE the penguins!
Those penguins are ADORABLE.
This looks like an amazing experience. My family would really enjoy it.
Looks amazing! My kids would love the penguins and that is VERY close up! 🙂
This is so nice. The grandkids and I would love this lots to see and do. So many pretty lights too.
how fun I love it. Those penguins are adorable
Santa would have been my favourite part of the whole day.
Obviously there is more than just one “happiest place on earth.” Love!
they have the best coasters! wonder if the water rides are open…lol
Looks like an awesome place to visit..wish we lived closer 🙂
I’m so jealous that you were that close to those adorable penguins.
The trees and lights and decorations are so beautiful. From your picture of the penguins, I thought you can pet them! LOL. It seems like there’s no glass there. My daughters would’ve loved the penguins specially my 5 year old! She loves penguins so much. 🙂 I wish it was closer so we can visit too. 🙂
look how close those penguins are! I want to go see the penguins. 🙂
This is soooo sweet! My daughter would be very happy to see this!
Stunning absolutely stunning! I love the lights of Christmas and these make me feel like a kid just looking at them. Will add to my bucket list!
Would love to return to B.G. one of these years!
the penguins sure look happy !! haha it is more their weather
I love the green night lights and the peppermint cup rides, my kids are 4 and 6 they would love this!
Peppermint twist looks like a good ride – reminds me of the tea cups in Disney World. 🙂
I agree with Danielle, the Peppermint TWist does look like a good ride.
I wish we had this where we live how much fun to take the kids to every year
Lots of fun things to do and look at. The kids will love the rides and looking at all the lights as well as I would too
Whoah!! I wish we had a place like that in San Antonio, Texas. My son would lose his three year old mind!
I would love to see this it would put us in the Christmas mood!
I love the solid color displays like the blue, green, etc. I hope we can work this in our schedule to visit next year. I know the kids would absolutely love it!
gotta love those teacups! classic rides
The tea cups are so cute with the holiday theme. Brings back great memories being spun and flung around!
My grandsons would love to visit here beautiful
Watching carolers sing would be the highlight of my evening too.
You can never take enough pictures of cute things your kids do – 271 isn’t too many. 😉
I love the idea of the fake snow – bubble clusters! I am sure it is exciting!
That looks like so much fun! My son would go crazy for those penguins!!
Looks like fun! And wow! Six million lights is a lot!
Now thats alot of lights there. Lots for everyone to see too. Thanks for sharing all the pictures with us
Going there would really put me in the Christmas spirit! It looks so lovely!
This looks and sounds magical. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we really lived in a world like that year round? Thanks for the pictures and the description….I wouldn’t have minded more pictures at all.
I love the carolers. Their costumes alone would put anyone in a holiday mood!
it is very cool that it snowed while you were there!
Decorating those trees must have taken a lot of work. It would be neat to do that for my own home!
Never been there for Christmas but it looks so festive I might have to plan a holiday trip!
I would go just for the penguins! LOL…seriously, though, it’s so beautiful! Christmas lights put me in the spirit…especially six million of them!
oh wow looks beautiful and lots of fun
Pretty decorations and I love the penguins.
Everytime I see this post I want to see it more. It is now on my bicket list!
It’s such a fun place at Christmas time!
The lighting displays there look especially fantastic. Just so gladdening.
6 million lights is definitely a lot of lights!
What a wonderful experience! The lights are absolutely gorgeous, and I know I’d love the penguins!
6 million lights is no joke.
Oh my how gorgeous. I love lights and this is just breathtaking.
What a wonderful way to start the Christmas season! I would love to go.
Really nice pictures, looks like a great vacation spot.
Aw, the kids talking to Santa at length was just so awesome! I never had that kind of experience – not that I feel bad about it – but I know how exciting it is for children.
How cute are those teacups!? It looks like you guys had a blast!
Six million lights? That is an awful lot of lights. I thought my dad was crazy with 2000 lights each year.
In our area Hershey park does this sort of thing for Christmas now but I have never been there yet. If it is anything like this it sure is going to be great to see.
Wow, the pictures you took are sooo very gorgeous!! I love everything about Christmas and I want to go to something like this. Thank you for sharing!!
these pictures make me want to be a kid again when everything is possible and fun is everywhere you look.
One of my favorite parts of Christmas is the lights so I’m jealous.
So pretty the twinkling lights! I like seeing the wonder in the kids eyes!
Those teacup rides are adorable
the crowds are slower during this time of year as well
There is something so magical about trees lit up with lights like that! Gorgeous!
This is beautiful!
Oh, i love the penguins! Such a fun and festive place to visit.
How pretty is that I love the little penguins
This looks wonderful. I want to take my family there. It would be so much fun.
The coordination of the colors of the lights in the trees — this sounds particularly spectacular!
Just a total feast for the eyes. I wish I could be there!
I’ve been to Busch Gardens but never for the Christmas season. It looks like a virtual winter wondeland! I love the decorations and the nostalgic feel everything seems to have. And the baby penguins are sooooo adorable!
The first and third photos with the lit up trees are my favorites! So magical!
I had no idea Busch Gardens did all of this at Christmas! Six million lights and 1500 lit Christmas trees,wow! Your pictures are wonderful and Busch Gardens is just beautiful! I especially liked the penguins and the Santa. He really went the extra mile with your kids, especially your older daughter! Wouldn’t it be nice if all the “Santas” were that great!? Thanks for a wonderful visit to Busch Gardens for me via your blog! Merry Christmas!
OH my gosh how beutiful. My kids would love that.
Wow, it looks absolutely gorgeous! I haven’t been to Busch Gardens in Tampa in about 7 or 8 years, so maybe now’s a good time to go back.
I can see the grand kids eyes all wide looking at all these lights. Lots of beautiful things to take in here. thanks for the pictures and information on Busch Gardens
wow would love to go there
Looks and sounds like a great place to visit during the holidays . A place that all ages of peopel can enjoy spending time at. thanks for the info and pictures
Your pics are beautiful. It looks like a wonderful place to go for the holidays. My kids would love it.
I never knew Busch Gardens has a Christmas Town. It looks beautiful. What a great memory for your kids.
That is a really nice place, it looks very welcoming and beautiful.
I am sure I would be excited to see penguins so close too, it is quite an experience.
We have never been to Busch Gardens before but it look like a fun exciting place for the family to visit. The kids will like the rides and getting to meet Santa there to. Great pictures showing things there
That is what the lights of Christmas are meant to be! Full of magic and wonder and awe! I would love to go!
This looks magical! I wish we were closer and could take our kids!
Those pictures cheered me up! Thanks for sharing!
Wow, looks like y’all had a wonderful time! The lights were beautiful. We are going as a F;family this weekend to our towns “Walk Of Lights”. I love to see the excitement in the kids faces.
Happy Holiday
I love the penguins! How cool!
Sounds like fun. We attend something similar at Silver Dollar City with over 5 million lights. It always puts the kids in awe with all the beautiful decorations.
I love that Santa’s throne–it looks so neat!
That looks like so much fun!I would love to visit there!
Makes me wish that every day were Christmas and lit up like that!
Looks like fun ! We definitely have to go there some day 🙂
It looks pretty. Glad you had fun!
I would love to go see this it would be great
looks like a fun place to visit
I would love to go to Busch Gardens during the holidays. I am sure it would look much different than here in the Midwest!
How pretty! I’ve never been to Busch Gardens, but my mom used to go as a kid and they used to love it (back when you could drink all the beer you wanted to LOL) If I’m ever in the area, I will definitely go. The Christmas lights are beautiful, and make for a great winter night outing. Glad you had such a good time!
wow that is beautiful, I have never been there looks fun.