April 16 & 23, 2021
Chaperone Guide & Event Information
Updated as of 3/16/2021
EVENT OVERVIEW
It’s been a wild ride for the class of 2021, but now High School Graduates can take their celebration to new heights at Florida’s Thrill Ride Leader with Busch Gardens Grad Nite events!
Take on top-rated coasters during an exclusive, after-hours private event for seniors in an electrifying outdoor environment, including DJ music, live entertainment and much more! From the exhilarating launches of Tigris and Cheetah Hunt to the dramatic drops of Falcon’s Fury and SheiKra, this physically distant party packs endless thrills for graduates. This spacious, open-air event offers a one-of-a-kind opportunity for students to celebrate safely with enhanced health and safety measures throughout the park.
Grad Nite Exclusive Event Hours: 7:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m. Early mix-in admission beginning at 5:00 p.m.
If a student or chaperone need special accommodations please contact [email protected]
SAFETY
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is committed to the health and safety of our guests, employees, and the animals in our care. The park has worked diligently with state and local health experts, outside consultants and attraction industry leaders to enhance our already strict health, safety, and cleanliness standards. These protocols and guidelines will be modified based on evolving industry standards and methodologies, public health and governmental directives, and advancing scientific knowledge on the transmissibility of COVID-19.
We are excited to continue to provide our guests with fun, inspiring and memorable experiences, while addressing important health and safety needs during this time.
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TEACHER/CHAPERONE INFORMATION
Busch Gardens wants a safe and fun experience for all students attending Grad Nite. As such, we require (2) lead chaperones that will be attending Grad Nite and will be accessible by cell phone at all times during the event.
We strongly recommend that all chaperones spend the majority of their time in the park to supervise and to be visible to their students.
In order to identify teachers/chaperones clearly, you will be asked to wear a yellow wristband throughout the night. Wristbands will allow you to experience the following:
• Front-of-the-line access to the following rides and attractions: o Falcon’s Fury, SheiKra, Montu, Kumba, Cheetah Hunt, Tigris and Cobra’s Curse • Access to teacher/chaperone only lounge with complimentary refreshments
The teacher/chaperone lounge will be located in Gwazi Pavilion* from 8:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. CHAPERONE wristband is required for entry into the Chaperone lounge.
*Location subject to change.
LEAD CHAPERONE FORM
• All schools are required to submit their completed Lead Chaperone Form to Busch Gardens by April 1, 2021.
• Schools that do not send in their Lead Chaperone Forms for Grad Nite will not be allowed to enter the park.
• In the event of improper behavior or violation of dress code guidelines involving a student from your school, the lead chaperones will be contacted and will be required to meet with the appropriate Busch Gardens staff.
o At this meeting, appropriate disciplinary action will be decided. This action may include temporary detention, ejection from the event without a refund or arrest. o If temporary detention is the course of action, a lead chaperone from the student’s school will be required to remain with the student. o In the event that a student is ejected from the park, the safety and security of the ejected student becomes the responsibility of the student’s school chaperone(s).
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BEFORE GRAD NITE
• Ensure you have Grad Nite tickets for all students, teachers and chaperones attending the event. • Make sure attendees are wearing the proper attire and are not carrying prohibited items. Shirts will be available for purchase if a student should not comply with the outlined dress code. • Have a plan for all chaperones in your group. We encourage you to bring cell phone chargers and have all contact information available. • Please have chaperones, teachers, and bus drivers put on wristbands prior to arrival at the park. This will make for easier entry into the event.
ARRIVAL AT BUSCH GARDENS • All schools attending Grad Nite must arrive as a group via bus/van or personal vehicles with prior approval. Bus parking is complimentary. • Buses can begin drop off at 5:00 p.m. • Please plan to arrive no later than 8:30 p.m. • No parent drop off is allowed. • ALL VEHICLES will unload and park in the main parking lot across the street from the Busch Gardens main entrance. Trams will take students, teachers and chaperones to the main entrance. • Buses and vans must have your school’s name clearly displayed on the front windshield of the bus so your students can easily locate their correct bus in the bus parking lot at the end of the event. • Please inform your bus driver that buses are not allowed to unload or pickup at the Busch Gardens main entrance. • When guests arrive on-property, they must undergo and pass temperature screening using the CDC temperature recommendation of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit • Guests are required to wear face coverings while in the park. Guests are not required to wear them while eating and drinking, or in designated relaxation areas of the park. • All bags will be checked upon entering the park. Outside food and beverages cannot be brought into the park.
DEPARTURE FROM BUSCH GARDENS • Your bus will be parked in our main parking lot across the street from Busch Gardens, adjacent to McKinley Drive. • Please inform your bus driver that buses are not allowed to unload or pickup at the Busch Gardens main entrance. • As your group exits the park at the end of the evening through the front plaza area, trams will transport your group across the street back to your bus. • Everyone must use the trams for transport from the front plaza area to the parking lot across the street. Pedestrian traffic is prohibited. • No parent pick up is allowed.
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STUDENT MEDICATION The Health Services station will be located at the park’s main entry plaza during the schools’ arrival at Busch Gardens and at the end of the event from 11:00 p.m. until 1:00 a.m. Busch Gardens Health Services will be available to check in any student medications that the chaperones or parents/guardians do not wish to carry with them. Busch Gardens strongly discourages any students from carrying their own medications unless it is absolutely necessary for the student’s health. All guests are encouraged to leave any unnecessary medications at home.
FIRST AID/HEALTH SERVICES For First Aid / Health Services assistance during the Grad Nite event, call 813-987-5243. Please refer to the Grad Nite park map for the First Aid locations or ask any Busch Gardens staff member for assistance. In the event a student should require medical attention, the lead chaperones will be contacted and will be directed to the appropriate location.
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DRESS CODE
Acceptable attire:
Guys: • Shorts or pants secured at the waist • Shirts with sleeves • Shoes (including tennis shoes, dress sandals, boots and flip flops) Girls: • Dresses, Skirts, Capris or Bermuda shorts, no shorter than mid-thigh/fingertip length • Casual Blouses or tops • Shoes (including tennis shoes, dress sandals, boots and flip flops)
Unacceptable attire:
• Apparel with school name or school logo • Hats of any kind • Backpacks or bags larger than 8.5” x 11” • Apparel with obscene or offensive language or graphics, including but not limited to references to drugs, alcohol, tobacco or sexually explicit material • Excessively revealing clothing • Clothing with holes or shredding • Any clothing that would be deemed inappropriate for school or a school function • Tube tops, tube top dresses, off the shoulder shirts or dresses, or one-shoulder shirts or dresses • Short shorts • Visible undergarments • Exposed bikini tops and/or bottoms • Clothing or accessories that display area codes
Please note: The school is responsible for enforcing the dress code prior to arrival at Busch Gardens. Schools are also permitted to enforce a stricter dress code. Page 6 of 9
TICKET UPGRADE Upgrade your paid Grad Nite admission ticket to an Annual Pass or Fun Card • Grad Nite paid student or paid teacher/chaperone tickets can be upgraded to a Busch Gardens Fun Card or Annual Pass during the Grad Nite event. o Present paid ticket at the ticket window during the Grad Nite event and students and chaperones will receive a credit of $49.99 towards the purchase of a 2021 Fun Card or Annual Pass. Excludes Grad Nite tickets printed with “COMP.”
MEAL TICKETS
• One Grad Nite meal ticket will be given for every paid student ticket, paid teacher/chaperone ticket and COMP ticket. o Meal ticket is valid for one entrée and one regular-sized non-alcoholic beverage per person. Not valid for sampler platters and full slab of baby back ribs. o Additional menu items must be purchased separately.
BUS DRIVERS
• Bus Drivers will receive a complimentary Grad Nite admission ticket and designated wristband by presenting their CDL at a Busch Gardens ticket window during the Grad Nite event. • Bus Drivers do not receive the Grad Nite meal ticket that schools receive with their Grad Nite admission tickets. o Schools may purchase a Grad Nite meal ticket for their bus driver, prior to Grad Nite, for $12.49 + tax ($13.36 w/tax). Meal ticket is valid for one entrée and one regular sized beverage (excludes sampler platters and full slab of baby back ribs). o To purchase a bus driver meal ticket prior to Grad Nite, call the Group Sales Department: ▪ Phone: 1-866-781-1333 ▪ Email: [email protected] • Bus drivers will have access to the park’s restaurants for food and beverage purchases during the Grad Nite event (they will not have access to the Chaperone Lounge).
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SECURITY • The safety of our guests is our top priority at Busch Gardens. The park’s security and uniformed Tampa Police Department officers will be present during the entire Grad Nite event. • Bags: o All student bags, including but not limited to backpacks, drawstring bags, purses, tote bags, and briefcases, must be no larger than 8.5” x 11” (the size of a sheet of paper).
*Please note: Failure to comply with bag size requirements will result in the delay of your group’s entry into the park.
• Improper behavior may result in park dismissal without refund. • During the Grad Nite event, once a person exits the park, he or she will not be allowed to re- enter. • Security will be screening for the following prohibited items: o Alcohol o Illegal drugs o Cigarettes or any tobacco items o Weapons o Any knives (including pocket knives) o Any clothing, jewelry, or accessory that includes spikes (including spiked belts) o Any item or accessory that may be used as a weapon • Any item that is deemed inappropriate will be confiscated and will not be returned. o Any illegal or controlled substances or other illegal items will be dealt with by the appropriate authorities.
STUDENTS CODE OF CONDUCT • All students attending Grad Nite will be expected to: o Adhere to the dress code guidelines at all times during Grad Nite o Act in an appropriate manner o Treat other students, chaperones, and Busch Gardens’ personnel with respect o Heed any directions given by Busch Gardens’ team members or Tampa Police Department • Students will be expected to not: o Possess, distribute, use, or consume any prohibited substance including but not limited to drugs, drug paraphernalia, alcohol, cigarettes, any other tobacco product, weapon, knife, or any gang related item o Harass or victimize anyone for any reason o Fight o Engage in horseplay o Chant school names, city names, area codes, etc. • Inappropriate or foul language may result in ejection from the event.
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Directions:
If you wish to custom map your route online, Busch Garden's address is: 10001 N. McKinley Drive, Tampa, FL 33612
From the North: Travel SOUTH on I-75 to I-275 SOUTH to the FOWLER AVENUE exit. (Exit # 51, formerly Exit # 34) Turn east (left) onto Fowler Avenue and proceed 2.5 miles to McKinley Drive. Turn right (south) onto McKinley. Proceed south on McKinley to the Busch Gardens main parking lot (across the street from Busch Gardens on east side of McKinley). Turn left into the main parking lot. Go through the toll booths (bus parking is complimentary) and you will be directed on where to park your bus and unload your students. Trams will take your group across the street to the Busch Gardens main entrance where your group will enter the park.
From the South: Travel NORTH on I-75, past the intersection of I-4, to the FOWLER AVENUE exit #265. (formerly exit #54). This exit is also the exit for the University of South Florida. Bear left on the exit ramp, and it will lead you directly onto Fowler Avenue. Proceed west on Fowler Avenue to McKinley Drive. (McKinley Drive is the first light past the main entrance to the University.) Turn left (south) on McKinley. Proceed south on McKinley to the Busch Gardens main parking lot (across the street from Busch Gardens on east side of McKinley). Turn left into the main parking lot. Go through the toll booths (bus parking is complimentary) and you will be directed on where to park your bus and unload your students. Trams will take your group across the street to the Busch Gardens main entrance where your group will enter the park.
From St. Petersburg: Travel NORTH on I-275 to the FOWLER AVENUE exit. (Exit # 51, formerly Exit # 34) Turn east (right) onto Fowler Avenue and proceed 2.5 miles to McKinley Drive. Turn right (south) onto McKinley. Proceed south on McKinley to the Busch Gardens main parking lot (across the street from Busch Gardens on east side of McKinley). Turn left into the main parking lot. Go through the toll booths (bus parking is complimentary) and you will be directed on where to park your bus and unload your students. Trams will take your group across the street to the Busch Gardens main entrance where your group will enter the park.
From Orlando: Travel WEST on I-4 to I-75. Go NORTH on I-75 to the FOWLER AVENUE exit #265 (formerly exit #54). This exit is also the exit for the University of South Florida. Bear left on the exit ramp, and it will lead you directly onto Fowler Avenue. Proceed west on Fowler Avenue to McKinley Drive. (McKinley Drive is the first light past the main entrance to the University.) Turn left (south) on McKinley. Proceed south on McKinley to the Busch Gardens main parking lot (across the street from Busch Gardens on east side of McKinley). Turn left into the main parking lot. Go through the toll booths (bus parking is complimentary) and you will be directed on where to park your bus and unload your students. Trams will take your group across the street to the Busch Gardens main entrance where your group will enter the park. Page 9 of 9