By now you probably have Pokemon Go downloaded on your phone and comparing your level or number of pokemon you have caught with your closest friends. Wishing you had the one he had, or wishing you were in control of that gym instead of she. No idea what I am talking about?  Well, I had no idea until two days ago and now I am bragging a level 8 pokemon master ……. haha.

Busch Gardens Tampa has came up with an ingenious idea to implement this cell phone craze into their park with the first ever Pokemon Go Lure-A-Thon this Saturday, July 16th. Busch Gardens will have 50+ lure modules throughout the park. This will give you an opportunity to enjoy the park and work your way to become a pokemon master. Passmember? Of course there is a passmember perk for this event. Come to the park during the Cobra’s Curse early hours and there will be 7 lure modules activated in the Egypt area from 8:30-9:30am exclusively for you passmembers. The rest of you can join the hunt from 10:00am-3:00pm.

Here are some tips on how to make a day of this event.

1. KNOW THE CHARGE OF YOUR PHONE
-There is a charging station by Falcons Fury, but be wary, there are only so many ports available to charge your phone there. They do have USB ports as well as your standard electrical plug in. Another idea would be to bring a battery (or 2 or 3) pack like I am. There are plenty of styles and capacities available. There is a nice selection close to Busch Gardens at the Staples.

2. KNOW WHERE THE GYMS ARE
-Ultimately you want to take control of a gym, so you want to know where they are? you can train and battle your Pokemon at these following gym locations: Shiekra, Congo Train Station, and The Busch Gardens Lion Topiary at the entrance to the park (this is before you enter the park).

3. UTILIZE THE WI-FI WHEN YOU ARE ABLE TO
-The entire park is not wi-fi, but there are wi-fi locations that can help you save your data plan when on this hunt. There are wi-fi hotspots at the front gate, Cheetah Hunt Plaza, and Stanleyville Plaza.

4. ALWAYS HAVE AN EGG IN THE INCUBATOR
-You actually have to walk to hatch those darn eggs, anywhere from 2-10km that I have seen. There will be a lot of walking, so make sure you are hatching those eggs also. You can also ride the skyride or the train and sit down and relax and enjoy the wildlife as you get that “walking” credit for incubating the eggs.

5. COOL DOWN IN OPPORTUNE AREAS
-Busch Gardens has announced that there are two air conditioned pokestops in the park. The great thing is, you can eat or even see a show at the stops. The first one is the Dragon Fire Grill in Pantopia where they have a huge variety of food for your dining. The Grill also has performances of Treasures of the Mirage taking place throughout the day and the Lip Sync Challenge in the evening. The other place will be the Serengeti Overlook Restaurant that gives you a beautiful view overlooking the Serengeti plain.

6. JOIN YOUR TEAM AND RESPECT EVERYONE
-This is meant to be a fun event and we want Busch Gardens to host such a thing again in the future. So show your support. Wear the colors of your team (I am yellow #TeamInstinct) and join other players and have fun. This is a perfect opportunity to meet new friends. Respect the other players, other guests, and employees of the park though. Nothing ruins a fun time then one unnecessary encounter.

7. BE SAFE
– DO NOT DO ANYTHING STUPID!!!!! Do not go into restricted areas, When walking and looking at your device do not hurt yourself or others by not paying attention. DO NOT USE YOUR PHONES ON THE RIDES. Ride a coaster to relax from your pokemon hunting. Not only is it dangerous to have your phone out on a ride, you could be ejected from the park.

I am looking forward to this even and will be there all day. Remember, SUMMER NIGHTS is in full swing and Kinetix will be performing at 9:00pm that evening with fireworks to follow. Enjoy the festivities and GO TEAM INSTINCT!!!!!!!

 David “Thrills”
The Thrill Freak @TampaAmazeMe

David “Thrills” is an avid enthusiast of thrill parks and entertainment activities in the Tampa Bay Area. Be sure to follow me on twitter and instagram, or email me at tampathrillme@gmail.com for any questions or concerns. All pictures/video posted are the property of David “Thrills.”