A New President and a New Era at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay’s roots in Tampa Bay are deep, and while the park moves into a new era with new experiences and attractions for families like yours to experience, there is still an appreciation and respect for the past. 

We recently sat down with the park’s new president, Jon Vigue, who is joining the team from Wild Adventures Theme Park in Georgia. We’re learning more about this exciting time in the park’s history and what it’s like to be part of this historic $200 million, planned five-year investment in new attractions, guest experiences and park enhancements. 

*Parts edited from original interview. 

TBPM: Welcome to Tampa Bay! You are joining the team at a very busy time for Busch Gardens Tampa Bay! There is probably so much to take in. 

Jon Vigue: It’s been kind of like drinking from a fire hose, right? Just trying to take it all in. But this is just an incredible place, between Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and Adventure Island. These attractions are world-class places to visit and an incredible opportunity for families to come out and experience all the things that go on here.  

We have a tremendous amount of activity going on right now. One of the biggest things that we're doing, that we’re most excited about, is the work that's going into Lion and Hyena Ridge. This is an incredible over 30-acre animal exhibit. When you think about Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, you may not know that this is the largest animal collection in the Southeast and one of the biggest zoos in North America.  

TBPM: What was it like to walk through Lion and Hyena Ridge for the first time? 

JV: It is an insanely massive experience to even take in, almost to the point of being breathtaking, when you walk up to it. It just has an incredible presence when you go over there. And not to mention just the thematic elements of different color pops, different statues. We have a retail component within the habitat. One of the pretty cool things is that we have heated and cooled rocks for the lions to experience as part of their enrichment. 

TBPM: Busch Gardens Tampa Bay has done a good job of bringing in the biggest, tallest, fastest, all of the -est words into the park, but there’s a lot more going on here that has impacts beyond the walls of Busch Gardens, especially when it comes to animals. 

JV: Oh, 100 percent. We are an AZA-accredited facility. There’s a talented team here that makes sure that we're doing all the things that we need to do to make sure that the care is nothing but the best. And one of the things that we are part of … is called the SSP program. That program ensures we’re being responsible and paying attention to sustainability initiatives as we make decisions about our animal care. 

TBPM: $200 million is a huge investment. What has the experience been like planning for the future at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and Adventure Island? 

JV: Putting in new attractions, and new anything really, takes time. It takes thoughtfulness to make sure it ties together with our priorities and our long-range planning, and so right now,  we're planning as far out as the mid-2030s in terms of the things that we're looking at to continue to improve and maintain our world-class reputation for being the biggest thrill park in Florida, but also a world-class zoological institution. 

TBPM: The other big news was the announcement of a new coaster replacing Kumba, Kumba’s Revenge! 

JV: Kumba's Revenge will honor everything guests loved about the original while delivering an entirely new level of thrills. The legend of Kumba isn't ending — it's evolving. 

TBPM: This park has entertained generations of families in Tampa Bay. Why is the history here so important? 

JV: That's one of the things that fascinates me the most is the historical connection and how important this place is to the Tampa Bay community. And that's one of the things we have to be very mindful of as we continue forward: respecting that past.  

The park's been here since 1959. And obviously, it's evolved over time. And one of the things that has been really most inspiring to me is the team we have here. We have some folks on the ground here who have been here for 50 years. It's incredible just to hear their stories and hear their experiences, and learn about the different things they've done.  

Our Serengeti Overlook … used to be called the Swiss House. It's got an incredible history to it, and the monorail is right across from that. The Cheetah Hunt station is where the monorail used to actually go through. The historical tie-ins to the park is something that's really special to me, and I think the many people who visit here. 

Fun Fact: August A. Busch Jr. had the Old Swiss House built in 1964 as a Valentine's Day present for his third wife, Trudy, whose brother owned the original Old Swiss House in Lucerne, Switzerland. It later became the Crown Colony House Restaurant in 1990. (Florida Memory) 

Fun Fact: The monorail at Busch Gardens opened in 1966 and took a trip over the African Veldt. It was a suspended system. 

TBPM: This is definitely a dream job. When you were a little kid, did you ever imagine that you'd be sitting in this chair right now with 30 years in the attractions industry and with this job title?  

JV: Definitely not. I got my start as a dishwasher when I was very, very young. And then in theme parks, I got my beginning working in a concession stand, making fresh-cut French fries, chicken tenders and corn dogs. 

I always say it's a career that found me. I had a great leader who believed in me, wanted more for me, invested in me and wanted me to do well. Slowly but surely, I found myself in the right spot at the right time for just about every opportunity that I found. And, of course, made sure along the way that I was getting the education I needed to be able to do those things.  

But I firmly believe that it's the people in your life who create the opportunities that you have. And I've been lucky enough to surround myself with the right people who have sort of fertilized me along my path. And it's been really special. 

TBPM: What’s your advice to kids who want to grow up and do what you do one day? 

JV: I think the big thing is nothing comes without effort, right? You've got to believe in yourself. You've got to have confidence. You need to immerse and have passion for what you do every day, and go all in.  

TBPM: How has being a dad to your two young girls helped change the way you approach your career? 

JV: When I had kids, it was probably one of the biggest learning experiences anyone could have, right? I mean, it's a major learning experience. And not only with parks, but also how you think about balancing time as a professional … how you approach your career. But when they come out to the park, it's super fun because you see it through a completely different lens — they see things that I don’t see. We always get something out of that when we're able to listen to them talk and digest that experience. 

TBPM: What has the experience been like relocating here to Tampa Bay?  

JV: We love Tampa Bay. It's been an incredible move for us. We've been coming down here because it's not too far from Georgia for many years. I've been immersing myself in the business, obviously, so it's been such a focus for me, especially early on, but … I love golf, boating and fishing. Those are all things that, once I begin to let my hair down here a little bit more, I look forward to doing. 

I met with Visit Tampa Bay recently and got to learn a little bit about the work they do. And I'm excited about getting involved in the community and supporting the community. 

Adventure Awaits at Lion & Hyena Ridge 

• 270-Degree Views – Guests can get closer than ever before through expansive glass viewing areas and shaded pathways offering awe-inspiring, 270-degree perspectives of the new habitat. 

• Innovative Habitat Design – An authentic environment featuring rocky kopje formations, cascading water elements and diverse spaces that allow the animals to climb, explore and engage in natural behaviors. 

• America’s Largest Lion Coalition in an AZA-Accredited Facility – Guests will meet brothers Pascal, Lou, Henri, Hugo and Herman, all born in 2024, along with hyenas Cazi and Dazi. 

• Africa’s Most Fierce Rivalry – Guests can witness Africa’s top predators firsthand and understand how the formation of teams in the wild helps them compete for survival. Through learning about these natural behaviors, guests can decide if they are Team Lion or Team Hyena. 

Originally published in the August 2026 issue

Related:

• INSIDE LOOK: Lion & Hyena Ridge at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay