When planning vacation to Tampa or Florida in general, it's always best to do it online. Tickets can be purchased from various websites but I only recommend the mainstream sites. Sea World and Busch Gardens are owned by the same company so either site is good. There are also sites such as AAA, Travelocity, Kayak, Priceline, Orbitz, and the other travel sites where you can book hotels, airlines, and packages. Military folks should be checking with MWR either at your home station or call MacDill AFB and Patrick AFB MWR. You never want to pay gate prices. They are the highest and you can't cut any deals at the ticket booth.
Prices vary from site to site so you need to shop but here are some examples of Busch Gardens tickets:
Fun Card (Busch Gardens or Sea World) - $81.99/Adult $73.99/3-9 years
Fun Card (Busch Gardens & Sea World) - $138.99/Adult - $122.99/3-9 years
Busch Gardens/Adventure Island Weekday Pass - $124.99/Adult $122.99/3-9 years
Note: These are example prices from the Sea World/Busch Gardens site.
Also, Consider the All Day Dining Deal. It's $32.99/Adult and $14.99/3-9 years old. This looks like a lot but if you stay all day the family gets hungry and the concessions can nickel and dime you to death. We've done it with and without the plan and I like the plan better. You know up front how much you're going to pay for the day. Almost all the cafes and restaurants accept the plan so you may want to explore this option before you end up buying water bottles and chips every hour.
