In a 2025 study by Duncan Craig of the National Geographic, he noted how there is a growing trend of “people travelling to watch matches, races, or tournaments, and combining this with more conventional touristic pursuits,” meaning, trips in which tourists can be active and do more on the rise.
The NHL is unique in that teams have diverse rosters of players from America, as well as all over the world. So if you’re looking to book a trip to see your country’s star player while looking for more to do, Florida is your place to do-so.
With this study in mind and the fact that Hockey is an international sport with players from all over the world, the Tampa Bay Lightning find themselves in a very unique position in which not only do they put on an incredible and interactive game day experience for fans who visit their games, Amalie Arena is also just a quick 15 minute drive from Bush Gardens and Adventure Island, along with being just 13 minutes from one of the country’s most popular zoo’s, Zoo Tampa. And they don’t only have the park of having two amusement parks and a zoo in their home city. The Tampa Bay Lightning is also the closest NHL team to Orlando, FL., the amusement park capital of Florida: home to Walt Disney World, Disney's Hollywood Studios, and Sea World.
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is perfect for visitors who want to see animals rare to Florida and get the thrill of roller coasters. It is home to the animal exhibits that include the Serengeti Plain, Edge of Africa, and Jungala. They are known for their famous roller coasters: Iron Gwazi, the tallest and steepest in North America; Cheetah Hunt, and SheiKra, to name a couple.
Open from 10AM – 10PM, families can checkout the park and then end their day with the Tampa Bay Lightning to get the most of their Tampa visit.
If you’re looking for a family-fun way to cool off in Tampa Bay, then Adventure Island is a place to be. Let the kids run around, cool off from the Florida heat, and have a whole lot of family fun. There are water slides, lazy rivers, surfing experiences, and provide a fun way to spend some time.
Adventure Island is open from 9AM-7PM, also making it easy to get up at the hotel, take a drive or a bus over to Adventure Island, and then either go back to the hotel to rinse off or go right over to Amalie Arena to catch all the fun of a Lightning game.
Zoo Tampa is the third popular attraction in Tampa and located just 13 minutes from Amalie Arena. With a multitude of animal exhibits in which you can get up close & personal with some of the world’s most unique and most rare breed of animals, this adds another location special to Tampa to add to your family’s itinerary while you’re in town.
Moving on to Orlando, Walt Disney World, Sea World, and Hollywood’s Universal Studios speak for themselves in how well-known they are throughout the world. Disney is home to Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Epcot, Typhoon Lagoon, Blizzard Beach, and Hollywood Studios. From thrills, to fireworks, to some of the most unique resorts with theme rooms, it is the central hub to excitement in Florida. Walt Disney World attracts 140 million visitors annually, including visitors from near and abroad.
As mentioned above, Amalie Arena and the Tampa Bay Lightning are just one hour from Walt Disney World, making it reasonable if you choose, to stay in Orlando and make the drive West across I-4 to catch the Lightning.
Preseason Matchup in Orlando
Hockey Fans are also in luck in 2025 as the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers will play each other in a special preseason game on October 3rd at 7:00PM at the Kia Center, home of the Orlando Solar Bears. In the heart of scare-season, you can checkout Halloween Horror Nights or Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Magic Kingdom, along with catching your favorite Florida hockey team. Both Universal and Magic Kingdom’s events will be happening the same time the Lightning and Panthers face off in October.
Hockey thrills and coaster hills: Florida is your destination for the thrill of Tampa Bay Lightning games the only Florida hills you’ll find as you take the sky on the tallest roller coasters in North America.
Plan your visit to Florida today.