Because Busch Gardens isn't really a park you can cut across easily, most people end up just following the main loop either clockwise or counter-clockwise and coming across attractions as they happen to go past them. If your group is more interested in seeing the safari-type animals (lions, giraffes, etc.) or wants to go on thrill rides such as Cheetah Hunt or Montu, then you're best off going counter-clockwise (turn right after entering the park). If you want to do the kangaroo and lorikeet feeding mentioned above then you want to turn left / go clockwise - yes, you could do them at any time of day, but it's best to do it first thing as the animals are more likely to be hungry and will pay you a lot more attention then. Going this way also means you reach the Sheikra rollercoaster and the three water rides a lot sooner than by going the other way, if that's more your thing.
I've done the Serengeti Safari tour where you sit in an open top truck for 20 minutes driving around the plains learning about the animals you see (some of which are hard to spot without going "backstage"), plus get a chance to hand feed some giraffes - that was over quickly but was reasonable value at $20 (I think it's nearer $30 now though). Also have done the Heart of African tour which is part truck, part walking and is mainly focused on the cheetahs, but also some lion and hippo experiences and that really was good fun, although as it takes over an hour, note when your tour departs as it can affect your plans for the rest of the day. We had an 11am tour with a 10am park opening, which meant we had to be on that side of the park from the start. After the tour we went straight to lunch and so it meant we'd probably only done 20% of the park plus the tour and it was already 1:30(ish), whereas we'd usually have done almost half the park by then on our previous visits - it meant we had a much more rushed afternoon (park closed quite early as it was off-season midweek) trying to get everything we wanted done.
