Busch Gardens Tampa Bay (BGT Discussion Thread)

[Her0ofLime]

Thanks everyone for all the advice.

 

From what we've read, we're probably gonna ride Cheetah Hunt first, and to the breast of the park around the course. Any advice on where to sit on each coaster?

 

Also, for anyone who's interested: Publix raised the price on BGT tickets to 75$.

Cheetah Hunt: Front row

Kumba: Very back

Montu: Both front and back

Sheikra: Front and back for airtime

Gwazi: Don't

Air Grover: Don't

Scoirpion: Front row

Sand Serpent: If you want to

[willthegolfer]

Also, for anyone who's interested: Publix raised the price on BGT tickets to 75$.

That's too bad. Oh well, it'll probably be a while before I return to park anyway.

[djboss302]

Just got back from the park. Trip Report to come soon.

 

By the way, Kumba is my new number one coaster. Such a great ride.

 

For anyone that night have been there today, I was wearing a Star Wars short with darth Vader and a stormtrooper riding a coaster and an Orioles hat.

[djboss302]

Sorry for the double post, but today I had the pleasure to visit Busch Gardens Tampa, and I had a pretty good time. So here's a little TR:

 

I'm gonna start with some coaster reviews

 

Cheetah Hunt: 4/5 First we rode the Cheetah Hunt. And man, this is a great coaster. It was pretty forceful, and you get some floater air. You also gotta love the fact that it's basically twisting through a zoo. Great coaster, I give it 4 stars out of 5.

 

Montu: 4.3/5 Next we rode Montu. Man, what a fantastic coaster. We decided to ride in the back and HOLY SH*T. What an intense awesome ride. Montu proves that they definitely don't make em like they used to. Of the 3 B&M Inverts I've ridden, this was by far the best. I give it a 4.3/5

 

Scorpion: 3.5/5 Next we rode Scorpion. This was my first Schwarzkopf looper. It was pretty fun, but my sister didn't like it. The loop was intense, but the rest of the ride fails to deliver. Still fun though. I give it a 3.5/5

 

Sand Serpent: 2.5/5 We rode Sand Serpent next. Just a MACK Wild mouse. Nothing to write home about. I give it a 2.5/5

 

Kumba: 4.7/5 We rode Kumba next and HOOOLLLYYY CRAP. I took coasterbill's advice of sitting in the back role seat 4, and let me say thank you coasterbill. What a fantastic experience. So intense, so fun, so impressive, so awesome. I came in with low expectations for this ride, and man did it blow me away. The only reason it's not a 5/5 is because of the few rough spots but I can forgive that. I give it a 4.7/5

 

Sheikra: 3.75/5 Next we rode Sheikra. It was fun and all, and there was some forces felt, but I found it a bit gimmicky. However I loved the first drop. I give it a 3.75/5

 

Gwazi: 1.5/5 Up until now, I was having a pretty good day. Fun coasters and amazing animal exhibits, and than I rode Gwazi. Why did I ride this again? It was so awful and horrible, I wondered why they haven't tore it down yet. The only thing keeping me from giving just a 1 is that the operations were pretty efficient, but that's the only good thing I have to say. I give it a 1.5/5

 

Non coaster rides:

 

Falcon's Fury: 3.25/5 Now, we discuss the new hotness, Falcons Fury. It was fun and scary, but it was a bit too gimmicky for my tastes. I give it a 3.25/5

 

Stanley Falls Flume: 2.5/5 Fun and all, but prepared to get soaked. This ride was the reason I wasn't able to use my phone for 10 minutes. I give it a 2.5/5

 

Whatever the hell you call the bumper cars: 2.5/5: Just your average bumper cars, nothing to see here. 2.5/5

 

Skyride: 3.25/5 It was a nice little chairlift, and it gives you good views of the animal habitats. The only thing that irked me was the name. It was like they didn't even try with the name. 3.25/5

 

Pantopia Theater: Motor City Grooves: 3.5/5 We decided to go see Motor City Grooves to cool off in the air conditioning of Pantopia Theater. It was actually a fun little show and they played some good tunes. I give it 3.5/5

 

I suggest everyone should check out the Alligator exhibit and the Curiosity Caverns. Pretty nifty exhibits.

 

Overall I give Busch Gardens Tampa a 4.25/5 The only thing keeping me from giving it a 5 was that the park was a pain to circumnavigate and some coasters were only doing 1 train operations despite the long lines. Overall, this is a must visit park for any coaster enthusiast and pretty much a must visit for anybody. Overall, Busch Gardens Tampa: 4.25/5. A gold rated park

[coasterbill]

Glad you had fun!

 

Kumba in that seat is just completely ridiculous... it feels like the ride is actively trying to kill you. That zero G roll is probably illegal in the other 49 states.

[mike541x]

Glad to see you enjoyed Kumba and Montu as much as I did. I'm still debating whether or not Kumba is my number 1 or not (it's tied with i305). I really need to get back to this park, especially with FF now open.

[CPmillenia94]

Kumba- 1993

I305- 2010

 

The fact that these two coasters compete just blows my mind for how advanced and ahead of their time B&M was. What did people think when kumba opened if they think so highly of it now? It must have been ridiculous to be alive for the construction and opening of such a magnificent ride. Kumba will forever be an icon in the Amusement industry.

[gerstlaueringvar]

Kumba- 1993

I305- 2010

 

The fact that these two coasters compete just blows my mind for how advanced and ahead of their time B&M was. What did people think when kumba opened if they think so highly of it now? It must have been ridiculous to be alive for the construction and opening of such a magnificent ride. Kumba will forever be an icon in the Amusement industry.

Sadly I can't see people in 20 years saying how insane Gatekeeper is If B&M start working with Stengel firm again, wld it change the situation?

 

Is there a particular train on Kumba that is rougher than the others? My friend rode it and she didn't like it at all. She said the twists are unnaturally shaped and the train bumps around way too much

[djboss302]

Kumba- 1993

I305- 2010

 

The fact that these two coasters compete just blows my mind for how advanced and ahead of their time B&M was. What did people think when kumba opened if they think so highly of it now? It must have been ridiculous to be alive for the construction and opening of such a magnificent ride. Kumba will forever be an icon in the Amusement industry.

Sadly I can't see people in 20 years saying how insane Gatekeeper is If B&M start working with Stengel firm again, wld it change the situation?

 

Is there a particular train on Kumba that is rougher than the others? My friend rode it and she didn't like it at all. She said the twists are unnaturally shaped and the train bumps around way too much

 

I sat in the far back and the only parts I thought were rough were the cobra roll and the corkscrews. However the cobra roll wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

 

Maybe your friend didn't like the intensity?

[coasterbill]

I find every train on Kumba to be smooth. I guess it's a tiny bit bumpy in the corkscrews but who cares? I'd still consider it much smoother than 99% of coasters out there and I don't find any part of this ride even slightly uncomfortable.

[BlahBlahson]

Kumba is not rough in the slightest bit. Do not trust anyone who says it is for any opinions about rollercoasters.

 

The ride is easily my favorite non-hyper B&M, it's fast throughout the ride, it looks awesome blending in to its environment, and the Zero-G is perfect.

[djboss302]

Agreed, that zero g roll was insane!

 

I don't get why some enthusiasts say It's overrated, having ridden it myself, by everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

[mike541x]

I still remember before my trip to FL, I was anticipating to ride Hulk, Cheetah Hunt and Manta. Kumba was just another credit I wanted to get and wasn't expecting too much from it. I ended up riding it about thirty times in two days and easily became the most memorable ride of the trip. I also never understood why people think it's overrated or rough, it's better than half the rides B&M built after Kumba. Dominator and the Hulk are a bit rougher and they haven't been around as long as Kumba has. But as said before everyone has an opinion.

 

Could you imagine if Drachen Fire was originally made by B&M like intended, we'd probably have two of these amazing rides.

[sonoma15]

Anyone have any word if Falcon's Fury is back open?

[djboss302]

It was open when I went last Thursday.

[BGT-Bill]

Falcon's Fury reopened last Tuesday, the 9th. It was closed the previous four days from a lightning strike on Thursday the 4th. It's been running fairly well since then from what I've seen.

[Cyrbuzz]

So has there been any more info on Rhino Rally being shuttered for good and what may take its place? Kind of sad, not the most exciting attraction but still was fun with a good driver behind the wheel. My son loved riding this ride, especially all the bouncing around.

[djboss302]

So has there been any more info on Rhino Rally being shuttered for good and what may take its place? Kind of sad, not the most exciting attraction but still was fun with a good driver behind the wheel. My son loved riding this ride, especially all the bouncing around.

 

They're expanding the elephant habitat to allow room for a male elephant.

[Jcoaster]

Kumba- 1993

I305- 2010

 

The fact that these two coasters compete just blows my mind for how advanced and ahead of their time B&M was. What did people think when kumba opened if they think so highly of it now? It must have been ridiculous to be alive for the construction and opening of such a magnificent ride. Kumba will forever be an icon in the Amusement industry.

 

*BGW management weeps gently, wondering what Drachen Fire could have been if it was built by B&M.*

[viking86]

I just came back from a fantastic day at BGT. It was raining quite alot for the first couple of hours after opening, which meant that the park was completely dead. All rides were one-train operation, except Sheikra (2 trains) and Cheetah Hunt (3 trains). It didn't matter though because all rides were walk-on. I never saw Kumba, Scorpion or Montu run with more than a half-full train. The same was with Falcon's Fury which opened later in the day due to technical problems. Here's a quick review of the rides:

 

Kumba: I cannot believe this ride is 21 years old. It is a bit shaky in some places, but I will not say it's rough, even in the back. Very forceful ride and a great layout. Interaction with surrounding scener adds a lot to the experience. A solid ride, and the roar is the best sound I've ever heard from a coaster.

Montu: Another "old" B&M, this ride was smooth as glass in both front and back. Lots of strong forces, really liked this one.

Scorpion: Another classic, not the most spectacular layout, but still fun and with some good forces. A bit bumpy

Gwazi: I liked the layout, but ouch this ride hurts. Needs to get a complete makeover or die.

Sheikra: Very good first drop and the rest of the ride was more forceful than I expected. Spectacular views of the ride from the ground.

Falcon's Fury: Was more nervous for this one than I've been in a long time. The sensation with the seats tilting was cool, but the dropping sensation was nowhere near the same as standard drop towers. Very smooth when the seats returned to the original position. Quite dissappointing, I was expecting more from this. I prefer normal drop towers.

Cheetah Hunt: This ride I really liked, smooth, fun and a long ride. Great fun for everyone!

 

Overall I had a great first-time visit to BGT, obviously helped by the weather. While we had to wait a few hours for the rides to open, we never waited in a single line once the weather cleared up.

[RCF]

Kumba- 1993

I305- 2010

 

The fact that these two coasters compete just blows my mind for how advanced and ahead of their time B&M was. What did people think when kumba opened if they think so highly of it now? It must have been ridiculous to be alive for the construction and opening of such a magnificent ride. Kumba will forever be an icon in the Amusement industry.

 

*BGW management weeps gently, wondering what Drachen Fire could have been if it was built by B&M.*

I'm waiting for B&M to make a re-imagined Drachen Fire for BGW. Could be a wing coaster with a few changes like the dive loop drops and no MCBR so early in the ride.

[jedimaster1227]

^Im pretty sure you'll be waiting a long time for that one...

[hey...hey]

Kumba- 1993

I305- 2010

 

The fact that these two coasters compete just blows my mind for how advanced and ahead of their time B&M was. What did people think when kumba opened if they think so highly of it now? It must have been ridiculous to be alive for the construction and opening of such a magnificent ride. Kumba will forever be an icon in the Amusement industry.

 

*BGW management weeps gently, wondering what Drachen Fire could have been if it was built by B&M.*

I'm waiting for B&M to make a re-imagined Drachen Fire for BGW. Could be a wing coaster with a few changes like the dive loop drops and no MCBR so early in the ride.

 

I am also waiting for such a ride. This space has yet to be developed. Lets hope...

[gerstlaueringvar]

Current B&M cannot bring the 1990s B&M feeling back on Drachen Fire IMO because Werner Stengel isn't working with them anymore. Some Gerstlauer coasters give the snappy transitions like the old B&M's so I think Intamin or Gerstlauer can do much better than B&M if they are bringing Drachen Fire back.

[rcjp]

^I don't know about gerstlauer but I think what B&M does best is these multi-inversion coasters. The fact that they were supposed to have made DF originally is another reason why they are mentioned, I guess.