Busch Gardens Tampa Bay (BGT Discussion Thread)

[WolfBobs]

Iron Gwazi POV has posted!

 

Edited November 12, 2020 by A.J.
Added video from TPR YouTube channel. -- A.J.

[BintamiM]

19 minutes ago, WolfBobs said:

Iron Gwazi POV has posted!

 

About time! I hate how they have not decided to open yet. It is taunting me. But in due time, i cant wait to ride it. 

[Condor]

Looks great, especially the "death roll" and wave turn/90-degree bank under the lift. Based on this video alone I'm not as sold on the last few elements after the stall, but I have faith in RMC.

[PKI Jizzman]

Looks just as good as the other big RMC's! I see some Hakugei bits, some Twisted Timbers bits, and the death roll + the turn/flip into the diving stall should be pretty awesome. I'm hoping everything goes right to open this coaster on time whenever they announce an official date. Can't wait to visit for the first time!

[grsupercity]

Im not judging a ride based off the pov, but it looks way better then I was expecting and the ride looked longer as well.  Based on the couple pics I have seen the ride did not look long at all. I was expecting Goliath at SFGAM but it looks way longer then that My excitement factor just went up on this 

[bert425]

Agreed with Zach. . my first thought too was "I see some Hakugei elements" - and that dive / death roll thing looks like it will be THE element that really sings on this ride.

looks great!

[pianojohn]

Glad we got a video, but I have a pet peeve.

It's 2020.

This footage should be in 4K or at the least 1080p.

OR....they should have hired Robb to shoot it!  

[prozach626]

I know the video was overlaid with typical cheesy coaster music, but the lift doesn't seem to be obnoxiously loud like other hybrid conversions. 

Steel Vengeance is full of a ton of rapid transitions and short bursts of ejector airtime. The whole ride feels like the back half of Storm Chaser to me, to an extent. Iron Gwazi looks like it doesn't have as many of those intense elements. I see a lot of somewhat typical overbanked turns. The shorter ride also makes it less of an endurance challenge. I have a feeling I'll like Iron Gwazi a lot more than Steel Vengeance.

[tanthonyam]

What's a Hakugei???

[grsupercity]

21 minutes ago, tanthonyam said:

What's a Hakugei???

White whale in japan lol

[VegasBaby]

55 minutes ago, tanthonyam said:

What's a Hakugei???

It's a RMC conversion at Nagashima Spa Land in Japan that's considered one of the best RMCs.

https://rcdb.com/15515.htm

 

[boldikus]

Looks great! Can't wait.

Also, guys remember: don't rush to judgement over a POV. We've been down that road many times before and the ones who complain a new coaster looks slow, etc are usually wrong.

[Sluggo77]

I thought Iron Gwazi was going to be another good addition to an already great lineup and this POV doesn't disappoint.  Can't wait to get back down to BGT.

[coasternut]

I've been at Busch the past 4 days (would've been 5 except for the hurricane / tropical storm). Every time I pass IGGI - Iron Gwazi, it's calling my name and taunting me. I really looks great!  

[anonymouscactus]

don't rush to judgement over a POV.

Nope.... TOO FAMILY FRIENDLY FOR ME!!!!

[KBrylczyk]

19 minutes ago, anonymouscactus said:

Nope.... TOO FAMILY FRIENDLY FOR ME!!!!

 

[thrillseeker4552]

Yeah, for those of you that have BGT has your home park (or live in Florida in general), I am extremely jealous. What an amazing looking ride to an already stellar coaster lineup.

[Canobie Coaster]

The layout looked a bit different than I expected, and that's not a bad thing!  I expected it to have more camelbacks/bunny hills mixed in, but this ride just keeps throwing one crazy banked element after another.

[coastercrazy216]

I may be in the minority here, but I feel like we are starting to see a lot of similarities between the RMC roller coasters. Personally, my favorite RMC is still NTAG and I was a huge fan of Twisted Timbers. I loved the three airtime hills on Twisted Timbers that felt more like El Toro than an RMC. I watched an NTAG pov last night just to see the differences 10 years makes. It is both impressive and crazy how much RMC has been able to push the boundaries. We all know that NTAG has great ejector airtime, but it definitely feels more drawn out. Like I said, I am probably in the minority, but I hope future RMC's focus less on the over banking in the second half of rides and more on sustained airtime. 

[Invertalon]

1 hour ago, coastercrazy216 said:

I may be in the minority here, but I feel like we are starting to see a lot of similarities between the RMC roller coasters. 

It's been that way since the beginning, they are pretty consistent on their 'style'. Surely, they love their barrel rolls and outward banks. 

For that reason, it's hard for me to get excited for RMC's honestly. Once you been on a few, they all are pretty much similar in the elements utilized (much like people claim with B&M's for example) and the pacing/forces. Not much changes ride to ride in that regard. All fun rides though, don't get me wrong. 

I am also surprised for as 'extreme' as they are, they have not pushed into some more unique elements aside from 500 ways to enter or exit a barrel roll. I love the dive loop on SFGAm's Goliath for example, wish they did more larger element stuff. Or longer, sustained airtime moments like that first bunny hill on Storm Chaser (compared to the abrupt ejector hills). 

I personally think Iron Gwazi looks to be one of the stronger ones layout wise, as the elements are a bit more drawn out and not rapid-fire succession one after another. Steel Vengeance has such a strong first half, but the second half just ruins it for me. This doesn't look like it will have that issue, the ending sequence looks really solid. 

[thrillseeker4552]

I also tend to agree with the sentiment that many RMCs feel similar. However, I have not ridden Steel Vengeance and, obviously, not Iron Gwazi - those could be different animals. But based on my experiences with the smaller-to-medium RMCs (Twisted Timbers, Twisted Cyclone, Wicked Cyclone, Joker, Twisted Colossus), they tend to feel quite similar in style.

Based on POVs, I think I would prefer Iron Gwazi over Steel Vengeance. Despite it being shorter, it looks to have a less-repetitive layout. Back-to-back, repetitive ejector pops really don't do much for me. Instead this one just has wacky, awesome elements. That outer-bank over the station looks wild. And that diving roll.... dang.

But like always, all judgement reserved until riding. I am still more drawn to VelociCoaster personally. But a Florida trip within the next few years is on my radar now more than ever.

[IanKgtr]

That speed coming through the zero-g roll ... and the speed in general ... can't wait to ride it in 2078 when Sea World Entertainment finally gets a handle on their 2+ billion in debt!

[KIEnthusiast]

Might be unpopular opinion, but it LOOKS like it isn't that unique. It does kinda make me mad that this is the tallest "hybrid" coaster------but the lift hill is all-steel!

[bert425]

21 hours ago, tanthonyam said:

What's a Hakugei???

 

[KBrylczyk]

Holy crap you nerds are a tough crowd.  It looks like a coaster that will make me hoot and holler the entire time I'm on it while simultaneously trying to throw my fat ass as far from the train as possible.  I'm so damn sold.