Busch Gardens Tampa Bay (BGT Discussion Thread)

[andrew.mora]

Pray for Tampa for the next few days.

[YoshiFan]

Serengeti Flyer has re-opened. There was a sign at the train stations on Friday night that they are planning to re-open it soon as they are still dealing with damage from the hurricane.

It was also a nice surprise to see the Skyride operating until park closing at 8:00. Usually it closes a few hours before the rest of the park.  Montu and Sheikra were also running 2 trains, I can't remember the last time I saw Montu running 2 trains on a weekday.

[YoshiFan]

Kumba has been closed for a few weeks now, Montu and Cheetah Hunt are now on the closed rides list:

https://buschgardens.com/tampa/park-info/ride-attraction-schedule/

To have 3 major coasters down right as it's about to be the most crowded time of the year is going to be interesting. That leaves a total of 10 rides open in the entire park that aren't kiddie rides. Unfortunately, they aren't adjusting operations to run the open rides at a higher capacity. There could have been more than a few hundred cars in the lot this afternoon yet Sheikra still was close to a 40 minute wait because they were only running 1 train.

[prozach626]

Holy shit. 

[thepoint4life23]

Maybe they are trying to get stuff figured out before  Spring break season.

[parkjunkie]

7 hours ago, thepoint4life23 said:

Maybe they are trying to get stuff figured out before  Spring break season.

Well they better get it figured out before February 2nd, thats when Im going lol

[thepoint4life23]

I will be going on the 19th hopefully its not to busy then. 

[PKI Jizzman]

It’s sad the way BGT and SWO have been run in the past few years and how they are currently run. The only thing they care about are the quarterly profit results. Yes they are a business and need to make money but the damage done to the brand and reputation is going to hurt them in the long run. Both parks have so much potential and yet they are operated with little care for the guest experience from the moment you get through the parking toll. 

[YoshiFan]

I agree, it gets frustrating to visit both parks because of the operations and lack of rides. I was recently looking at BGW's ride collection and saw they had almost twice as many rides (not counting kids rides) as BGT.  BGT could use some flats and a dark ride to help spread out crowds.

Kumba and Congo River Rapids are still closed and not supposed to be reopening anytime soon (rumor is Kumba has a broken lift motor and the rapids needs a new pump) and now Sheikra and the log flume are having their annual maintenance with both supposedly closed until March. Even with those 2 rides open until today, these past few weeks had some of the highest wait times ever for some coasters with Cheetah Hunt and Iron Gwazi both having up to 4 hour posted waits.

 

[prozach626]

15 hours ago, YoshiFan said:

Kumba and Congo River Rapids are still closed and not supposed to be reopening anytime soon

 

Maybe they'll go full blown Cedar Flags and just remove both of them to be replaced by a new attraction in 2028.

[jedimaster1227]

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay has released new details about the Wild Oasis project in Jungala, including the new Tree Top Drop, a water play area, new climbing structures and a number of new animal habitats!

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/busch-gardens-tampa-bay-reveals-new-details-for-wild-oasis-including-new-animals-new-interactive-attractions-and-new-ride-302363028.html

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay today announced exciting new details about Wild Oasis, including new animal species coming to the park, a new drop tower ride and new interactive climbing structures, splash pad and more. Located within the Jungala area of the park, the all-new Wild Oasis will be North America's most immersive kid-friendly adventure realm when it opens this Spring 2025, designed to ignite the imagination and engage all the senses, promising non-stop excitement for every member of the family.

Wild Oasis will transport guests into a vibrant environment inspired by the beauty and biodiversity of the rainforest. Inside the realm, Habitat Hideaway will introduce guests to all-new animals who will be joining the park's collection of over 200 animal species. Guests will have the opportunity to encounter capybaras, giant anteaters, squirrel monkeys and tropical birds. Set in a lush, natural environment, this all-new multispecies animal habitat will offer unique viewing perspectives from both ground-level and aerial viewpoints, providing visitors with an up-close experience with these fascinating animals.

Thrill-seekers can take adventure to new heights aboard the all-new Tree Top Drop, a 35-foot drop tower featuring an immersive multimedia experience. Riders will be surrounded by action-packed jungle scenes displayed on screens throughout the ride's cenote-themed environment. With a height requirement of 38 inches (with an adult) and 42 inches to ride alone, this attraction is perfect for younger thrill-seekers looking for an exciting adventure.

The adventure continues throughout Wild Oasis with a variety of exciting attractions for all ages. Explorers are invited to tackle the Canopy Climb, an expansive attraction featuring four levels of climbing structures, 200 feet of horizontal climbing trails and vertical climbs reaching 45 feet high. Younger adventurers can cool off at Enchanted Falls, an interactive splash pad and play area with fountains and spray towers. For those looking to journey further, the Rainforest Quest offers guests the opportunity to embark on a self-guided educational scavenger hunt, providing an exploration of the interconnected wonders of nature and highlighting the relationships between different species in the rainforest.

"We're incredibly excited to introduce the Wild Oasis—a vibrant, rainforest-inspired realm with amazing animal habitats, thrilling attractions, and interactive play areas that will entertain, educate and inspire our guests to cherish the wonders of the natural world," said Jeff Davis, Park President of Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. "Our Annual Pass Members will get exclusive first access to explore this all-new adventure realm before anyone else, including fun experiences like the Tree Top Drop ride and Habitat Hideaway exhibit."

Annual Pass Members Get Exclusive First Access to the All-New Wild Oasis!
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay Annual Pass Members will be the first to explore Wild Oasis before it opens to the public in Spring 2025. Annual passes for 2025 are on sale now starting as low as $15.75 per month with no down payment. Membership includes unlimited admission, access to vibrant seasonal events and exclusive Pass Member benefits like FREE guest tickets, FREE parking and special savings on merchandise as well as food and beverage. Guests can learn more about Wild Oasis and the unbeatable benefits of being an Annual Pass Member by visiting BuschGardensTampa.com. To be the first to know about park updates, guests can follow Busch Gardens Tampa Bay on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and TikTok.

[PKI Jizzman]

Queue times and the BGT app are showing Sheikra open - would be curious if anyone else can confirm it’s back.

[YoshiFan]

It's not open, the app is wrong as it often is unfortunately. It also shows the flume is open and that is closed. Right now the following are closed: Sheikra, Kumba, Cobra's Curse, Falcon's Fury, Skyride, Flume, Rapids. Falcon's Fury has been closed for around a week.

[jedimaster1227]

^That’s a really disappointing number of major attractions closed at one time…

[PKI Jizzman]

Sounds like a perfect time to take my girlfriend for their first visit to BGT! Can’t wait for a warm United Parks welcome this weekend. 

[YoshiFan]

The park got rid of the updates for closed rides, with what is closed and scheduled to be closed:

https://buschgardens.com/tampa/park-info/ride-attraction-schedule/

I guess they didn't want people to see that 40% of the non kids ride in the park are closed.

[prozach626]

What a shit show. That seems borderline unethical, or at least just shitty business practice.

[jedimaster1227]

A few weekends ago I had a chance to stop into Busch Gardens Tampa Bay to activate my son's preschool pass. It had been a little bit of time since my last visit, so I used the day as a chance not only to entertain my son, but to get caught up on a few notable changes at the park.

Lazy morning for the cheetahs...

Cheetah Run is seriously one of the best animal-focused elements of the entire park.

Yes, they have giraffes and zebras here too.

Shortly after Phoenix Rising opened it was announced that Scorpion would close. 

The park's second roller coaster (and oldest standing coaster in the park after Python was removed to make way for Jungala) had an abrupt closure, which had led to believe that its removal (whether disassembly or scrapping) would be swift. As you'll see here, that's not the case. The queue entrance has simply lost its ride signage and the path has been boarded off. 

If I didn't know the ride was permanently closed, I'd think it was simply down for refurbishment.

With the exception of the there being no trains in the station or on the transfer track, this looks exactly like it did when it was still in operation. Here's hoping someone is planning to buy Scorpion for more than just scrap metal. 

Out with the old, in with the new, I guess.

I will admit, I was surprised at just how sprawling the layout for Phoenix Rising is...

Building a one-train-operating coaster at one of the most popular, year-round parks in the country was certainly a choice. 

To their credit, the ride ops did seem to strive for quick dispatches, but with one only train in operation, the hourly throughput is quite dismal. 

There are four screens within the station that animate with stylized designs as the phoenix rises into the lift hill.

The track weaves in and around itself multiple times throughout the layout.

A significant portion of the coaster sits backstage in the plot previous occupied by the Sand Serpent (previously Cheetah Chase) roller coaster.

Because of its sheer size and location, it is pretty much impossible to capture all of Phoenix Rising's layout in a single frame.

It does have some interesting twisty bits... 

Over in Jungala there are some familiar sights...

Construction on the new Wild Oasis section of Jungala continues. 

Some significant additions are being built in the back section of Jungala's new Wild Oasis.

Just monkeying around.

SheiKra is among several attractions at the park currently closed for refurbishment. The last time I saw the the splashdown fully drained was when the coaster was first under construction in 2005.

Also going on during our visit was the park's take on Mardi Gras.

Yes, they have food and wine booths, not unlike other Central Florida theme parks...

After the Mardi Gras parade, several of the performers offer photo ops near Iron Gwazi.

Yep.

Beads!

Is it even Mardi Gras if you can't get your hands on a hurricane?

More performers incoming!

Overall it was a pretty solid day at the park!

 

[Nrthwnd]

^ Still. That 'jambalaya' on the rice ... or whatever it was .... no thanks. *

 

* Unless it was a curry? Then, forget all of the above, lol.

[jedimaster1227]

^Crawfish étouffée is what it was and I still live to tell the tale! 

[tndank]

Kumba is now running again.

 

[YoshiFan]

When was it open? As the train passed the coaster today, the person at the microphone didn't say anything about Kumba (it was closed) compared to rides like Sheikra and the rapids where they stated they should be reopening again in the next few days. I hope it is open again but thought it hasn't reopened since being closed in November.

In addition to removing the closed rides web page, the park also removed the closed rides board at the entrance. They say to check the app but it's not accurate at all.

Iron Gwazi has been running 1 train and Cheetah Hunt has been closed on and off since Thursday or Friday. The Sky Ride also re-opened last week but was closed today due to wind. The parking lot wasn't that full but Cobra's Curse, Cheetah Hunt (when open) and Iron Gwazi all had long lines with the closures and other breakdowns. They at least were running 2 trains on Montu so that was a 5 minute wait most of the day.

 

[thepoint4life23]

Sea world Corp is struggling right now with Park management  it seems. 

[parkjunkie]

Is it just me, or is Phoenix Rising kind of jankety and rough?... especially for a brand new coaster