Busch Gardens Tampa Bay (BGT Discussion Thread)

[aCoasterStory]

1. ^ That just looks insane.

 

2. I'm going to be at the park tomorrow. Any recommendations for what to hit when? I have no idea how the crowds are going to be, but I figure I need to get Cheetah Hunt and Sheikra in pretty early, no?

[markysharky17]

Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!

I wonder if this ride will have long waits or not, judging by how the GP get scared easily. But this looks insane and I will so be there to ride it!

[thrillseeker4552]

Oh, Intamin. You never disappoint.

[markysharky17]

1. ^ That just looks insane.

 

2. I'm going to be at the park tomorrow. Any recommendations for what to hit when? I have no idea how the crowds are going to be, but I figure I need to get Cheetah Hunt and Sheikra in pretty early, no?

 

Get there early, ride cheetah hunt first. Cut through Timbuktu and ride sheikra, then run around and ride Gwazi with slow operations. Then hit Montu a few times! (My personal favorite of the bunch). Then back to Timbuktu to ride Scorpion and Phoenix. After that hit the Congo to ride Kumba. Last row on the right side of course. Then hit the water rides which usually can get very crowded. After that do repeats or have lunch. Just make sure you ride Cheetah hunt and Sheikra early. They always have the longest waits even though Montu and Kumba are better. My opinion. Hope to see a TR. Have fun!

[_koppen]

Love the look of it! It will be such a bad-ass ride.

[rcjp]

Well that looks beautifully complex!

I though that, in order to go vertical, the seats would just rotate but now it looks like they will sort of swing backwards

[aCoasterStory]

1. ^ That just looks insane.

 

2. I'm going to be at the park tomorrow. Any recommendations for what to hit when? I have no idea how the crowds are going to be, but I figure I need to get Cheetah Hunt and Sheikra in pretty early, no?

 

After that hit the Congo to ride Kumba. Last row on the right side of course.

 

I've seen this recommendation s number of times. The forces were good and all, but I can't deal with the headbanging. It's not like an Arrow or Vekoma where it's straight-up violent, but it was enough of a rattle where I didn't want to re-ride.

 

FWIW, I've been finding that I'm becoming more sensitive to coasters rattling my head around. Didn't have a problem with that on any of the other coasters in the park, save Gwazi, but that's a whole different kind of rattle altogether (seemed to be a violent up-down bouncing that felt like there was something wrong with every joint between pieces of running steel).

[netdvn]

Coming from someone who rode Kumba multiple times (including once in the "magic seat"), I honestly didn't find the ride any different from sitting in the middle. While there's a nice pop of air before the cobra roll, the ride wasn't as forceful as ... say... Montu or Cheetah Hunt.

 

I'd say sit wherever you want on the ride. It's still pretty good, just not as forceful as everyone says it is.

[gerstlaueringvar]

^ Cheetah Hunt is more forceful than Kumba? That's news

[Cyrbuzz]

Are you sure you rode Kumba? Cheetah Hunt is no way more forceful than Kumba. Just the part going into the cobra roll alone has more intensity than all of Cheetah Hunt. Now don't get me wrong, I love Cheetah Hunt, but it is nowhere as intense as Kumba much less more forceful.

[Koasterking48]

Coming from someone who rode Kumba multiple times (including once in the "magic seat"), I honestly didn't find the ride any different from sitting in the middle. While there's a nice pop of air before the cobra roll, the ride wasn't as forceful as ... say... Montu or Cheetah Hunt.

 

I'd say sit wherever you want on the ride. It's still pretty good, just not as forceful as everyone says it is.

You sir, do not deserve the intensity and power that is mighty king of the south. Anyways, opinions are like butts. Everyone has one, and yours stinks. (I'm kidding)

[aCoasterStory]

As to the discussion above, while Cheetah Hunt doesnt have the same kind of positive G's as some of the other coasters in the park (Kumba included), it does have several pops of negative G's (particularly in the front) that exceed those provided on any of the other coasters in the park.

 

So depending on whether you're looking at positive or negative G's, both answers could be correct.

 

That being said, Kumba gets a lot of love on here, but I really didn't think it was all that special. It's not a ride that you get off and go, "man, that was great! let's ride that again!" I think Montu, SheiKra, and Cheetah Hunt are all more re-rideable, which to me is a really big component of how good/great a coaster is.

[coasterbill]

You sir, do not deserve the intensity and power that is mighty king of the south. Anyways, opinions are like butts. Everyone has one, and yours stinks. (I'm kidding)

 

This. Kumba is one of the few coasters that I still get off trying to figure out what the hell just happened to me. It's incredibly smooth but at the same time it rips trough every single element like it's trying to kill everyone on the train. Oh... and that zero g roll puts every inversion on every other coaster to shame.

 

Edit:

 

I think Montu, SheiKra, and Cheetah Hunt are all more re-rideable, which to me is a really big component of how good/great a coaster is.

 

I think this right here explains why you don't like Kumba. Fun, re rideable coasters are great and I know they're ideal for a lot of people. Sheikra for example has an incredibly fun first drop and then glides along the course through drawn out turns and inversions which are a lot of fun but really not overly intense. To me... coasters like that are great, but I'd rather ride something intense that pulls a ton of G's, is relentless from start to finish and leaves you completely disoriented. If a coaster can do that while still being smooth then it usually becomes one of my favorite coasters (like on Kumba, I305 and Maverick). That's what Kumba is all about.

Edited March 24, 2014 by coasterbill

[netdvn]

On my four rides on Kumba I got one pop of airtime. No blackouts, no weird feeling in my arms/legs, not even a greyout. Unless I happened to ride on an off day (Scorpion gave me a bad ride too), I don't think it's as intense as everyone says it is. At least Cheetah has some solid airtime in the treehouse and on all those camelbacks.

 

- This is coming from someone who blacked out on Alpengeist, regarded as one of the least intense B&Ms out there. Not to mention I got some pretty solid forces on Great Bear, another "forceless" B&M.

 

Oh... and that zero g roll puts every inversion on every other coaster to shame.

 

I can name three inversions off the top of my head that are way better.

[aCoasterStory]

To me... coasters like that are great, but I'd rather ride something intense that pulls a ton of G's, is relentless from start to finish and leaves you completely disoriented. If a coaster can do that while still being smooth then it usually becomes one of my favorite coasters (like on Kumba, I305 and Maverick). That's what Kumba is all about.

 

I consider I305 and Maverick to be top-5 coasters. They aren't infinitely re-rideable like the SheiKras and Expedition Everests of the world, but they are definitely re-rideable--you get off and you want to go back and try that again because it's crazy and intense and like nothing you've ever ridden before. (at least a time or two before your shoulders start hurting)

 

I wouldn't put Kumba anywhere near my top 20. It isn't a coaster I get off and want to try again, partly because I don't enjoy banging my head into the restraints, but also partly because I can experience (and have) each element of that ride on another B&M, whether in the sit-down, floorless, or even stand-up models. Heck, Bizarro @ SFGAdv (and thus Scream at SFMM) have the exact same structure of elements (and are nearly the same height/speed). Bizarro to me delivers a much better ride experience; I didn't care for Scream. (FWIW I don't consider the floorless element to be a significant differentiating factor like I would with inverts or dive machines or wing coasters or flying coasters.)

 

B&M's with interlocking corkscrews generally deliver the same experience across the board. B&M's with cobra rolls generally deliver the same experience across the board. There's nothing special about them that sets them apart from any other similar model.

 

At the end of the day, Kumba doesn't give me anything I can't get at most any other park I've been to in the US. Coasters like Maverick and I305 are unmatched. There's nothing else like them out there in the US today. But in 23 years when they're as old as Kumba (and have clones/successors as plentiful), we'll probably be talking about them the way I'm talking about Kumba now.

 

(I'm not the *hugest* fan of Hulk @ IOA, but it at least delivers a unique ride experience with the launch that you can't find on any other B&M...just sayin')

[cal1br3tto]

That being said, Kumba gets a lot of love on here, but I really didn't think it was all that special. It's not a ride that you get off and go, "man, that was great! let's ride that again!" I think Montu, SheiKra, and Cheetah Hunt are all more re-rideable, which to me is a really big component of how good/great a coaster is.

Have to agree with this. I'm a major fan of Montu, SheiKra, and Cheetah Hunt, and think the latter in particular is underappreciated by enthusiasts, as there are definitely some fun forces to enjoy. To me, Kumba is the one that didn't stand out as much. But I can see why it's considered more forceful, especially that one unexpected yank of airtime.

 

Side note: I'm another one who thought Alpengeist was challengingly intense, though I prefer Montu.

[CoasterPrince]

Wow, I thought I was the only one that felt that way about Kumba. I never understood all the praise it gets. I'd personally put Cheetah Hunt, Montu, and Sheikra before it. Then again El Toro's basically in my backyard which makes everything seem less intense.

[BotanicalStig]

I went to BGT last week...

 

I don't understand the love for Kumba either... I hated that thing. Beat the hell out of me. I like forceful coasters, but Kumba was just painful.

 

Montu on the other hand was *awesome*. The airtime on Cheetah Hunt took me by surprise, what an enjoyable ride. Just goes to show you (ahem, B&M) that you CAN build an easy going, enjoyable coaster that still packs a punch. I could never be terrified by a rollercoaster, but creeping ever so slowly over the edge on SheiKra was the first time, since I was a child, a ride has ever made me feel uneasy. I now see why it's such a huge hit. Scorpion was great. The wild mouse was... a wild mouse. And Gwazi was closed! This made my decision on weather or not to bother riding it quite simple.

[coasterfreak101]

Funny, it took me three years to finally ride Kumba (repaint one year and maintenance the next), and when I finally got to ride it was by far my favorite of the coasters in Tampa. I had been on the rest before - though Cheetah Hunt was new - and I thought it lived up to every bit of hype I had heard.

[B&MBoy1982]

Coming from someone who rode Kumba multiple times (including once in the "magic seat"), I honestly didn't find the ride any different from sitting in the middle. While there's a nice pop of air before the cobra roll, the ride wasn't as forceful as ... say... Montu or Cheetah Hunt.

 

I'd say sit wherever you want on the ride. It's still pretty good, just not as forceful as everyone says it is.

 

You have simply fallen and hit your head.

 

Kumba gives me tinglies where Cheetah Hunt doesn't.

[gerstlaueringvar]

To me... coasters like that are great, but I'd rather ride something intense that pulls a ton of G's, is relentless from start to finish and leaves you completely disoriented. If a coaster can do that while still being smooth then it usually becomes one of my favorite coasters (like on Kumba, I305 and Maverick). That's what Kumba is all about.

 

Also partly because I can experience (and have) each element of that ride on another B&M, whether in the sit-down, floorless, or even stand-up models. Heck, Bizarro @ SFGAdv (and thus Scream at SFMM) have the exact same structure of elements (and are nearly the same height/speed). Bizarro to me delivers a much better ride experience; I didn't care for Scream. (FWIW I don't consider the floorless element to be a significant differentiating factor like I would with inverts or dive machines or wing coasters or flying coasters.)

 

B&M's with interlocking corkscrews generally deliver the same experience across the board. B&M's with cobra rolls generally deliver the same experience across the board. There's nothing special about them that sets them apart from any other similar model.

 

At the end of the day, Kumba doesn't give me anything I can't get at most any other park I've been to in the US.

 

Have to disagree with this, elements might be the same but the speed it takes through the element can make it a lot different. Monster and Raptor are almost the same but Monster does not have trim on it's MCBR thus it gives an insane second half. Sleeping Bull and Nitro both has camel backs but Sleeping Bull is trimmed to death and Nitro has some speed through the camel backs thus Nitro has a lot better review than Sleeping Bull. Even barrel rolls, those slow ones on Colossus and the fast one on iSpeed would never be considered the same. Same thing goes to Anton's loop on Mindbender.

 

Speed decides the riding experience a lot more than the actual element.

[rcjp]

^Agree. Even rides that are supposed to be exact clones like the Batman ones sometimes have different intensities. I thought the one at SFGAdv was more intense than the one in Madrid, and they're the same (except for the number of cars). I also noticed that on Dragon Khan I went faster through the cobra roll than in any other B&M I've ridden.

[coasterbill]

On my four rides on Kumba I got one pop of airtime. No blackouts, no weird feeling in my arms/legs, not even a greyout. Unless I happened to ride on an off day (Scorpion gave me a bad ride too), I don't think it's as intense as everyone says it is. At least Cheetah has some solid airtime in the treehouse and on all those camelbacks.

 

Well obviously you're not going to get any airtime from a B&M looper. That's not what it was designed for. I don't think I greyed out on it either but that doesn't mean the coaster isn't intense.

 

Bizarro to me delivers a much better ride experience

 

I guess we just disagree on what makes a coaster good. Bizarro takes every element really slowly... I like Bizarro, but Kumba is like Bizarro on crack with better scenery and a tunneled helix. I'm also confused by the reports of Kumba being rough.

 

I rarely find a steel coaster rough, probably because of my height because I can ride coasters now that I hated when I was younger. Quite often I'll think a ride is pretty good and my girlfriend who's a lot shorter than me will hate it and say it's rough. This happened on Loch Ness Monster, Anaconda and Raptor at Cedar Point (until she started riding with her head forward).

 

On Kumba we were both amazed at how much smoother it was than Bizarro and Scream (neither of which I'd consider rough but they're definitely a little bumpy) even though it took every element at a much higher rate of speed.

[mike541x]

I'm also confused by the reports of Kumba being rough.

 

Me too. Besides the slight rattle in the turn between the interlocking corkscrews, I didn't find Kumba rough at all. The Hulk on the other hand, I'm sure that ride has had better days.

 

I can't compare Kumba and Bizarro since I've yet to go to SFGAv, but out of the other B&M's, Kumba is probably the most intense one I've been on along with Montu. Dominator and Kraken are awesome rides but it doesn't come anywhere close.

[rcjp]

^^Interesting. I found both Bizarro and Raptor very smooth. Ok raptor may have that slight snap in the cobra roll and on the turn into the brake run but I don't consider that roughness, just a minor design flaw as, apart from that, it was perfect (at least when I rode it). As to bizarro, when I rode it in 2011 the was some roughness to be found on the climb into the MCBR: However, last summer, it appeared to be gone.

 

About kumba, I haven't been on it but from what I've heard it has similar intensity to Dragon Khan which is my favourite ride and by far the most intense non inverted B&M I've been on. (also not rough)