Busch Gardens Tampa Bay (BGT Discussion Thread)

[YoshiFan]

When I was there in 2012, only the Tiger side was running. Since I really like Lightning Racer and find Wildcat ok, I thought Gwazi would be a good coaster especially with the new trains. I couldn't wait for the coaster to get to the final brake run because of how rough it was. Even if the Lion side had been running, I don't think I would have gone to it. It's a shame they aren't going to demolish it right away.

[cfc]

I've lived in Orlando my entire life...never been to Busch Gardens...thats pretty sad!! May try to make my first trip out before Feb 1st, just so I can say I got to ride it.

 

Well, that's saying something . . . I guess.

[jedimaster1227]

What made this GCI so bad compared to others? What did GCI do differently?

 

GCI made the mistake of building it at a park that was privately owned for years but then went Public so Blackstone could make a few bucks and then budget cuts and Blackfish and then more budget cuts and then more budget cuts til they could only operate 1 side and then closed it permanently.

 

GCI built the ride where a viable buyer offered to build it. It was custom designed for Busch so GCI is not at fault. Blackstone, the IPO and Blackfish have nothing to do with the ride's deterioration. The PTC's killed the track and the structure. The re-tracking hardly fixed those issues and the Millennium Flyers were too little of a fix, too late in the game. They didn't make the ride run any better and didn't increase its popularity with guests so it was no longer justified to operate and maintain both sides (that both continued to deteriorate during their operation). The ride hasn't drawn a crowd even during the busier times in years. The wait times were inflated mostly because of the notoriously bad operations (often times it would take 3-6 minutes to dispatch a train and they barely bothered to duel both sides in the latter years of both tracks running) and guest satisfaction between the awful wait and the awful ride experience were both reason enough to drop this ride on the guest satisfaction spectrum.

 

Budget cuts may help to justify Gwazi closing for good, but all of the above factors are primary causes of an eventuality that would have happened whether or not the SeaWorld parks were suffering overall. Gwazi has been doomed for a long time.

[gerstlaueringvar]

So now can we say all GCI are Great Coasters? Wildcat seems to get better reviews now.

[PaTim]

So now can we say all GCI are Great Coasters? Wildcat seems to get better reviews now.

 

I rode Wildcat this year and it was far smoother than in 2012. It's weird too because I'm one of those nerds who gets mesmerized at thoroughly looking at the ride structure and there was very little new wood to be seen, it appears that it has the same track that it had when it ran the PTC's. Lightning Racer is the same way, it appears to have the same track structure from when it was built, yet it has never gotten rough. It seems that wooden coasters perform optimally when their design incorporates undulating curves and changes in direction as opposed to long, sustained curves; along with single-axle trains at the ride's opening, seasonal operation, and a relatively humid climate.

[Ed Farmer]

"Twisted Gwazi"!

The naming tendencies of Six Flags are useful if only for the purpose of being seen by marketing departments of other park/chains, and serving as a guideline of what not to name their new rides.

[StuckInSD]

It's definitely not the worst coaster out there, but I had a feeling it was on its way out. Granted, it doesn't make sense from a general view to leave a large coaster to rot. I mean, that's gonna open up a lot of space for another big ride if Gwazi gets bulldozed, and you're just adding insult to injury telling guests that its closed for good. But I guess, at the moment, it's just too costly for SeaWorld to tear it down. This is proving to be one shitty year for SeaWorld/Busch parks from all sides (media, corporate, public, etc.). Even a die-hard like me can't help but think that this ship is slowly sinking...

 

All of these old dual woodies (even though Gwazi ain't all that old to begin with) seem to be getting cut lately; I hope this isn't developing into a trend.

[DoinItForTheFame]

I'm so SHOCKED!!! I can not believe they are taking out Gwazi!!!

 

It's been years since I have been on Gwazi, but I remember that we always rode it when we were at the park. I do remember it being rough, but it was still some what fun. However, I was young and dumb back then! Now there is no way in the world my back could physically handle riding it again. Am I glad it is closing? Yes, hoping that eventually there will be an awesome attraction to replace it! That is a LOT of land that they will free up once Gwazi is gone. Maybe a really well themed bird themed wing coaster?! I look forward to seeing what the future holds for the park!

[jten11]

Well I'm sad to see this close. Thank goodness I got my ride on this past May! Never had a bad ride on Gwazi

[Jcoaster]

I rode it last year, it certainly wasn't a bad coaster but it certainly wasn't a memorable one. It's a shame that this coaster never had Millennium Flyers from the beginning. It possibly could have been a whole different coaster if the PTC's didn't destroying the track and structure.

[historyfreak92]

!sigh! Just another great classic going away, and the only dueling coaster in Florida is now Dragon Challenge! I hope for something like a new RMC Dueling Coaster!

[Mrlittle]

!sigh! Just another great classic going away, and the only dueling coaster in Florida is now Dragon Challenge! I hope for something like a new RMC Dueling Coaster!

 

Dragon Challenge no longer duels. It hasn't in years. Gwazi for the last year or two only had one side open so it really didn't duel anymore either.

[Ccron10]

Never rode it, but I think this is a birthday present to spare me the pain of when I could've been able to. If it is anything as bad at Hades 360, then that is a gift I'll gladly take.

 

As for Wildcat, Hersheypark usually re-tracks sections of it every year (same for Lightning Racer) and they worked on the final helix last off-season. It seemed to help make the ride a little smoother, but I still consider it to be a pretty rough coaster overall. If GCI invented the millennium flyers earlier and used them on it, I am willing to bet the ride would be as smooth at Lightning Racer, but it was GCI's first coaster and they had to grow to get to that point. How often did BGT re-track Gwazi?

[coasternut]

Just think, they removed the brewery for this ride. Yes, I rode it early on, and it wasn't too bad. RIP.

[doom1001]

I've always been a Gwazi supporter,when people said it was rough I stood up and said it was just a bit rickety like a wood coaster should be.OK so I rode it last week while doing Christmas Town knowing it could possibly close anytime as I had heard rumors about it closing and the thing is now almost unrideable,unless you're heavily into pain.I remember riding it 3-4 times in a row years ago when it was newer and when they changed the trains a couple of years ago it was actually pretty tame.I had heard it got rough again pretty quickly after the new trains but I hadn't ridden it in a while so i had no idea I would get out of it feeling like I was in an car accident.Hopefully it doesn't sit there too long and they build something excellent to replace it.

[BlahBlahson]

Well...whatever Gwazi, that's pretty much how i feel about you. Easily the lamest coaster operating in Florida in its current state with no airtime, no dueling or second track, painfully slow operations policies, no guests riding it...this is like a sports trade where a player has been underperforming, or a divorce where too much has been said. Just go you poor thing.

 

Here's hoping that something big and awesome replaces that major area of space in the park someday, or maybe just a path between Nairobi and the western part of the park to make the place walkable. Oh, and that SeaWorld entertainment doesn't jeep declining, that too.

[viking86]

I rode Gwazi for the first time in September and I'm not surprised one bit to see the ride closing. It was terrible and one ride was more than enough. If they tear it down they will have a huge space of land to expand the park into.

[Werner]

Good bye! I'm wondering what will become of that huge part of land in the middle of the park. It could pit an entire themed land in there, something like Curse of the DarKastle would be great! And prehaps they could fit in something like the smaller Gravity Group Woodie's(Wooden Warrior/Twister) in there too

[cfc]

^It would be cool if BGT built a "DarkKastle" type ride themed to an Egyptian tomb and used the old King Tut's Tomb walk-through attraction as the queue. But it may not be practical.

[Philrad71]

Not surprised by this, nor disappointed.

 

BG is known for great coasters and this is certainly the worst of the lot - at either park. While not the most painful coaster I have ever been on, I remember it to be boring...kinda slow & shuffling with no airtime to speak of.

[DrachenfireOP]

^It would be cool if BGT built a "DarkKastle" type ride themed to an Egyptian tomb and used the old King Tut's Tomb walk-through attraction as the queue. But it may not be practical.

 

Holy hell that would be awesome! Still, if the reason they aren't tearing Gwazi out is financial, I'm not holding my breath for a $50 million + replacement either :/

[Rollercoaster Rider]

^It would be cool if BGT built a "DarkKastle" type ride themed to an Egyptian tomb and used the old King Tut's Tomb walk-through attraction as the queue. But it may not be practical.

 

Holy hell that would be awesome! Still, if the reason they aren't tearing Gwazi out is financial, I'm not holding my breath for a $50 million + replacement either :/

 

 

The latest rumor I heard was a Mack Spinning Coaster like Sierra Sidewinder, Which would probably fit better in SeaWorld but that's me.

[jedimaster1227]

^Concept Art for Cheetah Hunt (found in the ride's exit a few years ago) indicates that spinning trains were definitely considered... Or that at least Euro-Mir's drop from the tower was an inspiration for the Windcatcher Tower.

Edited December 20, 2014 by jedimaster1227

[Sharman19]

We now have Gwazi fanboys, and I never knew Coastersaurus was a steelie!

EDIT: This was from TPR's Twitter.

[cfc]

^Concept Art for Cheetah Hunt (found in the ride's exit a few years ago) indicates that spinning trains were definitely considered... Or that at least Euro-Mir's drop from the tower was an inspiration for the Windcatcher Tower.

 

I'm quite happy that they didn't go with spinning trains.