Busch Gardens Tampa Bay (BGT Discussion Thread)

[Furion]

Another new SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment trademark for an "amusement ride" has appeared, this one for Strikewinder:

 

 

I actually much prefer this name over "Cobra's Curse". This seems much more fitting for a spinning coaster. Can't wait until the 28th to find out more!

[RAWKIN_coaster38]

Just finished day 2 of training as a ResCamp counselor! I've only been able to ride Sheikra, the bumper cars, and Congo Rapids and see some of the animals, but I loved Sheikra and this park continues to blow my mind with the level of detail and theming around the park. I'm very excited for this summer and I'm eagerly waiting for the next day where we can actually ride some more rides!

 

Also, all of the counselors except for me are working on animal-science or bio degrees, and I'm definitely the only roller coaster enthusiast. Hopefully, they'll put me with all of the groups going on rides, although I'll be happy to get some time with the animals too!

[The Yeti]

Cobrarama anyone? Strikewinder annoys me just because it sounds like Sierra Sidewinder, and these could turn out to be very similar rides. It's not a bad name though. Cobra's Curse is so-so for a family spinning coaster, but maybe it could be used for another attraction in the area? Is there anything where Akbar's Adventure Tours (the best simulator ride ever) used to be? A new simulator would not be a bad addition.

[rcrider4]

Hope, sadly Akbar has been sitting empty since it was shut down, being used only during Howl-O-Scream as one of the houses.

[moneygrabber]

My family is planning on visiting BG this July but since I'm the only child and it's likely my last summer before I graduate college they want it to be my choice. I've been to BGW twice, but I've never been to BGT and as I'm 3 new coasters short, I'd like to catch up there, but I hear so many good things about BGT and it's line up, I would like second opinions on the ride lineups at both parks and I thought this thread would be a good place to start.

[OrlandoGuy]

^I like Busch Gardens and all but if I got to choose to go anywhere I would probably lean toward Cedar Point, GrAdv, or Hersheypark.

 

BUT, if you have already been to those places and have a real interest in BGT, you could do a lot worse...it's a great park. Not as nice or well-rounded as BGW, but definitely has the better coaster collection. There isn't one single "bad" ride there. SheiKra, Kumba and Montu are all world-class B&M's, Cheetah Hunt is a lot of fun, Scorpion is a great Schwarzkopf if you'rs into that kinda thing, and then they have a few smaller coasters that aren't so bad either. Plus, they have a great log flume and Falcon's Fury is one of the best rides, coaster or non, that I have ever ridden--there's nothing else like it. On top of that you have some good animal exhibits if you're into that sort of thing.

 

Food is also a cut above normal theme park fare here, AND crowds are usually very manageable. If you've already been to the coaster meccas in the more out-of-the-way locations, BGT is definitely a solid option.

[Philrad71]

^^I like both parks, but BGT is my favorite park. Great selection of rides and attractions with the addition of the animals makes it (in my opinion) one of the most well-rounded parks in the world.

 

You will definitely not be disappointed!

[Meteornotes]

Yeah, both BGW and BGT are great parks, but I too would give the edge to BGT. I think the ride lineup is better. Plus, Kumba.

 

dt

[moneygrabber]

^I like Busch Gardens and all but if I got to choose to go anywhere I would probably lean toward Cedar Point, GrAdv, or Hersheypark.

 

BUT, if you have already been to those places and have a real interest in BGT, you could do a lot worse...it's a great park. Not as nice or well-rounded as BGW, but definitely has the better coaster collection. There isn't one single "bad" ride there. SheiKra, Kumba and Montu are all world-class B&M's, Cheetah Hunt is a lot of fun, Scorpion is a great Schwarzkopf if you'rs into that kinda thing, and then they have a few smaller coasters that aren't so bad either. Plus, they have a great log flume and Falcon's Fury is one of the best rides, coaster or non, that I have ever ridden--there's nothing else like it. On top of that you have some good animal exhibits if you're into that sort of thing.

 

Food is also a cut above normal theme park fare here, AND crowds are usually very manageable. If you've already been to the coaster meccas in the more out-of-the-way locations, BGT is definitely a solid option.

 

Yeah I've been to GrAdv, CP and Hershey all before (and I feel like this is my best shot to visit Harry Potter World) so I would like to hit that while I'm down there. I hear that Kumba and Montu are some top-notch rides, so I'm pretty excited.

[jedimaster1227]

http://tbo.com/news/business/theme-parks-find-upgrading-aging-coasters-brings-fresh-excitement-for-less-20150524/

 

Bigger, faster and more extreme are what count when it comes to roller coasters.

 

So what’s an amusement park to do with aging coasters when those record-breaking crowd pleasers from years ago are being overshadowed by today’s scream machines? A coaster makeover, of course. A handful of roller coasters are reopening this year after undergoing extensive rehabs now that innovations in the design of coaster tracks and trains are allowing theme parks to revive older rides saddled with shorter lines and soaring maintenance costs. Plus, it’s cheaper than building a coaster from the ground up.

 

Six Flags theme parks in New England and Southern California have transformed classic wooden coasters at each park by adding steel track that allows them to twist and flip upside down like never before.

 

Cedar Point amusement park along Lake Erie in Ohio freshened up its 20-year-old stand-up steel coaster by switching to floorless-style trains. “We felt there was a real opportunity to reinvent this coaster. It feels faster, it feels smoother, it’s a completely different experience,” said Jason McClure, the park’s general manager.

 

Busch Gardens Tampa is considering the future of the wooden roller coaster Gwazi that it closed down in February due to dwindling ridership.

 

“We are still looking into what makes sense to replace Gwazi, which includes do we retrofit it with steel tracks,” said park spokesman Travis Claytor. “Gwazi is still standing. We haven’t made the decision on what to do with it. We have no time frame on when that decision will be made. We have a few other things we are working on, including that brand new attraction opening next year.”

 

Busch Gardens is expected to announce this week a new attraction planned to open next year in the park’s Egypt area.

 

Until the last few years, there weren’t a lot of options for completely overhauling outdated roller coasters, especially those with wood tracks that had become too rough to ride as they aged. That changed when Rocky Mountain Construction, a company that got its start repairing worn wood coaster tracks, devised a way to put steel rails on wooden coaster structures. “We’re basically remodeling the entire coaster,” said Amy Garcia, a spokeswoman for the company in Hayden, Idaho.

 

Its first major overhaul came in 2011 at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington with the Texas Giant, a ride that once ranked among the best among coaster enthusiasts before age caught up with it. The $10 million renovation — about half the cost of building a new coaster — immediately won back fans.

 

Rocky Mountain Construction has since refurbished four other coasters, including two opening this weekend.

 

Wicked Cyclone at Six Flags New England in Agawam, Massachusetts, is being transformed from a traditional wooden coaster formerly known as Cyclone into a steel hybrid that’s faster and steeper and twists riders through three inversions. “Every year it’s newer, faster, bigger. We need to evolve and stay with the times,” said Jennifer McGrath, a park spokeswoman.

 

Colossus — the world’s tallest and fastest roller coaster when it opened in 1978 at Six Flags Magic Mountain near Los Angeles — is getting the same treatment, becoming Twisted Colossus. The original coaster is one of the more recognizable rides around, featured in more than a dozen TV shows and movies, including “National Lampoon’s Vacation.” But its appeal dwindled as it was dwarfed by the park’s bigger and “badder” steel coasters. The new steel-hybrid version has over-banked turns and inversions, including one billed as a “Top Gun Stall” where the coaster train slows down while upside down. “This brings it into the next generation and makes it relevant for years to come,” said Magic Mountain President Bonnie Rabjohn. “It really brings it back in vogue.”

 

Robb Alvey, who has been on over 1,400 coasters around the world and operates ThemeParkReview.com, said the roller coasters that have been turned into new rides were already nearing the end of their life cycles. “They’re also rides with great history that most people would rather see a new life put into them rather than taking them down,” he said.

 

Those within the theme park industry expect to see more recycling of roller coasters.

 

“It gives a park something new to market and talk about in a much cheaper way,” said Dennis Spiegel, a theme-park consultant and president of International Theme Park Services Inc. in Cincinnati. “If you can rehabilitate an existing coaster and give a new experience, then you’re ahead of the cost game.”

 

Tampa Tribune business reporter Yvette C. Hammett contributed to this report.

 

Busch Gardens has officially acknowledged that Gwazi isn't necessarily gone and all options are still on the table.

 

 

Beginning tomorrow, May 21, the Serengeti Railway will resume operation.

Edited May 26, 2015 by jedimaster1227

[ALT2870]

Well I think that puts the RMC doubters to rest. But I wouldn't see this happening till at least 2017 or even 2018.

[Hilltopper39]

As cool as it would be to see Gwazi overhauled by RMC that is a HUGE chunk of land that it sits on and with BGT's recent additions that incorperate animal habitats in with rides and attractions (Jungala, Cheetah Hunt) seems like that area holds a lot of potential for future expansion of the park.

 

Win win for enthusiats/BGT fans I suppose, new dueling racing RMC monster or new park section of some sort.

[nswain1110]

Cool article - glad to here that Gwazi may be getting a second life Thanks for posting jedimaster1227

[jarmor]

It would be cool if they can keep the same layout and just replace the current tracks with topper tracks. It would be kinda sad to lose a pretty cool wooden coaster just to steel it up...

[SharkTums]

If they RMC it, I do hope they keep the dueling aspect just to piss off SFMM.

[nswain1110]

If they RMC it, I do hope they keep the dueling aspect just to piss off SFMM.

 

Haha! +1

[Furion]

Sorry for yet another trademark post, but this new one is my favorite name so far, Reptitan.

 

 

It's likely far too early for them to be trademarking names for projects beyond 2016, but of all the recent Sea World trademark filings (Mako, Cobra's Curse, Reef Hunter, Strikewinder, Silver Strike) I think this one would be a pretty awesome name for a dueling RMC or a giga coaster.

[ElvisLuv]

If they RMC it, I do hope they keep the dueling aspect just to piss off SFMM.

I would love to see an RMC redo. Keep it dueling but make one much different from the other. One would have inversions while the other gets revamped san inversions.

[Vonni]

It would be cool if they can keep the same layout and just replace the current tracks with topper tracks. It would be kinda sad to lose a pretty cool wooden coaster just to steel it up...

 

 

Personally, I would rather see it get an I-Box conversion.

[Intimidator305]

Reptitan is too cool of a name, love it just as much as Cheetaka which means BGT will probably name this ride something stupid like Reptile Hunt.

[SharkTums]

This was just leaked early. Full details, art, and video tomorrow after the real announcement.

Cobra's Curse

[historyfreak92]

I think that Gwazi being redone in RMC would be very nice, but oh well if that never happens!

[jarmor]

^^ Elevator lift?

[SharkTums]

^^ Elevator lift?

 

Yup! Mack loves those vertical lifts!

Edited May 27, 2015 by SharkTums

[coasterbill]

That looks like a ton of fun.