Busch Gardens Tampa Bay (BGT Discussion Thread)

[4rturo]

I killed a dog

[adavis]

I killed a dog

 

Because they tore down Big Bad Wolf?

[Gigalyte]

^I would have them over for tea to discuss current events.

 

Who are you Mr. Belverdere

[jjune4991]

Want to see photos of piles of dirt?

A lot has been done to the concrete walls. And a pile of dirt.

Inside the station. Does it look like the floor has been cut out where the track is going to be?

The north side of the Edge of Africa bridge. Another pile of dirt.

What? Can it be? Is this a picture of supports? Please? Maybe?

[Guy T. Koepp]

^I would have them over for tea to discuss current events.

 

So that's what we're calling it now.

 

Yeah, yeah. How do you take your tea honey? With sugar and cream? Yeah, I can hook you up with that. Crumpets? Yeah, I got crumpets. You want me to butter that for ya? The Iraq occupation? I'll occupy whatever you want? What about the economy? I got a stimulus package for ya.

 

Guy "I would have them over for tea to discuss current events too." Koepp

[Saldek]

After reading BGT's Facebook page and seeing how their wall has erupted with complaints about the name Cheetah Hunt, I saw this info after someone asked about the cheetah exhibit that will be alongside the ride. They were asked how many cheetahs would be in the new exhibit and where they were coming from.

 

The park's response:

 

We expect to open the attraction with 8 cheetahs and will likely have between 12 and 15 total long-term. In accordance with the cheetah Species Survival Plan, they are coming from several zoological parks around the world, as close as north Florida and as far away as South Africa....

 

...The Busch Gardens & SeaWorld Conservation Fund has been helping cheetahs in the wild since 2005. The Fund logo even features a cheetah! And a big portion of the new Cheetah Run habitat includes touch-screens and other educational components to help families understand the plight of these animals in their native lands.

 

I'm really looking forward to this as I've only seen a couple cheetahs up close. Seeing eight of them would be cool!

 

And hopefully this will help clear any doubt of the ride's name.

[EastCoastn07]

I'm just curious why the park didn't just rename the new coaster Cheetah Chase and rename the current Cheetah Chase something different. I mean, it's not like Cheetah Chase is heavily themed or anything. And in all honesty, do you think the GP would even know? I think it's going to be confusing enough having two rides that start with Cheetah as it is. In my opinion, Cheetah Chase is a hell of a better name then either Cheetah Hunt or Cheetaka.

[Skycoastin Steve]

^They've hinted at the fact that they are going to rename Cheetah Chase several times on their facebook page.

[4rturo]

^I would have them over for tea to discuss current events.

 

So that's what we're calling it now.

 

Yeah, yeah. How do you take your tea honey? With sugar and cream? Yeah, I can hook you up with that. Crumpets? Yeah, I got crumpets. You want me to butter that for ya? The Iraq occupation? I'll occupy whatever you want? What about the economy? I got a stimulus package for ya.

 

Guy "I would have them over for tea to discuss current events too." Koepp

 

 

Hahaha

You just made my day

[maverickpoint]

god i hope that billboard is a joke!

 

great pics guys, you actually got to sit on the track itself? how cool is that!

 

cant wait to ride this one

[KNAPPSK8]

As you can see from the pictures it's in a real secure location.....I'm sure they had to scale 8 foot tall fences to get those pictures. Good job on the pics guys.

[Visioneer]

Why didn't the company take a page from their own backyard?

 

"Manta" ... totally worked, simple, to the point. Why not just drop "Hunt"?

 

"Cheetah"

 

Just checked: Forgot the one at Wild Adventures. Do they own a trademark on it? Drat. I'm done now. What's in a name? Now, I no longer care.

Edited October 20, 2010 by Visioneer

[ajs2294]

Just out of curiosity if any of you have been to Howl-O-Scream this year or in years past on a Thursday how were the lines? The past few years I went on Saturdays and had insane waits of 2-3 hours so im wondering if i should be expecting that this Thursday.

[jjune4991]

I went last Thursday, and the lines were quite long. Now, this is comparing to last year where there were no lines. This year, however, the lines were at least 40 mins to an hour, with each coaster having a line of up to an hour. I did hear, however, hear that there was no public school the next day, so that could be the reason for all the lines. But like I said, last year on a Thursday, the lines were non existent.

[live2tell75]

^ You are correct a lot of schools were off last Friday. I went last Thursday and it was packed. We arrived at the park at 7:15pm and left at 1am. We hit all 7 houses, 1 show and rode Sheikra, Kumba and Montu. I have gone the last 9 years and typically the park is empty on Thursday nights. The longest wait is usually 10 minutes, if not a walk on. This past Thursday was kind of a fluke. But even though the haunted houses had lines, they all moved really quickly. I think the longest wait we had was about 15 minutes. The longest wait we had of the night was for Montu (had really slow dispatches) waited about 40 minutes. The next few Thursdays will be busy but no where as busy as Halloween Horror NIghts at Universal or Sat. nights at HOS. Just get to the park early, once entering the park, go left, hit the My X House and then head towards the back of the park. Then work your way to the front, this should help keep the waits very short.

[robbalvey]

As you can see from the pictures it's in a real secure location.....I'm sure they had to scale 8 foot tall fences to get those pictures. Good job on the pics guys.

Since you didn't bother to read the last few pages, I posted that I'm fully aware of where the track pieces are located. It's in an overflow lot. It's not in any "backstage areas."

 

I had already said that any further posts like this would be deleted, which I have deleted about 10 posts so far in this thread.

 

Theme Park Review DOES NOT condone anyone breaking park rules to get any photos of any kind. If we thought these photos shouldn't have been taken, we would have removed them.

 

We are also on very good terms with BGT who read the forums. If THEY thought the photos should have been posted, they would have contacted us.

 

Some of you need to step down from your soap box and stop being the "internet police."

 

--Robb

[The SETGO Guys]

Removed by user

Edited January 5, 2012 by The SETGO Guys

[ajs2294]

Thanks for the fast replies. I'm really hoping its a quite night tomorrow and I get to do all the houses. I guess hillsborough was the only county that did have school I even have school and a football game Friday but I'm dying to get to Howl-O-Scream. Just last few years have been completely unacceptable imo in the amount of people they allow in. How is 2-3 hours per house a fair wait time for paying customers? I could understand missing a house or two but missing 5 really stinks. I'll also take the tip and head to MY X and then clock-wise around the park. Maybe that was my mistake in the past I always went counter-clockwise hitting whatever was in the old skyride station first.

[jjune4991]

Try going to Halloween Horror Nights. I went last year on a Saturday and went through 3 houses and one show. In 5 hours.

[BarryH]

I think the best way to do Howl-O-Scream is to do the Fright Feast. It's $25. Howl-O-Scream officially starts at 7:30, but the Fright Feast starts at 5:45. You get a pretty good buffet dinner and you see one of the shows. At 7:00, you can access the houses 30 minutes early and you get priority acces until 8:30. I've done the Fright Feast over the past few years. During the early entry time, your group tends to be the only ones in the houses and the Scare-actors will be all over you! Each year that I've done the Fright Feast, I'm able to finish all the houses by 8:30. Then I catch another show, do the rides, or check out a few houses again.

[larrygator]

I think the best way to do Howl-O-Scream is to do the Fright Feast. It's $25. Howl-O-Scream officially starts at 7:30, but the Fright Feast starts at 5:45. You get a pretty good buffet dinner and you see one of the shows. At 7:00, you can access the houses 30 minutes early and you get priority acces until 8:30. I've done the Fright Feast over the past few years. During the early entry time, your group tends to be the only ones in the houses and the Scare-actors will be all over you! Each year that I've done the Fright Feast, I'm able to finish all the houses by 8:30. Then I catch another show, do the rides, or check out a few houses again.

 

 

Agreed.

 

The food is not great but if you work it right you get all the houses done in the priority time. And it is great when there are only a couple of people in the houses right at 7:00

Edited October 21, 2010 by larrygator

[macca_boy69]

This is so exciting! I'm so excited to go to BGT next year and ride this!

 

Roberto

[Mantaeus]

Chances are I'm heading to BGT for the first time sometime during the first week of November while visiting some friends in FL. Any tips about the park I should know?

[paiging_jen]

^ spend the $5 to feed the kangaroos!

[ajs2294]

So following up my Howl-O-Scream trip Thursday (10-21) I had a great time and the amount of people in the park was perfect. They were actually letting people go into the park right when I arrived at 7:10 which was a pleasant surprise. I managed to walk straight into MY X, D.E.D, Taste of Blood, and Trapped in the Walls along with riding Kumba by 8:45ish. After a little break we continued to do Death Row Vengeance this one we had to wait about 15 minutes I guess by this time I was running into the small crowds that turned right when they entered the park, left is definitely the way to go like others have said btw. After that I headed over to Deconstruction which was a bit of a pain to with all the construction and had a small line also (Inside the old Akbars tours building cues I always feel like im a cattle going to slaughter lol). Also managed to ride Montu the lines went a bit slow taking about 35 minutes to get on. Once off Montu I had to fight through the narrow path back over to Night Shade and once again walked right in. All houses done along with Kumba and Montu by 10:30 made me a very happy person. The rest of the night I spent walking around the park and watching Fiends. I ended the night going through D.E.D again due to its proximity next to Fiends, I was actually in the last group to go through it for the day and the five people behind disappeared in the house! Only thing I feel missed I out on was ALONE is was skeptical about the house and never pre-ordered the tickets

My personal house rankings-

1) Death Row Vengeance- Mostly for the fact I've been wanting to get in the house for the last few years and never got in, great special effects and very neat ending

2) Night Shade Toy Factory- Was my favorite last year near the top once again very creepy feel to the house

3) Trapped in the walls- Another house that I've been wanting to get in for awhile, it was pretty neat and some good scares but the whole paranormal investigation theme was lacking

4) Taste of Blood- I was very surprised with this house some unique effects in it especially the one near the ending. It was also neat to see some props from my old favorite the Mortuary returning.

5) D.E.D- Went it it twice a very funny house with some hot chicks making it a must do but it lacking in any real scares

6) Deconstruction- Didn't do anything for me. Kind of annoying with all the noise and overuse of strobes lights still, along with the fact I don't see how plastic blood and guts is scary

7) My X- Personally I found this house very disappointing no scares and it seemed very short.

 

The Scare zones this year were also lacking but the moving hoards kind of made up for it. Overall the whole event was a blast but I do feel that there is still some more work that needs to go into the houses and their scares as a bit seems quite outdated or overused.