Busch Gardens Tampa Bay (BGT Discussion Thread)

[TPDave]

I love the rockwork! This ride is looking awesome!

 

Thanks for the photos

 

Dave

[let1gre]

We've been trying to decide weather to go back tomorrow or the 26th before we leave Monday which would you recommend?

Well, I would say the 26th and hope they've got a couple more days worth of track put up!

 

Do you think they'll be working on this over Xmas Eve/Xmas? I'd be pretty surprised...

 

In related news, I'm absolutely loving this. The supports-as-theming looks fantastic, the figure-eight is as sexy as ever, and that shot of the low turn under the rock made me giddy. I can't wait until this opens. In a similar vein, I REALLY can't wait to see what they do at Busch Gardens Williamsburg in the coming years!

[KDcoasterMAN]

^Allot of big companies get the week of Christmas/New Year's off, and I would imagine they would get the same? IDK

[robbalvey]

We've been trying to decide weather to go back tomorrow or the 26th before we leave Monday which would you recommend?

Well, I would say the 26th and hope they've got a couple more days worth of track put up!

 

Do you think they'll be working on this over Xmas Eve/Xmas? I'd be pretty surprised...

There's a good chance they might work the morning/afternoon of the 24th, and on the 26th to put up a couple more track pieces. None of us here know if they are ahead/behind on the construction schedule. If they happen to be behind at all, absolutely they'll work those days.

 

This is a massive, multi-million dollar theme park attraction they are building, it's not like they are working at Taco Bell. I've worked on plenty of projects where, if we are behind schedule, you put in time on the 24th, you have Christmas day off, and you're back at it again on the 26th. When someone is paying you tens of millions of dollars for something, and there are expectations of having it open by a certain date, you make some sacrifices.

 

--Robb

Edited December 24, 2010 by robbalvey

[CCI]

From what I've heard there aiming for around memorial day. Plus they don't have to worry about snow so I would guess there on or ahead of schedule. I'll post a full TR and more construction pics on the 29th when I get back to NC.

 

Happy Holidays everyone. (ps. Where is the parking lot with the track I want to check it out?)

[coasternut]

From what I've heard there aiming for around memorial day. Plus they don't have to worry about snow so I would guess there on or ahead of schedule. I'll post a full TR and more construction pics on the 29th when I get back to NC.

 

Happy Holidays everyone. (ps. Where is the parking lot with the track I want to check it out?)

 

The track was stored on the same road as the main parking lot entrance. It's just north of it towards the Embassy Suites, on the east side of the street. The ride construction progress has just been amazing! I'm heading up for a freezing visit on Monday for a few days. The cold is moving into Florida again. Where's Al Gore and global warming when you need them?

[coasternut]

Happy Holidays everyone. (ps. Where is the parking lot with the track I want to check it out?)

 

The track was stored on the same road as the main parking lot entrance. It's just north of it towards the Embassy Suites, on the east side of the street. The ride construction progress has just been amazing! I'm heading up for a freezing visit on Monday for a few days. The cold is moving into Florida again. Where's Al Gore and global warming when you need them?

 

I'm here in Tampa right now freezing my a$$ off! I left at 7PM frozen. The more specific answer to the track storage is the intersection of McKinley (road for the main parking entrance) and Bouganvillea. There is track there right now.

[coasternut]

Busch Gardens Tampa -- unusual disregard for customers this evening

 

Today I arrived at Busch after driving over from the east coast at about 3:30. It was quite cool (not their fault), but the park was quite empty for this time of the season especially with the bowls games. I did get many quick rides in which really surprised me.

Here's my beef:

I got back to Shiekra and they were running all 5 trains. I found that quite unusual since there weren't many people in line. In fact there really wasn't a line at all At 6:05, they decided to remove 3 of the 5 trains from operation. I can see pulling 1 or 2 but not 3! This whole operation took 25 minutes to complete. During that period no trains were dispatched with people on them. Needless to say, the line got big. I've never seen this "wholesale train off load" before, but with tonight's 2 train operation, they only loaded the back train and closed the entire front train loading bridges. This really screwed up the line and made it's movement very slow I don't understand why they'd go from a 5 train operation to a 2 train operation. There were at least 4 rideops in the control booth (overhead), so I don't think it was staffing issue. Sounds like they're taking lessons from Cedar Fair (Big Dick Kinzel especially) on how to "piss off the customer!" I waited from my last ride on Shiekra and headed back to the hotel. I had enough.

[paiging_jen]

^ The ride ops at Shiekra have been simply awful when I've ridden this year. Slow, disinterested, constant stacking b/c of a lack of interest in getting checked trains dispatched...you name it. Compared to Griffon earlier this year when they were racing to get as many trains sent each hour...that was simply awesome!

[The SETGO Guys]

Removed by user

Edited January 5, 2012 by The SETGO Guys

[televisedconfession]

Busch Gardens Tampa -- unusual disregard for customers this evening

 

Today I arrived at Busch after driving over from the east coast at about 3:30. It was quite cool (not their fault), but the park was quite empty for this time of the season especially with the bowls games. I did get many quick rides in which really surprised me.

Here's my beef:

I got back to Shiekra and they were running all 5 trains. I found that quite unusual since there weren't many people in line. In fact there really wasn't a line at all At 6:05, they decided to remove 3 of the 5 trains from operation. I can see pulling 1 or 2 but not 3! This whole operation took 25 minutes to complete. During that period no trains were dispatched with people on them. Needless to say, the line got big. I've never seen this "wholesale train off load" before, but with tonight's 2 train operation, they only loaded the back train and closed the entire front train loading bridges. This really screwed up the line and made it's movement very slow I don't understand why they'd go from a 5 train operation to a 2 train operation. There were at least 4 rideops in the control booth (overhead), so I don't think it was staffing issue. Sounds like they're taking lessons from Cedar Fair (Big Dick Kinzel especially) on how to "piss off the customer!" I waited from my last ride on Shiekra and headed back to the hotel. I had enough.

 

 

I feel like I know every emotion you convey in writing this for some reason.

[Skycoastin Steve]

^ The ride ops at Shiekra have been simply awful when I've ridden this year. Slow, disinterested, constant stacking b/c of a lack of interest in getting checked trains dispatched...you name it. Compared to Griffon earlier this year when they were racing to get as many trains sent each hour...that was simply awesome!

 

I think in General BGT operations are going down.....The only crew I've seen that seems to care about their work is the Montu team....as for Shiekra.....they've been running with only one bay....and taking their sweet time.....

 

-Kumba has been running 1 train on busy days....while Montu is running at least 2....REALLY 1 TRAIN!!!!

-COME ON BGT!!!! PICK UP YOUR GAME!

There isn't a single crew at BGT I've seen in the last two years that I would describe as anything but sub-standard to awful. That includes Montu. They probably have some of the worst operations I've ever seen in my life, and that's with over 40 parks under my belt, including several Six Flags parks (who set the standard for horrible operations in the last 10 years). It really is a shame, a park as good as BGT with operations that bad. It's the only real black mark on their record, and I wish it wasn't that way, otherwise I would be more eager to go back on a more regular basis.

[Blind Idiot God]

^ The ride ops at Shiekra have been simply awful when I've ridden this year. Slow, disinterested, constant stacking b/c of a lack of interest in getting checked trains dispatched...you name it. Compared to Griffon earlier this year when they were racing to get as many trains sent each hour...that was simply awesome!

 

I think in General BGT operations are going down.....The only crew I've seen that seems to care about their work is the Montu team....as for Shiekra.....they've been running with only one bay....and taking their sweet time.....

 

-Kumba has been running 1 train on busy days....while Montu is running at least 2....REALLY 1 TRAIN!!!!

-COME ON BGT!!!! PICK UP YOUR GAME!

There isn't a single crew at BGT I've seen in the last two years that I would describe as anything but sub-standard to awful. That includes Montu. They probably have some of the worst operations I've ever seen in my life, and that's with over 40 parks under my belt, including several Six Flags parks (who set the standard for horrible operations in the last 10 years). It really is a shame, a park as good as BGT with operations that bad. It's the only real black mark on their record, and I wish it wasn't that way, otherwise I would be more eager to go back on a more regular basis.

 

True dat. The Gwazi crew is bar none THE worst crew I have ever seen; it takes them forever to do goddamn ANYTHING. It's kind of sad when the only competent crew I've ever seen at BGT was the Python crew way back in '03. Come to think of it, I've seen semi-competent Montu crews here and there, but every other crew has ranged from poor to rage-inducingly slow. I actually heard a particularly vocal exchange back in '06 between some fat kid in a Dying Fetus shirt and a member of the Gwazi crew:

 

Fat kid: "Hey ***got, it's been three ****in' minutes and the ****in' train still hasn't been cleared. Get off your ****in' cell and do your motha****in' job."

Crew member: "We're going as fast as we can."

Fat kid: "Bull****. I've seen octogenarians **** faster than you guys."

Crew member: "This is protocol. Watch your mouth."

Fat kid: "So talking with your girlfriend about the abortion while ignoring the train full of ****in' passengers is ****in' protocol? **** you, you lazy-*** retard."

Crew member: "You keep talking like that and I'm calling security."

Fat kid: "Call 'em and have 'em haul my *** out, I ****in' dare ya. Seriously, do it. I've got enough info here to place a nice motha****in' complaint to corporate and get your lazy *** canned, *****."

 

The last line was enough to actually spur the lazy crew member into getting off the cell. Fat kid didn't get kicked out, and I actually noticed a slight increase in dispatch speed.

[ginzo]

^The Fat Kid really used the word "octogenarians"?

[Blind Idiot God]

Yep. I was surprised, and it made it even harder to prevent myself from bursting out into manic laughter.

[redfoot12]

^The Fat Kid really used the word "octogenarians"?

My favorite part of the story!

[Blind Idiot God]

I've seen a fair bit of stuff in the Gwazi queues. Guys breaking up with their gfs via cell, drunken fights, little kids trying to do the Soulja Boy dance, and autistic kids getting overstimulated and having meltdowns bad enough to require security? Yep. All in one day.

[Hilltopper39]

I agree completely, the operations at BGT are horrible and have been every time Ive visited which is really a shame. Ive worked rides before, and its not that hard. It doesn't take a whole lot of effort to make to dispatch a train in a timely manner but that never quite seems to happen at Busch Gardens. Sea World is deceptively bad at is as well. Ive had visits where Manta should take about 10 minutes but ended up taking 45, and Journey to Atlantis is by far one of the worst operated attractions I have ever seen. SeaWorld/ Busch Parks have never seemed to have great operations which to me is a shame because everything else about the parks is really great.

 

*exception, Discover Cove operations and guest service is excellent

[Skycoastin Steve]

^BGW is usually pretty on point with their operations. I won't say they're above and beyond what you usually see, but for the most part they actually try. Other than that, you're right about the whole SeaWorld Parks chain.

 

And it's not even like they have slow-dispatching rides. We're talking a wooden coaster and basically all B&Ms at the rest of the parks. Those things are made to be people eaters, and they still f*** it up.

[B-RadG]

When I went back during Spring Break the operations were horrible. Gwazi sent two trains on Lion before Tiger dispatched one, Montu consistently stacked all 3 of its trains, SheiKra all 5, and many of the operators stood there texting when they could be working.

SeaWorld wasn't that bad they were pretty good with their operations.

[alpengeist04]

^And Kumba kicked a** as usual.

[aimster]

When I took the Montu coaster insider tour last month, I asked my tour guides (and I was the only one on the tour that day, so I could ask as many questions as I wanted) why on busy days I've only seen one train running on Montu & Kumba but 2 or 3 trains running on ShiekRa. They said it has something to do with the number of hours/days of service for each train. I can't remember exactly what they told me, but it was something like, if they put a train on the tracks, even for just a few hours, it counts as a "day of service" and each train can only do so many "days of service", then has to go in for routine maintenance. It was a little confusing and didn't totally clear it up for me, but I kind of understood the gist of it. No idea how true that actually is though.

 

That being said, Cheetah Hunt looks AMAZING so far. That is one sexy coaster coming together! I just got a 2 year pass for Christmas (I live 30 min away in Clearwater... used to live 10-15 minutes away when I lived in Tampa). I don't have time to redeem my voucher for a couple weeks yet, but I'm planning on visiting January 15th and will snap some shots of the progress at that point. When I was there in early November, all that was behind the walls were a bunch of mountains of dirt. That things has been going up FAST since vertical construction started.

[coasterkyle]

Maybe this will help explain the service hours. Each train is like an automobile, after so many miles or in this case hours it needs an "oil" change and other routine maintenance. If a train goes over its hours it becomes more of a chance for something to break. I hope this helps.

[Blind Idiot God]

The sad thing is that a former student teacher at my high school hailed from Tampa and worked as part of the Phoenix crew in his junior and senior years of high school, and he said that the Gwazi crew has always been that bad. He said that they actually had to briefly keep multiple security staff in both lines due to frequent fights between patrons, not to mention the violent arguments like the one I saw that occasionally popped up between patrons and ride ops. Night was apparently the worst time due to large amounts of drunk patrons, many of whom got impatient fast and would cause myriad disruptions, including several all-out brawls. The worst one he can remember is when, after waiting close to an hour for the Tiger side, a rather heavily intoxicated dude beat the flying pig **** out of a ride op who measured the man's young son as roughly an inch too short to ride. The ride op apparently had to get emergency surgery to relieve severe cerebral bleeding (he had been kicked square in the forehead several times), while the father received a broken clavicle from being beaten by security when they were trying to peel him off the ride op, in addition to assault and battery charges and a lifetime ban from BGT and all other Busch properties. Apparently, the problem is that the company will almost never fire lazy employees unless enough complaints are made, and even then it's a crapshoot.

[Popcorn54]

Has anyone done the Behind the Scenes tour of Montu at Tampa, Is it worth the $20?