Busch Gardens Tampa Bay (BGT Discussion Thread)

[ytterbiumanalyst]

I think Iron Gwazi's opening will be delayed now. Safety of park staff, RMC crew, customers / guests, everyone is more important than the construction schedule.

 

Yeah, we should just shut down all of Tampa for a few months. None of the 1.7 million people living in those two counties should show go to work.

Yeah really. Kind of tired of the panic over Covid-19 when there are waaaay more serious things to be concerned about, like this year's flu that the vaccine isn't really helping with, or climate change, or a thousand other concerns that are far more pressing.

[sixFLAGSman!]

Here's a nice aerial view of Iron Gwazi. Photo is by Midway Mayhem.

[coasternut79]

Here's a nice aerial view of Iron Gwazi. Photo is by Midway Mayhem.

My God!

[jarmor]

Is that an uphill inversion after the first drop?

[thrillseeker4552]

^I believe it is just a steeply banked incline. It basically looks like Steel Vengeance’s outer banked hill but sharper and steeper.

[southpuddle]

For a while I thought that steel box frame was a temporary structure to help support that section of track on the up-slope of the second hill during construction, but it looks like it might be staying. It’s just odd looking.

Edited March 3, 2020 by southpuddle

[coasternut79]

^I believe it is just a steeply banked incline. It basically looks like Steel Vengeance’s outer banked hill but sharper and steeper.

Right, if you look closely it's just super inclined to the left almost to the point of inversion but not quite before whipping rapidly to the right to enter the outer bank turn. Should be an awesome element.

[grsupercity]

It is basically a whole new coaster at this point lol. I would love to see how this structure compares to the old Gwazi

[WolfBobs]

It is basically a whole new coaster at this point lol. I would love to see how this structure compares to the old Gwazi

 

I was thinking this too when the de-construction of the old Gwazi structure was pretty much complete. There can't be much more that 20% of the original ride left. This is probably the most "ground-up" conversion we have seen so far.

 

I'll be in Tampa in November, can anyone predict the weather, crowd size and if this ride will be open by then? /s

[coasterbill]

It depends when in November.

 

I've been to central Florida in early November when it was quite pleasant and other times where it was hot and humid and the "feels like" temperature was almost 100 at 2am.

 

Late November should be nicer but if it's Thanksgiving weekend it will also be more crowded.

[coasterbill]

New photo from the park's Facebook page...

[DoinItForTheFame]

^ Whoa!! What a beautiful photo!! Can't wait to see this thing in action!

[jlp94]

They're so close to finishing the trackwork! And they've been working on the queue and station as well, so hopefully we'll see an opening sometime in April or early May?

[southpuddle]

Well if you believe the rumor that certain YouTube channels started themselves by pulling random dates out of their backend, it’s opening in only 9 days!

[mark549]

I think Iron Gwazi's opening will be delayed now. Safety of park staff, RMC crew, customers / guests, everyone is more important than the construction schedule.

 

Yeah, we should just shut down all of Tampa for a few months. None of the 1.7 million people living in those two counties should show go to work.

Yeah really. Kind of tired of the panic over Covid-19 when there are waaaay more serious things to be concerned about, like this year's flu that the vaccine isn't really helping with, or climate change, or a thousand other concerns that are far more pressing.

 

 

 

Seattle is shutting down schools, events, sports, etc., they are the epicenter of the disease in the US, today. Their state virologist said a few days ago there might be 600 cases simmering undetected, which means a few thousand today. Since the incubation time is long and most people don't get a bad case, counting precisely is impossible.

 

Lots and lots of concerts, festivals, movie shooting, conferences being canceled or postponed, too many to count and growing exponentially (just like the virus).

 

It's been estimated that Italy may have between 50,000 and 100,000 cases today. Not the numbers officially reported but the ones in latency yet to surface. Their hospitals are getting overloaded with sick people. For those who get a bad case - maybe 5 to 10 percent - it's two to three weeks in the hospital to prevent your lungs from being ruined. That is worse than flu.

 

A friend works for the local hospital and he says they are totally unprepared for a huge surge of sick people. The first few will get good care but the rest won't.

 

There are drugs that seem to eradicate the virus - remdesivir (experimental) and chloroquine (used against malaria, but has side effects). However they are not ready to be loaded on pallets to be sent to hot spots like Seattle, Europe, Iran, South Korea, Japan, Thailand ... so the spread has to be slowed to buy time.

 

This is NOT a political post, merely an observation that theme parks are going to be economic casualties in this. But it is stoppable with behavior changes, even more than technology. There are two ways to catch the carnivorous coronavirus: you breathe someone's cough or droplets when you are close, or you touch some of their emissions and then your fingers inadvertantly transport it into your mouth.

 

I'm trying to be respectful and helpful here, don't want to be banned, but this is more important than worrying about that.

 

Waiting in lines would be a great way to spread it. Sorry.

 

A time-out is needed to stop / slow the spread.

 

it won't be the parks making the decision later this month, it's going to be forced. Sorry.

 

The coasters will still be after the pandemic ends and we can then celebrate the opening of RMC's masterpiece. I like the photo of the last rail.

 

A few health tips (beyond washing your hands).

 

Hot tea inactivates the virus and keeps you hydrated. If you ingest virus by mistake, sending it to the stomach (acids) is better than to your lungs.

 

Elderberry and cordyceps mushroom are thought to prevent its replication, according to Chinese scientists who are very busy right now. Good nutrition, sleep, having a well functioning immune system, staying away from junk food, no preexisting problems, youth are all good factors for having minimal to moderate symptoms.

 

I'm curious how BGT plans to care for their animal during the hiatus. Probably like a hurricane except a longer duration.

 

I'm more concerned about how poorer countries will handle this. India today shut down export of pharmaceuticals that the US health system is totally dependent upon.

 

We could be in for a bumpier ride than an old Arrow corkscrew. OK, dumb joke ...

[coasterbill]

... you feel better now?

[WolfBobs]

Karen on Facebook told me to use Lavender Oils I can get from her totally not MLM business she has going.

 

So I plan on doing that whilst also putting raw potato slices in my socks to pull out any toxins from my body while I visit parks.

 

I am also knitting surgical masks for anyone interested.

[DoinItForTheFame]

... you feel better now?

 

[coasterbill]

For the sake of organization we now have a centralized thread for COVID-19 coronavirus. Feel free to continue this discussion over there.

[boldikus]

Sooooo back to coasters.

 

The park has announced that track work on Iron Gwazi is 100% complete.

 

[fbvideonew]https://www.facebook.com/BuschGardensTampaBay/videos/500313123990856/[/fbvideonew]

[Canobie Coaster]

I don't quite think that rumored March 14 date is happening.

 

I can't wait to start seeing test footage of this ride.

[boldikus]

I think we'll see testing pretty soon. When they had the media event last month someone (maybe Robb?) posted footage inside the station and trains were on track, electric was hooked up, etc. Hopefully that means they'll roll trains soon.

[coasternut79]

I think we'll see testing pretty soon. When they had the media event last month someone (maybe Robb?) posted footage inside the station and trains were on track, electric was hooked up, etc. Hopefully that means they'll roll trains soon.

I agree but will say it seems that wooden and hybrid coasters are not just finished when the last piece of track goes in like with most steel coasters. I've seen a lot of pics lately of workers up in the different structures of the ride adding support bracing, tightening bolts, etc. that takes some extra time. Hopefully testing gets going in a week or so. Can't wait to see what this thing looks like in action!

[A.J.]

Sounds like Rocky Mountain wants to take extra steps to ensure that Iron Gwazi doesn't turn into... Gwazi.

[coasterbill]

The ride is testing.

 

... that's actually unreal