Busch Gardens Tampa Bay (BGT Discussion Thread)

[KBrylczyk]

There's  a joke in here about Lightning Rod PTSD but I'm not finding it currently.

[tndank]

IG down until the 12th as of right now. Posted on their closure page now. 

[Invertalon]

Was at BGT on Tuesday and thankfully was able to get on Iron Gwazi... It was up and running 2 trains just fine up until about 2 or so, when it went down. Eventually we went over and asked if it would reopen and was told it would not for the rest of the day.

Bummer, as we wanted a few rides before heading out, but at least we got on in the morning a few times.

IG by the way is easily my favorite RMC. Completely kills Vengeance in my mind, no question (I really, really hate the ending of Vengeance...). It was a stunning ride and took my #1 spot for RMC, at least. It was good redemption after riding Wonder Woman at SFMM days prior and how terrible that thing was...

But yeah, even the trains were better than usual. RMC must have made some tweaks from many of their other rides so the shin bar isn't actually pressing against my shin, leaving a bit of room, so it doesn't feel like it will snap my leg in two during airtime moments like so many of their other rides. HUGE improvement there.

[SharkTums]

2 hours ago, tndank said:

IG down until the 12th as of right now. Posted on their closure page now. 

I'm sure they want it open again by IAAPA. RMC needs to show it off!

[YoshiFan]

I went to the park for a few hours today. Operations were surprisingly good compared to usual. Iron Gwazi was only stacking for 20 - 30 seconds. Cheetah Hunt had both loading stations open and was running 4 trains despite the trains going out with multiple empty rows. I thought it was interesting on a day when the park was empty that both Cheetah Hunt loading stations were open but not on days I visited during the summer when it was much more crowded. Montu was only running 1 train but understandable with it being a 1 - 2 train wait both times I rode the coaster.

I saw 2 maintenance workers at Phoenix. It looked like they were loading a water dummy into a seat and lifting restraints up and down on some of the other seats. I hope it does re-open with a day like today really showing how few flats and non coaster rides are operating. It was in the upper 60's, kind of cold for the water rides since you get soaked on both of them and besides those rides, that left the carousel, train and bumper cars for the only non coaster rides open. The new Screamin' Swing will help too.

 

[Dan the Coaster Man]

I rode Iron Gwazi for my first time 11/14, it was absolutely fantastic after a couple okay rides in the morning. The whole warming up thing is no joke. 2nd fav RMC after Lightning Rod, and Lightning Rod is probably only ahead because I have a bias for launches. It was great to be back in the park after nearly 6 years.

[CaptainUnknown]

Any rides with mandatory bunnies? My last visit was before Tigris and Iron Gwazi opened. I have vague recollection that all other rides do have a place to put a water bottle off to the side. Has that changed at all?

[Nrthwnd]

^ " ..... mandatory bunnies?...."

Lol.

[AmyUD06]

2 hours ago, CaptainUnknown said:

Any rides with mandatory bunnies? My last visit was before Tigris and Iron Gwazi opened. I have vague recollection that all other rides do have a place to put a water bottle off to the side. Has that changed at all?

I can't speak to IG, but as of February 2021, no ride had mandatory lockers IIRC.

[CaptainUnknown]

3 hours ago, Nrthwnd said:

^ " ..... mandatory bunnies?...."

Lol.

I refuse to let the old forum's best word filter die.

[YoshiFan]

They covered up the cubbies in the station at rides like Montu. Most people leave the drinks and shoes on the floor of the station. At Cheetah Hunt, there is a shelf in the station for those items. Iron Gwazi also has small zippered pouches at each seat for loose articles.

[Nrthwnd]

^^ Yeah, but doesn't it include something about l-o-c-k-e-r-s .... too?

It's my memory, and I'm sticking to it.

[CaptainUnknown]

16 minutes ago, Nrthwnd said:

^^ Yeah, but doesn't it include something about l-o-c-k-e-r-s .... too?

It's my memory, and I'm sticking to it.

Yep. On the old forum, the word filter for locker(s) was fluffy, fluffy bunnies filled with medicine and goo.

It is my understanding that the new forums can't handle word filters. That, or nobody's bothered to program them back in.

[Nrthwnd]

^ <sighs> Good times, those word filters.....

 

And now, back to BGT News!

[hoppedup]

Looking forward to getting back down to Florida next Thursday and riding Iron Gwazi. It was testing when I was there in February. Also looking forward to Montu. It was being painted on my last trip. Don't really care that Sheikra is closed on this trip as well. Excited to have my daughter join me on this one. She will be 21 in January and I'll lose my DD 

[hoppedup]

We had a fantastic day at BGT last Thursday. We got Iron Gwazi x2, Cheetah Hunt x2, and Montu x2 before the deluge that lasted two hours. When the rain cleared the park was dead.  I think we rode Iron Gwazi a total of ten times. While not as intense as Steel Vengeance, or as relentless as some of the smaller RMCs, this is one damn fine coaster. The number and mixture of elements is crazy. I think the downward barrel roll was my favorite. The rain started back up around 4:30 and they announced they were closing at 5. We got on every coaster running that day except Scorpion which was down a couple of times during the day and we had bad timing.

 

The queue for IG all day:

 

[TrippinBillie]

The park is closing and dismantling their Intamin flat ship: Phoenix.  I loved that thing!  I thought it was so cool how it'd hang upside down.  Lots of people would just watch the ride cycle.  It's next to Falcon Fury, so I wonder what the future of that area will be?

[swfan1988]

Its been closed for how long now? 5 years? It's about time they did something with it...

I wouldn't bet on a replacement, BGT seems to have a nasty habit of taking forever to replace closed attractions...

[TrippinBillie]

15 minutes ago, swfan1988 said:

Its been closed for how long now? 5 years? It's about time they did something with it...

I wouldn't bet on a replacement, BGT seems to have a nasty habit of taking forever to replace closed attractions...

I think it has been 5 years, maybe more?  I should have stated something other than they "closed" it.  It's been SBNO for years.  Seems like Falcon's Fury might have the same Intamin Flat luck that Phoenix has.  Hope not, though.

[CaptainUnknown]

Falcon's Fury is still the prototype. The signs around the attraction seem to indicate supply chain issues (which I read as: closed until the roi makes sense). The ride vehicle still appears fully assembled on the tower. Don't know if that's a good sign or bad.

[andrew.mora]

On 12/19/2022 at 7:16 PM, TrippinBillie said:

The park is closing and dismantling their Intamin flat ship: Phoenix.  I loved that thing!  I thought it was so cool how it'd hang upside down.  Lots of people would just watch the ride cycle.  It's next to Falcon Fury, so I wonder what the future of that area will be?

I don't care what people think of Looping Starship rides.

I use to love it.

[DoinItForTheFame]

On 12/19/2022 at 8:30 PM, CaptainUnknown said:

Falcon's Fury is still the prototype. The signs around the attraction seem to indicate supply chain issues (which I read as: closed until the roi makes sense). The ride vehicle still appears fully assembled on the tower. Don't know if that's a good sign or bad.

We just rode FF this summer. It was down most of the day. Got on it when it opened. Shut down after our cycle. Not seeming very reliable.

[Invertalon]

I think I've been to BGT 4 times over the years since FF has been there and never once see the thing run, let alone be open. Quite crazy they never figured the thing out.

[coasternut]

^ Intamin -- go figure.

[thrillseeker4552]

I moved to FL in June 2021 and Falcon's Fury ran pretty consistently from then until April of this year when it suddenly shut, and aside from a brief reopening sometime in the summer, has been shut since.