Photo TR: Busch Gardens Tampa 10/30/05

[Homer]

So I arrive at the park at 9:15 and dash over to SheiKra. I only had a one train wait for the back row for some serious air. It seems SheiKra's mid course brake run has become more slower. Either to keep up suspense or lower the air. I was a little disappointed by that, but still had a great ride.

 

SheiKra; 7/10

 

After everybodys favorite Latin singing coaster, I decided to walk through Congo. A member on floridathrills.net were curious about a defunct ride and where it was located. The defunct ride? An old Eyerly (?) Aircraft Monster flat ride called the "Monstrous Mamba". The remnants of the old flat are still there, the queue and ride area has become seating for the nearby Vivi Storehouse restruant. Hard to believe, but the ride had a nice waiting area, but a bit messy. Lets just say there was a beer cup full of number one and I didn't want to go further than that. I took a few pics, then left.

 

After that, I got some decent shots of everybody's favorite old Arrow Corkscrew, The Python. I was then going to walk toward Kumba, I arrived at the area, but then here is the number one thing that would piss me off.

 

KUMBA WAS CLOSED!

 

Angered, I walked on over to a dead Timbuktu for a ride on Elissa's first credit and a kick ass Schwarzkopf, Scorpion. The crew there seemed a bit slackerish there and I got a back seat ride. Of course, Scorpion still had a great ride.

 

Scorpion; 8.5/10

 

Following Scorpion, I walked over to Montu and suddenly I hear an announcement going throughout the bullhorn system on the Skyride. The Skyride ended up getting stalled in the high winds and just about everybody was freaking out up there. So anyways, on to Montu. ALL DAY, there were one train waits and I got a few rides on this thing. I have to say this, Montu was running a LOT better than it was a few months ago.

 

1. The trim by the Batwing isn't on.

2. The mid course doesn't brake that much anymore.

 

Those two factors made Montu kicking ass like it did in 2000. All of the crazy G's and such, no feeling of rolling back on the hill between the helix and corkscrew. Montu gets a 10/10, running great with two trains all day!

 

After Montu, I headed over to Kumba again, nope, still closed... I then went over to the Festhaus (I hate calling it Desert Grill) and had a 1/2 slab rib lunch. Great food, and got a creepy pic of Elissa's beloved Garlic Breadsticks.

 

Following a great lunch, I suddenly hear Kumba was back up. I dashed over and waited 5 minutes to ride Kumba. Got a second row seat and this thing still kicks ass, yet a little bumpy. The zero-g giving the usual airtime, everything running smoothly. Kumba gets a 9.5/10.

 

Following Kumba, I was bored and decided to ride the Arrow masterpeice everybody loves. Yes, I rode Python and I actually find this to be smoother than Gwazi. If a 25+ year old Corkscrew is better than a 6 year old GCI, something is wrong. Anyways, still the same bumpy and short ride.

 

Python; 5.5/10

 

After a ride on old Python, I decided to get another few rides on Montu, still running on "kick ass" mode. On one of the rides on Montu, I ended up sitting next to a bunch of wasted college kids, that ride was scary just for the fact of fearing of getting puke all over you.

 

After riding Montu, I went around and did a few more random pics and such. Following the random pics, I then dashed over to SheiKra. Suddenly I see the general public looking at SheiKra, shocked.

 

I looked up, and joy... the train got stuck on the lift again. They had to use the emergency trolley to get the riders down. I said to myself "Lucky bastards." It would be cool just to be rescued by that little thing. But after that, I called it a day.

 

Sorry Erik, didn't see any little kids getting owned by SheiKra's water splash.

 

Anyways, on to the photos;

Thanks imageshack.us ! I'm too darn lazy to resize these...

 

SheiKra- second drop yo!

 

SheiKra- the splash is tiny, trust me...

 

Woop- my bad...

 

Python- everybody's favorite old corkscrew.

 

Had to walk in the landscaping a little bit to get this shot... Marvelous...

 

On my way to Kumba- I discovered a "boneyard" behind Kumba's MCBR. That car you see there, it belongs to the mini car ride inside Land of the Dragons.

 

This photo screams "Email Dan!" or PhotoChop Contest.

 

GRR... I'm the Garlic Breadstick monster... PH34R M3H!

 

Always a great sign to see this running!

 

In there lies Furries!

 

ALERT THE INTERNET! I went into X-cursions and decided to use their computers to check new posts on TPR. Instead, Busch blocks TPR for "shopping". Am I going to buy all of the DVD's and get a Tee at BGT? I guess TPR isn't PG-13 anymore .

 

CAMEL TOES!!1!

 

Lucky stiffs... they get to be rescued by the emergency trolley...

 

Stalling from another angle.

 

And to end this Photo TR, a Donkey. Inside the Clydesdale Hamlet lives a Donkey named Spirit. Is he the same donkey that was on the famous Budweiser commercials for the Super Bowl? Oh, and sorry for the bars, nothing I could do about that unless I were the Incredible Hulk.

 

Comments of happy fun time?

[Erik Johnson]

Hmmmmm I wonder if BGT actually read Robb's survey answers involving the trims on Montu. They certainly were on full when we rode it a week ago last Friday. I also noticed the brakes before SheiKra's second drop seemed to slow the train down more than it used to (Just like you said). Too bad you did not get any pictures of people getting owned by SheiKra's water effect, maybe Robb will post his sometime.

[jackskellington101]

Great TR! I love it! I'm definately going to have to remember the "Root of All Evil" sign for Photochops in the future. Did you stick around for Howl-O-Scream or just stay the day?

[Homer]

^Stay the day, most of HOS's houses are returns.

[ParkTrips]

1. The trim by the Batwing isn't on.

2. The mid course doesn't brake that much anymore.

 

Wow, complete oposite of when I went a few weeks ago. Well, I got on the first ride in the morning and the trim before the batwing was off, but the other times it on pretty hard, not to mention the bitch of a midcourse that sucked. Oh well, maybe we caught it on a bad day.

[SharkTums]

2 Things...

 

Scorpion was not my first coaster, it was my first coaster with a loop

 

I don't like the breadsticks!!!! I like the old garlic bread that they got rid of!!!!

[AllisonY2K]

yeah what's so bad about a phallic shaped breadstick anyway?

 

that emergency trolly is the coolest!

 

I can't believe they renamed the Festhaus. then again, a German-themed restaurant in Timbuktu did seem a tad out of place.

 

I still miss the monorail.

[Erik Johnson]

2 Things...

 

Scorpion was not my first coaster, it was my first coaster with a loop

 

I don't like the breadsticks!!!! I like the old garlic bread that they got rid of!!!!

 

Doh, I also thought it was your first credit as well....Im sure Big Thunder or Space Mountain was probably your first.

[Slacking]

^Stay the day, most of HOS's houses are returns.

 

HOS was great this year though.

 

The two all-new houses were both spectacular and they blew away anything over at HHN. The event was worth attended just for these houses.

 

Freaked had the same concept and used some of the same props as Darkhearts, but there also were quite a few changes.

 

The Mortuary had a few minor changes to it.

 

Deathly Departed, once again very similar to Last year's Til Death....., but the changes made to it make it feel like a different house.

 

3rd Dementia, Busch's traditional 3D house, but it was the best of the 3D houses I've been through.

 

HOS doesn't have the same crowds or budget that HHN has so that introduce 6/7 brand-new houses a year, but they do make changes and improvements to the returning houses, so its not like you're going through the exact same experience.