Busch Gardens Tampa – Day One
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After waking up a little before 5:00 am in Michigan, we set off for the airport. We flew out of Muskegon Airport around 7:00 and arrived in Chicago about an hour later. We had a little bit of a layover, then it was off to Tampa. We landed around noon, and were at the park by about 2:00. It was cold (55 degrees!) and gloomy, but I was so thrilled that I was finally there.
Originally we had planned just to hit up BGT on Sunday for a full day. To my mom, the whole point of this little hop over to the park on this day, before driving to my grandparents, was to redeem our bronze “fun passes,” but I knew all along I’d be riding that day for a few hours. What a deal the “fun passes” were! It was the same price as a day pass, but works all season. In addition to that, we received a discount along with a free t-shirt in the gift shop! This deal was so good, it seemed like a major rip off to BGT. How do they do it?!
After one hundred and five days without a coaster, I found myself sprinting towards Montu once in the park. It was a complete walk on. WOW. It blew me away. I was told by most that it was better than Raptor, but I thought there was no way….I was wrong. SO many inversions, in combination with the trenches, made it such a good ride. I re-rode another couple of times, and then forced myself to get off so I could ride the others in the short time we were there.
Next on the list was Gwazi. The park was so empty that only Tiger was running, and it dispatched each time with half-full trains. I chose the back for my first whirl. I was warned numerous times of the painstaking process of loading, so I was prepared for none other. Somehow, I managed a one-click ride…maybe it was the lack of people there and the tiredness of the employees. This being my first woody of the season, I was entirely too excited. I found myself somewhat pleasantly surprised. I had expected nothing great from this ride, but it ended up with some great laterals and short and sweet pops of airtime…but let me tell you, its no Timbers. I re-rode, but this time in the front. I got stapled…big time. My abdomen still hurt 10 mins later. Needless to say, my first ride was better ;).
Next was the almighty Kumba. We hopped the sky ride to the back of the park, which provided us with a great view of the wildlife. I found myself repeatedly saying, “Is that a real elephant/rhino/camel?!?” Ok, so on to Kumba. I had to wait one trainload to get the back right. It was a fun ride, provided some great gs and inversions, but I could tell right away it was not running up to par. Lines had grown, so I couldn’t manage a re-ride on this one. I sure hope one Sunday they replace its square wheels with round ones, so I can truly get a good ride on this beast.
Onto Python. Absolutely NO ONE in the station, I would’ve had a solo ride if it wouldn’t have been for a couple coming up the exit ramp. Overall a decent ride, I hadn’t realized it before, but it was exactly the same as ours at MIA, except a little smoother J. Ok, that was a credit, no re-rides for me since I have it at home.
Scorpion. I had been anticipating this quite a bit, actually, seeing as how it would be my first one of Anton’s creations. I was so impressed by this fun little ride. The loop, the head choppers, and the helixes were great. I just had to re-ride J.
After a hop on the upside-down swinging ship, I headed back to Montu. By now we only had about 30 mins left, and I wanted to purchase some postcards..but I NEEDED to get back on my new favorite invert. I rode two more times, got what I needed, and left the park just as it began to rain. Here are the totals for this two and a half hour visit:
Montu: 5
Gwazi: 2
Kumba: 1
Python: 1
Scorpion: 2
Overall, I loved this park. It was the best feeling in the world to walk midways again. The animal life along with the thrills put BGT in a warm place in my heart. I absolutely cannot wait to head back on Sunday for a full day of riding!
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Kara
403 Laps
Glad you had fun.
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--Greg
"The collective women in your life have more baggage than a Samsonite factory..."
My page
Cheers,
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Bob Hansen
"Excuse me while I kick the sky!"
kickthesky@hotmail.com
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Wild Thing: 75Laps! Power Tower: 73 Rides. Valleyair Security 2002! 8Years Working at Valleyfair!
ST chick said:
"After one hundred and five days without a coaster, I found myself sprinting towards Montu once in the park. It was a complete walk on. WOW. It blew me away. I was told by most that it was better than Raptor, but I thought there was no way….I was wrong."
Sorry for quoting, but I think some other people needed to see that in print (on monitor) one more time. Brakes or no brakes: Montu: Rules the sky! (no offense R-Jo :))
jeremy
--A bird or a GOD? YOU choose!
How true, how true. Montu blows Raptor away as well as every other inverted I have riden IMHO.
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Bob Hansen
"Excuse me while I kick the sky!"
kickthesky@hotmail.com
Montu rules the...trenches. ;)
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"Look for the big black sack of Mofuggin Nuts at your local grocery store". -- Radio ad in FL
And on Montu, just out of curiocity, did you feel the trims? I was expecting them, because of all the people who rip on them, I saw them, they came by, and I didn't feel them... Did you feel them, or was it like what I experienced?
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I have no signature.
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DRACHEN FIRE WILL LIVE FOREVER!!!!
MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
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I've just seen the future...what was I saying?
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Kara
403 Laps
On my *sole* ride on Montu I felt NO slowing before the batwing (and yes, I was kinda bracing for it). After the batwing though we did pretty much come to a dead stop. but at that point I could have gotten off *right there* and Montu would still be my favorite looping coaster of any type (inverted, sitdown, standup, floorless, wooden)
Okay I'm done :)
jeremy
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"Nobody writes about the planes that land." Steve Salerno Washington Times 7-10-01
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Lake Compounce: New England's Holiday World
There is indeed a trim before the batwing on Montu. It wasn't being used when I rode it last week, but it was still there. I have felt it on earlier rides though.
One thing I have noticed is if the trim in the batwing is off, then the block brake will slow the train a lot. If the batwing trim is on, the block brake with not brake as hard.
-Sean
Great TR Kara and BTW your corkscrew dosn't have tree branches hanging only inches from your face in the corkscrews :)
Chuck who has herd two people complain about square wheels on Kumba since his Jan 1 visit. I thought it was the best B&M non invert I had ever ridden PERIOD!
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Charles Nungester
167 coasters asn hopes to be over 200 by the end of 2002
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Flying High Again.
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