Busch Gardens Tampa announces Iron Gwazi roller coaster
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From the press release:
A new legend is surfacing in 2020 at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay with the evolution of Iron Gwazi, North America’s tallest, and the fastest, and steepest hybrid coaster in the world. Manufactured by Rocky Mountain Construction, Iron Gwazi will be 206 feet tall, feature a 91-degree drop, and reach top speeds of 76 miles per hour. The journey will include three inversions and 12 airtime hills as it races along more than 4,075 feet of purple steel track. With a 48” height requirement, Iron Gwazi will be an exciting thrill attraction that families can take on together.
“Iron Gwazi is the evolution of a classic wooden coaster into a modern icon,” said Stewart Clark, Park President of Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. “From the bones of the original Gwazi, a new legend rises, reaching taller heights and faster speeds, delivering the next-level thrills that our coaster fans crave and expect from Busch Gardens.”
While elements of the former wooden attraction will be integrated into the new ride, the steel track and reimagined layout of Iron Gwazi present an entirely unique experience that tells a different story. Iron Gwazi will highlight the best of both worlds — the classic nostalgia of a wooden coaster and the bold innovation of a steel coaster. Thriving and adapting over millions of years, this evolutionary crossroad is perfectly represented in the crocodile, the largest living reptile and the animal inspiration for Iron Gwazi.
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This will absolutely get me back to the park for the first time in 4+ years. I forgive the years of the ridiculous eyesore this thing became after it went SBNO if the end result is anything like what Steel Vengeance did to Mean Streak.
Between this, Ice Breaker, and the stuff going in at Disney, central Florida is going to be getting a lot of our tourism.
Hobbes: "What's the point of attaching a number to everything you do?"
Calvin: "If your numbers go up, it means you're having more fun."
Yep.. methinks that next year will be a big Florida trip year for HHN and new rides.
I call Cedar Point my home park even though I live in the Chicago Suburbs.
I do love BGT, but it's such a pain in the ass to get to, and I already live on the southwest side of Orlando. I-4 is like torture, any time of day. But I will absolutely be out to see these two in the spring.
Jeff - Editor - CoasterBuzz.com - My Blog
I need a long weekend to do non Disney and a long weekend for Disney next year.
Tekwardo said:
I need a long weekend to do non Disney and a long weekend for Disney next year.
You will need a lot longer than a long weekend to do Disney...
Hobbes: "What's the point of attaching a number to everything you do?"
Calvin: "If your numbers go up, it means you're having more fun."
Jetsetter said:
So Gwazi is a crocodile now? I always thought it was a "lion and a tiger mixed."
That’s a Liger. It’s bred for its skills in Magic. Pretty much my favorite animal.
Jeff- Know where it’s REALLY a PITA to get to Tampa from? Rochester, NY. Pricy, too. What makes it difficult from Orlando?
But then again, what do I know?
Traffic, I assume. But when someone outside the DC metro area* complains about traffic, I chortle.
*or these cities.
Solid name. Glad they keep one of the better made up names plus grabbed the ferrous adjective. Is a Gwazi a made up mythical creature? Every google result seems to reference BGT...
I'm sure the ride will be good too.
ShaneDenmark said:
Jeff- Know where it’s REALLY a PITA to get to Tampa from? Rochester, NY. Pricy, too. What makes it difficult from Orlando?
#FirstWorldProblems
I wonder if I can somehow trademark "Iron" as a prefix. Royalties galore!
Hobbes: "What's the point of attaching a number to everything you do?"
Calvin: "If your numbers go up, it means you're having more fun."
Cedar Fair should of named Steel Vengeance, Iron Streak. If there was an issue of confusion with Iron Dragon well they should of renamed that Gliding Liger.
Cause they’re cool renaming 30 year old suspended coasters right? (+1 for historical references).
While at it rename the Million dollar midway to the midway of stupid magical creatures (co starring the Valrayn and Rougarou)
Re: I-4, it's just always a crowded road, people drive like morons (not in the predictably Midwest fashion, either), there are almost always accidents and typical summer downpours slow it to a crawl. Granted, it's not as bad if you get on at 429 and points west, and fortunately you don't have to go all the way into Tampa proper (both make it worse), but it's just a crappy, stressful drive. I used to have to go to Tampa every other week for work, and I just hated it.
Jeff - Editor - CoasterBuzz.com - My Blog
When I visited in February I stayed in Orlando but spent a lot of that time on day trips to Tampa - a day for Busch, a day for the state fair, and a day for the Showman’s Museum. I also have friends that live in south Central Florida, way past Winter Haven. I wish I had the time that I spent sitting on 1-4 that week. What should’ve been a 40-45 minute trip was most days well over an hour. And it didn’t seem to be any particular thing, but there was always a dead crawl around
Lakeland that went on for miles.
And I-4 was worse going the other direction
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