Busch Gardens Tampa Bay Fl

I recently took a trip down to Flordia last week. While I was visting my grandparnets I saw that Busch Gardens was 15minutes from my hotel. I took the trip and liked it for the most part. Hardly any one was there and I just kept riding Kumba (they had 3 trains on tues. and 2 trains on wed.) in the front. R.L. Stine's haunted lighthouse is comming in may 2003. My question is why they only had one train running on Montu. Its one of the best coasters there with the longest wait not to mention, and they only had one train running. They should take out scorpion. It hurts your neck extremely bad. On Gwazi they had 2 trains running but only on lion. For those of you who rode the other track(i think its wolf not sure though) is it any differnt.than lion. Surprised on Python about its head-slamming(its an arrow looper with corkscrews) it wasn't too bad and I rode in the middle.Thanks in advanced!

-ryan

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King Kahnua is comming

First off on Gwazi. The other side is the Tiger side not the Wolf side. They are probably only running Gwazi on one side because of the light crowds. It was a walk on for me when I was there last Friday. It is also possible they are doing some rehab on the Tiger side as well. Busch Gardens tends to do all their ride rehabs in the winter when crowds are lighter. Rhino Rally is a perfect example of this. They were doing quite a bit of work on that ride when I was down there.

As for Montu only running one train, again it is the crowds. They were running only one train while I was there and they were having trouble filling that train. If they would have hit about a 15 minute wait then they probably would have added the second train. That is what Seaworld did on Kraken. They started the day with one train and the minute it hit a 15 minute wait (which wasnt until much later in the day) they added another train.

As for Scorpion if you had that many problems with your neck on that ride just be thankful it doesnt have OTSRs then. I happened to enjoy that coaster quite a bit. I look forward to riding it every year as much as I do Montu.

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Bob Hansen

Operation Wicked Twister
Goal: Lose enough weight (50lbs) to ride Wicked Twister in 2K3
Progress: 21 pounds since 1-1-2003

Scorpion hurt your neck? That's gotta be a first. Scorpion is a top ten steel coaster for me...I like it that much.

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SRM 2003-Look for the guy with my name on his chest

Yeah, I'm surprised Scorpion hurt, since it only has lap bars, while Python was just fine for you. Although I have had good rides on every other Arrow coaster I've been on, Python was quite rough.

I wonder why BGT still has three sit-down loopers. Seems like it would be good to get a little more variety.
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You are about to discover what lies beyond the 5th dimension, beyond the deepest, darkest corner of the imagination in the Tower Of Terror.

The *buzz* (pardon the expression) has been that Python was not long for this world ...or at least this park. Employees strongly suggest that there are NO plans to remove Python, although it IS the obvious choice... the ride is ALWAYS a walk-on, even when Scorpion gets a 1- or 2-train wait. Scorpion, as far as I'm concerned, wa worth EVERY bit of the coaster it was traded for, Whizzer...(but yes, PT300, the trade *was* made easier by the fact that Whizzer has no inversions)...;)

For some ODD reason, Montu has been single-training lately even when crowds dictate multiple trains on Kumba...considering the number of trains Montu has, it doesn't really make any sense that it's a rehab thing...

As for Gwazi, well, you'll have to read the upcoming TR...:)
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Dr. Thrill IS my family practitioner
Would you just LOOK at what you've done to CoasterBuzz - you're going to have to clean it up ;)

Python does need to go, I don't think there's any question of that. Gator, is that footprint big enough for an Impulse (I haven't ridden Python in my last 4 visits, probably not since '92 or so)? That would provide you guys with the Intamin you so desperately need. I'll be at BGT at the end of the month so I'll have to check it out for myself.

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SRM 2003-Look for the guy with my name on his chest
*** This post was edited by Mark W. Baruth 3/6/2003 11:09:46 AM ***

Actually Mark...I have a ride picked out for exactly that spot, and no, it's not an Intamin...(can ya believe it?). I don't think there's a long-enough run-out for an Impulse....maybe, but it would be a tight fit lengthwise.

So, you're asking yourself, WHAT would gator put it Python's spot...well, consider the mileage SWF got out of that AMAZING development of the floorless coaster. It *is* the only one in FL, and does draw considerable attention. So, even though it will NEVER happen, this is what I'd put in there....perfect footprint, unique coaster for FL, and a *great* ride....King Cobra...:).

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Dr. Thrill IS my family practitioner
Would you just LOOK at what you've done to CoasterBuzz - you're going to have to clean it up ;)

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rollergator said: perfect footprint

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That was the one redeeming quality I found about Python. The surroundings were beautiful (as are most Arrow corkscrews for some strange reason).

http://www.rcdb.com/installationgallery96.htm?Picture=4
http://www.rcdb.com/installationgallery96.htm?Picture=5
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You are about to discover what lies beyond the 5th dimension, beyond the deepest, darkest corner of the imagination in the Tower Of Terror.

Yes, the woodsy feel around that little coaster *is* quite nice....that's why I wanted KC...it'd fit like a glove...(just not OJ's glove)...;)

There's gotta be SOME reason *those parks* in KY and IN listen to the gator when it comes to expansion, no...;)

I just moved to Tampa, so I guess that makes BGT my home Park!! I love how BG is a well run organinzation featuring, good customer service, minimal waits for rides, beautiful scenery and an overall quality product. Kumba was my first B&M- and it is still awsome.

My only complaint with this great park is that they replaced the monorail with that awful Rino Rally- I mean are they Serious? It stunk.

I hope if they are planning to get rid of python, they wont replace it with some "Python experience" crap ride.

They need a nonstop airtime machine (B&M out & back hyper{or jr. hypr} like AC or Nitro) or an Intamin or Morgan hyper! No Arrow crap please! They have the worst self-stapling lapbars(during the ride) in the world and to my knowledge NEVER to this day have they fixed that system! I hope they get their head out of thier butts and build one in 2004!! I hope they build one instead of wasting their money on a stupid standup coaster! They can add the standup later after filling Florida's serious airtime void!

Just a personal note since I am debating whether or not to even do a trip report for my 10 day trip to Florida but many out here will remember that I was one of the people who absolutely despised Kumba, dismissing it as rough and intollerable. Well, I am now a believer in this coaster. I got some wonderful rides on Kumba last Friday that absolutely rocked my world. I now know what everyone else sees in this B&M masterpiece. I only wonder why I didnt see it before.

Another personal aside, is it me or did the entire staff at Busch Gardens get more rude and less efficient since my last visit, last February? The ride ops on all the rides seemed to be moving in slow motion and had no life to them whatsoever. I had some of the most rude treatment I have ever received at the park as well. I hope that was just an anomoly or me comparing the place to Disney which is where I spent the previous 5 days.

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Bob Hansen

Operation Wicked Twister
Goal: Lose enough weight (50lbs) to ride Wicked Twister in 2K3
Progress: 21 pounds since 1-1-2003

It really loses the effect when you put an exclamation point after every sentence, PFF.

I don't think BGT has ever really had great ride ops. I've never been there on a really busy day, so it hasn't been an issue.

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SRM 2003-Look for the guy with my name on his chest

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Pink Floyd Fanatic said:
They need a nonstop airtime machine!

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And what else is new? Drool.

Note to BGT - Please remove your head from your butt, and give PFF his mega-airtime-nonstop-hyper-tera-machine!

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'That was totally mildly amusing.' - Dan Miron on Superman: The Escape
*** This post was edited by chris 3/6/2003 4:42:14 PM ***

Chris, you bastard!;) LOL! Tera Tera Tera!!!
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Don't you want some ERT?

It's strata. You guys really need to get your meaningless coaster lingo down... ;)
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Never Has Gravity Been So Uplifting.

KickTheSky, your unpleasant experience with BGT employees is surprising. I also went to BGT last friday and had a fabulous time! I didn't notice any of the ride-ops being untolerably slow. I wouldn't say they were as efficient as can be, but I didn't see them slack off. I also thought that the staff was very friendly and kind. Maybe I just got lucky and didn't encounter any rude employees or slow ride ops.

*** This post was edited by lilspike333 3/6/2003 6:38:50 PM ***

Well I can certainly cite some examples for you then. I will just cover the ride ops as this is a coaster board. The usual target is Gwazi and we all know they are slow and even though they were moving unusually sluggish, I will concentrate on a crew that normally kicks some serious butt when it comes to dispatch: Montu.

Granted there werent any lines and they were only running one train, but why must it take five minutes to dispatch a B&M Inverted coaster train? This happened not once to me but five times. The ride ops were slowly making their way down the train, checking restraints, stopping to chat with one another (not to the guests, to other ride ops). It took a crew of four five minutes to dispatch the same type of train that I have seen a Great America crew do consistantly in one minute. I wont even talk about Raptor.

Kumba same thing. I am not saying you had a different experience there lilspike, that was just my observations.

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Bob Hansen

Operation Wicked Twister
Goal: Lose enough weight (50lbs) to ride Wicked Twister in 2K3
Progress: 21 pounds since 1-1-2003

On Scorpoin, May be its because i looked up when we went through the loop. I rode in the middle also, so maybe it was that.

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