- Mar 16, 2010
- 11,087
First off I'd like to remind everyone that everything I say here is strictly based off an off camera conversation I had. Please remember this proves nothing more than it may of happened and that it could still happen. With that in mind take this with a grain of salt as were still years away from any decision being made.
Yesterday at the Cobras Curse Media Preview I had the pleasure of having an off camera discussion with a high ranking SeaWorld Executive. Someone that I've had the pleasure of talking to several times before and someone I highly respect. We discussed a wide range of topics. Everything from executive leadership to employee engagement during Busch's difficult years of buyouts and sell offs was discussed. We talked about what Cobra's Curse meant to Busch Gardens and then how SeaWorld will be impacted by Mako. And thats when it got interesting..
The executive loved Mako and said how Busch Gardens Tampa leadership desperately wanted a major air time coaster like Mako for their park. He explained that the park looked into building and pitched a giga coaster that focused strictly on air time only to have it shot down by corporate leadership in favor of a more family friendly addition to the park. I quickly spoke about how impressive Fury 325 at Carowinds was during a recent trip and how I felt bringing something of that magnitude to Tampa would pull from the Orlando market. His response, a smile, a it sure would, and thanks for all the support.
Now before anyone gets excited let me remind you this proves nothing more than they have discussed and pitched the idea. This does not mean it will ever happen nor that it won't. It simply confirms that Busch Gardens Tampa was considering building a 300ft tall giga coaster in Tampa at one point within the last two years.
Some may say yeah but SWO got Mako so why build something similar at BGT? Take Carowinds and Canada's Wonderland as prime examples. Their Intimidator focuses on air time and hills, where as their Fury focuses on speed and overbanked turns. They are two vastly different ride experiences that would be 90 mins away from each other. Others may talk about what to do with Gwazi. With some pushing for the RMC overhaul. I would love to see a RMC overhaul to Gwazi but I doubt it happens. I can't see it being BGT's next statement attraction. Those only seem to come every 4 to 6 years and they've already tried to market a Gwazi "rebirth" before with the new trains and advertising. Couple in the fact that BGT loves Gwazi field for concerts and wants to expand upon its festival offerings I think its easy to see Gwazi come down for good sometime very soon.
Something we could see happen at BGT is them revisiting an old pitch and plussing it much like they did with Cobras Curse. For those who may not know BGT originally pitched a spinning family coaster that would of used Akbars as the queue and then placing most of the ride where the Clydesdale Hamlet was. Obviously Cheetah Hunt happened and the spinner was shelved but you get the idea. Idea's never die, they just grow into something different or become a variant of the original idea years later. With that being said we may finally see the overhaul of the Bird Gardens section of the park with the addition of a giga coaster that runs along side the park boundary, executes a turn around just west of the Congo River Rapids, and returns to the bird gardens. If your Busch Gardens what better way to bring people in droves to Tampa than a 300ft tall giga coaster?? New coasters are a big thing for BGT and everyone they've ever done posted great attendance increases for them. Couple in increased competition from Universal's pending Nintendo expansion and Disney's Star Wars Land and its begins to become a little clearer that Busch Gardens Tampa's next major coaster could possibly be a Giga Coaster.
Yesterday at the Cobras Curse Media Preview I had the pleasure of having an off camera discussion with a high ranking SeaWorld Executive. Someone that I've had the pleasure of talking to several times before and someone I highly respect. We discussed a wide range of topics. Everything from executive leadership to employee engagement during Busch's difficult years of buyouts and sell offs was discussed. We talked about what Cobra's Curse meant to Busch Gardens and then how SeaWorld will be impacted by Mako. And thats when it got interesting..
The executive loved Mako and said how Busch Gardens Tampa leadership desperately wanted a major air time coaster like Mako for their park. He explained that the park looked into building and pitched a giga coaster that focused strictly on air time only to have it shot down by corporate leadership in favor of a more family friendly addition to the park. I quickly spoke about how impressive Fury 325 at Carowinds was during a recent trip and how I felt bringing something of that magnitude to Tampa would pull from the Orlando market. His response, a smile, a it sure would, and thanks for all the support.
Now before anyone gets excited let me remind you this proves nothing more than they have discussed and pitched the idea. This does not mean it will ever happen nor that it won't. It simply confirms that Busch Gardens Tampa was considering building a 300ft tall giga coaster in Tampa at one point within the last two years.
Some may say yeah but SWO got Mako so why build something similar at BGT? Take Carowinds and Canada's Wonderland as prime examples. Their Intimidator focuses on air time and hills, where as their Fury focuses on speed and overbanked turns. They are two vastly different ride experiences that would be 90 mins away from each other. Others may talk about what to do with Gwazi. With some pushing for the RMC overhaul. I would love to see a RMC overhaul to Gwazi but I doubt it happens. I can't see it being BGT's next statement attraction. Those only seem to come every 4 to 6 years and they've already tried to market a Gwazi "rebirth" before with the new trains and advertising. Couple in the fact that BGT loves Gwazi field for concerts and wants to expand upon its festival offerings I think its easy to see Gwazi come down for good sometime very soon.
Something we could see happen at BGT is them revisiting an old pitch and plussing it much like they did with Cobras Curse. For those who may not know BGT originally pitched a spinning family coaster that would of used Akbars as the queue and then placing most of the ride where the Clydesdale Hamlet was. Obviously Cheetah Hunt happened and the spinner was shelved but you get the idea. Idea's never die, they just grow into something different or become a variant of the original idea years later. With that being said we may finally see the overhaul of the Bird Gardens section of the park with the addition of a giga coaster that runs along side the park boundary, executes a turn around just west of the Congo River Rapids, and returns to the bird gardens. If your Busch Gardens what better way to bring people in droves to Tampa than a 300ft tall giga coaster?? New coasters are a big thing for BGT and everyone they've ever done posted great attendance increases for them. Couple in increased competition from Universal's pending Nintendo expansion and Disney's Star Wars Land and its begins to become a little clearer that Busch Gardens Tampa's next major coaster could possibly be a Giga Coaster.
