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Busch Gardens Tampa Bay (BGT Discussion Thread)

p. 375: Phoenix Rising family inverted coaster announced for 2024!

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New Attraction for Adventure Island to be announced soon!

I'm pretty much ecstatic to see this happening. It's so awesome to see a new addition to the park just two years after the last new ride. Can't wait!!

Edited by Dombot
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I personally think that area needs a good flat ride package of some sort. Something similar to BGW's Da Vinci's Garden of Inventions. I love the park, but it really is lacking in flat rides. They could still put in a compact style coaster (like a Premier Sky Rocket II which has been rumored since before Cobra's Curse). Of course I'd love a nice hyper or giga, but there are other places they can put that (like the station in Tidal Waves spot running back to the retention ponds).

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  • 2 weeks later...

Fright Feast went up by $8 and they moved the fiends show to Stanleyville, still a solid purchase as you get a full meal before the event opens and 1.5 hours of express access, but that's a decrease in value.

 

Also one house less than last year, I'm surprised that the Black Spot is not returning as it fit the area very well. Good on them to keep Motel Hell which is an incredible haunt.

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What exactly is the theme this year? And when will the announcement for adventure island happen?

I hate to say it, but with the opening dates getting closer and closer, HOS may take on a sort of generic Fright-Fest sort of format.Not saying I've given up hope just yet, but that's my prediction.

 

As for Adventure Island... well, God knows. BGT loves taking their sweet, sweet time don't they?

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Hey everyone! I belive this is my first time on this thread and let me say that I love this park! I went twice and they let me bring a gopro on all the rides, so I took some videos and took screen shots of those then I made them into this

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This is a real picture that was prismad!

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With Irma now headed straight for Tampa, how much damage will BGT get? Will there be any serious problems?

 

I fully expect BGT and Adventure Island to have the most downtime of all the Florida Parks. BGT is not in a storm surge area, but they will certainly lose some power and have some damage that will need to be cleaned up Tuesday and maybe longer.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Now Gwazi doesn't get RMC'd . . . . what (if anything) goes in its place?

 

What would go there....Who knows. What I'd like to see there....A Mega-Lite style coaster.

They already have Cheetah Hunt, which is pretty similar so I think they'd avoid it. But going with the sister-park logic that SeaWorld does, perhaps they could even just take it down and put a new GCI there to fill the lack of a wooden coaster, maybe a more intense kind a la Gold Striker compared to InvadR. It's an interesting situation, but as long as it doesn't stand SBNO for much longer and something happens I'd be happy.

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Cheetah Hunt is similar to a Mega-Lite? Have you ever ridden one?

 

if you go to the Intamin page, and look up Mega-Lite, the example looks like Cheetah Hunt track. . think that's where the poster is getting the comparison from.

 

https://www.intaminworldwide.com/project/mega-lite/

 

tho I don't think they are the same at all.. . maybe in appearance of track only?

 

ETA: and I love that the Intamin site uses TPR video for the example of Mega-Lite. . .

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I probably should have spent more time working on the phrasing of that lol. When I say they're similar I mean mainly by association, I can tell the differences. The main thing is that variety and filling gaps in the lineup is better. If they'd like to they can get a thrill ride, but perhaps something different or more unique. Not complaining about the idea

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I honestly don't see them adding another wooden coaster with them getting rid of basically 2 that are still SBNO. Even if it were built with steel supports, I don't see it. If not a giga, I'd be satisfied with an Intamin Mega-lite or Hyper. At least it would stand out against Mako up the road. That way there would be some sort of airtime coaster without inversions that makes up for not having a wood coaster in the park.

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Last night Theme Park Review was invited to attend this year's Howl-O-Scream at Busch Gardens Tampa. The event features 7 houses (2 of which are new), 5 scare zones (3 of which are new), 2 shows and 6 rides for guests to enjoy.

 

Starting with the new houses, here are our thoughts on Howl-O-Scream 2017!

 

Demented Dimensions - Our favorite house of the event, this house is located next to the Opening Night Critters theater and Sand Serpent, the venue where Zombie Mortuary had been hosted in previous years. This house plays by no rules and follows no singular story. Each room is a different theme, a different effect and a different scare. Howl-O-Scream fans will recognize some repurposed set pieces in this house but it is the entirely new rooms that set this house apart.

 

Undead Arena: Live - The other new house of the year, Undead Arena is neat in that it starts off with your group being separated into different paths (you meet midway through the house) and focuses more on the need to get out and less on the details of the rooms you're in. The opening trick set the tone for us and while the rooms were a little more bare than other houses', this was still a favorite of ours for the night. Undead Arena: Live operates in one of the pavilions found in Gwazi Park.

 

The Black Spot - A returning house from the previous year, this pirate-inspired house packed a punch with some great scares throughout the caverns. Inventive flooring and staging of set pieces in the existing caverns made this incredibly effective.

 

Zombie Containment Unit 15 - The only house not included in the Front of the Line pass because of its capacity and popularity. Best described as a combination between a traditional horror house and a game of laser tag, this year's version is far more tame with its linear path. The gimmick of using laser tag guns is a nifty one but one that ultimately isn't necessary for the enjoyment of the houses' scares and one that when compared to past Zombie Containment Unit houses, is far more simplified than the version that debuted at the event a few years back.

 

Death Water Bayou - Our returning favorite--the tone, the sets, the effects and the scares are all phenomenal. This is the closest thing you'd find to compare a Halloween Horror Nights house to a Howl-O-Scream offering--one that stands a chance to best its Orlando competitor.

 

Unearthed - A returning house from last year, this house runs throughout the former Gwazi queue (which is a real treat to walk as a coaster fanatic) and makes great use of the former ride's extended queue. Some great lighting and mechanical set pieces make this a top house of the year, and much better than we remembered from last year.

 

Motel Hell - A neat house with some fun scares... Our least favorite of the night, but that was more the fault of the other houses being so strong this year.

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The horror begins outside of the entrance to the park... Very few places are safe during Howl-O-Scream!

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The entrance of Howl-O-SCream is filled with sinister characters... And this is before you even enter the park!

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We're in for a night of terror!

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It wouldn’t be Howl-O-Scream without some bloody good beverage options!

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First up at Howl-O-Scream 2017 was Zombie Containment Unit 15: Moving Targets. A combination of laser tag and a haunted house!

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Getting briefed on how to survive Zombie Containment Unit!

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The undead fill the halls of the Zombie Containment Unit!

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Shoot the target, stun the zombie!

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Night rides are always worth a spin on Cobra’s Curse especially when the wait times are so low!

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Time to journey into the Death Water Bayou!

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We have a feeling things aren’t going to end well for Adam tonight!

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The ghost of Gwazi looms over the entrance of Death Water Bayou.

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Setting the tone for such a brilliant house!

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Hanging out with the natives of the Death Water Bayou...

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Be on the lookout for the Bayou Queen!

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Busch Gardens always finds a way to use its spining tunnel.

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Fiends is an annual tradition at Busch Gardens Howl-O-Scream!

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And the Naughty Nurses are happy to return each and every year!

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The entrance area for The Black Spot.

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One of the new scare zones this year...

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With some very impressive roaming actors.

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Only at Howl-O-Scream can you play bumper cars with a zombie!

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A close encounter of the zombie kind.

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A very cool idea!

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Demented Dimensions features very unique rooms, one of which includes a colorful Alice in Wonderland section!

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The giant rat monster from previous years' events has returned for another year of inducing terror.

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Extremely effective!

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CHEESE!

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You never know where a ghost may appear!

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The Meat Market is a collection of shops and games that guests can enjoy on their way towards Undead Arena: Live.

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Of course there are scare actors here too!

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Strike a pose!

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This game has guests picking brains for prizes.

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Want to bust these zombies' teeth out? For $3 you can.

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The Meat Market area has a cart that is selling cooked caterpillars!

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Heading into Undead Arena: Live!

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We were separated from each other almost immediately upon entering the Undead Arena.

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Who will win?

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Motel Hell is the last of the returning houses...

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Definitely a double-flusher.

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This room is insanely effective!

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Howl-O-Scream runs for 18 additional nights (the 19th was last night) this year and we'd strongly recommend you go out to Busch Gardens to check it out! You won't regret the quality and fun that goes into bringing this event to life!

Edited by jedimaster1227
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