Busch Gardens Tampa Bay (BGT Discussion Thread)

I started timing them for the heck of it and the fast I clocked them in was 1:07. Averagely they were closer to 2:30+.

Heh, I would love... LOVE to see Tatsu's or Deja Vu's crew do a 2:30 dispatch! We're talking about 4-6 minutes on average. So, cry me a river with your 1:07 - 2:30....to someone who lives next to crews where your worst case is our BEST case, sorry, "never does that happen" case...you won't get much sympathy from me!

I guess good operations aren't within budget.

^^The operations on those rides when I visited in January...wow. I don't think I'll ever complain about another crew again!

I would hope that they can get these (beautiful!) trains out quickly, but I guess we'll see. It'd be nice if BGT would take note from BGW in the decent operations department.

I was there today and will upload pics later...the Skyride was testing from 9:45 am until I left which was around 12:30. I have a season pass so I went and rode Gwazi twice, Montu, and Sheikra. Park opened at 9:30...I was first in the park. The cheetahs were in the barn and the construction walls and yellow railings are now gone in front of Caravan Crossing and the tower. The landscaping under the tower looks great!

^^ I guess maybe I missed it, but I didn't realize there would be full sized cheetahs there! I thought only the cub would be there with the pooch. Nice touch Busch...

Well, it's set...my 500th credit will be Cheetah Hunt and I'm riding it on Memorial Day. If you want to meet up for this momentus occasion, I'll be at the Morocoo side entrance at 8:45 am. I'm not hard to find...I'm a tall Chinese guy. I'll probably have a TPR shirt or Florida Coaster Club shirt on. If you want to meet up, please send me a PM. I might even split a large Dippin Dots with all of you if you come.

^^ I guess maybe I missed it, but I didn't realize there would be full sized cheetahs there! I thought only the cub would be there with the pooch. Nice touch Busch...

Yup. They have I think 15 cheetahs over at the Cheetah Run habitat (16 including Kasi). They'll have the cheetahs doing sprints several times a day to show how fast these beautiful cats are.

I can NOT wait for Friday. Right now the 10 day forecast shows a high of 89 and 30% chance of rain/storms. The forecast in Tampa Bay changes on a daily basis, but I'll be keeping an eye on it regardless. Just hoping the big grand opening doesn't get rained out.

Well, it's set...my 500th credit will be Cheetah Hunt and I'm riding it on Memorial Day.

Show off! My 300th credit is going to be Cheetah Hunt on Friday. Congrats on getting to 500!

This ride keeps looking better and better... can't wait to hear reviews as I am sure I'll get to this park at some point... hopefully next time I go to Florida. Also Kasi's ADORABLE! Awwww!

by robbalvey » Sun May 22, 2011 9:22 am

 

 

 

Daytona'95 wrote:I started timing them for the heck of it and the fast I clocked them in was 1:07. Averagely they were closer to 2:30+.

 

Heh, I would love... LOVE to see Tatsu's or Deja Vu's crew do a 2:30 dispatch! We're talking about 4-6 minutes on average. So, cry me a river with your 1:07 - 2:30....to someone who lives next to crews where your worst case is our BEST case, sorry, "never does that happen" case...you won't get much sympathy from me!

Fair Enough, but I must admit I can be spoiled by some of the other fine central florida parks that have much, much speedier dispatch time. Guess that means some day I'll have to go to the mountain and experience one of these awesome 4-6 minute crews.

I started timing them for the heck of it and the fast I clocked them in was 1:07. Averagely they were closer to 2:30+.

Heh, I would love... LOVE to see Tatsu's or Deja Vu's crew do a 2:30 dispatch! We're talking about 4-6 minutes on average. So, cry me a river with your 1:07 - 2:30....to someone who lives next to crews where your worst case is our BEST case, sorry, "never does that happen" case...you won't get much sympathy from me!

Robb, keep in mind even if Tatsu/Deja Vu's crew DID get those dispatch intervals half of the seats would be empty......

I wonder if Busch Gardens is going to be able to keep using that building for a haunt location during Halloscreams (or however they spell it)? If I remember correctly the Night Shades Toy Factory haunt has been there the past 2 years but the haunt itself was on the bottom floor not the top level where the new station is going. Hope they can reuse it, I thought that was one of the better locations in the park for a haunted house, but if not Ill take the shiny new Intamin launch coater instead I guess .

Also really looking forward to night rides on this thing during Halloscreams, and Halloscreams in general. Halloscreams seems like it has gotten a lot better recently, almost catching up to Horror Nights in some aspects in my opinion.

^ Yeah, this will be now be a cool area to walk through at night. I love it when coasters fly over and under walkway areas. Makes the park experience that much more interactive. I always think of RCT when you see the people stop and take pictures. Teehee.

^Yeah, I may take about 500 pictures on Friday. There are TONS of places to photograph this ride.

Good news report from Channel 10, with the exception of the host saying he rides all the coasters at BGT, then only naming Python (Which has been gone for 5 going on 6 years)

http://www.wtsp.com/news/local/article/193039/8/Cheetah-Hunt-open-to-everyone-May-27

I wonder if Busch Gardens is going to be able to keep using that building for a haunt location during Halloscreams (or however they spell it)? If I remember correctly the Night Shades Toy Factory haunt has been there the past 2 years but the haunt itself was on the bottom floor not the top level where the new station is going.

Last year nightshade was moved. The entrance was over by the entrance to the gorilla exhibit where that circle of water fountains is. I actually liked the new location a lot.

Good news report from Channel 10, with the exception of the host saying he rides all the coasters at BGT, then only naming Python (Which has been gone for 5 going on 6 years)

Hard to believe it's been almost 6 years since python was closed. Damn.

Anyway, I'll be hopefully taking photos and videos of the contest winner's event after park closes.

The pictures I'm trying to upload is too large of a size

I can say that the walls and railings are down where the tower is and the landscaping looks great! The area looked complete

I rode Gwazi finally with the new trains and they are so much better. I hate rough woodies but now I can re-ride this one. Lion is far more smoother than Tiger. My favorite is Lion back row. Dispatch times are a lot better and it raced the whole day but Lion was always down the drop when Tiger was starting to go down. The workers were really efficient...especially Sheikra! That had to be the shortest wait I've ever had and they were dispatching trains really fast! Great work BG. Probably training for this weekend. Skyride was testing all day! Cheetah Hunt wasn't. Can't wait til Friday!!!!!

^You can use a program like Preview or Picasa to downsize the dimensions of the images so they fit with the rules of the forum and aren't too big size-wise to be uploaded.

To add, even Paint can resize photos these days, it's really quite simple.

Can't wait to hear some more reviews on how this runs!

This Sunday, I was able to stop by Busch Gardens to check up on the progress of Cheetah Hunt. While the ride wasn't doing any test runs during the day, there was plenty going on in and around the ride.

The entrance to Cheetah Hunt appears to be complete.

The attraction's wait time sign is installed and working. Notice the Skyride's ride regulations sign shares the same post as the one for Cheetah Hunt.

This looks completely different than the old Skyride entrance...

The old Edge of Africa gifts stand was retained for the opening of Cheetah Hunt, but has also been expanded heavily to allow for additional retail space beneath the ride's station.

The banners have all been installed on the Cheetah Hunt tower.

The outside of this section of the Crossroads of Culture (that is now the official name for the new realm) looks to be nearly ready...

But work continues on the small things. This banner was hung during our visit.

The Cheetah Hunt Overlook has been completed at the entrance to the Crown Colony Restaurant.

They really have revitalized this corner of the park!

I love how they camouflaged the launch with a bridge!

While the construction walls are mostly gone, barricades block off the entirety of the area until they are ready to open.

It is hard to even remember the old monorail building with this kind of architecture masking it.

I can't wait!

The landscaping around the first overbank out of the launch is complete.

We have some fluffy, fluffy bunnies filled with medicine and goo...

The Overlook is now being advertised around the Crown Colony.

Managers seemed to be inspecting the area throughout the day.

Banners have been installed along the overbank as well.

A better look.

Guests are still routed around the park through a temporary path through the Nairobi Gate. Notice the new fence added to the area that will be Cheetah Run.

This side of Cheetah Run looks like it is finished.

As is this broken archway.

*drools*

Path work continues near the Moroccan Palace Theater...

Over in the Edge of Africa, Cheetah Hunt sprawls across the landscape.

That non-flanged support we noted a while ago? It was made purely to hold another banner.

The guest interactions with this ride will be spectacular.

It hops over the Sky Ride...

See? Over the Sky Ride!

Zero to Cheetah.

^This photo looks so amazing to me. I love Busch's Landscaping. Thanks for taking that photo!

Wow, the ride tower looks great with the banners. And the entire area looks amazing...especially compared to what it was just a couple months ago!

I need to go back and look at the photos I started taking every 2 weeks starting in January through now... amazing how fast this thing went up when you think about it. And what Adam said, this whole corner of the park has been given new life and it looks gorgeous. Friday can NOT get here fast enough!

man it still looks slow, even without trains