Busch Gardens in Tampa, Florida: Home to 3 of World's Top 50 Steel Roller Coasters
October 11, 2008
Hang on to your hats! If you visit Busch Gardens in Tampa, you have the chance to ride three of the Top 50 steel roller coasters in the entire world, as judged by the Golden Ticket Awards.
For 2008, the three Busch Gardens Tampa rides included in the Golden Ticket's Top 50 are Montu (10th place), Shei'Kra (19th), and Kumba (27th). All three roller coasters were built by the Swiss roller coaster company Bollinger & Mabillard (B & M).
The 3 Rides
Montu, which opened in 1996, is an inverted roller coaster; this means the roller coaster trains -- and the riders' feet -- hang down below the track.
Shei'Kra debuted in 2005 and features a 200-foot, 90-degree drop.
Kumba first thrilled Busch Gardens guests in 1993 and turns riders upside-down seven times over the course of almost 4,000 feet of track.
How Were the Top 50 Rides Chosen?
How were the Top 50 rides chosen? Amusement Today is a major theme-park industry publication. Since 1998, The Golden Ticket Awards has been choosing the world's best amusement parks, rides, and attractions based on the voting from among its international group of people who make visiting and enjoying amusement parks a regular part of their lives.
What Were the Top 3 Steel Roller Coasters?
What are the three roller coasters that scored the best? Six Flags New England's Superman Ride of Steel in Agawam, Massachusetts took the top spot. Millennium Force at Sandusky, Ohio's Cedar Point Park was runner-up. Nitro, at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey, was voted third-best.
About Busch Gardens in Tampa
Busch Gardens in Tampa opened in 1959, but the first roller coaster did not open at the park until 1976. Kumba, ranked 27th in this year's Golden Awards, is now the second-oldest roller coaster at the park. While not ranked, Busch Gardens Tampa's other roller coasters include the Scorpion (a looping roller coaster that opened in 1980), Gwazi (a 1999 wooden roller coaster with two distinct, interwoven tracks), and Cheetah Chase (a small, "wild-mouse" style roller coaster). The park's first roller coaster, The Python, was closed and demolished in 2006 to make way for the park's new jungle village called "Jungala."
Resources:
Personal, First-Hand Experience
Amusement Today, Vol. 12 Issue 6.2, accessed October 12, 2008 http://www.amusementtoday.com/image/GoldenTicket8002.pdf
Tampa Bay Online, "3 Busch Gardens Rides Ranked Among Nation's Top 50." Accessed October 12, 2008.
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/oct/10/3-busch-gardens-rides-ranked-among-nations-top-50/
Published by Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez
I am a freelance writer who has contributed web content for numerous websites including Associated Content, The Fun Times Guide, and Edubook. View profile
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17 Comments
Post a CommentI"ve been on some of these roller coasters. :D
=)
Sounds like a fun place.
I used to love roller coasters. I'm just chicken now! The new ones are just too scary.
I can't handle roller coasters, last one I rode was a wooden one at Apple Valley in Minnesota. Scared the begeebers right out of me. That was about 35 years ago.
Sounds like a fun place :) Sheri
I'm a roller coaster junkie.
Super review always wanted to go here thanks!
We've taken so many visitors to Busch Gardens - we could do it with our eyes closed. However - I'm not a roller coaster person!
I've never been to Busch Gardens but we went to both Cedar Point and Six Flags New England this year - Millennium force is my favorite of all time. Superman Ride of Steel was great too, but NOTHING beats Millennium Force!