Gwazi Prepares For It's Last Ride

Every great thing must come to an end. That is espescially true with theme parks. A ride or attraction comes up, the millions of fans enjoy it over the years, than it is to come down to make way for the next big thing. Busch Gardens Tampa recently announced that Gwazi was going to shut down early in 2015, and now the time has come. Today, the park confirmed that Feb 1rst will be the last dive for Gwazi.

The $10 million Gwazi opened on June 8, 1999. It was Florida's fastest and only dueling wooden roller coaster that had a record 6 fly-bys of the two trains. The 7,000 feet of track had the trains reaching speeds of up to 51mph, but was generally known for its rough ride. In 2011, Busch Gardens replaced the trains with Millienium Flyer trains that temporarily reduced the roughness of the ride and made it a lot more tolerable for park fans. In 2012, the Tiger side of Gwazi closed permanently and only the Lion side was running to this day.

Gwazi reached as high as 38 in the Golden Ticket Awards for Top Wooden Roller Coasters in 2004 and as high as 30 in 1999 in Mitch Hawkers Best Roller Coaster Poll for best wooden-tracked roller coasters. Nowadays thrill seekers ride it as a unique experience of a wooden roller coaster in Florida, but very few ride again because of the roughness of the ride.

After 15 years, the time has come to take it down. “No decisions have been made about what lies ahead for Gwazi or for the future plans of that area of Busch Gardens,” said Park President Jim Dean. “But, we are always looking for ways to enhance guests’ experiences, so stay tuned for more news.” I am certain that Busch Gardens has something in mind and will surprise all of us when it comes.

I will be there on Feb 1rst and I will be taking my farewell voyage on Gwazi for the years of enjoyment it has given me. I am always sad to see an attraction go, but even happier to see something new come out way.

Be sure to take advantage of these last couple of weeks at Busch Gardens by getting a fun pass or annual pass to the park. Not only can you enjoy your farewell ride on Gwazi, but come back all year long and visit the other wonderful attractions Busch Gardens has to offer. For more information about Busch Gardens, be sure to visit their website and learn what they all have to offer.

I am David "Thrills" and I am an avid goer to Busch Gardens. As always, if you have any questions I may be able to help you with, or just want to hear my updates and live in-park tweeting, follow me @TampaAmazeMe or email me at TampaThrillMe@gmail.com >

Informational facts from this article drawn from Wikipedia. Photo used is from The Commons Getty Collection Galleries.