originally posted on 10/13/2023
Courtesy of Busch Gardens Tampa. View full-sized image.
Following the 2023 debuts of thrill rides at its central Florida theme parks — the 135-foot-tall Serengeti Flyer S&S Screamin’ Swing at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and Bolliger & Mabillard’s) B&M’s Pipeline the Surf Coaster at SeaWorld Orlando — SeaWorld Parks & Resorts is targeting families with its 2024 additions. These will be of particular note to roller coaster enthusiasts, especially those who appreciate the work of B&M. With these additions, the two parks will boast a combined nine installations by the Switzerland-based supplier.
At Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, Phoenix Rising will debut as the park’s 10th roller coaster and will fill the family coaster void created when the park removed SandSerpent, the Mack Wilde Maus it received from sister property Busch Gardens Williamsburg (Virginia) for the 2004 season. It is worth noting that the Pantopia section of the park it will call home also recently saw the removal of a years’-dormant inverting ship ride called Phoenix.
Phoenix Rising will be the first U.S. installation (and third worldwide) of B&M’s Family Suspended Coaster. Its 1,831 feet of track traversed at 44 mph (without any inversions), will be contrary to the more extreme thrills of Montu — the park’s 1996 B&M inverted coaster known among enthusiasts for being one of the more forceful examples of its type. The new coaster’s soaring flight above the nearby Serengeti Plain will be enhanced by a soundtrack made possible by an onboard audio soundtrack, and its 42-inch height requirement guarantees younger riders will not be excluded from the experience.
Courtesy of SeaWorld Orlando. View full-sized image.
At SeaWorld in nearby Orlando, the former (and short-lived) Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin dark ride has been removed to make room for Penguin Trek — an indoor/outdoor adventure that travels along 3,020 feet of track with speeds up to 43 mph. The ride will be highlighted by a simulated penguin colony and a journey through SeaWorld Orlando’s expansive penguin habitat, which remains open during the construction of the new roller coaster.
While not necessarily another B&M prototype like this season’s Pipeline the Surf Coaster, Penguin Trek will represent a foray into the realm of sit-down family coasters, featuring snowmobile-themed vehicles with two-across seating. Accommodating riders with heights between 42 and 77 inches, the ride will also be accessible to most guests.
Courtesy of SeaWorld Orlando. View full-sized image.
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and SeaWorld Orlando have not yet announced opening dates for these additions but promise that, as in the past, annual passholders will be able to be the first to experience Phoenix Rising and Penguin Trek.
— Rob Ascough, ACE News Editor
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