Cheetah Hunt

[Drew]

Found this over at Johnnyupsidedown.com. Very interesting stuff. Seems that Busch Gardens Africa in Tampa is seeking for a new coaster as well as 4 new buildings. Here's the form sent to the city.

http://www.johnnyupsidedown.com/new10/bg0a.JPG

What could it be? I would love to see a Hyper coaster like Apollo's Chariot at Busch Gardens Europe. A themed hyper could be phenomenal if done right.

 

[Chris]

Found this over at Johnnyupsidedown.com. Very interesting stuff. Seems that Busch Gardens Africa in Tampa is seeking for a new coaster as well as 4 new buildings. Here's the form sent to the city.

http://www.johnnyupsidedown.com/new10/bg0a.JPG

What could it be? I would love to see a Hyper coaster like Apollo's Chariot at Busch Gardens Europe. A themed hyper could be phenomenal if done right.

All the buzz online is a Sesame Street kids area and kiddie coaster. I was told it would not be that, but I don't know if that information has since changed... Definitely need to make a few calls!

 

[Chris]

All the buzz online is a Sesame Street kids area and kiddie coaster. I was told it would not be that, but I don't know if that information has since changed... Definitely need to make a few calls!

So now I'm hearing a B&M is pretty much signed, but it's a couple of years off. It won't be a 2010 attraction - which makes sense. Anyone that knows anything about the industry can tell ya that you can't just walk up to B&M and buy a ride for next season. They book up years in advance.

This would likely explain why the Sesame Street dealie that I was told was off now appears to be back on - easy plans to plop in with short notice.

 

[Jakemeister]

B&M does have waiting list but rumors of this coaster have been around since I'd say 2006. Maybe not 2010 but it's not out of the question.

 

[Chris]

B&M does have waiting list but rumors of this coaster have been around since I'd say 2006. Maybe not 2010 but it's not out of the question.

Actually it's entirely out of the question. Internet fanboy rumors and actual contracts are very different. InBev put a stop to all projects currently not active when they took over the company. Manta was already too far along in progress to pull the plug on, so that went ahead as planned. It's thanks to the public success of Manta that InBev has reviewed and reconsidered their original direction with the parks, returning funding for captial expenditures to once again move forward.

And that doesn't even touch on the simple fact that 2006, when you say "rumors have been around since," was one year after the opening of SheiKra which was a pretty big investment for the park. In order to get a slot with B&M, you need to put a percentage of the cost down upfront for the ride. Have you ever been to a BEC park? Because they are simply not in the business of putting big ticket rides in the same park in back to back years - especially when speaking strictly in terms of roller coasters.

So, it's not out of the quesion? It's absolutely out of the question.

 

[Jakemeister]

Thank you for clearing that up in such a KIND manor.

By the way it wouldn't have been back to back and I never said that. If rumors start in 2006 then that means it's at the very least for 2007.

 

[Chris]

Thank you for clearing that up in such a KIND manor.

By the way it wouldn't have been back to back and I never said that. If rumors start in 2006 then that means it's at the very least for 2007.

I'm going to reply to this, and then go ahead and just not follow up with any more posts. I really am not here to fight with you, but you refusing to accept information from someone else is making it difficult to prevent that.

If they were persuing a coaster in 2006, that is immediately following the capital expenditure for SheiKra - final payment of which would have been when the ride was handed over in May of 2005. As I explained in such a "KIND" manner already, you can't just ask B&M to hold a slot - you make a reputable down-payment which is a percentage of the ride's total cost. That means they'd be putting money down for a new major coaster immediately following the opening of that park's last major coaster- and that's IF they wanted it to open in 2007.

Look, I know you read it on Screamscape so to you it must be true, but BGT was never planned to get their next major coaster sooner than 2010, and that was cut when InBev stepped in. You're trying to fight a battle - both here and in the Rockit thread - whose sides are internet fanboy rumors and wild speculation on one end and actual manufactorers, designers and park executives on the other. Which do you think is going to have more solid information?

Seriously - whether you want to believe it or not I'm not trying to disrespect you - I'm trying to help you understand how this industry that we both enjoy works from the inside. Rather then butt heads with me, I'd much rather see you learn something from me, but the choice is yours on that. The old "lead a horse to water" anology certainly applies here, and it's exactly what I'm simply not going to reply to anything else you post. I'm not trying to make an enemy of you, and I'm certainly not going to waste anyone else's time reading this contrite banter that is leading no where.

I wish you the best. Now - back to talking Coasters!

 

[P@n!K_Sw1tC#]

Look for BGW's installment to come to BGT next spring. Grover's Coaster will be located between Humphry's (I think that's his name?) stage and the bathroom / food and bev location. Everything else in the area will receive a Sesame Street make-over.

As for the next B&M installment, keep 2012 in mind for this. Sources say the park is paying "special" attention to this project... more-so than previous B&M installments in the park.

 

[tiredoldspook]

I wonder how long INBev will hold on to the Busch Parks? I have a fear of them being taken over, most companies out there don't run year round parks. Busch Parks are normally well run and maintained and have good customer service. Now again lets realize were Busch Tampa sits and how old it is. I think it will be interesting to see what does eventually happen.

Also after Jungala, which to me makes as much sense as Rhino Rally. Well on paper Rhino Rally looked really good.

 

[Brian G.]

From Screamscape

(1/11/10) Screamscape sources tell us that Busch Gardens Tampa has tentative plans in place right now to close down the Skyride in June for up to 7 months. Apparently, if all goes well, this will be to make way for a large project for 2011. So… why close the Skyride? Apparently one of the ideas on table is to reuse the old Monorail side of the shared building to possibly serve as a station for the new attraction. More on this as we dig it up.

 

[King Royalty]

isnt this new coaster that was suppose to launch over the serengeti?

 

[tiredoldspook]

They close the skyride to start setting up for Howl-o-scream also....

 

[bronzey]

is this the skyride enterence closest to Montu that we are talking about? A Hyper like Apollo's Chariot would be great, I remember rumors from Screamscape 2-3 years ago about this

 

[EPCOTcenter]

is this the skyride entrance closest to Montu that we are talking about?....

Yeah it's that one, because the other one is too close to Kumba...

 

[surfer941]

Found this on screamscape

icon_STOP2011/2012 - The Next Coaster - Rumor - (1/14/10) The latest buzz about the proposed BGT 2011 coaster is that it may very well venture out over the premium parking lot as well as run all the way out to Rhino Rally. Sounds huge… which is a great thing. On the flip-side however, I’ve also heard that this will not be a B&M Hypercoaster… and may not be a B&M coaster at all. Hmmm…. I’ll have to ponder that for a bit

 

[Disneyhead]

I'm hoping Intamin Giga. Like Millennium Force and Intimidator 305.

 

[surfer941]

Yeah I'm hoping for an intamin. I wonder how tall it'll be. I doubt it'll be taller than 300 ft because of Florida's 200 ft height limit.

 

[surfer941]

http://www.bgtguide.com/article/193/photos-of-survey-markers-out-on-the-serengeti
Looks like this supports the rumor of using the old monorail station.

 

[Disneyhead]

Yeah I'm hoping for an intamin. I wonder how tall it'll be. I doubt it'll be taller than 300 ft because of Florida's 200 ft height limit.

FL doesn't have a height limit. There is Federal regulation that anything over 200' has to have a flashing red light on the top. That is why there are no rides in the Orlando theme parks over 200'. Everyone thinks that a flashing red light would ruin the themeing of the attractions. But I don't believe that Busch Gardens is that much of a stickler to theme as to let that stop them from building a Giga if they wanted to. A 300' coaster would be rather hard to theme anyway. And Sheikra is already over 200' and has a red beacon on top.

 

[surfer941]

Yeah thats what i was talking about.