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Busch Gardens Tampa: General Discussion

Ok that ride was absolutely awesome. Done one back row so far and going round for more. Definitely the most intense coaster I’ve ever been on. I was expecting airtime, and there’s more than on anything I’ve ridden and in places that the profiling wouldn’t lead you to think there would be so much, but the big surprise of the ride for me was the positives. Good god.

They’ve staffed the ride well, four attendants on restraints. Throughput still sucks though, but then again it is brand new.
 
Great to hear you enjoyed @MakoMania! I’ve heard a few people now talk about IG’s positives, and I’ll admit that these reports surprise me, as I’d never think of RMCs as coasters with super high positive g-forces based on what people typically say about them. It does appear as though RMC are trying to move away from building rides solely focused on airtime, though, as Iron Gwazi and Zadra look like they have less of those little abrupt airtime pops than other RMCs, but a wider range of other sensations (e.g. high speed turns to induce high positives).

One thing I would say, though, is that some of the transitions look very abrupt; almost a tad painful. I don’t know if this is the fact I’ve never ridden an RMC talking, but some of those transitions do look like they might hurt a bit, even compared to other RMCs.
 
Matt N said:
Great to hear you enjoyed @MakoMania!
One thing I would say, though, is that some of the transitions look very abrupt; almost a tad painful. I don’t know if this is the fact I’ve never ridden an RMC talking, but some of those transitions do look like they might hurt a bit, even compared to other RMCs.
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This is quite common on RMC's and it doest always look obvious from videos.

Storm Chaser haw some very uncomfortable transitions. And the latter end of Steel Vengeance is brutal.
 
Screamscape also said Ride of Steel at Darien Lake was being removed, which was completely false. I would take this with a heavy grain of salt.

Also wasn't Kumba repainted just a couple years ago?
 
Like Brad said above.....I'd wait for more concrete sources before waving it goodbye.

It would be a huge surprise if they got rid of it too as it's still a hugely popular ride and it a B&M after all. Surely if the news turns out to be true then there must be some serious issues with it.
 
I don't know much about coasters but would it be a case of it coming to the end of it's lifespan as a few of the coasters from the early 90s have had or are going through re-tracks at the moment (Nemesis, Hulk, The Big One)?
 
I will be honest I don’t know for sure if it’s true or not, but I have been hearing constantly that the park’s next major capital project after the upcoming screaming swing will be in the jungala/congo area, which is where Kumba is.

The notion that it remains a hugely popular ride is also somewhat misplaced. Ridership is low and has been for some time.
 
MakoMania said:
The notion that it remains a hugely popular ride is also somewhat misplaced. Ridership is low and has been for some time.
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I wonder if that is partly down to where it is in the park? BGT is a huge park and Kumba is right at the back, ever so slightly out of the way. You aren't as likely to pass it as your are other coasters in the park, and due to where it is you maybe would not pop back there to ride it towards the end of the day.

Kumba is a great coaster though, I hope it has a future.
 
I did enjoy it when I rode it in 2018, but found it perhaps a little aging in the way it rode. I can also believe the point about low ridership too. It was the only ride that seemed continually walk on when we were there.

It’d be a shame to see it go. Despite the slightly rougher ride, it’s a great layout and very iconic. You’d hope if it was reaching the point of needing major work it’d be one of the B&Ms in line for retracking. Maybe stick floorless trains on it at the same time as well. It could at least give it some marketing potential and be tied in with a new area.
 
For what it's worth, Lance has doubled down on his post about Kumba. In some ways it would be weird if Kumba wasn't approaching this point, wouldn't it ?

While my last post about Kumba was a bit cryptic, the message was clear.

Ride Kumba while you still can.

Screamscape was sent some disturbing news about Kumba, and while I felt compelled to send out a warning right away, I wanted to dig a little deeper and check in with some other sources before revealing the bigger details. If you follow Busch Gardens Tampa’s rehab schedule then you may have noticed that Kumba was slated to go down for its own rehab just as SheiKra and Montu came back into operation from their downtime. In addition to regular maintenance Montu received a new paint job and SheiKra actually had a few new pieces of track installed to replace some sections that were suffering from wear.

From what I’m told, like Montu, Kumba was expected to get repainted using some slightly new shades. The repaint was put on hold, because B&M reps were in Tampa for the SheiKra track replacement and while they were on-site they performed inspections on Montu and Kumba. While it was too late to stop the paint on Montu, they did ask for the park to not paint Kumba until they had a chance to inspect it.

I’m told that the sad news from the inspection was that Kumba was deemed to have essentially reached the end of its lifespan. Universal Orlando had the same issue come up with Incredible Hulk and Dueling Dragons, and in their case they opted to rebuild Hulk from scratch and replace Dueling Dragons with something new. Alton Towers in the UK is also dealing with their same issue with their Nemesis inverted coaster, and like Hulk, the plan is to close the popular ride and rebuild it from scratch.

Apparently Busch Gardens response was to cancel the pending rehab entirely and limit Kumba to one-train operations going forward, other than the occasional rare exception, to extend what the operational time left on Kumba. The unfortunate problem is that most of the suits no longer see Kumba as a marketable ride, and rather than rebuild and keep Kumba for future generations, they are going to simply run it for a while longer and then shut Kumba down for good.They believe that Kumba is “not Iconic” enough to save.

The goal is to run Kumba through the summer, and Howl-O-Scream if the trains last that long, and then close the gates for good on Nov. 1st, 2022. Kaput… end of story… no 30th Birthday for Kumba in 2023. The sad thing is that they want to keep this a secret, as they don’t want the bad press about closing a major ride to follow the opening of Iron Gwazi, especially after they delayed the opening of Iron Gwazi by two years. So no last ride tribute, no going out with a bang, the plan is simply and quietly to close Gwazi and leave it SBNO for awhile until they determine what to do with the site. Busch Gardens Tampa pretty much did the same thing with Rhino Rally and the original Gwazi itself, long before they ever decided to create Iron Gwazi.

So again, I say this, ride Kumba while you still can. It’s safe, being deemed “End of Life” doesn’t mean it’s dangerous, it just serves as notice from B&M to parks that they have 18 months left to schedule a replacement or plan the retirement for the ride. So ride Kumba… and if you want to see it saved, I’d encourage you to let the park know you want it to stay at guest relations when you visit in person, and maybe drop them a message online on social media or through their website. It would be sad to imagine the park without Kumba.
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Interestingly, it appears that Lance has changed his tune somewhat on the Kumba closure rumour, and for the first time ever, has shared the message that his anonymous source sent in and is encouraging us to make our own conclusions: http://www.screamscape.com/html/busch_gardens_tampa.htm
Screamscape said:
General Park News - UPDATE - (3/19/22) Today I’m going to openly talk about the Kumba rumour that has gathered much attention over the past week.

Bottom line… is Kumba leaving? Honestly, I really don’t know.
Busch Gardens Tampa did address the rumor however, and has posted messages on social media that indicate that Kumba isn’t going anywhere.

Did I make that story up? Not in the slightest… (and like I have time for that). As with any report like this, the information was sent to me from an anonymous source, asking me to share that information.

Over the past 24 years the point of Screamscape was to share theme park related NEWS and RUMORS with everyone who loves theme parks, rides and various forms of themed entertainment. Screamscape was also set up as a place where people who work within the industry, or have friends and loved ones who do, can come to anonymously share information about things they know or projects they are working on with me, and that I will keep their identities a secret.

Today I’m going to do something that I’ve never done before, and I will openly reveal the exact message that served as the source of this story to everyone. In a series of four screen captures, I will only block out their email address and a couple of words where they ask to protect the source. I have also highlighted a couple of sections where the ask me to share the information with the readers of Screamscape, and actually give me permission to share any and all of the information they provided.

So please, read it all, and then ask yourselves, do you think Kumba is closing?

At this point, I don’t believe Kumba is closing. Every so often, someone with malicious intent will send in a completely fabricated story to Screamscape, hoping that I’ll post it. This is different from someone sending in just a “bad rumor”, as there is no ill intent behind them. On the other hand, these fabricated tales usually end with a “HA! HA!” moment at the end, as the source will often reveal themselves elsewhere, taking pride or a twisted sense of satisfaction in the fact that they fooled me into spreading their tale.

It happens… and in no way is everything posted on Screamscape correct. The reports are called “rumors” for a reason. Nothing is ever completely true until there is evidence to say otherwise. At the same time, Screamscape also does not “make up” our rumors, the information is simply relayed as sent in from various sources. So when I received a message asking for help to spread the word about the possible demise of Kumba, I did just that. The goal was to raise awareness of the issue, and as asked, allow fans of the ride to plan trips to the park to ride it again. I know I was invested, as I was making my own travel plans as well.

As for Busch Gardens Tampa… if this was a complete fabrication, I do apologize for the fuss this story caused. However, it did prove that there are a lot of Kumba fans out there who love that roller coaster and like myself, they were making plans to visit the park, buy a ticket, and ride all their favorite attractions, including the new Iron Gwazi.

I’d like to be able to say that nothing like this will ever happen again, but I can’t. I’m not perfect, and there are some really great liars out there able to con even the best of us. There will always be good rumors, bad rumors, and those who just want the world to burn. The world is just a different place now than it was 24 years ago.
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In terms of the message, as Lance refers to it directly; it was as follows:
Lance’s source said:
Lance,

I’m writing to you from a different account to protect the identity of [REDACTED], because it’s big. Typically I do not like to spoil planned surprises because I think parks have their timelines planned out for a reason and I try to respect that. But this time feels different. Sadly it isn’t great news.

As you know, B&M was on site to inspect the replaced track on SheiKra recently and while they were there, they did check-ups on Kumba and Montu as well. The result was corporate being notified in writing that Kumba has been deemed to have reached the end of its lifespan.

It had been indicated to me a few months ago that “something was up” with Kumba, as refurbishment plans for it had very abruptly been scrapped by corporate, offering the park team no explanation when asked. While Montu got fresh paint and a big tune-up, and SheiKra got partial new paint and new track sections, Kumba got nothing. In fact, it got less than nothing; it got reduced to one train operation almost daily, with very rare exceptions. Even when both SheiKra and Montu were closed at the same time for an entire month, Kumba ran a single train and, at times, racked up as much as a 60 minute wait (for a ride that almost never garnered more than 15 minutes previously in recent years). I now know from my source that regarding Kumba’s repaint (and yes, garish new colors were planned just like Kraken, Montu and Alpengeist got) - the reason it was canceled is because the park was notified in advance from B&M that they don’t want them doing anything to add layers to the steel until they were able to inspect it this past February while they were there for SheiKra.

And the reason it’s been regulated to almost exclusively one train operation is even more bad news; two of the ride’s four trains have been deemed by B&M to be at end of life already. This would not be solved by simple new wheels, shoulder restraints, seats, belts etc, that come from annual maintenance by the park. This is the full on chassis/bodies that need to be scrapped. To get the ride back to three train ops would literally require a brand new fleet of trains to be purchased from B&M.

Here’s the problem. BGT doesn’t see Kumba as marketable. Thurman has said in a meeting at corporate HQ, “that ride just isn’t iconic.” Like. What?!?!? I’ve already been able to confirm the park will not be giving Kumba the Hulk treatment. They do not plan to rebuild it. They will not retrack it. Kumba is done. Corporate is pushing to get a few more months of life out of it because they feel that it would be a really bad look after choosing to delay Iron Gwazi by two full years to immediately follow it up with closing a major coaster. They’ve made it clear that the park needs to “find any way” to keep it healthy enough to stay open through the end of summer, and what they really want is to get it r through the Howl-O-Scream season. Internally, November 1 is it. Hard stop. Will not operate the day after Howl-O-Scream ends and will never operate again.

My problem is, as disappointing as it is to lose such an iconic coaster (whether or not the park president agrees that it is) the choice of how this information is going to be communicated with park guests and passholders will not facilitate any sort of “last ride” tribute. Again, blame for that goes back to Iron Gwazi. They know that people figured out by now Gwazi was ready all along, and that they just let it sit closer to try and make more money off it. And because for the first time in two years, there is actually a positive tone when people talk about BGT, they want to keep it that way. And in hoping to keep it that way, they’ve actually put out a memo across corporate that no one at the park beyond Thurman should be included in this conversation. Staff is going to show up to work on November 1 and find doors to the control booth and maintenance shed locked. That’s how they’re going to find out.

They’re literally not going to announce that Kumba is closing. It’s just going to happen, completely unannounced, no warning and then it’s gone. If you didn’t happen to ride it during Howl-O-Scream, you never get a last ride on it. They think that’s more important for optics. And frankly, that’s if the ride even makes it to Howl-O-Scream at this point.

I want to be clear that Kumba is safe — no one is at risk when they ride it, nor will they be any time soon. As I’m sure you already know, B&M has a policy to “End of Life” a ride at minimum 18 months earlier than the actual lifespan of the steel used to construct it. So really, the steel is good until August of 2023. But you know B&M operates in an abundance of caution, which is of course the best way to do it for all involved parties. The problem is, with two trains already permanently removed from service (and banned from even stripping them for parts because of their End of Life designations) and maintenance issues mounting for the remaining two, it’s just going to be a matter of time before the park says forget it and stops stressing over a ride that they’ve solidly deemed “not iconic”. I was told that there’s “no way” Kumba makes it past Memorial day with two trains as even an option - so best case scenario - it goes through all of summer, 4th of July, Labor Day and all of Howl-Scream as one train operations. IF it even gets that far.

This whole thing has really floored me. Kumba was such a big deal for the park, and for the industry, and for B&M. It was such a massive piece of my childhood. It informed what I like in a coaster. All these years later I still compare new looping coasters to it. It breaks my heart that corporate isn’t going to give people a much deserved chance to say goodbye, which is why I knew I need to do everything I can to get this to you so you can share as many details with your readers to give them time to plan trips. It doesn’t change the fact that we’re losing a favorite (which IS iconic no matter WHAT anyone says) - but at least let people appreciate it one last time and say good bye on their own terms in their own way.

And because I know you’re going to ask - yes, there is already something planned to replace Kumba. Corporate is pushing for fall/winter 2023 opening. Their hope is that opening two new rides in one year would deflect attention away from removing a classic, and that guests will view it as a net positive between this and the Screamin’ Swing. But, that timeline seems ambitious if we’re being honest. I’d bet spring of 2024 for the Kumba replacement. I can’t really go into what it is yet, but I will soon, as long as there’s no backlash from leaking this to you. I just want to give it a week or two to make sure I don’t get called into the principal’s office, so to speak. I’m sure you can respect that. I’ll just tell you it’s not going to be what you expect it to be.

I wish I had some better news for you to share on the site, but thank you for getting the word out to all your readers who, like me, grew up with Kumba and look at it as a key part of why they love this industry today! You of course have my permission to share any/all of this with your readers , just please leave it out that it came from [REDACTED].

Signed,
A friend
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