Busch Gardens Tampa Announces New Multi-Launch Thrill Coaster “Tigris”

Today, Busch Gardens Tampa continues to solidify its position as Florida’s thrill leader with the announcement of Tigris, a new triple-launch steel coaster and Florida’s tallest launch coaster, roaring to the park next spring, 2019.

With an innovative experience, Tigris will catapult riders through an exhilarating array of looping twists with forward and backward motion, breath-taking drops, a 150-foot skyward surge, and an inverted heartline roll, all at more than 60 miles per hour. Tigris will race riders along more than 1,800 feet of steel track designed to mimic the awe-inspiring agility of the world’s largest and most powerful cat –the tiger.

“Tigris will be a strong addition to our family of world-class thrill rides. With three intensely exciting launch points, this ride is unlike anything we have in our coaster collection,” said Stewart Clark, president and general manager of Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. “This new attraction is a testament to our continuing investment in the park, and bringing new and innovative experiences to our guests.”

Taking its name from that of the world’s largest cat species, Panthera tigris, the new Tigris attraction is being constructed in the Stanleyville area of the theme park and will occupy a portion of the space once home to the Tanganyika Tidal Wave shoot-the-chute water ride. It’s adjacent to Jungala, which houses the park’s endangered Bengal tigers.  Additionally, Busch Gardens is home to Malayan tigers – a subspecies that has fewer than 500 individuals remaining in the wild. The park’s resident cats are an integral part of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan.

More than 100,000 tigers stalked the grasslands and forests of Asia just 100 years ago. Now, every remaining subspecies of this big cat are endangered, and fewer than 4,000 total tigers remain in the wild. Threats to tiger populations include poaching, human encroachment on vital tiger habitat, deforestation and loss of vital prey species.

The Tigris queue will include educational content about the plight of tigers in the wild and what conservationists – including the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund – are doing to help save them. In addition, the purchase of any merchandise in the Tigris gift shop will help make a difference, with 5% of the sales price donated to the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund to protect tigers and their habitat.

 

Tigris wasn’t the only thing announced today. To further solidify Busch Gardens’ reign as Florida’s thrill ride leader, a second new thrill ride will be coming to the park in 2020. It will be constructed on the former site of Gwazi, a dual wooden coaster that was closed in early 2015. Although the company confirmed that it will open another ride in 2020, there were no details shared about its design or ride features… BUT THERE WERE HINTS! Immediately following the Tigris announcement, Busch Gardens Tampa project manager, Andrew Schaffer said “Gwazi was always a “Rocky Ride”, so they are going to revamp Gwazi into a new attraction“… 

The dueling Gwazi wooden coaster closed in early 2015 and has stood vacant ever since. The coaster has been long rumored to be re-designed with a Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC) hybrid conversion, so it’s possible this is what the park is teasing. More details will be released on this project soon…

The two new thrill rides will join a top-rated list of favorites for coaster enthusiasts, including Cheetah Hunt, the park’s longest coaster, SheiKra, a 200-foot tall floorless dive coaster, Falcon’s Fury, a 335-foot freestanding drop tower, Montu, an inverted coaster, Kumba, and Cobra’s Curse, to name a few.

For the best way to experience the new Tigris, all of Busch Gardens thrill rides, as well as more than a dozen seasonal events throughout the year, the Annual Pass offers unlimited admission for 12 months, free parking and special benefits, starting at only $14 per month.

For tickets and more information, visit the official Busch Gardens website by clicking here.

 

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