TAMPA, Fla. – Busch Gardens Tampa Bay has now opened its thrilling swinging attraction, Serengeti Flyer.
Last week, media was invited out to experience the attraction before Busch Gardens pass members were allowed to experience it for the first time.
The attraction, which is located in the park’s former Rhino Rally area near the animal care center and elephant habitat, is the world’s tallest and fastest of its kind.
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“It’s thrilling - it’s got a lot of forces and power behind it. So it’s definitely a fun ride,” said Andrew Schaffer, director of project management. “It really forces you forward and backward, and it gives you that like stomach-dropping feeling when you’re doing it. And then once you get up to that 135 feet - at the full swing, it’s just a really cool experience.”
Standing at 105 feet tall, riders will board one of the two gondolas and sit in a seat that includes a lap bar that pushes down into place. Unlike your normal kid’s swing, Serengeti has a built in floor for guest comfort. Sitting back-to-back, each swinging arm holds 20 people at a time.
See News 6 producer Landon McReynolds take a ride on the new attraction in the video below.
While guests are onboard, they will experience multiple negative-G moments while soaring to speeds of 68 mph, Schaffer explained. When riders hit the top momentum on the attraction, if they keep their eyes open, they will get the chance to see some of the park’s beautiful 65-acre Serengeti Plain.
The theme park said riders must be at least 48 inches tall to ride. Busch Gardens does have a rider test seat and height measurement sign outside of the attraction.
The whole experience, which will have guests sweeping back and forth to extreme heights, lasts about 90 seconds.
“The goal out of making this attraction, every time, is making the guests happy, so really, when I see smiling and excited faces coming off the ride - it’s perfect for me,” Schaffer concluded.
Serengeti Flyer joins the list of incredible attractions that the theme park has to offer, including Tigris, Cheetah Hunt, SheiKra and the recently opened, Iron Gwazi.
Click here to learn more about the new ride.
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