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Busch Entertainment Corp. theme parks made a goal of sharing some of their assets. So Busch Gardens Tampa Bay will get its seventh roller coaster in January. It's a 7-year-old hand-me-down.
And it's not another blockbuster like Montu, Kumba or the two Gwazi coasters. It's a comparatively tame tubular steel coaster that features hairpin turns, a few deep dips and a top speed of 22 mph. The ride is being shipped from Busch Gardens Williamsburg, a sister park in Virginia that needed space for an undisclosed new attraction.
At Williamsburg, the German-built coaster was initially called Wild Izzy, a tribute to the forgettable mascot of the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. Then it became the Wild Maus to match the park's European theme.
At the African-themed animal park in Tampa, the coaster will be renamed the Cheetah Chase.
"It's a family coaster," said Busch spokesman Gerard Hoeppner, confirming the ride will be set up near the Ubanga-Banga bumper cars in Timbuktu. "We think it will have a broader appeal than the ride it replaces."
Headed for storage after a 24-year run is a kiddie ride called the Crazy Camel.