Busch Gardens Africa (2007 Trip)

I visited Busch Gardens Africa last Saturday, 3/24/07. We left for the park about 9:45 from St. Pete's Beachline, and arrived at about 10:30. When we neared the park, I was shocked at how tall SheiKra really was. You can see it from virtually miles away, looming above everything! Pictures just could never show me the size of this beast...later that afternoon, it would become on of my favorite rides.

1) Gwazi: Lion I had not gotten on either Gwazi track last visit to BGA, so I was eager to try it out, as I was told it was a really fine coaster...boy was it! Lion had a longer line, so instinct told me that it must've been the public preference. I waited for no more than 30 minutes before I was seated in the middle of the train. Quite strangely, the park was opperating the dispatch simultaneously, which don't see too much on racers these days! This twisting amongst each track was great during the course. The let-out of the station gives you a surprising amount of air diving into the underground tunnel beneath the feet of the wait riders. I truthfully cannot express my love for wooden rides, and so anyone who has gotten aboard Gwazi Lion knows exactly what I was in for...the ride of my life. Gwazi has a great drop, facing nearly exactly across from the brother Tiger, and turning away at the last second bottomhill. After, it goes into a dipped hill up to a turnaround. Diving down to the ground again it nears Tiger's train once more. This ride has one of the best helixes I've experienced, and when you ride the monster, you'll feel one of the greatest airpop moments at the end of this turn. Into the brakes, I couldn't remember what happened to me!

2) SheiKra ...Unforgettable...Unimaginable...Unthinkable...B&M has completely and totally gone beyond limits in exhileration and adrenaline with this enormous Diver. My heart was throbbing to get on this, as it being the only operating Diver in America. I could not wait. Well, I had to, for about 30 minutes before I could climb aboard (someone please explain to me why they are spending so much money to make SheiKra floorless, while no one's feet were even touching the platform?). I was in the back row, far right seat, glad that I was on the edge and off the track (it was just where I wanted to be). I did not know how powerful the cable hold could be. Powerful, as in, you can't easily dream the way your stomach fills up with air and you hold your breath for...seconds...and amazing airtime all the way down! I wanted to raise my hands, but I had to hold my aunt's glasses, so they were on my lap. The Immelman easily holds the greatest feeling of flying and floatation I've ever experienced! The second vert-drop had wonderful air as well as the first...SheiKra now places #3 on my Top Ten Coasters.

3) Kumba I never remember this rides forces being so strong. I waited an extra 25 minutes to board the front row, and it payed off! I haven't forgotten the feeling as I site down right here in front of the computer. Pushing you up through the Zero-G Roll with amazing positive forces! I can't recall a ride ever containing so much power within. The Dive Loop, which on that ride is my favorite element made, still was wonderfully spectacular! I love roller coasters sooo much...

4)/5) Gwazi: Tiger After the Lion, how could it get better...? With the Tiger it can! The Tiger is 10x better than it's brother in my opinion. Same deal, awesome let-out, fearful last second turnaway bottom of the first drop. Only, it leads into a wonderful coasting mid-air turn, an air filled hill, another hill, and then the most mind shaking brain rattling serious of bank swerving hills and turns. The neck and neck hill over the brake segs, and then a helix, just like Lion's. Pain in my neck, a searing migraine...my kind of ride. Tiger was just incredible, I had to go on it again. The roughest ride I've ridden since Mean Streak, but Mean Streak just pushes it, so screw that woodie. but Tiger was AWESOME! This roller coaster sits proudly at the #1 spot on my Top Ten Coasters. (I rode Tiger twice)


This is my trip! I love it love it love it! Busch Gardens has to be one of the greatest theme parks on Earth, and apart from its wonderful theme, it contains four of my favorite rides on this planet! Gwazi: Tiger and Lion,.SheiKra, and Kumba all reside on my Top Ten Coasters (2007 update [;)])

1) Gwazi: Tiger
2) Excalibur
3) SheiKra
4) Raptor
5) Kumba
6) Magnum XL-200
7) Gemini
8) Gwazi: Lion
9) Blue Streak
10) Wild Thing

Thanks for readin' about my trip! I had a blast! Once I load my pictures up, I'll throw 'em at ya. I have some onride pictures of Gwazi and Kumba, excellent pics of SheiKra, Scorpion, and Montu. Be ready for them.

I have to ask, did you actually skip Montu or was it not running? I remember that being my favorite ride there when I went 5 or 6 years ago.
Great trip report though, sounds like you had a good time.

Yea if you were there its almost an unwritten law that you must ride montu.

I hate Montu.

[hyyyper]

^saying that equals a death warrant and you should have known that

Oh no you did not just say that!!! Your going to get a @$$wipping for that one.

[Dirk_Ermen]

Originally posted by GerstlCrazy

I hate Montu.

It's a nice ride. Nothing special imo... allthough it was a nice and long track [:)]

Gwazi owns it! [:D]

You strange deranged child, tell me why and how you hate Montu i love it.

gwazi sucks.

and yeah, Sheikra's drop has very little air.

Now i dont believe Gwazi sucks either.
Its awesome, you American's cannot handle the roughness. SLC's and all.
Skeikra's drop has lovely floater if you leave enough room to eject from your seat. Also the second had quite an amount of ejector in the back, just not as sustained as the first.
Gwazi and Sheikra dominate the park IMO.

[Dirk_Ermen]

Originally posted by CoAsTeRkRazY

gwazi sucks.

and yeah, Sheikra's drop has very little air.

Sounds like you hate roughness and that you clamp youself way too much on the restaints. I've done experiments on rides and i know that holding really tight reduces the feel of airtime [;)]
From my experience at sheikra it has some nice floaters ^_^

You said exactly the same as me Dirk, well done.
Post-snatcher.

Oh, what!!! You can't just go to Busch and not ride Montu! Blasphemy!! Sacreligious!! Kablah!!!

And i didn't get to ride Tiger when I went in the summer, i rode Lion though....And I totally agree, Sheikra and Gwazi all the way!

...CoasterKrazy, clearly you did not ride in the back row on SheiKra, as it had plenty of airtime.

That's weird that I'm getting bashed for hating Montu...a four hour wait for a ride less than a minute. Since when was it wrong to have an opinion?

Gwazi and SheiKra are BGA's overlords! And CoasterKrazy, you obviously have something wrong with you by not liking Gwazi. Maybe to afraid to get thrown around too much

Man, don't worry, you're not getting bashed...people just love it so much, that yeah, you get bashed for it [:)] And no, you're totally not allowed to have your own opinion. Gotta conform to ours!