THE WORLD’S FASTEST AND STEEPEST HYBRID COASTER, IRON GWAZI, WILL OPEN ON MARCH 11—PASS MEMBERS WILL HAVE EXCLUSIVE ACCESS TO RIDE ON SELECT DATES STARTING FEBRUARY 11

• Pass Members get the first opportunity to ride before Iron Gwazi officially opens to the general public on March 11

 
​TAMPA, Fla. (January 20, 2022) – Busch Gardens Tampa Bay will open Iron Gwazi, the world’s fastest and steepest hybrid coaster, exclusively for Pass Members on select dates starting February 11 before the ride opens to all park visitors on March 11. After presenting their Annual Pass, eligible riders will be among the first to conquer the record-breaking thrills of Iron Gwazi. Guests can go online to get more information on exclusive Pass Member previews.
Being North America’s tallest hybrid coaster, this ride takes thrills to new heights, plunging riders from a 206-foot-tall peak down a 91-degree drop and reaching top speeds of 76 miles per hour. Iron Gwazi is Busch Gardens’ tenth coaster and an exhilarating addition to the park’s collection of thrill rides. Riders will experience a dozen airtime moments, including three inversions, while racing along more than 4,000 feet of steel track. With a 48” height requirement, this invigorating attraction is a ride the whole family can conquer together.
 
“The incredible anticipation for Iron Gwazi is shared by both our guests and Ambassadors, and we are beyond excited to open this amazing coaster,” said Neal Thurman, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay Park President. “Iron Gwazi diversifies our thrill ride portfolio and is an impressive addition to the Tampa skyline. Combining classic elements of a wooden coaster with a smooth, steel track will provide thrill seekers with an unforgettable experience.”
 
Manufactured by Rocky Mountain Construction, the newest addition at Busch Gardens is a wood and steel hybrid coaster design, combining the innovation of a steel coaster and the nostalgia of a wooden coaster. While elements of Gwazi, the classic wooden coaster, are integrated into the new ride, all-new thrill components and a reimagined track layout take Iron Gwazi to another level.
 
In addition to the record-breaking Iron Gwazi coaster, two new slides will debut at Adventure Island in 2022. Rapids Racer and Wahoo Remix will open this spring at Adventure Island, one of USA Today’s 10Best Water Parks.  
 
THE BEST WAY TO PLAY – Buy a Busch Gardens Annual Pass and be among the first to ride the most anticipated hybrid coaster in the world!  For even more fun, guests can add Adventure Island to enjoy three new attractions across the two Tampa parks.  Along with priority access to Iron Gwazi and Adventure Island’s new attractions, Annual Pass Members also receive 12 months of visits with special benefits including exclusive ride opportunities, FREE parking, up to six free guest tickets, savings on merchandise, and more!
In addition to the unbeatable benefits of a Busch Gardens’ Annual Pass, guests can also take advantage of these all-new thrills with a 2022 Fun Card. Right now, guests can visit both parks again and again for just $120.99. Plus, thrill seekers can receive a complimentary one-time Quick Queue for Iron Gwazi when they purchase a Fun Card by January 30 and visit by February 20.

To be the first to know about event details and special offers, visit BuschGardensTampa.com and follow Busch Gardens Tampa Bay on Facebook, Twitter ,Instagram, and TikTok.
About Busch Gardens Tampa Bay 
Busch Gardens® Tampa Bay is the ultimate family adventure, offering 300 acres of fascinating attractions based on exotic explorations around the world. Busch Gardens is a unique blend of thrilling rides, an AZA accredited zoo with thousands of animals representing more than 200 species, and exciting seasonal events all year providing unrivaled experiences for guests of every age. For more information, visit www.BuschGardensTampa.com. Busch Gardens is owned by SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: SEAS), a leading theme park and entertainment company providing experiences that matter and inspiring guests to protect animals and the wild wonders of our world.

VALENCIA, CA

Six Flags Magic Mountain now offers a pay-your-way-to-the-front of the line option on individual roller coasters in a bid to keep up with industry leader Disneyland’s latest move to charge separate fees per ride for those willing to pay the price.
Magic Mountain has launched a single-use, pay-per-ride Flash Pass on four of the Valencia amusement park’s most popular roller coasters.

FULL STORY

BUENA PARK, CA

Knott’s Berry Farm has launched a major renovation of a 1978 roller coaster that has been designated a historic landmark as the last operating ride of its kind in the United States and the longest standing in its original location.
Montezooma’s Revenge closed on Monday, Jan. 10 to undergo a yearlong renovation that will stretch into 2023.


FULL STORY

SAN ANTIONIO, TX

Six Flags Fiesta Texas, The Thrill Capital of South Texas, is celebrating 30 years of excitement, thrills and history in the biggest way possible! The 30th Anniversary Celebration is a year-long party featuring special events, entertainment, food festivals, a collectible button program, historical displays throughout the park, throwback merchandise and more!
“Six Flags Fiesta Texas has been a part of the community for 30 years,” said Park President Jeffrey Siebert. “The 30th Anniversary Celebration is our way of saying ‘thank you’ to the millions of guests we’ve entertained over three decades. This year we will offer our guests a nostalgic experience highlighting our rich history, while also showcasing the thrilling future of the park,” added Siebert.

FULL STORY

ATLANTA, GA

Fun Spot America Theme Parks, Atlanta’s only Family-Owned theme park have a New Year’s Resolution to bring HUGE excitement to its Fayetteville, Georgia location with the addition of an action-packed custom Rocky Mountain Construction steel roller coaster, ArieForce One. With ground-breaking taking place on Thursday, January 6th, John Arie Jr. believes this is one resolution that he is sure to keep, and coaster enthusiast are sure to love. Riders will soar over 3,400 feet of track, towering 15 stories and flying at speeds up to 64 miles-per-hour. The new coaster will be located near the main gate to the park where guests will have spectacular views of the entire park.
​

FULL STORY

CONNEAUT LAKE, PA

Another icon at Conneaut Lake Park is no more.
The Blue Streak, the amusement park’s fabled wooden-framed roller coaster, was damaged by a fire Tuesday afternoon. 
“The Blue Streak is gone,” said Chief Dan O’Meara of Summit Township Volunteer Fire Department. 


FULL STORY

BESSIMER, AL

A New Roller Coaster is coming to Alabama Adventure and Splash Adventure for the 2022 Season! In a video released by the Amusement Park, Michael Schwitek (General Manager) says the new coaster will be over 50ft tall and over 1,200 feel long with 5 individual trains running on the track. The roller coaster is a “Wild Mouse” style coaster making it the third roller coaster at the park. This is only the first of four big announcements that will be coming from Alabama Adventure and Splash Adventure about additions coming in 2022.

FULL STORY

MASON, OH

The world’s longest wooden roller coaster, The Beast at Kings Island, is receiving 2,000 feet of track refurbishment this winter.
The Gravity Group, which installed 600 feet of its new engineered precut track on the park’s Racer roller coaster last winter, is breathing new life into the ride’s first drop and through the first tunnel and turn towards the second drop and 540-degree helix tunnel, while Kings Island’s carpenters are retracking approximately 1,090 feet of track in other sections along the 7,359-foot long course.
The first drop will see a change from 45 degrees to 53 degrees. This change isn’t being made to add more speed or thrill element to The Beast, but to come in lower in the tunnel to provide the proper parabolic arcs due to reprofiling of the track in that area of the ride. This change, along with The Gravity Group’s vertical track design, will deliver a buttery-smooth transition through the tunnel and onto the second drop.

FULL STORY

SANDUSKY, OH

​Cedar Point recently provided some new details regarding a restoration project it undertook, which involves rehabbing Sawmill Creek Resort.
In a previous posting from earlier this year, Tony Clark, the amusement park’s main spokesman, provided an inside look at the construction progress.
Now, in a more recent entry, he notes the following:
"We’ve already gone inside to see the construction progress, and as crews continue that work, we have some beautiful digital renderings to show you," Clark wrote. "These images give us a first look at how the resort will shape up once all the dust settles and we’re ready to open the doors in 2022."


FULL STORY

Cincinnati, Ohio, USA - Dennis Speigel, Owner & Founder of International Theme Park Services, Inc. (ITPS) confirmed that ITPS was initially responsible for arranging the sale / purchase transaction for Adventureland Resort (Altoona, Iowa) to Palace Entertainment (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) / Parques Reunidos (Madrid, Spain).


Speigel said, “Adventureland Resort is one of the few remaining independently-owned parks of major park / resort status in the USA, a true ‘family treasure’ in the West / Midwest.”


Palace Entertainment / Parques Reunidos currently owns more than 60 different leisure operations worldwide, with 24 across 10 different states in the USA.  They are the second largest owner / operator of parks in Europe and the largest operator of water parks in the world.


Speigel and ITPS have worked closely with them for over 15 years, having been responsible for assisting in transactions of over 40 leisure attraction purchases for their company.  Speigel said, “ITPS has transacted over $700 million in buy/sell arrangements in total over the last 18 years.  We are clearly the leader in leisure M&A transactions in the industry.  No one has successfully brought more deals to the ‘closing table’ than ITPS.”


ITPS has planned, designed, built, and operated major leisure facilities throughout the world, having worked on over 500 projects in 50+ countries, Speigel said, and has led the industry in realizing new global leisure markets during its 39-year history.  Speigel was part of the original Taft Broadcasting Company, which owned and operated Coney Island (Cincinnati, Ohio), Kings Island (Cincinnati, Ohio), Kings Dominion (Richmond, Virginia), Carowinds (Charlotte, North Carolina), and Canada’s Wonderland (Toronto, Canada).


Said Speigel, “It has been a genuine pleasure to work in an industry that does not pollute the skies or contaminate the streams.  At the end of the day, what we really do is put smiles on people’s faces and create memories to last a lifetime.”


About ITPS
Dennis Speigel, past Chairman of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA), is Founder and CEO of International Theme Park Services, Inc. (ITPS), where “FUN IS A SERIOUS BUSINESS.”  ITPS is globally the leisure industry’s leading independent, full-service consulting firm.  Located in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, ITPS is uniquely qualified to assist in all aspects of entertainment project development and has worked on over 500 projects in over 50 countries since its inception in 1983.  The corporate website is www.interthemepark.com and the staff can be reached by email at itps@interthemepark.com.