TAMPA, Fla. — Florida's tallest launch coaster will celebrate its Grand Opening on April 19 at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay!
The triple-launch steel coaster called “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.
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 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.
To further solidify Busch Gardens reign as Florida’s thrill ride leader, more news is on the horizon – a second new thrill ride will be coming to the Gwazi area of the park in 2020. Busch Gardens announced in early March about construction on a new hybrid roller coaster that will be the fastest and steepest hybrid coaster in the world.
Related: World's fastest, steepest hybrid roller coaster coming to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
The ride will be a wood and steel hybrid coaster design opening in 2020.
Manufactured by Rocky Mountain Construction, the ride will feature a maximum height of more than 200 feet, and new thrill elements, but also restored elements of Gwazi.
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.
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 percent of the sales price donated to the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund to protect tigers and their habitat.
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.
Click here for more information.
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