Busch Gardens Prepares for Permanent Closure After Week-Long Delay, Guests Say Final Goodbyes

in Busch Gardens

A man and a woman enjoy drinks while standing in front of a roller coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay

Credit: Busch Gardens

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay has said an emotional farewell today.

Before Florida had Walt Disney World Resort, Universal Orlando Resort, or SeaWorld Orlando, there was Busch Gardens Tampa Bay.

A family walking through Busch Gardens Tampa Bay with a roller coaster in the background.
Credit: Busch Gardens Tampa Bay

First opened in 1959 as a brewery tour and hospitality center by Anheuser-Busch, the site originally gave visitors the chance to enjoy free beer samples and see exotic birds, marking the park’s beginnings as a combination of entertainment and animal exhibits. It soon started to expand, introducing its first major roller coaster, the Python, in 1976 and gradually evolving into a full-fledged theme park.

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay added iconic attractions like the Serengeti Express train and the Skyride, which gave guests an aerial view of the park’s vast African-themed landscapes (and, controversially, now charges guests extra for the honor as of 2024).

Today, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is renowned for its thrilling roller coasters, live entertainment, and one of the country’s largest zoological collections, with over 60,000 animals from over 200 species.

Front entrance to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in Florida
Credit: Busch Gardens Tampa Bay

Its reputation as a hub for thrills really kicked into high gear in the 1990s as Walt Disney World Resort opened its most direct competitor in the state, Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Since then, the park has added roller coasters such as SheiKra, Tigris, Kumba, and Phoenix Rising, the latter of which holds the title of North America’s tallest and longest family inverted roller coaster.

Busch Gardens’ Oldest Roller Coaster Is Officially Closing

Scorpion, high-speed roller coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
Credit: Busch Gardens Tampa Bay

With the closure of the park’s OG roller coaster, Python, in 2006, the oldest coaster currently standing at the park is Scorpion. Added to the park’s Timbuktu area in 1980, it reaches a maximum height of 60.7 feet, with a maximum speed of 41 miles per hour.

Scorpion previously made headlines in 2023 when a viral TikTok captured the alarming moment when a mother noticed her daughter nearly slip from her seat during a roller coaster ride.

TikToker @kalieden86 described the incident as a “learning experience,” noting that her daughter briefly lost consciousness. Although she quickly regained awareness, she hit her nose on the safety bar. She then had to hold onto her daughter with both her arm and leg during the coaster’s loops and inversions.

@kalieden86

Rollercoaster ride from he11 #rollercoaster #whoops #ohno

♬ original sound – Kali Eden

In August, the park confirmed plans to shutter the roller coaster for good. In a post on its social media, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay revealed that the last day of operation for Scorpion would be September 2, 2024.

The backlash to the ride’s closure was fierce – mainly because the park only gave less than two weeks’ notice. “Less than 2 weeks notice?” wrote @amusementhunt. “That’s kind of rude. Do you not want anybody to have time to get a last ride? I’m more mad that I won’t have time to make the trip than I am that it is closing.”

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay soon walked back its announcement, returning to social media a few days later to say: “Good news, thrill-seekers! There’s even more time to enjoy the twists and turns of Scorpion, because we’ve extended the closing date to Sunday, 9/8! Don’t miss your chance to ride this legendary coaster and feel the sting one last time.”

While that gave parkgoers an extra week with Scorpion, its run has officially come to an end at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. Tomorrow marks the final day of operation at the Florida theme park after 44 years.

For now, Busch Gardens’ operator, United Parks & Resorts (which also operates SeaWorld and Aquatica parks across the U.S., plus Busch Gardens Williamsburg) is yet to announce what will replace Scorpion. However, it did recently announce its 2025 Fun Card, which will give guests unlimited visits to the park for all of 2025, plus the remainder of 2024.

What’s your favorite roller coaster at Busch Gardens?

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