In September of 2019 (ah, remember then?) SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment announced that Busch Gardens Tampa Bay would be opening an all-new, one-of-a-kind coaster the following year. We all know what happened next, and after a year’s delay followed by months of speculation, the air is finally clear – Iron Gwazi at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is going to open on March 11, 2022.
Iron Gwazi was built on the same site that once housed Gwazi, a twin coaster (think Dueling Dragons/Dragon Challenge here) named after a corporately-created mythical creature with the head of a tiger and the body of a lion. One coaster was “Lion,” the other (predictably) “Tiger.” That ride was retired a few years back, and the land was cleared and construction for Iron Gwazi began.
In November of 2020, SeaWorld released a POV video of what it would be like to ride Iron Gwazi, an attraction that flexes the startling facts that it is both the tallest hybrid coaster in North America and the fastest and steepest hybrid coaster in the entire world. (Hybrid coasters are those which are built using both steel and wood.) The video showcases a 206-foot drop and a number of rolls and maneuvers on the coaster that reaches speeds of nearly 80 miles per hour and barrels down a 1,242 meter track. All of these stats point to the fact that this coaster promises to be a behemoth.
Just a couple weeks ago, SeaWorld announced that Ice Breaker, the newest roller coaster in Orlando, would open on February 18, 2022 at SeaWorld Orlando. We can’t wait to get on both of these coasters and let you know what we think!
Which one are you most excited about? Check out our SeaWorld Center to plan and get tickets for your perfect vacation to SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay.
