We’re back with a Busch Gardens Tampa update! We’ll be sharing some photos of the construction progress of the new Cobra’s Curse roller coaster as well as final touches being put on the park in preparation for Christmas Town.

Cobra’s Curse Construction Update

Quite a bit of track has been installed and can be seen from the Montu courtyard. At the annual IAAPA (International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions) trade show in Orlando earlier this month, Busch Gardens announced some new details about the coaster as well as revealed a model overview of the attraction:

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  • A unique move on Cobra’s Curse is the “outward-banked turn” that puts riders perilously close to the jaws of the monstrous, 80-foot-tall statue of the snake king Venymyss.

Cobras Curse Model 1

  • Instead of a gradual lift hill, more typical of a traditional coaster, each train is instead lifted vertically, to a height of 70 feet, and the top of the ancient temple.
  • During the three-and-a-half-minute ride, the coaster trains speed along at 40 mph, spinning backward, forward and then freely.

Cobras Curse Model 3

  • Guests will experience a new spin with each ride. Each train spins randomly, with frequency and direction determined by the rider weight distribution.

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  • The ride’s setting is a modern day dig site in Egypt, where archaeologists have uncovered the legendary temple of the snake king, Venymyss. The ride’s air-conditioned queue line provides a welcome break from the Egyptian heat.

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Christmas Town Ready To Sparkle

The park is pretty much ready to go with the 2015 edition of Christmas Town, which runs 20 select dates from November 27 to December 31. The event features over a million lights throughout the park as well as special holiday entertainment, food and drink. And the best part – Christmas Town is included with regular park admission!

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New Bird Gardens Stage

This was new to me as I hadn’t been to the park during daytime hours in awhile. A new stage was constructed in the Bird Gardens, taking up some of the space formerly used by the old Critter Castaways show area (which was demolished after that show closed and the animal performers moved to the Pantopia Theater for Opening Night Critters). This corner of the park feels much more wide open now as a result.

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Dragon Fire Grill

The former Pantopia Grill (and Desert Grill and Fest Haus before that) had a makeover earlier this year. The old cafeteria-style food line has been replaced with an open market with food stations spread throughout. There are more dining choices now too. Here’s a sampling of what each station has to offer:

  • Asian Wok: Teriyaki chicken stir fry, Orange chicken, Thai pepper beef, Shrimp lo mein, Noodle salad, Fried rice, Jasmine rice, Asian noodles, Spring rolls, Pot stickers
  • American Grill: Quarter or half rotisserie chicken, cheeseburgers, BBQ ribs, Chicken & ribs sampler, Cobb salad with rotisserie chicken, Fries, Steamed vegetables, Mac & Cheese, Cheddar bacon biscuits
  • Southwest Cantina: Southwest tortilla bowl, Southwest chicken salad, Chips & Salsa, Guacamole side, Beef empanadas, Sopapillas, Cinnamon churro bites
  • Italian Kitchen: Grilled chicken breast & Gemelli pasta, Cannelloni with spinach & beef, Italian sausage sandwich, Mozzarella & tomato flatbread, Spinach & chicken flatbread, Caesar salad (with or without chicken), Mozzarella sticks, Fried zucchini slices, Garlic bread

There’s also a station that serves a great variety of craft beers on tap (and a couple of domestics).

I tried the chicken teriyaki stir fry and fried rice on my last visit to the park and my friend got the southwest chicken salad. Both of our meals were pretty good. Busch Gardens seems to have some of the better theme park counter service food out there (and also reasonably priced).

Chicken teriyaki stir fry and fried rice. They even give you a fortune cookie!
Chicken teriyaki stir fry and fried rice. They even give you a fortune cookie!

 

Run For Wildlife 5K

Busch Gardens held their 2nd annual Run For Wildlife 5K race on Saturday, November 21st. Over 1,600 runners participated this year. All proceeds from the race benefit Busch Garden’s wildlife conservation efforts. As last year, all participating runners received free admission to the park after the race.

The medal runners got in this year's race. Very pretty!
The medal runners got in this year’s race. Very pretty!

 

And that does it for today’s update! Will you be visiting Christmas Town this year? Are you looking forward to Cobra’s Curse? Sound off below in the comments!

We’ll be back soon with a full review and lots of photos from Christmas Town once the event is underway, so stay tuned for that! Thanks for reading!

Amy VandenBoogert
Amy is lucky to live in beautiful Tampa Bay, Florida and frequently visits the Busch Gardens theme park in that city. You can find Amy's updates on Busch Gardens and other Central Florida attractions in MiceChat's Orlando Parkhopper columns.