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Ride Profile
Curious
animals "Cobra’s Curse’s footprint overlaps with a portion of the Serengeti Plain, a 60-acre grassland that is home to several African animals, including reticulated giraffe," says Busch Gardens Tampa Bay general manager and park president, Jim Dsean. "Over the years, our zoo staff has done incredible work to acclimate the animals to our park’s ever-changing environment. The construction for Cobra’s Curse was no different. Within a few weeks of breaking ground, the animals were acclimated to the construction noise and were often times curious about its progress.”
snake king icon," confirms Dean, who has ridden the attraction many times, as you night expect. "Not only is it massive, but it really allows us to tell a story." From here, guests descend the 70ft (21m) drop, reaching
up to a maximum speed of 40mph (64km/h), banking right. They then make another banked turn over the mid-course brake run, before circling back. From the brake run, the two separate vehicles on the train rotate backwards and Venymyss can be heard saying, "Turn, turn, and face your fear!" The train then descends through a minor helix, which
carries it to a mechanical lift hill. From there, the ride vehicle descends another banked drop, causing the cars to spin uncontrollably. The cart goes through a series of over- banked turns, as well as changes in acceleration and velocity while spinning. The train makes its way under the
park's Serengeti Railway before entering the final brake run and returning to the station. There are no inversions.
Random rotation To ride Cobra's Curse, Busch Gardens guests must be at
least 42 inches (107cm) tall. With the free-spin portion of the ride solely based on weight distribution, passengers will experience a new spin with each ride. Each cars spins randomly, with frequency and direction determined by rider weight. The hourly capacity is 1,100. Replacing the walk-through exhibit Tut's Tomb, the new
coaster has made a significant and positive impact on Egyptian section of Busch Gardens. “Besides the obvious hope to increase our visitation, Cobra’s Curse changes the footprint of the Egypt realm," Dean explains. "We foresee increased popularity in that area due to its stellar line-up of rides including Cheetah Hunt, Montu and now Cobra’s Curse, together with the culinary offerings at the full-service Serengeti Overlook Restaurant and Pub and our amazing animal habitats, Cheetah Run and the Edge of Africa.” Although there are a variety of companies offering
spinning coasters, for Dean there was one obvious choice. “Mack is a world-class ride manufacturer with an outstanding rollercoaster portfolio. We have worked with Mack Rides in the past, including our Sand Serpent ride in the Pantopia area of the park. We know that their dedication to state of the art, unique guest experiences made them the perfect partner.” How's that for an endorsement?
58 SEPTEMBER 2016
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