Next year will be an amazing one for roller coasters in central Florida, not only because of the VelociCoaster at Universal Orlando Resort, but also the Iron Gwazi at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, now confirmed to be opening in spring 2021! This gator-inspired attraction will be the world’s fastest and steepest hybrid wooden/steel roller coaster, plunging riders from a 206 foot-tall peak into a 91-degree drop all while reaching top speeds of 76 miles per hour. Riders on Iron Gwazi will experience a dozen airtime moments, including three inversions. And though we can’t ride this attraction just yet, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay has released an official POV video for this attraction, which you can check out below:
Of course, those who have been following this attraction’s development know this ride was supposed to open in March 2020, and actually had been testing before the COVID-19 pandemic caused Busch Gardens Tampa Bay to close. And though the park was able to reopen with limited capacity and enhanced safety protocols in June, it was announced several months ago that the opening of this new ride would be postponed until 2021 so that this much-anticipated new ride could get the grand opening it deserved.
Though there is plenty of hype for Universal’s VelociCoaster, which is also opening spring 2021, it looks like thrill junkies will have to stop by Iron Gwazi when it opens next year, as it will be the tallest and fastest coaster of any kind in the state of Florida. Which of these two roller coasters are you most excited for?
