Iron Gwazi Prepares To Invade; Anticipated Coaster Opens Friday

TAMPA, FL — For fans of hair-raising, nail-biting roller coasters, consider Friday to be your birthday, Christmas and Halloween all rolled into one. The long-awaited Iron Gwazi officially opens at Busch Gardens Tampa.

Just in time for spring break, Iron Gwazi, North America's tallest roller coaster and the world's fastest and steepest hybrid coaster, will officially open on March 11.

Iron Gwazi takes thrills to new heights, plunging riders from a 206-foot-tall peak into a 91-degree drop and reaching top speeds of 76 miles per hour. Riders will experience a dozen airtime moments, including three inversions.

See related story: Iron Gwazi To Open March 11 But Pass Holders Can Ride Feb. 13

Manufactured by Rocky Mountain Construction, the newest addition at Busch Gardens is a wood and steel hybrid coaster design, combining the innovation of a steel coaster and the nostalgia of a wooden coaster.

Andrew Schaffer, project manager for the coaster, said the new coaster even contains some of the structure from Busch Gardens' original classic wooden coaster, Gwazi.

But that's where the comparison ends, he said. "This ride features all-new thrill components and a reimagined track layout, taking it to a whole new level," he said.

Originally scheduled to open in the spring of 2021, the coaster's opening was delayed a year due to the pandemic.

Now, that it's officially opening, the much-anticipated Iron Gwazi is expected to be a contender for one of the most exciting roller coasters in the country.

Compare Iron Gwazi To These Coasters

Coaster aficionados say it will easily beat out the Ice Breaker at SeaWorld Orlando, which opened Feb. 18. Ice Breaker is SeaWorld's first ever launch coaster. Named after the icy Arctic summits, Ice Breaker features four airtime-filled launches, both backward and forward, culminating in a reverse launch into the steepest vertical drop in Florida — a 93-foot-tall spike with a 100-degree angle. The thrills continue as riders fly over a near vertical tophat maneuver into a series of twists, turns, and airtime hills at speeds of 52 mph.

Originally scheduled to open in 2021 for Disney World's 50th anniversary, Epcot's Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is now set to open this summer. Disney Parks Experiences and Products chairman Josh D’Amaro said it will be one of the world's longest fully enclosed coasters, extending 5,577 feet. Its vehicles will rotate 360 degrees and the coaster will feature a reverse launch.

Also originally scheduled to open in 2021 for Disney World's 50th anniversary, Disney's Magic Kingdom's Tomorrowland Tron Lightcycle Run will now open between late 2022 and early 2023. A semi-enclosed launched steel motorbike roller coaster, guests will begin the ride by entering a huge gravity show building, where they'll board their own Tron Lightcycle and ride beneath a color-changing canopy.

Other must-ride coasters for the coaster fan's checklist include the Jurassic World VelociCoaster at Universal’s Islands of Adventure, which opened last summer. The 4,700-foot-long steel launched coaster is 155 feet high with a 140-foot drop from a tophat tower that drops passengers down the other side at an 80-degree angle. It reaches a top speed of 70 mph in 2.4 seconds and features four inversions.

Rated the country's best roller coaster in 2021 by USA Today's 10Best, SeaWorld's Mako had been bill as the world's tallest coaster at 200 feet and the fastest coaster at 73 mph. However, the Mako lost its top billing with the opening of the Iron Gwazi, which beat the Mako by 6 feet in height and 3 mph in speed. Nevertheless, coaster fans love it for its suspended airtime and deep dive.

After riding the Iron Gwazi, be sure to check out Busch Gardens' four other thrill rides, still receiving high rankings from coaster nerds.

Busch Gardens' Montu is ranked seventh on the 2021 10Best and is considered one of the best examples of an inverted coaster (in which the trains are suspended below the track, and passengers’ legs dangle) in the country. Among its features, the ride navigates into underground trenches for some fly-by moments and offers plenty of inversions.

SheiKra, Busch Gardens' floorless diving coaster earns high praise as well. In addition to diving 200 feet at a top speed of 70 mph, the coaster dangles passengers over the edge for a terrifying moment and then throws in a second dive.

Cheetah Hunt is a nontraditional, 4,429-foot-long coaster that incorporates three launches and reaches 60 mph while offering a smooth ride for the "family."

Kumba earns screaming points for its monster 135-foot drop, speeds of 60 mph and a 3.8 G-force.

For tickets and passes to Busch Gardens, click here.