Screamscape has posted a rumor that Gwazi at Busch Gardens Tampa will be closing in February: http://screamscape.com/html/busch_gardens_tampa.htm

(And yes, I said "rumor". Lance can call it confirmed all he wants, but the park has yet to publicly acknowledge this...).

I seen that on Theme Park review, also. Never been on Screamscape, haven't heard alot good about it.

Screamscape has a history of retroactively editing and/or deleting information if the stories on their site don't match the facts. Even if that weren't the case, I find it quite suspicious that a park would tell a fan site that a rumor is true prior to making a public announcement. I am also quite disappointed in TPR at this point. Robb Alvey of all people should know better.

Say what you want about Alvey, but he lives down there now. He probably has done solid connections.

I find it quite suspicious that a park would tell a fan site that a rumor is true prior to making a public announcement.

A certain park chain has yet to publicly announce their new-for-2015 roller coaster that has been under construction for months.

Well, if it's the one I'm thinking of, no announcement needed. It's made it's presence known.

Say what you want about Alvey, but he lives down there now. He probably has done solid connections.

He's citing Screamscape as the source. Even if he does have connections, Screamscape is not a reliable source of information.

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As far as I'm concerned: good riddance, Gwazi. I really, really wanted to like that ride. I don't know why, but I did. That ride WAS Son of Beast bad, and it didn't even have the height that Son of Beast had to use as an excuse. And I use "Son of Beast bad" very sparingly. Of the approximately 60 wooden coasters I've ridden, only one other ride besides Gwazi has come close to Son of Beast pain for me.

I've never had such an uncomfortable ride in a Millennium Flyer in my life. I've also never heard Millennium Flyers make the noises that ride's trains did. So disappointing. I'm weird enough that the ride may have been somewhat redeemed by having the trains dueling, but the other side clearly hadn't been in operation for a few seasons.

I find it quite suspicious that a park would tell a fan site that a rumor is true prior to making a public announcement.

A certain park chain has yet to publicly announce their new-for-2015 roller coaster that has been under construction for months.

What park is that?

I was referring to the Premier ride currently being constructed at Busch Gardens Williamsburg.

As far as I'm concerned: good riddance, Gwazi. I really, really wanted to like that ride. I don't know why, but I did. That ride WAS Son of Beast bad, and it didn't even have the height that Son of Beast had to use as an excuse. And I use "Son of Beast bad" very sparingly. Of the approximately 60 wooden coasters I've ridden, only one other ride besides Gwazi has come close to Son of Beast pain for me.

I've never had such an uncomfortable ride in a Millennium Flyer in my life. I've also never heard Millennium Flyers make the noises that ride's trains did. So disappointing. I'm weird enough that the ride may have been somewhat redeemed by having the trains dueling, but the other side clearly hadn't been in operation for a few seasons.

I agree 100%

It was the worst out of the 15 or so Coasters I rode while in FL.

I thought the reason the other side was closed was because the ride would be leaving soon.

It was better when it opened.

Marginally.

I, too, will not be sad to see it go. I think problems ranged from Florida weather to the Busch team having no idea how to maintain

comfort on wooden coasters, and proving it. Either that or no budget to do so consistently.

The original PTC trains were not much better.

And Gwazi's poor performance was the sole reason for none of the other SEAS parks investing in a wooden coaster. The Williamsburg park wanted one for a while, but Gwazi was the nail in the coffin.

What was the problem with Gwazi? Was it poor design, poor construction, or poor maintenance? Or was it a combination of those, or something else entirely?

(Terpy's probable response: "Yes." I'm too lazy to rephrase. )

Let's put it this way. Being a GCI, neither poor design nor construction are likely factors, so Yes is not a good answer.

In addition, BGT had perhaps the most ridiculous operations and slowest dispatches I have ever seen on that poor ride.

Gwazi looks like all of the wooden roller coasters I used to make on RCT. It looks cool, but I guess that's why I never became a ride designer.

^ It does look cool, which is what makes its absolutely horrendous ride experience even more disappointing. It looks like a wonderful ride... but it rides like a jackhammer in the pouch of a kangaroo during an earthquake.

Gwazi looks like all of the wooden roller coasters I used to make on RCT. It looks cool, but I guess that's why I never became a ride designer.

^ It does look cool, which is what makes its absolutely horrendous ride experience even more disappointing. It looks like a wonderful ride... but it rides like a jackhammer in the pouch of a kangaroo during an earthquake.

This sounds very familiar...

Coaster Nation is also reporting on this now and has apparently gotten confirmation from "a park employee".

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^ Probably the Dippin' Dots guy.

Even an only usually accurate source is usually correct.

Terp, just notin'.

How much do you wanna bet that the park employee in question got his/her information from Screamscape and not park management?

And just how would you prove that?

Ask them?

BwaHaHaHaHa!

The park doesn't seem to be interested in responding either way. At least one person has posted on their Facebook page about it, and the page has been tagged in various posts about it.

Consider that there may be no one left in PR/Marketing at the park to respond.

No, I'm not jesting.

Yes, it is that bad.

Lol, from Gwazi wiki page......

As of April 13, 2014, Gwazi Tiger is still closed,and that there is speculation that the trains of Gwazi will be sent to Busch Gardens Williamsburg for a possible new attraction and that Gwazi is expected to close within the next couple of years to make way for a new coaster opening in 2015 or 2016, according to a park employee.

^Well, you did get the quote from Wikipedia after all.

At this point, anything that goes on in this chain will come down to one of our favorite sayings- watch what they do, not what they say.

Yep......I find it funny how easy it is to get a rumor started with very little or no factual evidence in this day of social media.

You know what would be hilarious?

If Gwazi operates next year.

Lol, from Gwazi wiki page......

As of April 13, 2014, Gwazi Tiger is still closed,and that there is speculation that the trains of Gwazi will be sent to Busch Gardens Williamsburg for a possible new attraction and that Gwazi is expected to close within the next couple of years to make way for a new coaster opening in 2015 or 2016, according to a park employee.

That exact quote, save an update to the "as of" date and a single grammar correction, has been present verbatim in the article since April 11, 2013. So that claim does not refer to the new rumor that just came up with the past couple of days.