I got to do the COOLEST thing yesterday: I was able to go to the media preview of Iron Gwazi at Busch Gardens!
Y'all this roller coaster is insane. The initial drop is over 200 feet at a 91 degree angle! There are inversions and speed and twists...it's incredible. Seriously. When it opens to the public, I PROMISE you, it's well worth the two-year wait for this ride.
A lot of people have asked me if it's anything like the original Gwazi and the answer is NO. The original Gwazi was a wooden coaster with a very rough ride. The new Iron Gwazi uses some of the wood structure from the original Gwazi (we talked to an engineer about it--very cool!), but it's been completely revamped with a steel track, so it glides very smoothly. The track is also over 4000 feet, which makes for a longer ride. Every time you think it's over, there's another twist or drop. It was awesome, and I can't wait to go back and ride again!
Here is the video that the Busch Gardens team sent of my ride with Brian Fink from our sister station 93.3 FLZ (Hi Fink!). Please excuse my nervous talking, my screaming, and my big dopey face--lol! It was SO fun!
In case you didn't know, Busch Gardens is offering an annual passholder preview now through March 10th, and then Iron Gwazi opens to the public on March 11th. If you have an annual pass, GO TO BUSCH GARDENS and take advantage of shorter lines! If you don't have an annual pass, now's a great time to get one (and it comes with perks like discounts, parking, Quick Queue and more, depending on what level of pass you purchase).
THANK YOU to Busch Gardens for making this happen and sending such amazing video! The initial drop happens at about the 1 minute mark if you want to skip to the good stuff. All photos and video courtesy of Busch Gardens.