It’s flown riders through twists, turns and loops at speeds of 50 miles per hour since it opened in 1999. When it did, it was the first dueling wooden roller coaster in Florida and the largest of its kind in the Southeast. Today, Gwazi at Busch Gardens Tampa still stands as one of the park’s most ominous coasters but it hasn’t quite seen the same attention it used to back when it first debuted. In an effort to stay on budget, Busch Gardens Tampa has officially confirmed they will be closing Gwazi in the New Year.
A spokesperson for Busch Gardens said there was no official date for the final ride. There are also no details about what will replace Gwazi, although rumors are swirling that the coaster will remain in the park until Busch Gardens creates plans for a new ride and/or area.
“We will send out an announcement and make sure that everybody knows so that those who want to come ride it one more time can come do that,” said Busch Gardens’ Travis Claytor.
After the news of Gwazi’s closing hit social media over the weekend, the consensus was mostly sadness but also hope for what could come. There were also comments about how rough Gwazi could be, which was a factor when Busch Gardens made the ultimate decision to close Gwazi.
"When we looked at this, we took into consideration things like ride penetration -- the number of people wanting to actually go on the ride," Claytor said. "We looked at guest feedback and comments along with operational costs."
When Gwazi opened in 1999 it had two separate tracks known as Lion and Tiger. The Tiger side was the only side that had been in use since 2012.
The closing of Gwazi will leave only two other wooden coasters operating in Florida. Last year Fun Spot opened the wooden coaster White Lightening and LEGOLAND Florida has Coastersaurus, a smaller coaster that opened in 2004 at Cypress Gardens.
Stay tuned for more details on the closing of Gwazi. In the meantime don’t miss your last chance to experience Gwazi’s many thrills, including some of those bumpy twists and turns before it closes forever with discounted Busch Gardens’ tickets right here on Best of Orlando.
Orlando, FL – 12/30/14
By: Jena Pugh | 
