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Skyride (Busch Gardens)
Encyclopedia
Skyride is a transportation attraction at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay (in Tampa, Florida
). It carries passengers from the Crown Colony section of the park to the Stanleyville section (or vice versa). During this experience, passengers get a bird's-eye view of several attractions at the park.
The ride consists of a single continuous cable, held up by evenly-dispersed supports. From this moving cable, dozens of cabins hang, each one carrying up to four passengers (or 680 pounds). These are open cabins with four seats (two rows of two, facing each other). At each station (one at Crown Colony, one at Stanleyville), a large wheel with a pulley-like groove rotates the direction in which the cable is moving. Incoming cabins are transferred from the moving cable to a stationary steel track, along which the wheels of each cabin glide. They are brought to a stop by two park employees. While one holds the vehicle in place, the other opens the cabin door as the passengers exit. The door is then closed and the vehicle is thrust around the turn. On the other side of the large wheel, another employee re-opens the door and new passengers enter the cabin. The door is re-locked and the cabin is pushed hard enough to transfer it from the steel track to the moving cable. Once on the cable, the wheels above each cabin are not used, but the cable transporting it rests within a slot between the wheels.
The ride was manufactured by Von Roll of Berne, Switzerland and opened at the park in 1974. The Skyride needed to be closed beginning in 2010 to build the Cheetah Hunt
roller coaster, which opened May 27, 2011.
The following is an account of the ride from the Crown Colony station to the Stanleyville station (observances while on the return trip would be in reverse order):
Passengers enter a cabin at the Crown Colony station. (Note: it is at this station that an enormous motor—or series of motors—powers the movement of the continuous cable for the entire ride.) The vehicle catches onto the cable and the cabin begin's its first ascent. For the first half of the attraction, the cabin passes over the animal area of the park, including the "Edge of Africa" and "Rhino Rally" attractions. During this portion, passengers can see various animals to one side, and such attractions as Gwazi
, SheiKra
, and Phoenix on the other side. The cabin then descends to a checkpoint structure where a total of three giant wheels, similar to those at each station, change the direction of the cable. It is here that two employees (one monitoring the vehicles going in each direction) ensure that the cabins have enough momentum to carry themselves across the steel tracks above while making the 90-degree turn. The cabin then returns to the cable and begins its second—and final—ascent, now going perpendicular to the first half of the attraction. During the second portion, passengers can see Sand Serpent, the Timbuktu Theater and Stanley Falls Flume to one side, and Kumba
to the other side. The cabin then descends to a station at the opposite end of the park, where existing passengers exit the ride and new passengers make the return trip.
During Howl-O-Scream, the Skyride is closed due to a haunted house occupying the Crown Colony station. The Skyride queue and the old Veldt Monorail station are used as waiting areas as well. However, as of the 2010 Howl-O-Scream, that haunted house was moved to a different location in Busch Gardens due to the construction on Cheetah Hunt
.
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
). It carries passengers from the Crown Colony section of the park to the Stanleyville section (or vice versa). During this experience, passengers get a bird's-eye view of several attractions at the park.
The ride consists of a single continuous cable, held up by evenly-dispersed supports. From this moving cable, dozens of cabins hang, each one carrying up to four passengers (or 680 pounds). These are open cabins with four seats (two rows of two, facing each other). At each station (one at Crown Colony, one at Stanleyville), a large wheel with a pulley-like groove rotates the direction in which the cable is moving. Incoming cabins are transferred from the moving cable to a stationary steel track, along which the wheels of each cabin glide. They are brought to a stop by two park employees. While one holds the vehicle in place, the other opens the cabin door as the passengers exit. The door is then closed and the vehicle is thrust around the turn. On the other side of the large wheel, another employee re-opens the door and new passengers enter the cabin. The door is re-locked and the cabin is pushed hard enough to transfer it from the steel track to the moving cable. Once on the cable, the wheels above each cabin are not used, but the cable transporting it rests within a slot between the wheels.
The ride was manufactured by Von Roll of Berne, Switzerland and opened at the park in 1974. The Skyride needed to be closed beginning in 2010 to build the Cheetah Hunt
Cheetah Hunt
Cheetah Hunt is a steel launched roller coaster currently open and operating at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in Tampa, Florida. It opened to the public on May 27, 2011 alongside a new cheetah exhibit - Cheetah Run.-History:...
roller coaster, which opened May 27, 2011.
Experience
Passengers enter a cabin at the Crown Colony station. (Note: it is at this station that an enormous motor—or series of motors—powers the movement of the continuous cable for the entire ride.) The vehicle catches onto the cable and the cabin begin's its first ascent. For the first half of the attraction, the cabin passes over the animal area of the park, including the "Edge of Africa" and "Rhino Rally" attractions. During this portion, passengers can see various animals to one side, and such attractions as Gwazi
Gwazi (roller coaster)
Gwazi is a dueling wooden roller coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in Florida. The name Gwazi originates from a fabled creature with the head of a tiger and the body of a lion. Accordingly, the two sides are named "Lion" and "Tiger". Often, the two tracks are called "yellow" and "blue",...
, SheiKra
SheiKra
SheiKra is a Bolliger and Mabillard diving machine roller coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. It is situated in the Stanleyville section of the park. SheiKra was the first dive machine roller coaster in North America. It is tied with Goliath at Six Flags Over Georgia as the second tallest roller...
, and Phoenix on the other side. The cabin then descends to a checkpoint structure where a total of three giant wheels, similar to those at each station, change the direction of the cable. It is here that two employees (one monitoring the vehicles going in each direction) ensure that the cabins have enough momentum to carry themselves across the steel tracks above while making the 90-degree turn. The cabin then returns to the cable and begins its second—and final—ascent, now going perpendicular to the first half of the attraction. During the second portion, passengers can see Sand Serpent, the Timbuktu Theater and Stanley Falls Flume to one side, and Kumba
Kumba (roller coaster)
Kumba is a Bolliger & Mabillard sit down roller coaster located at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, in Tampa, Florida. Built in 1993, it stands tall and has a top speed of 60 mph. Kumba is one of the first in a line of multi-inversion coasters built by B&M, and featured B&M's first ever diving loop...
to the other side. The cabin then descends to a station at the opposite end of the park, where existing passengers exit the ride and new passengers make the return trip.
During Howl-O-Scream, the Skyride is closed due to a haunted house occupying the Crown Colony station. The Skyride queue and the old Veldt Monorail station are used as waiting areas as well. However, as of the 2010 Howl-O-Scream, that haunted house was moved to a different location in Busch Gardens due to the construction on Cheetah Hunt
Cheetah Hunt
Cheetah Hunt is a steel launched roller coaster currently open and operating at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in Tampa, Florida. It opened to the public on May 27, 2011 alongside a new cheetah exhibit - Cheetah Run.-History:...
.
Glossary of terms
- Gondola - The Cabin that guests ride on the skyride. Each gondola weighs 485 lb (220 kg) and can carry up to 680 lb (308.4 kg) in passengers. According to the law, no more than 4 people may be in the gondola while riding, including infants. As well, three adults per gondola. Due to the design of the gondola, the heaviest guest must be seated on the far side of the gondola, away from the door.
- Drive Station – The station where the mechanical drive of the ride is held. This is also the main area where guests are loaded and unloaded from. The Barn is also located here.
- Tension Station – The station where the 14 short tons (12.5 LT) counterweight of the ride is held. At one time, passengers got off at this station for the Treetops Restaurant while it was in business. Today, passengers don’t get on or off from the Tension station.
Incidents
- On July 19, 2009, an employee fell 35 feet (10.7 m) from the ride.