'Serengeti Flyer' swing ride at Busch Gardens will open Feb. 27 to guests, but earlier for passholders

Concept art for Busch Gardens Tampa Bay's new "Serengeti Flyer" swing ride, which opens spring 2023. (Photo courtesy: Busch Gardens Tampa Bay)

Thrill-seekers, get ready to fly. Busch Gardens Tampa Bay has officially announced the opening date for its new ride, Serengeti Flyer.

It will open to all theme park guests on Feb. 27. Pass members get to experience it first on Feb. 24.

Busch Gardens officials say it will be the world's tallest and fastest ride of its kind. The Serengeti Flyer features dueling arms that theme park officials say will soar progressively higher — reaching speeds of 68 mph and a maximum height of 135 feet at the ride's peak.

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Guests will be seated back-to-back in rows of 10 across the two gondolas, which will allow 40 visitors to ride simultaneously "while experiencing multiple negative-G moments before plunging back toward the Earth."

The Serengeti Flyer will soar above Busch Gardens' 65-acre Serengeti Plain, overlooking the grasslands where giraffes and zebras roam.

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"Serengeti Flyer’s thrilling ride experience is bound to provide riders with a pulse-pounding encounter that can only be found at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay," said Neal Thurman, Park President of Busch Gardens Tampa Bay.

The new ride announcement comes on the heels of another recent addition, the Iron Gwazi roller coaster, which opened back in April after two years of pandemic delays.

Learn more about the new Serengeti Flyer ride by visiting the Busch Gardens website.