IronGwazi — Attraction in Tampa

When I got to the park yesterday, this was the ride I was looking foward to. The advertising of the Iron Gwazi having a 91 degree drop and reaching speeds of 76 mph drove me to try this out.

After about 5 hours at the park, with half of that time being spent waiting for the Congo (water ride, which was very popular due to the weather), I went to try the Iron Gwazi, which had a 35 minute wait time.

Because everything was perfect, the line in reality was closer to 20 minutes. So I decided to go to the front, as I could wait a few more minutes. I barely had to wait because they wanted one person to fill a space in the front (which I filled with pleasure).

Pro Tip: There is a seatbelt, please put it on! I almost made a deadly mistake until I asked the lady next to me about the strangely tight rope under me, which is how I learned that the "rope" was a seatbelt. I panicked and feared that they were going to go already (it was fast paced) but they heard me and they lifted the secure thing so I could fix my mistake.

The secure thing is only around the lap, which is why I panicked about not wearing my seatbelt. There is nothing on your shoulders holding you down, so that's different.

Anyways, the climb is ordinary and the suspense before the drop lasts only a few seconds, but the suspense was the strongest I ever felt, as in the front, it looked like there was no drop (as in I couldn't see the track). I was terrified, although not for long because the drop began.

It felt like I was going to fly out of the cart after the drop began. I probably would've if I kept sitting on the seat belt, but it still felt like it because there was no contact with the seat.

It all happened one after another. Going upside down, twisting, doing more drops and stuff that terrified me to the bone. Yet after all of it was over, I was upset, because never have I ever rode a coaster that made me feel like I wasn't going to make it at the end.

It is super thrilling and I rate this 5 stars. Will ride any chance I get and recommend only for the thrill-seekers that have no health issues (nor fear of falling). Also maybe sit in the rows behind if not seeing the drop is something that is terrifying...

The queue is nicely themed and covered, which is good as the only downside to this coaster is the dispatch times some days. I've been to this park and ridden Gwazi many times, and some days it's around two minutes, while others it's near five each train. This is their most popular ride so this can heavily impact your wait time.

The ride itself is great so I will not fault it for the park operations. The drop is a 91 degree plummet, and it does not slow down from there until the brake run at the end. I recommend the further back as the drop hill will amount to you being whipped over, giving air time before things even start.

The ride vehicles can be a little small for bigger folk, so I suggest trying the test seat before waiting in the line to make sure your time isn't lost. The restraint system consists of a lap seat belt, and a lap bar that will also lock your shins in place. There is nowhere to hold onto effectively, so this air time machine will test your nerves as you will feel like you're going to be ejected from your seat. All in all, don't let its size intimidate you as while it is intense, it's easily re-rideable due to the lack of intense G forces.

If you're coming to this park and are a coaster fanatic, you need...

The best roller coaster that Busch Gardens offers! Iron Gwazi I believe is their best roller coaster—in fact it’s the best hybrid coaster (wood and steel) in the world!

This to me is my favorite ride out of the entire park. I would go as many times I want and cannot get over how amazing the experience is, no matter where I sit.

The climb is pretty nerve racking while the anticipation of this thriller is top notch. It’s less than 30 seconds you’re at the top but the grade of the climb really puts you in your seat.

Fantastic airtime you get as you go 76mph over the hills of the ride. The momentum is already established the moment it drops and it never stops until a really fast brake at the end. The airtime gives you a sense of how fast you’re really going and I thought I was going to go flying. The 91° and over 200 foot drop, especially in the front row is so unreal, it’s well worth the extra wait time. The inverted section was so unexpected yet the speed of the ride was giving me all kinds of excitement and anxiety. If you want to feel the pull of the ride, go all the way to the back, it’s insane!

Iron Gwazi cannot...