Cobra’s Curse roller coaster opens at Busch Gardens in Tampa
It sounds like a cheapo horror movie from the 1960s, but Cobra’s Curse is really the name of the newest, and maybe the most exciting, roller coaster at Busch Gardens in Tampa.
It opens on Friday. Here are some of the details:
It’s a one-of-a-kind spin coaster that features a menacing 30,000-pound snake king icon. A 70-foot vertical lift will take riders within inches of its three-foot-side eyes and four-foot-long fangs.
The ride lasts about three-and-a-half minutes The coaster trains speed along at 40 miles per hour down 2,100 feet of serpentine track, traveling backward, and forward and then spinning freely.
Every ride on the Cobra’s Curse will have be a unique experience. Each train spins randomly, with frequency and direction determined by the riders’ weight distribution.
The ride’s air-conditioned queue naturally is part of the experience. It’s a state-of-the-art snake exhibit featuring four exotic snake species, including some of the world’s most feared and often misunderstood vipers.
Riders must be 48 inches to ride, or 42 inches with a parent or guardian.
Details: 10 a.m.-7 p.m. June 17, Busch Gardens, 10165 N. McKinley Drive, Busch Gardens, Tampa. Admission: $89. 888-800-5447, seaworldparks.com/en/buschgardens-tampa.
Marty Clear: 941-708-7919, @martinclear
This story was originally published June 15, 2016 at 5:21 PM with the headline "Cobra’s Curse roller coaster opens at Busch Gardens in Tampa."