Cobra's Curse facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cobra's Curse |
|
|---|---|
Cobra's Curse elevator lifthill and statue
|
|
| Busch Gardens Tampa Bay | |
| Location | Busch Gardens Tampa Bay |
| Park section | Egypt |
| Coordinates | Lua error in Module:Coordinates at line 614: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). |
| Status | Operating |
| Opening date | June 17, 2016 |
| Replaced | King Tut's Tomb |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Steel – Spinning |
| Manufacturer | Mack Rides |
| Lift/launch system | Elevator lift Wheel lift |
| Height | 70 ft (21 m) |
| Length | 2,100 ft (640 m) |
| Speed | 40 mph (64 km/h) |
| Inversions | 0 |
| Capacity | 1000 riders per hour |
| Height restriction | 42 in (107 cm) |
| Trains | 8 trains with 2 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 8 riders per train. |
| Cobra's Curse at RCDB | |
Cobra's Curse is an exciting steel spinning roller coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in Tampa, Florida. This awesome ride opened in 2016. It was built by a company called Mack Rides.
What makes Cobra's Curse special? It has a unique elevator-style lift that takes you straight up! It was the first new ride to open at the park since Falcon's Fury in 2014. Cobra's Curse tells a cool story about an ancient Egyptian ruler, the Snake King Venymyss, and his curse.
The roller coaster track is 2,100 feet (640 m) long. You'll reach a height of 70 feet (21 m) and zoom at a top speed of 40 mph (64 km/h).
Cobra's Curse is found in the Egypt area of the park. You'll see a huge 80 feet (24 m) snake statue of King Venymyss right in front of the elevator lift. The ride's cars can spin in three ways: they face forward, then backward, and finally, they spin freely! Critics have given Cobra's Curse mostly great reviews.
Contents
How Cobra's Curse Was Built
Development for Cobra's Curse started in 2014. This was around the time Falcon's Fury was finished. In February 2015, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay said a new ride would be built in the Egypt part of the park.
Construction for the new attraction began in March 2015. On March 17, 2015, the park announced that the Serengeti Railway would close temporarily. This was because the new ride would be built along its path.
SeaWorld Entertainment, which owns Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, trademarked the name "Cobra's Curse" in May 2015. On May 28, 2015, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay officially announced the new roller coaster. It would be called Cobra's Curse and built by Mack Rides. Everyone expected it to open in 2016.
Throughout the building process, Jeff Hornick, a design and engineering director, gave updates. PCL Construction handled the general building work. The roller coaster's track began to be put up on October 9, 2015. This started in the middle of the ride area due to limited space.
In November 2015, Mack Rides showed off more details about Cobra's Curse. They even had a small model of the ride at a big amusement park convention.
Media got a tour of the roller coaster on February 17, 2016. They saw the ride's trains and learned more about its theme. On February 29, 2016, the head of the giant snake statue, "King Venymyss," was put in place. The very last piece of track was installed on March 19, 2016.
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay released a video of what it's like to ride Cobra's Curse on May 11, 2016. The construction walls around the ride came down on May 28, 2016. The Orlando Sentinel reported that the ride was almost done by June 6, 2016. Finally, on June 10, 2016, the park announced the official opening date. Cobra's Curse officially opened to the public on June 17, 2016.
Your Ride on Cobra's Curse
The Story of the Ride
The roller coaster has a cool story about the Snake King Venymyss. He was an ancient Egyptian ruler. People loved him at first, but he became too powerful and mean. His people turned against him and destroyed his statue. This statue was where he got his powers. After that, the King put a curse on anyone who would try to rebuild his statue.
In the present day, the park finds the remains of the snake tomb. They hire archaeologists from a group called Viper International Survey and Excavation (VISE). Their job is to dig up the area.
Waiting in Line
The queue area (where you wait in line) is split into different parts. This helps tell the story. The first part is outside, called the "Dig Team Living Quarters." Here, you can learn about different types of snakes.
Inside, you enter the first room. It has a 400 cubic feet (11 m3) glass enclosure with four real, live snakes! These include a Bitis nasicornis, a Gaboon viper, a Jameson's mamba, and a Python anchietae. After walking through some hallways, you go into the second room. Here, special lights project images onto a statue and wall. They show three different scenes that tell the story of the roller coaster. After that, you enter the ride's station. You get into the train and are ready for the elevator lift.
The Ride's Path
When your train reaches the top of the 70-foot-tall (21 m) elevator lift, it turns left. You'll bank outwards, getting super close to the 80-foot-tall (24 m) statue of King Venymyss! Then, you continue along the track.
From there, the train drops 70-foot (21 m), reaching a top speed of 40 mph (64 km/h). You'll bank right and then make another banked turn over a brake section. The train then circles back to this brake section.
From this middle brake section, the two cars on your train will rotate backward! You'll hear King Venymyss say, "Turn, turn, and face your fear." The train then goes down through a small helix (a spiral turn). This takes you to a different type of lift hill that uses wheels.
From there, the train goes down another banked drop. This makes your individual cars start to spin freely! The train then goes through several overbanked turns. It changes speed and direction while spinning. You'll even travel under the Serengeti Railway ride before reaching the final brake run and returning to the station.
Ride Features
Location and Area
Cobra's Curse is built on 2.65 acres (1.07 ha) of land in the Egypt section of the park. When Cobra's Curse was being built, the Serengeti Railway had to be moved a bit. This took about two months.
The old King Tut's Tomb exhibit was removed. It was then used as part of the waiting line for Cobra's Curse. A new market and food place were also built around the roller coaster. There's a fun nod to the old King Tut ride in the restrooms nearby. If you push a "pharaoh" button under the mirror, a mask of King Tut will appear through the glass!
The Giant Snake Statue
The roller coaster's snake statue, King Venymyss, is 80 feet (24 m) tall! It was put together from nine pieces stacked on top of each other. During construction, the pieces were held in place with a strong steel spine. The outside of the statue is made from fiberglass and foam. The snake's head has 3-foot-wide (0.91 m) eyes and 4-foot-long (1.2 m) fangs. The finished statue weighs a massive 30,000 pounds (14,000 kg)!
The Trains
.jpg)
The roller coaster was made by Mack Rides, a German company. They designed the trains with individual, spinning cars. Cobra's Curse has a traditional spinning roller coaster train. This means the cars can spin at different speeds. How much they spin depends on how the riders' weight is spread out in each car.
The trains can also lock in place and rotate on the track. This happens using a motor under each car. Each train has its own unique color scheme. Riders are held in place with a lap bar restraint. The trains move constantly through the ride. The station even has a moving belt platform to help you get on quickly.
The Track
The roller coaster's track is made of tubular steel. It was built in Germany. The track is 2,100 feet (640 m) long. The track itself is green, and the supports near the lift hill are red and yellow. The track's design was inspired by the 'S'-shape of a snake.
The way the track is designed allows for cool headchopper moments. These happen when you feel like you're going to hit nearby structures, trenches, or pathways. There's also a special switch-back track behind the station. This makes it easy for riders who need extra help to get on the ride.
