Sand Serpent facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sand Serpent |
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Sand Serpent pictured in 2007
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| Busch Gardens Tampa Bay | |
| Park section | Pantopia |
| Coordinates | 28°02′19″N 82°25′21″W / 28.038523°N 82.422389°W |
| Status | Operating |
| Opening date | February 2004 |
| Replaced | Crazy Camel |
| Busch Gardens Williamsburg | |
| Park section | Oktoberfest |
| Coordinates | 37°14′06″N 76°38′42″W / 37.235°N 76.645°W |
| Status | Relocated to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay |
| Opening date | April 12, 1996 |
| Closing date | 2003 |
| Replaced by | Curse of DarKastle |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Steel – Wild Mouse |
| Manufacturer | Mack Rides |
| Designer | Werner Stengel |
| Model | Wild Maus |
| Lift/launch system | Chain lift hill |
| Height | 45.9 ft (14.0 m) |
| Length | 1,213.9 ft (370.0 m) |
| Speed | 28 mph (45 km/h) |
| Duration | 1:50 |
| Sand Serpent at RCDB | |
Sand Serpent is a fun Wild Mouse roller coaster located at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in Tampa, Florida. This type of roller coaster is known for its sharp, quick turns and sudden drops. The ride was first opened at a sister park, Busch Gardens Williamsburg, in Williamsburg, Virginia. It had a few different names before becoming Sand Serpent.
The roller coaster was built by a company called Mack Rides. It was designed by Werner Stengel. Sand Serpent reaches a height of about 45.9 feet (14.0 m). It can go as fast as 28 miles per hour (45 km/h). The total track length is about 1,213.9 feet (370.0 m).
History of Sand Serpent
In December 1995, Busch Gardens Williamsburg announced a new ride. It was a Mack Rides Wild Mouse roller coaster called Wild Izzy. It was going to be added to the park's Oktoberfest area for the 1996 season. The ride was named after Izzy, who was the mascot for the 1996 Summer Olympics. Busch Gardens was a sponsor of these games.
Wild Izzy officially opened on April 12, 1996. After that first season, the roller coaster got a new European theme. It was renamed Wilde Maus.
In November 2003, people found out that Busch Gardens Williamsburg was planning a new attraction. This new ride would replace the Wilde Maus roller coaster. After seven years of operation, Wilde Maus closed in 2003. It was removed to make space for a new dark ride called Curse of DarKastle.
In December 2003, news reports said that Wilde Maus would be moved to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. It was shipped there in January 2004 and renamed Cheetah Chase. The roller coaster opened in February 2004 in the Timbuktu section of the park.
Cheetah Chase took the place of an older ride called Crazy Camel. In 2011, the ride's theme changed again. It was renamed Sand Serpent. This was done to avoid confusion with the park's brand new roller coaster, Cheetah Hunt. Today, Sand Serpent is located in the Pantopia area of the park. This area was renamed when Falcon's Fury, a big drop tower, was added.
Ride Features
Sand Serpent is a standard Wild Mouse roller coaster model. It was made by Mack Rides and designed by Werner Stengel. The specific model is called "Wild Maus" and it's the "Compact Mobile" version.
When it first opened, the track was green and the supports were yellow. Each ride car had colors from the Olympic rings, plus lightning bolts and stars. Now, the track is blue and the supports are orange. The cars are solid blue, orange, or red.
Sand Serpent reaches a top speed of 28 miles per hour (45 km/h). The track is 1,213.9 feet (370.0 m) long. The ride takes up an area of about 144.3 feet (44.0 m) by 62.3 feet (19.0 m). The roller coaster uses single cars. Each car holds four riders, with two rows of two seats across.
What the Ride is Like
Your car leaves the station and turns left. Then, it goes up the 45.9 foot (14.0 m) tall lift hill. After reaching the top, the car goes down and enters a series of sharp 180-degree turns. These turns are very close together.
After these tight turns, the car makes a wider turn that goes downhill. Then, it straightens out. The car goes up a small hill and makes two quick left turns. Next, it dips down and goes up another hill, followed by two more left turns. The car then drops again, goes up another hill, and takes two more tight left turns.
Finally, the car goes down one last hill. It then enters the final brake run, where it slows down. After a final left turn, you arrive back at the station. One complete ride on Sand Serpent takes about two minutes.
