Family fun soars at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay with Phoenix Rising
AT: David Fake
TAMPA, Fla. — On July 21, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay debuted its tenth roller coaster and second family coaster, Phoenix Rising, an inverted Bolliger and Mabillard (B&M) creation on which passengers sit two-abreast.
Phoenix Rising has the distinction of being B&M’s first inverted family coaster to be built in the U.S., and the only installation of its kind outside of China.
The new coaster is also the second of only two B&M family coasters to operate in the U.S., with Penguin Trek, B&M’s first two-abreast, sit-down family launch coaster, having debuted earlier the same month at United Parks and Resorts’ (formerly SeaWorld Entertainment’s) sister park, SeaWorld Orlando, located just 90 minutes East of Busch Gardens Tampa Bay.
Located in the Pantopia-themed area, Phoenix Rising pays homage to, and theoretically rises from, the ashes of another “Phoenix,” the defunct galleon-themed Intamin Looping Starship attraction that operated on the new coaster’s site from 1984 until 2018 and later demolished in late 2022.
Considered a family coaster owing to its 42-inch minimum height and 77-inch maximum height, Phoenix Rising delivers a zippy and exhilarating experience for riders of all ages.
“We are thrilled to officially open Phoenix Rising to our guests and pass members,” said Stewart Clark, park president of Busch Gardens Tampa Bay on the opening day of the new attraction. “With a height requirement of just 42 inches, it's an adventure the whole family can enjoy together.”
The coaster reaches 80 feet at its apex, then travels at speeds of up to 44 mph over its 1,831 feet of track delivering a considerably smooth, nonstop ride experience, which seems to fly by rather quickly owing to the absence of a mid-course block brake. This absence is attributed to the coaster’s single-train operation (which combined with a slow initial turnover and dispatch, may prove to create the ride's only shortcoming — a substantial wait time, even on days with lower overall attendance).
Still, Phoenix Rising is exactly what the park needed after back-to-back years of thrill ride installations with 2022 debuting Iron Gwazi, an extreme hybrid roller coaster installation from Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC) and 2023 delivering Serengeti Flyer, the world’s tallest S&S Screamin’ Swing thrill ride.
Prior to Phoenix Rising’s opening, smaller family members were left with only one roller coaster option — Air Grover, a Zierer Force/190 model family coaster.
A good way to explain Air Grover’s level of intensity is that it is big on the mild and short on the wild. But that is exactly what it was designed to be — a mild, enjoyable and unfrightening introduction to the roller coaster experience.
Missing was a coaster that delivered somewhere between the mild and the wild. Busch Gardens Tampa Bay needed a coaster for those who had outgrown Air Grover, but weren't quite ready for the super thrills of the other offerings at the park.
“We really look at the portfolio of the park and try and make decisions [for new attractions] based on what makes the best sense for what we needed next in the park,” said Andrew Schaffer, corporate director of project management with United Parks and Resorts.
“We knew we needed another coaster that was kind of in the right age and height range. Because before, you would go from Air Grover, then jump to something much larger. There was really nothing between the two.
“Kids reach an age where they are past the Air Grover stage. They're like, ‘I really don’t want to ride a Sesame Street ride.’ Then they go look at a monster of a coaster like Iron Gwazi and they're like, ‘Oh, that is way too scary.’ So, we definitely wanted to find an attraction that was much smaller and less scary for the small to middle-sized kids. And we think Phoenix Rising really hits that nail on the head,” continued Shaffer.
Not only does Phoenix Rising have a custom layout designed specifically for the area, but the ride experience is enhanced by some unique theming features.
“The ride has four different Phoenixes that follow along as you get on and ride this coaster,” explained Shaffer. “The experience is randomized, so if you watch the screens in the station, you’ll notice four different Phoenix characters that play on those screens.”
The four Phoenixes with which guests take flight also have names and themes. There is Ignis: Protector of the desert realm, a.k.a. the Fire Phoenix (red), Aqua: Protector of the ocean realm, a.k.a. the Water Phoenix (blue), Glacius: Protector of the mountain tops and glaciers, a.k.a. the Ice Phoenix (purple) and then there is Terra: Protector of the rainforests, a.k.a. the Jungle Phoenix (green).
There is coordinating lighting on and under the seats that match the colors of the Phoenix on the OLED screens. So, every ride delivers a different feeling.
“If you come at night, you can also see the lighting on the ride and that changes for every ride too,” added Shaffer.
“In addition to custom lighting, there is an original score that was composed specifically for the ride. There are speakers right on the train, too. Mainly, it's kind of Phoenix-y sounds — bird sounds and wings flapping are playing as you go through the attraction and ride the coaster,” explained Shaffer.
Erick Elliot, vice president of design and engineering at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, agreed with Shaffer. He added “You get a great immersive ride, and one thing that’s very special about this ride is that onboard audio. As you are soaring out over through the park, you have this great live audio soundtrack that enhances the ride.”
Both Shaffer and Elliot also spoke about the great views of the Serengeti from the lift hill and throughout the coaster’s course.
“If you ride in the right seat, you have an amazing view of our Serengeti plain which is right where all the animals are out here,” Schaffer said.
The bottom line is that Phoenix Rising is exactly what Bush Gardens Tampa Bay needed, delivering exactly what park officials wanted from it. Most importantly, it fulfilled a void that smaller, soon-to-be enthusiasts did not yet realize they were hoping for.
“It really makes it a great experience for the whole family to enjoy,” Elliot concluded.
