Busch Gardens Tampa To Close Roller Coaster After 33 Years

TAMPA, FL — Busch Gardens Tampa Bay’s Kumba roller coaster will take its final ride on Sunday, Aug. 2, ending a 33-year run and making way for a new attraction called Kumba's Revenge.

The Tampa theme park said the change is part of a more than $100 million investment to enhance and transform the park experience.

The investment includes new attractions, immersive experiences and park-wide improvements aimed at increasing repeat visits, Busch Gardens said.

"Our more than $100 million investment represents our commitment to the future of Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and to creating extraordinary experiences that keep guests coming back," Jon Vigue, president of Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, said. "Kumba has inspired generations of thrill seekers and earned its place as one of the world's most iconic roller coasters. As we celebrate its incredible legacy, we're also looking ahead. Kumba's Revenge will honor everything guests loved about the original while delivering an entirely new level of thrills."

While riders have until Aug. 2 to experience Kumba one last time, Annual Pass Members will also get exclusive ride time on Aug. 1 from 8 to 11 a.m., the theme park said.

Annual passes start at $13 per month and include unlimited admission, access to seasonal events, free parking, discounts and passholder-only experiences.

When Kumba opened in 1993, it was Florida's tallest, fastest and longest coaster, and featured the world's tallest vertical loop at the time, the theme park said.

During the nearly three-minute ride, guests dropped 135 feet, reached 60 mph and went through seven inversions.

Busch Gardens said coaster enthusiasts ranked it among the world's greatest roller coasters for more than three decades.

"The legend of Kumba isn't ending—it's evolving," Vigue said. "Stay tuned as we prepare to unleash Kumba's Revenge."