Serengeti Flyer is the newest thrill ride at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, and it certainly earns the claim of thrill ride. This screaming swing attraction, by S&S Worldwide, takes riders up 135 feet-in-the-air at 68 miles per hour.
We were warned. No hats, no glasses, no loose items. Within five seconds of being on the ride, we understood why. This high-flying attraction will take you soaring, and will get you 135 set above Busch Gardens in just a few swings.
If you think back to being a kid and pushed on a swing at a playground, this is what you meant by, “push it faster!” By our second swing, we were over thirty feet in the air. Within 40 seconds you are soaring at 68 miles per hour, and going totally weightless when you reach the top. This may be a swing, but don’t confuse it with a kiddy ride.
Serengeti Flyer has a minimum height requirement of 48 inches. This attraction has a wheelchair accessible queue, but you will need to transfer onto the ride restraint system. The ride can accommodate 40 riders at once and has a total ride time of one minute and thirty seconds. During our media day preview there were longer breaks to allow for cameras and vlog intros. But once this ride is running at full speed, we can see the capacity holding up strong.
This ride is considered a stepping stone for thrill enthusiasts. It isn’t the full level of aggression and speed that you can get on Iron Gwazi, but it certainly is a major thrill step above other Busch Gardens Tampa Bay rides like Cobra’s Curse.
During our first ride it was all about being in the moment and holding on to anything we could grab. But subsequent rides allowed for us to enjoy the weightlessness and look around the park. Serengeti Flyer certainly gives some fantastic views and unique thrilling moments. I rode today five times in the course of forty-five minutes and didn’t feel motion sick, but I am also a fan of major thrill attractions.
The ride itself is very smooth, with the most aggressive push actually being the first one to get the attraction moving. From there you are just a few swings from maximum momentum. While you won’t go entirely upside down, you will see the sky straight ahead, and then swing until you are staring back at the Earth.
Would you take to the heights and ride on Busch Gardens Tampa Bay’s Serengeti Flyer?
