Although most folks who come to Orlando are there to visit Disney World, as well as Universal Orlando, and maybe even SeaWorld Orlando and LEGOLAND Florida, some make the trek to Tampa Bay to visit Busch Gardens, too, which is about 100 or so miles from Disney World.

©Busch Gardens Tampa Bay

Well, if you’ve visited Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, you might have taken a wild ride on a classic roller coaster, Kumba. Well, if you want to ride Kumba again, you’ll want to do so soon because Kumba will soon be closing forever, according to The Tampa Bay Times.

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay has announced that Kumba will be taking its final ride on August 2nd and closing on August 3rd. It will be replaced with a new roller coaster called Kumba’s Revenge. And with a name like that, we can imagine that the new coaster will be even MORE thrilling.

©Busch Gardens Tampa Bay

When it opened 33 years ago, Kumba was Florida’s tallest, fastest, and longest coaster with the world’s tallest vertical loop. Of course, since then, roller coasters have only gotten bigger, taller, and faster, but Kumba still offers some thrills during its three-minute ride that takes a 135-foot plunge and reaches speeds of 60 mph while running through seven inversions. Trust me, I’ve been on it, and it’s a BEAST.

©Busch Gardens Tampa Bay

This beast isn’t completely going away, though. According to Busch Gardens, it’s evolving into something else. 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.”

©Busch Gardens Tampa Bay

Last year, Busch Gardens announced it had plans to put $40 million on new theme parks, including an expansion for its Adventure Island water park. Now, it seems that number has jumped up to $100 million, and will include the new roller coaster that will take Kumba’s place.

©Busch Gardens Tampa Bay

We’ll keep an eye out for more updates on the new roller coaster, so stay tuned to DFB for more.

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