A popular Florida theme park has announced that it will close its oldest roller coaster still in operation. However, fans of the attraction still have a chance to take a ride on it.
On Friday, Busch Gardens announced that its Tampa Bay theme park would close the Scorpion attraction, which has been open since 1980.
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“This closure paves the way for exciting new attractions in the future. More details will be announced soon,” said a press release obtained by the Orlando Sentinel.
A replacement for the trip has not yet been announced.
The last day to ride the 44-year-old roller coaster is Labor Day (September 2).
It is currently located in the Pantopia area of the Busch Garden Tampa Bay theme park.
Read more about Busch Gardens
The Scorpion was reportedly the second roller coaster built at the Florida park, which is less than a two-hour drive from Disney World in Orlando.
The construction costs were reportedly around $3 million.
With its closure, the Kumba Coaster, which opened in 1993, becomes the oldest roller coaster still in existence in the park.
Fans of the attraction have noted that the ride only reaches a top speed of about 80 km/h and a top height of just over 18 meters.
The total travel time is approximately 90 seconds.
It is best known for its 39-foot-high 360-degree loop.
The roller coaster has a total of two trains with five cars each, which can accommodate 20 people per ride.
Its bright orange paint stands out on a clear day with blue skies.
To ride the water slide, park visitors must be at least 122 cm tall.
Persons between 122 and 137 cm tall must be accompanied by a person aged 14 years or older who is at least 137 cm tall.
It is also known for having only a lap belt and no shoulder strap.
The popular roller coaster went viral on social media in 2023 after a woman shared a video of herself and her daughter on the ride.
Tragedies at the happiest place in the world
Although Disney Playlands’ motto is to be the happiest place on earth, tragedies have occurred at the theme parks over the decades.
1967 Disneyland, People Mover: The first fatality on the Peoplemover ride occurred in 1967, when the attraction in the Californian theme park had only been open for about a month. A 16-year-old jumped between the carriages and fell onto the tracks, where he was hit by another train.
2019 Disney World, Humunga Kowabunga Ride: A woman plunged down a water slide at 40 mph in 2019 and suffered a “pants pull so bad she bled.” Emma McGuinness sued Disney World Florida for over $50,000 after the shocking incident, a lawsuit says. The grisly accident occurred when Emma hit the water at the bottom of the Humunga Kowabunga slide, which is perched 213 feet above a pool.
2020 Disney World, modern resort: According to police, several people saw a woman fall from an upper-floor room at a Disney hotel. Rescue workers found the victim unconscious and soon determined the time of death. Officials said they believe she committed suicide.
Disney World 2021: A schoolgirl died from an allergic reaction to a hot dog bun during a dream family holiday at Disney World, an inquest heard. Nine-year-old Ava-Grace Stevens had been spending the day with her family at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, when the tragedy struck. Ava’s father Geoffrey Stevens said they had been careful to meet their daughter’s dairy-free dietary needs, but US food labels were not as clearly legible as those in the UK.
The woman claimed her young daughter was finally big enough to climb aboard when they had a frightening experience.
As the video shows, the young girl can be seen slipping under the lap belt after the first steep curve and the first slope during the 90-second ride.
The woman claimed her daughter remained unprotected for the rest of the trip.
Shortly after the incident, officials at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay informed the mother that the roller coaster was temporarily closed for investigation.
With only a few days left for park visitors to ride the roller coaster one last time, Busch Gardens is urging thrill seekers to take advantage of the time remaining.
“Time is running out! Don’t miss your LAST CHANCE to take a ride on the iconic Scorpion roller coaster before it runs for the last time on Labor Day (9/2),” the theme park wrote in a post to X.
“And stay tuned… this closure paves the way for future excitement.”
