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{{Short description|Ride at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay}}
{{Good article}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2013}}
{{Infobox roller coaster
{{Infobox roller coaster
|name=Kumba
| name = Kumba
| logo = Kumba logo.png
|image=Kumba at Busch Gardens Tampa.JPG
| logodimensions = 124px
|caption=Kumba's [[interlocking corkscrews]].
| image = Kumbas vertical loop 3.jpg
|location=Busch Gardens Africa <!--Must not be linked, will auto-categorize the coaster.-->
| imagedimensions = 250px
|section=Congo <!--Must not be linked.-->
| alt = View of Kumba's track
|type=Steel <!--Must be "Steel" or "Wood", nothing else. Must not be linked.-->
| caption = Kumba was the first Bolliger and Mabillard coaster to feature [[interlocking corkscrews]], and is one of only five in the world to feature a vertical loop around the lift hill.
|type2= <!--Must not be linked, will auto-categorize the coaster.-->
| previousnames =
|type3= <!--Must not be linked, will auto-categorize the coaster.-->
| location = Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
|status=Open
| locationarticle = <!--Must not be linked.-->
|opened=[[April 20]] [[1993]]
| section = Congo
|manufacturer=Bolliger & Mabillard <!--Must not be linked, will auto-categorize the coaster.-->
| subsection = <!--Should be linked.-->
|designer=[[Werner Stengel]]
| coordinates = {{coord|28|02|23|N|82|25|23|W|display=title,inline|region:US-FL_type:landmark_source:dewiki}}
|model=Steel Twister coaster
| status =Operating
|track=Custom
| opened = {{Start date|1993|4|21}}
|lift=Chain [[lift hill]]
| soft_opened = <!--Use {{Start date|YYYY|MM|DD}} -->
|height=143 <!--Must be expressed in feet and may contain only numeric characters.-->
|drop=135 <!--Must be expressed in feet and may contain only numeric characters.-->
| year = 1993
|length=3978 <!--Must be expressed in feet and may contain only numeric characters.-->
| closed = <!--Use 2024|July|20| -->
| cost =
|speed=63 <!--Must be expressed in miles per hour and may contain only numeric characters.-->
| previousattraction =
|inversions=7
| replacement =
|duration=2:54
|angle= <!--Do not include "degrees", it is added automatically.-->
| type = Steel
| type2 = <!--Must not be linked, will auto-categorize the coaster.-->
|capacity=1700
| type3 = <!--Must not be linked, will auto-categorize the coaster.-->
|cost=
| manufacturer = Bolliger & Mabillard
|acceleration=
| designer = [[Werner Stengel]]
|gforce=3.8
| model = Sitting Coaster
|restriction=54 <!--Must be expressed in inches and may contain only numeric characters.-->
| track =
|rcdb_number=94 <!--The number in the URL of the coaster's RCDB page-->
| lift = [[Chain lift hill]]
| height_ft = 143
| drop_ft = 135
| length_ft = 3978
| speed_mph = 60
| inversions = 7
| duration = 2:54
| angle = <!--Do not include "degrees", it is added automatically.-->
| capacity = 1,700
| acceleration = <!--Expression in full form e.g. "X to Y mph (χ to ψ km/h) in Z seconds". -->
| acceleration_from = <!--Initial speed in mph or km/h defaults to zero, only numeric characters-->
| acceleration_mph = <!--Final speed in mph may contain only numeric characters-->
| acceleration_km/h = <!--Final speed in km/h may contain only numeric characters-->
| acceleration_in = <!--Number of seconds may contain words -->
| gforce = 3.8
| restriction_in = 54
| trains = 4(3 max. in use)
| carspertrain = 8
| rowspercar = 1
| ridersperrow = 4
| virtual_queue_name = Quick Queue
| virtual_queue_image = Quick Queue availability logo (Busch Gardens).svg
| virtual_queue_status = available
| single_rider = <!--Must be "available" if available.-->
| accessible = <!--Must be "available" if available.-->
| transfer_accessible = <!--Must be "available" if available.-->
| custom_label_1 =
| custom_value_1 =
| custom_label_2 =
| custom_value_2 =
| custom_label_3 =
| custom_value_3 =
| custom_label_4 =
| custom_value_4 =
| rcdb_number = 94
}}
}}


'''''Kumba''''' is a [[roller coaster]] at [[Busch Gardens Africa]] (in [[Tampa, Florida]]). Designed by [[Bolliger & Mabillard]] and opened in [[1993]], it stands 143 feet tall and has a top speed of 60 mph. ''Kumba'' is one of the first in a line of multi-[[Roller coaster inversion|inversion]] coasters (that is, those having six or more inversions) built by B&M. It has seven inversions which, in order, are:
'''Kumba''' is a [[steel roller coaster]] located at [[Busch Gardens Tampa Bay]] in [[Tampa, Florida]]. Manufactured by [[Bolliger & Mabillard]], the ride opened in 1993. It stands {{convert|143|ft}} tall and has a top speed of {{Convert|60|mph}}.<ref name="strengle" /> Kumba features a total of seven inversions across the 3-minute ride. It is Busch Gardens Tampa Bay's oldest roller coaster that is still operating, following the closure of [[Scorpion (roller coaster)|Scorpion]] in 2024.


==History==
*114-foot tall [[Loop (roller coaster)|vertical loop]], which wraps around the [[lift hill]]
Kumba was officially announced in November 1992 as a record-breaking Bolliger & Mabillard roller coaster set to become the park's signature attraction.<ref name="Kumba Coasting To Busch Gardens">{{cite news|last=Vaughan|first=Vicki|title=Kumba Coasting To Busch Gardens|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1992/11/16/kumba-coasting-to-busch-gardens/|access-date=July 8, 2013|newspaper=[[Orlando Sentinel]]|publisher=[[Tribune Company]]|date=November 16, 1992}}</ref> The ride officially opened to the public on April 21, 1993.<ref name=":34">{{Cite news |last=Lammers |first=Dirk |date=November 11, 1992 |title=Busch Gardens plans to build Southeast's biggest roller coaster |pages=1 |work=The Tampa Tribune |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/107370926/busch-gardens-plans-to-build/ |access-date=August 11, 2022 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref><ref name=":35">{{Cite news |last=Jackson |first=Tom |date=April 21, 1993 |title=A scream come true |pages=2 |work=The Tampa Tribune |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/107375391/a-scream-come-true/ |access-date=August 11, 2022 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> When Kumba opened, it featured the world's tallest vertical loop,<ref name="Kumba Coasting To Busch Gardens" /> and was also the tallest, fastest and longest roller coaster in Florida.<ref name="Florida's tallest">{{Cite RCDB|coaster_name=Record Holders|location=Tallest roller coasters in Florida|access-date=July 8, 2013|url=http://www.rcdb.com/rhr.htm?m=2&l=3180}}</ref><ref name="Florida's fastest">{{Cite RCDB|coaster_name=Record Holders|location=Fastest roller coasters in Florida|access-date=July 8, 2013|url=http://www.rcdb.com/rhr.htm?m=2&l=3180}}</ref><ref name="Florida's longest">{{Cite RCDB|coaster_name=Record Holders|location=Longest roller coasters in Florida|access-date=July 8, 2013|url=http://www.rcdb.com/rhr.htm?m=2&l=3180}}</ref> In 1995, Kumba conceded the title of ride with the world's tallest vertical loop to [[Dragon Khan]] at [[PortAventura Park]] which features a {{Convert|118|ft|m|adj=mid|-tall}} vertical loop.<ref>{{cite RCDB|coaster_name=Dragon Khan|location=PortAventura Park|rcdb_number=760|access-date=July 8, 2013}}</ref> In 1996, it conceded Florida's titles of tallest and longest roller coaster to [[Montu (roller coaster)|Montu]], a B&M inverted coaster in the Egypt section of the park.<ref name="Florida's tallest" /><ref name="Florida's longest" /> In 1999, it conceded the fastest title to [[Islands of Adventure]]'s [[The Incredible Hulk Coaster]], yet another B&M sitdown coaster.<ref name="Florida's fastest" />
*B&M's first-ever [[Roller coaster elements#diving loop|diving loop]]
*[[roller coaster elements#zero G roll|Zero-G roll]] (also known as a camelback)
*[[Roller coaster elements#Cobra roll|Cobra roll]] (two inversions that go over the Congo River Rapids bridge)
*[[Roller coaster elements#Interlocking corkscrews|2 Interlocking corkscrews]] (also a first for B&M) immediately after the [[brake run|block brake]]


==Characteristics==
''Kumba'' had the most inversions of any coaster by B&M until the opening of [[Dragon khan|''Dragon Khan'']] in [[1995]].
{{Stack|[[File:Kumba at Busch Gardens Tampa.JPG|thumb|One of Kumba's trains exiting the second corkscrew]]}}
The {{convert|3978|ft|m|adj=mid|-long}} Kumba stands {{convert|143|ft|m}} tall and has a drop of {{convert|135|ft|m}}, with a top speed of {{Convert|60|mph}}. The ride features seven inversions including a {{Convert|114|ft|m|adj=mid|-tall}} vertical loop, a [[dive loop]], a [[zero-g roll]], a [[cobra roll]] and two [[Corkscrew (roller coaster element)|interlocking corkscrews]].<ref name="RCDB">{{cite RCDB|coaster_name=Kumba|location=Busch Gardens Tampa Bay|rcdb_number=94|access-date=July 5, 2013}}</ref> The vertical loop featured on Kumba wraps around the lift hill. This element was later seen on [[The Riddler's Revenge]] at [[Six Flags Magic Mountain]] and [[Banshee (roller coaster)|Banshee]] at [[Kings Island]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Stilwell|first=Andrew|date=March 17, 2014|title=A-Z Coaster of the Week: Kumba|url=https://www.coaster101.com/2014/03/17/z-coaster-week-kumba/|access-date=September 13, 2021|publisher=Coaster101|archive-date=April 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210424195813/https://www.coaster101.com/2014/03/17/z-coaster-week-kumba/|url-status=live}}</ref> Kumba was the first ride in the world to feature a number of now-common roller coaster elements, including interlocking corkscrews and a dive loop.<ref>{{cite RCDB|coaster_name=Roller Coaster Search Results|location=Interlocking Corkscrews|access-date=July 8, 2013|url=http://rcdb.com/r.htm?ot=2&el=8877&page=1&order=10}}</ref><ref>{{cite RCDB|coaster_name=Roller Coaster Search Results|location=Dive Loop|access-date=July 8, 2013|url=http://rcdb.com/r.htm?ot=2&el=8879&page=1&order=10}}</ref> Riders of Kumba experience up to 3.8 times the [[G-force|force of gravity]] on the 3 minute ride.<ref name=RCDB />


Kumba features four steel and fiberglass [[Train (roller coaster)|train]]s, each containing eight cars. Each car seats four riders in a single row for a total of 32 riders per train. The [[block section]]s only allow for three trains to be on the track at any one time, meaning the ride can still operate at full capacity when one train is undergoing maintenance. With all three trains operating, the ride can achieve a capacity of 1,700 riders per hour.<ref name=RCDB />
“Kumba” means “Roar” in the African [[Kongo Language]]. The coaster itself mimics this definition with a distinctive roar that the train produces as it traverses the track. It is not known if this was a design feature or an incidental though appropriate aspect of the ride. Most likely, the cause of this roar is due to the track design. Similar to other Bolliger & Mabillard roller coasters, the track contains a hollow spine and rails, which are known to produce a roaring sound.


The name Kumba was derived from the translation of the word "roar" in the African [[Kongo language]].<ref name="strengle">{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=y_ENAAAAIBAJ&pg=4989,393462&dq=kumba+busch+gardens|title=Thrill of 'Kumba' to roar into park|last=Strengle|first=Bernice|date=November 11, 1992|newspaper=[[St. Petersburg Times]]|publisher=[[Times Publishing Company]]|access-date=July 21, 2009}}</ref>
Initially, it is said, ''Kumba'' was to be part of a two-coaster project for Busch Entertainment. The company had contacted B&M to build two sit-down coasters at its Busch Gardens parks, one in Florida, the other in [[Williamsburg, Virginia]]. B&M, a young company at the time, could deliver on the one for the Florida park but not the Williamsburg park. Busch understood and handed the contract for the Williamsburg coaster to [[Arrow Dynamics]]. In [[1992]], a year before ''Kumba'' opened at Busch Gardens Tampa, sister park [[Busch Gardens Europe|Busch Gardens Williamsburg]] unveiled its Arrow creation, the ill-fated ''[[Drachen Fire]]''.


==Ride experience==
''Kumba'', at the time of its opening, was said to have "set the industry standards".
[[File:Kumbas zero-g roll 2.jpg|thumb|The zero-g roll, where riders experience a feeling of [[Air-time|weightlessness]]]]
The ride begins with a right-hand, 90-degree turn out of the [[Station (roller coaster)|station]] which then begins to climb the {{convert|143|ft|m|adj=mid|-tall}} [[chain lift hill]]. After reaching the peak, trains go through a small pre-drop. The ride then goes down a {{convert|135|ft|m|adj=on}} drop to the left into a {{convert|114|ft|m|adj=mid|-tall}} vertical loop that wraps around the lift hill. After leaving the vertical loop, the ride rises up into a diving loop, followed by a zero-g roll, where riders experience a feeling of [[Air-time|weightlessness]]. A straight section of track and a small hill leads to a [[Cobra roll]]. After exiting the cobra roll, the trains rise up into the [[mid-course brake run]]. The exit from the brake run leads into a pair of [[interlocking corkscrews]]. The train then dives into a tunnel and exits into an upward clockwise helix. The train then hits the final [[brake run]], before making a right hand turn and returning to the station.<ref name=RCDB /><ref name=POV>{{cite web|last=Alvey|first=Robb|title=Kumba Roller Coaster POV Front Seat Amazing 1080p HD Footage Busch Gardens Tampa FL|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0x0U5BLvMOA |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/0x0U5BLvMOA |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|work=[[Theme Park Review]]|publisher=YouTube|access-date=July 8, 2013|authorlink=Robb Alvey|date=November 10, 2011}}{{cbignore}}</ref>


==Reception==
When it opened, it had the record of the longest roller coaster in Florida, until Montu opened three years later.
Kumba has generally been well received. [[Robb Alvey]] of [[Theme Park Review]] stated Kumba was his favorite ride in the Florida area, describing it as "an old-school, intense ride" that he has been on hundreds of times.<ref name="Orlando expert travels world in 'Coaster Wars'">{{cite news|last=Boedeker|first=Hal|title=Orlando expert travels world in 'Coaster Wars'|url=http://www.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment/blogs/tv-guy/os-orlando-expert-travels-world-in-coaster-wars-20130606,0,7440266.post|access-date=July 8, 2013|newspaper=[[Orlando Sentinel]]|publisher=[[Tribune Company]]|date=June 6, 2013}}</ref> Dewayne Bevil of the ''[[Orlando Sentinel]]'' gives Kumba ratings of 4 out of 5 for both thrill and theming.<ref name="Central Florida Roller Coaster Guide">{{cite news|last=Bevil|first=Dewayne|title=Central Florida Roller Coaster Guide|url=http://www.orlandosentinel.com/travel/attractions/orl-thrillometer-roller-coasters-guide,0,5170965.htmlstory|access-date=July 8, 2013|newspaper=[[Orlando Sentinel]]|publisher=[[Tribune Company]]|date=May 31, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Bevil|first=Dewayne|title=Kumba, Busch Gardens|url=http://www.orlandosentinel.com/travel/attractions/orl-roller-coaster-kumba-022409,0,3552994.photo|access-date=July 8, 2013|newspaper=[[Orlando Sentinel]]|publisher=[[Tribune Company]]}}</ref> Keith Kohn, also of the ''Sentinel'', described the ride as "an amazing experience".<ref name="Fans Eager To Loop And Twist At Gardens">{{cite news|last=Kohn|first=Keith W.|title=Fans Eager To Loop And Twist At Gardens|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2004/06/17/fans-eager-to-loop-and-twist-at-gardens/|access-date=July 8, 2013|date=June 17, 2004|newspaper=[[Orlando Sentinel]]|publisher=[[Tribune Company]]}}</ref>


The opening of Kumba had a significant impact on park attendance figures. In its debut year, park attendance increased approximately 15% to an estimated 3.8 million visitors.<ref name="Busch Gardens coasts into summer with Egypt">{{cite news|last=Cronan|first=Carl|title=Busch Gardens coasts into summer with Egypt|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=y89PAAAAIBAJ&pg=4516,555266|access-date=July 4, 2013|newspaper=[[Ocala Star-Banner]]|date=August 2, 1996|agency=[[Halifax Media Group]]}}</ref><ref name="Kumba's marketing momentum to carry Busch Gardens Tampa into '94 season">{{cite journal|last=O'Brien|first=Tim|title=Kumba's marketing momentum to carry Busch Gardens Tampa into '94 season|journal=Amusement Business|date=February 1994|volume=106|issue=8|page=18}}</ref> The park expected that trend to continue into 1994.<ref name="Kumba's marketing momentum to carry Busch Gardens Tampa into '94 season" /> In 1995, Joe Fincher, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay's general manager, described Kumba as a "superstar roller coaster" that "has been terrific for us".<ref name="New Roller Coaster Planned In 1996 As Busch Gardens Goes Egyptian">{{cite news|last=Doolittle|first=Leslie|title=New Roller Coaster Planned In 1996 As Busch Gardens Goes Egyptian|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1995/05/11/new-roller-coaster-planned-in-1996-as-busch-gardens-goes-egyptian/|access-date=July 8, 2013|date=May 11, 1995|newspaper=[[Orlando Sentinel]]|publisher=[[Tribune Company]]}}</ref>
<gallery>
Image:Kumba-from-skyride.jpg|View of ''Kumba'' from the Skyride
Image:Kumba-train-hill.jpg|A train ascending the [[lift hill]]
</gallery>


In ''[[Amusement Today]]''{{'s}} annual [[Golden Ticket Awards]], Kumba has consistently ranked highly. It is also one of only seven roller coasters to appear in the top 50 every year since the award's inception in 1998. It debuted at position 4 in 1998,<ref name="GTA1998" /> before dropping to a low of 42 in 2016.<ref name="GTA2016" />
==Other roller coasters with the same name==
There is another roller coaster called ''"Kumba"'' at the 'Superland Park' in Israel. However, this roller coaster is a [[Suspended Looping Coaster]] built by [[Vekoma]].


{{GTA table
==Awards==
| type = steel
| access-date = September 14, 2015
| 1998 = 4
| 1999 = 5
| 2000 = 7
| 2001 = 13
| 2002 = 19
| 2003 = 22
| 2004 = 22
| 2005 = 22
| 2006 = 21
| 2007 = 21
| 2008 = 27
| 2009 = 27
| 2010 = 24 (tie)
| 2011 = 31
| 2012 = 23
| 2013 = 27
| 2014 = 36
| 2015 = 38
| 2016 = 42 (tie)
| 2017 = 41 (tie)
| 2018 = 37
| 2019 = 40
}}


==References==
{| class="wikitable"
{{reflist|30em}}
!align="center" bgcolor="white" colspan="31"|Golden Ticket Awards: Best Steel Coaster
|- style="background-color: #white;"
!align="center"|Year
!2000
!2001
!2002
!2003
!2004
!2005
!2006
!2007
!2008
!2009
|-
!align="center" style="background-color: #white;"|Ranking
|<center>7
|<center>13
|<center>
|<center>22
|<center>22
|<center>22
|<center>21
|<center>21
|<center>27
|<center>
|-
|}

==See also==
* [[Busch Gardens]]
* [[Drachen Fire]]


==External links==
==External links==
* {{Official website|http://seaworldparks.com/en/buschgardens-tampa/Attractions/Rides/Kumba}}
* [http://www.rcdb.com/id94.htm ''Kumba'' entrance at RCDB]
* {{RCDB|94|Kumba}}
* [http://www.bgtguide.com/media/kumba/kumba_1.htm ''Kumba'' Photos]
* {{Commons category-inline|Kumba (roller coaster)}}


{{BGA Coasters}}
{{S-start}}
{{succession box | title=World's Tallest Vertical Loop| before=''unknown'' | years=April 1993&ndash;May 1995| after=''[[Dragon Khan]]''}}
{{Amusement park accidents}}
{{S-end}}


{{Busch Gardens Tampa Bay}}
{{coord|28|02|23|N|82|25|23|W|display=title|region:US-FL_type:landmark_source:dewiki}}
{{BGT Coasters}}


[[Category:Amusement park accidents|Busch parks]]
[[Category:Roller coasters in Tampa, Florida]]
[[Category:Roller coasters in Tampa, Florida]]
[[Category:Roller coasters introduced in 1993]]

[[Category:Roller coasters in Florida]]
[[de:Kumba]]
[[fr:Kumba (Busch Gardens Africa)]]
[[Category:Busch Gardens Tampa Bay]]
[[Category:1993 establishments in Florida]]
[[sv:Kumba]]

Latest revision as of 21:40, 29 December 2024

Kumba
View of Kumba's track
Kumba was the first Bolliger and Mabillard coaster to feature interlocking corkscrews, and is one of only five in the world to feature a vertical loop around the lift hill.
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
LocationBusch Gardens Tampa Bay
Park sectionCongo
Coordinates28°02′23″N 82°25′23″W / 28.03972°N 82.42306°W / 28.03972; -82.42306
StatusOperating
Opening dateApril 21, 1993 (1993-04-21)
General statistics
TypeSteel
ManufacturerBolliger & Mabillard
DesignerWerner Stengel
ModelSitting Coaster
Lift/launch systemChain lift hill
Height143 ft (44 m)
Drop135 ft (41 m)
Length3,978 ft (1,212 m)
Speed60 mph (97 km/h)
Inversions7
Duration2:54
Capacity1,700 riders per hour
G-force3.8
Height restriction54 in (137 cm)
Trains4(3 max. in use) trains with 8 cars. Riders are arranged 4 across in a single row for a total of 32 riders per train.
Quick Queue available
Kumba at RCDB

Kumba is a steel roller coaster located at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in Tampa, Florida. Manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard, the ride opened in 1993. It stands 143 feet (44 m) tall and has a top speed of 60 miles per hour (97 km/h).[1] Kumba features a total of seven inversions across the 3-minute ride. It is Busch Gardens Tampa Bay's oldest roller coaster that is still operating, following the closure of Scorpion in 2024.

History

[edit]

Kumba was officially announced in November 1992 as a record-breaking Bolliger & Mabillard roller coaster set to become the park's signature attraction.[2] The ride officially opened to the public on April 21, 1993.[3][4] When Kumba opened, it featured the world's tallest vertical loop,[2] and was also the tallest, fastest and longest roller coaster in Florida.[5][6][7] In 1995, Kumba conceded the title of ride with the world's tallest vertical loop to Dragon Khan at PortAventura Park which features a 118-foot-tall (36 m) vertical loop.[8] In 1996, it conceded Florida's titles of tallest and longest roller coaster to Montu, a B&M inverted coaster in the Egypt section of the park.[5][7] In 1999, it conceded the fastest title to Islands of Adventure's The Incredible Hulk Coaster, yet another B&M sitdown coaster.[6]

Characteristics

[edit]
One of Kumba's trains exiting the second corkscrew

The 3,978-foot-long (1,212 m) Kumba stands 143 feet (44 m) tall and has a drop of 135 feet (41 m), with a top speed of 60 miles per hour (97 km/h). The ride features seven inversions including a 114-foot-tall (35 m) vertical loop, a dive loop, a zero-g roll, a cobra roll and two interlocking corkscrews.[9] The vertical loop featured on Kumba wraps around the lift hill. This element was later seen on The Riddler's Revenge at Six Flags Magic Mountain and Banshee at Kings Island.[10] Kumba was the first ride in the world to feature a number of now-common roller coaster elements, including interlocking corkscrews and a dive loop.[11][12] Riders of Kumba experience up to 3.8 times the force of gravity on the 3 minute ride.[9]

Kumba features four steel and fiberglass trains, each containing eight cars. Each car seats four riders in a single row for a total of 32 riders per train. The block sections only allow for three trains to be on the track at any one time, meaning the ride can still operate at full capacity when one train is undergoing maintenance. With all three trains operating, the ride can achieve a capacity of 1,700 riders per hour.[9]

The name Kumba was derived from the translation of the word "roar" in the African Kongo language.[1]

Ride experience

[edit]
The zero-g roll, where riders experience a feeling of weightlessness

The ride begins with a right-hand, 90-degree turn out of the station which then begins to climb the 143-foot-tall (44 m) chain lift hill. After reaching the peak, trains go through a small pre-drop. The ride then goes down a 135-foot (41 m) drop to the left into a 114-foot-tall (35 m) vertical loop that wraps around the lift hill. After leaving the vertical loop, the ride rises up into a diving loop, followed by a zero-g roll, where riders experience a feeling of weightlessness. A straight section of track and a small hill leads to a Cobra roll. After exiting the cobra roll, the trains rise up into the mid-course brake run. The exit from the brake run leads into a pair of interlocking corkscrews. The train then dives into a tunnel and exits into an upward clockwise helix. The train then hits the final brake run, before making a right hand turn and returning to the station.[9][13]

Reception

[edit]

Kumba has generally been well received. Robb Alvey of Theme Park Review stated Kumba was his favorite ride in the Florida area, describing it as "an old-school, intense ride" that he has been on hundreds of times.[14] Dewayne Bevil of the Orlando Sentinel gives Kumba ratings of 4 out of 5 for both thrill and theming.[15][16] Keith Kohn, also of the Sentinel, described the ride as "an amazing experience".[17]

The opening of Kumba had a significant impact on park attendance figures. In its debut year, park attendance increased approximately 15% to an estimated 3.8 million visitors.[18][19] The park expected that trend to continue into 1994.[19] In 1995, Joe Fincher, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay's general manager, described Kumba as a "superstar roller coaster" that "has been terrific for us".[20]

In Amusement Today's annual Golden Ticket Awards, Kumba has consistently ranked highly. It is also one of only seven roller coasters to appear in the top 50 every year since the award's inception in 1998. It debuted at position 4 in 1998,[21] before dropping to a low of 42 in 2016.[22]

Golden Ticket Awards: Top steel Roller Coasters
Year 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Ranking 4[21] 5[23] 7[24] 13[25] 19[26] 22[27] 22[28] 22[29] 21[30] 21[31] 27[32] 27[33] 24 (tie)[34] 31[35] 23[36] 27[37] 36[38] 38[39] 42 (tie)[22] 41 (tie)[40] 37[41] 40[42]

References

[edit]
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  3. ^ Lammers, Dirk (November 11, 1992). "Busch Gardens plans to build Southeast's biggest roller coaster". The Tampa Tribune. p. 1. Retrieved August 11, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ Jackson, Tom (April 21, 1993). "A scream come true". The Tampa Tribune. p. 2. Retrieved August 11, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
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[edit]
Preceded by
unknown
 World's Tallest Vertical Loop
April 1993–May 1995 		Succeeded by
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Kumba_(roller_coaster)&oldid=1266051050"