Kumba (roller coaster)

Kumba
View of Kumba's track
Kumba was the first Bolliger and Mabillard coaster to feature interlocking corkscrews, and was 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
StatusClosed
Opening dateApril 21, 1993 (1993-04-21)
Closing dateAugust 2, 2026 (2026-08-02)
Replaced byKumba's Revenge
General statistics
TypeSteel
ManufacturerBolliger & Mabillard
DesignerWerner Stengel
ModelSitting Coaster
Lift/launch system
Chain lift hill
Height143 ft (44 m)
Drop135 ft (41 m)
Length3,978 ft (1,212 m)
Speed60 mph (97 km/h)
Inversions7
Duration2:54
G-force3.8
Trains4 trains with 8 cars; riders arranged 4 across in a single row for a total of 32 riders per train
Kumba at RCDB

Kumba was a steel roller coaster located at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in Tampa, Florida, United States. Manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard, the ride opened in 1993, featuring the world's tallest vertical loop. The coaster also featured seven inversions, a height of 143 feet (44 m), and a maximum speed of 60 mph (97 km/h). After more than 33 years of operation, Kumba permanently closed on August 2, 2026 after a long hiatus in November 2024.

History

To compete with Orlando-based amusement parks, Busch Gardens Tampa officials deliberated on opening a new roller coaster throughout the 1980s following the park's animal and simulator ride additions over the previous years.[1] Park officials worked on planning and design for Kumba two years prior to its announcement, with executives selecting the Congo section as the location to build the roller coaster.[1][2] Busch Gardens officials proposed the layout to three roller coaster manufacturers based in the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the United States, with Bolliger & Mabillard earning the contract to build and manufacture Kumba.[1]

Construction and pouring of the concrete foundations started in October 1992.[3][4] Kumba was officially announced on November 10, 1992, as a record-breaking Bolliger & Mabillard roller coaster set to become the park's signature attraction.[2][3][5] The announcement of Kumba was part of a larger, multi-million dollar expansion of the park with the roller coaster opening in the Spring season.[3] The park marketed Kumba as representing a "mythical feline" whose howl is heard at night, further deriving "Kumba" being translated as "roar" from a Kongo language.[6][7]

Vertical construction of Kumba's lift hill was observed by The Tampa Tribune in January 1993.[8] Continued construction of the roller coaster's track was observed in February 1993,[9] with The Tampa Tribune noting its near completion in early March and testing beginning in the same time period.[1][10][11] The ride officially opened to the public on April 21, 1993.[12][13] When Kumba opened, it featured the world's tallest vertical loop,[5] and was also the tallest, fastest, and longest roller coaster in Florida.[14][15][16]

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.[17] 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.[14][16] In 1999, it conceded the fastest title to Islands of Adventure's The Incredible Hulk Coaster, yet another B&M sitdown coaster.[15] Busch Gardens Tampa Bay announced in July 2026 that Kumba would permanently close on August 2, 2026.[18]

Ride experience

The zero-g roll, where riders experienced a feeling of weightlessness

The ride began with a right-hand, 90-degree turn out of the station, which then began to climb the 143-foot-tall (44 m) chain lift hill. After reaching the peak, trains went through a small pre-drop. The ride then went down a 135-foot (41 m) drop to the left into a 114-foot-tall (35 m) vertical loop that wrapped around the lift hill. After leaving the vertical loop, the ride rose into a diving loop, followed by a zero-g roll, where riders experienced a feeling of weightlessness. A straight section of track and a small hill led to a Cobra roll. After exiting the cobra roll, the trains rose into the mid-course brake run. The exit from the brake run led into a pair of interlocking corkscrews. The train then dived into a tunnel and exited into an upward clockwise helix. The train then hit the final brake run, before making a right-hand turn and returning to the station.[19][20]

Characteristics

One of Kumba's trains exiting the second corkscrew

The 3,978-foot-long (1,212 m) Kumba stood 143 feet (44 m) tall and had a drop of 135 feet (41 m), with a top speed of 60 miles per hour (97 km/h). The ride featured 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.[19] The vertical loop featured on Kumba wrapped around the lift hill. This element was later seen on The Riddler's Revenge at Six Flags Magic Mountain and Banshee at Kings Island.[21] 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.[22][23] Riders of Kumba experienced up to 3.75[3][24] or 3.8[19] times the force of gravity on the 3-minute ride.[19] Kumba covered three acres (1.2 ha) of the park's Congo section.[2]

Kumba featured three steel and fiberglass trains, each containing eight cars.[1][3] Each car seated four riders in a single row for a total of 32 riders per train.[3][25] The block sections only allowed for three trains to be on the track at any one time, meaning the ride could still operate at full capacity when one train was undergoing maintenance. With all three trains operating, the ride could achieve a capacity of 1,700 riders per hour.[19] The color scheme of the track was turquoise.[24]

Reception

Kumba was well received upon opening. 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 had ridden hundreds of times.[26] Dewayne Bevil of the Orlando Sentinel gave Kumba ratings of 4 out of 5 for both thrill and theming.[27][28] Keith Kohn, also of the Sentinel, described the ride as "an amazing experience".[29]

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.[30][31] The park expected that trend to continue into 1994.[31] In 1995, Joe Fincher, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay's general manager, described Kumba as a "superstar roller coaster" that "had been terrific for us".[32]

In Amusement Today's annual Golden Ticket Awards, Kumba consistently ranked highly. It was 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,[33] before dropping to a low of 42 in 2016.[34]

Golden Ticket Awards: Top steel Roller Coasters
Year19981999
Ranking 4[33] 5[35]
Year2000200120022003200420052006200720082009
Ranking 7[36] 13[37] 19[38] 22[39] 22[40] 22[41] 21[42] 21[43] 27[44] 27[45]
Year2010201120122013201420152016201720182019
Ranking 24 (tie)[46] 31[47] 23[48] 27[49] 36[50] 38[51] 42 (tie)[34] 41 (tie)[52] 37[53] 40[54]
Year202020212022202320242025
Ranking N/A – – – – –

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Jackson, Tom (April 21, 1993). "A scream come true". The Tampa Tribune. pp. 1-2 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. 1 2 3 Stengle, Bernice (November 11, 1992). "Thrill of 'Kumba' to roar into park". St. Petersburg Times. Times Publishing Company. pp. E1 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Lammers, Dirk (November 11, 1992). "Busch Gardens plans to build Southeast's biggest roller coaster". The Tampa Tribune. pp. 1 - Business & Finance – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ Lammers, Dirk (April 7, 1993). "New ride focus of expansion". The Tampa Tribune. pp. UN-5 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. 1 2 Vaughan, Vicki (November 16, 1992). "Kumba Coasting To Busch Gardens". Orlando Sentinel. Tribune Company. Retrieved July 8, 2013.
  6. ↑ Stengle, Bernice (November 11, 1992). "Thrill of 'Kumba' to roar into park". St. Petersburg Times. Times Publishing Company. pp. E1 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ "New coaster". News-Press. December 20, 1992. pp. 3G – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ "'Kumba' getting ready to roar". The Tampa Tribune. January 7, 1993. pp. 1-University – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ "Weekend Theme Parks". The Bradenton Herald. February 19, 1993. p. 18 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ↑ "Speeding toward completion". The Tampa Tribune. March 3, 1993. pp. 1-Business & Finance – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ "Waaaaaooooooooeeee!". The Tampa Tribune. March 22, 1993. pp. 2-Business & Finance – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ↑ 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.
  13. ↑ Jackson, Tom (April 21, 1993). "A scream come true". The Tampa Tribune. p. 2. Retrieved August 11, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. 1 2 Marden, Duane. "Record Holders (Tallest roller coasters in Florida)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  15. 1 2 Marden, Duane. "Record Holders (Fastest roller coasters in Florida)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  16. 1 2 Marden, Duane. "Record Holders (Longest roller coasters in Florida)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  17. ↑ Marden, Duane. "Dragon Khan (PortAventura Park)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  18. ↑ Niles, Robert (July 14, 2026). "Kumba readies its final roar at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay". Theme Park Insider. Archived from the original on July 14, 2026. Retrieved July 14, 2026.
  19. 1 2 3 4 5 Marden, Duane. "Kumba (Busch Gardens Tampa Bay)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  20. ↑ Alvey, Robb (November 10, 2011). "Kumba Roller Coaster POV Front Seat Amazing 1080p HD Footage Busch Gardens Tampa FL". Theme Park Review. YouTube. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved July 8, 2013.
  21. ↑ Stilwell, Andrew (March 17, 2014). "A-Z Coaster of the Week: Kumba". Coaster101. Archived from the original on April 24, 2021. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  22. ↑ Marden, Duane. "Roller Coaster Search Results (Interlocking Corkscrews)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  23. ↑ Marden, Duane. "Roller Coaster Search Results (Dive Loop)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  24. 1 2 "Busch Gardens to build new ride". The News-Journal. November 12, 1992. pp. 2C – via Newspapers.com.
  25. ↑ Staff (March 28, 1993). "Look what's new in Florida parks". The Stuart News. pp. F-1 – via Newspapers.com.
  26. ↑ Boedeker, Hal (June 6, 2013). "Orlando expert travels world in 'Coaster Wars'". Orlando Sentinel. Tribune Company. Retrieved July 8, 2013.
  27. ↑ Bevil, Dewayne (May 31, 2013). "Central Florida Roller Coaster Guide". Orlando Sentinel. Tribune Company. Retrieved July 8, 2013.
  28. ↑ Bevil, Dewayne. "Kumba, Busch Gardens". Orlando Sentinel. Tribune Company. Retrieved July 8, 2013.
  29. ↑ Kohn, Keith W. (June 17, 2004). "Fans Eager To Loop And Twist At Gardens". Orlando Sentinel. Tribune Company. Retrieved July 8, 2013.
  30. ↑ Cronan, Carl (August 2, 1996). "Busch Gardens coasts into summer with Egypt". Ocala Star-Banner. Halifax Media Group. Retrieved July 4, 2013.
  31. 1 2 O'Brien, Tim (February 1994). "Kumba's marketing momentum to carry Busch Gardens Tampa into '94 season". Amusement Business. 106 (8): 18.
  32. ↑ Doolittle, Leslie (May 11, 1995). "New Roller Coaster Planned In 1996 As Busch Gardens Goes Egyptian". Orlando Sentinel. Tribune Company. Retrieved July 8, 2013.
  33. 1 2 "Top 25 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 7B. August 1998.
  34. 1 2 "2016 top 50 steel roller coasters". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2016.
  35. ↑ "Top 25 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 7B. August 1999.
  36. ↑ "Top 25 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. August 2000.
  37. ↑ "Top 25 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 7B. August 2001. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013.
  38. ↑ "Top 25 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 7B. September 2002. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013.
  39. ↑ "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 14–15B. September 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013.
  40. ↑ "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 18–19B. September 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 3, 2007.
  41. ↑ "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 26–27B. September 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013.
  42. ↑ "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 26–27B. September 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013.
  43. ↑ "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 11 (6.2): 36–37. September 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013.
  44. ↑ "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 12 (6.2): 36–37. September 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013.
  45. ↑ "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 13 (6.2): 32–33. September 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013.
  46. ↑ "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 14 (6.2): 34–35. September 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013.
  47. ↑ "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 15 (6.2): 38–39. September 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013.
  48. ↑ "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 16 (6.2): 36–37. September 2012.
  49. ↑ "2013 Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 17 (6.2): 34–35. September 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013.
  50. ↑ "2014 Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 18 (6.2): 46–47. September 2014.
  51. ↑ "2015 Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 19 (6.2): 49–50. September 2015.
  52. ↑ "2017 Top 50 Steel Coasters". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2017.
  53. ↑ "2018 Top 50 Steel Coasters". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2018.
  54. ↑ "2019 Top Steel". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2019.
  • Official website
  • Kumba at the Roller Coaster DataBase
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