Busch Gardens new roller coaster, Cobra’s Curse, is a must-ride, exhilarating family experience. It's fully immersive, has an air conditioned queue (yeah!) followed by a ride you have to try! Full of your standard lifts and dips this Cobra even spins! Andrew Schaffer, Project Manager of Design and Engineering for SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment, explained the factors setting this Florida roller coaster apart. “We’ve got a story, we’ve got an air conditioned queue line, we’ve got a snake habitat that’s inside of the queue line. The ride itself goes forwards, it goes backwards, it spins. You go up a vertical lift… It goes out onto our Serengeti belt. You can see the animals and everything.” But only if your eyes are open!
Approaching the ride, the first thing guests notice about Cobra’s Curse is the 30,000-pound Snake King Venymyss. Poised and ready to strike, escaping his fangs is only the beginning as you twist, turn and spin through 2100 feet of exhilarating coaster track.
Approaching the queue, the brisk contrast of air conditioning is easily noted as guests wind their way through the line. Warnings are abundantly clear that there’s no turning back and certainly no escape.
Also in the queue is an impressive viper exhibit including Jameson’s Mamba, the Rhinoceros Viper and the Angolan Python. But the most majestic, largest snake of this group (considered the world’s heaviest true viper), with fangs up to two inches long, is the Gaboon Viper.
At the end of the line, is the main event. This Florida roller coaster is a one-of-a-kind experience, beginning with a 70-foot vertical lift which launches riders within inches of Snake King Venymyss' also impressive 4-foot-long fangs! Then, it’s a blur of twists and turns, going forward and backward. Before the end, the coaster is moving into a deep dive while the cars spin freely. Each ride is different depending on the weight distribution of the passengers! Gotta go!
Riders must be 48 inches tall to ride alone, or 42 inches tall with a parent/guardian. A mixture of small and large riders makes for super twisty fun!
Cobra’s Curse opens today, June 17th to the general public. This an epic, must-ride, Florida roller coaster found only at Busch Gardens, Tampa. Take the plunge and watch out for those fangs!
Admittedly, I am not a big roller-coaster fan, hesitant to try I climbed aboard and 20/20 hindsight...am SO glad I did! Watch as I take on Cobra's Curse with a narrow escape! Then head to Busch Gardens for yourself to take on King Venymyss, it is truly an exhilarating experience the entire family will love!
Loving the photos? To see the entire album, including pictures taken by one of our extremely talented photographers, Carlos Rodriquez, follow this link to the Full Photo Album.
The Details
- 8 trains with 2 cars
- Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 8 riders per train
- Cars spin as they ride the track
- Found in "Egypt" where Tut's Tomb used to be
- Constructed by Mack Rides (great name right!), the first to develop a roller coaster where individual cars spin freely
- The elevator lift is 70-foot-tall (21 m) elevator lift, the train banks outwards, bringing riders closer to the 80-foot-tall snake King Venymyss
- Annual passes at BG are only $14 per month with no blackout dates, free parking and no down-payment
- In July Annual Pass members can enjoy exclusive Cobra's Curse rides every weekend in July
Park hours today are 9:30 am to 7:30 pm, so gather up the kids, your sunscreen and camera, and head to Busch Gardens to experience the most exhilarating ride with your family today!
