New Ride, Serengeti Flyer, Coming To Busch Gardens In 2023

If you're a thrill seeker, get excited. Busch Gardens Tampa Bay announced a new ride, Serengeti Flyer, coming in 2023.

Busch Gardens is already home to Iron Gwazi, North America's tallest and world's fastest & steepest hybrid coaster. Serengeti Flyer will be the world's tallest and fastest ride of it's kind. The ride which will be the park's all-new 2023 attraction, will be a screamin' swing that will feature twin dueling arms that reach speeds of 68mph and a maximum height of 135 feet.

Neal Thurman, Park President of Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, said in a press release: “Serengeti Flyer’s thrilling ride experience is bound to provide riders with a pulse-pounding encounter that can only be found at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. We believe that Serengeti Flyer will be the perfect high-thrill addition to our world-class portfolio of attractions including Iron Gwazi, the Golden Ticket Award Winner for the Best New Roller Coaster in 2022.”

Annual pass holders will be among the first to experience the Serengeti Safari when it opens in the spring.

Those annual passes start at low as $14 per month and right now there's a fun card offer where if you pay for a day, you can get the rest of 2022 and 2023 for free.

There's an add on to Howl-O-Scream tickets you can buy called the No-Boo Necklace. It's available at the Howl-O-Scream events at both Tampa and Orlando. The purpose is, exactly what you think it is. You don't want to be scared.

To solve the problem of people who want to come to the Halloween event, but not be scared,  the theme park has added the “scaredy cat” necklace for attendees who don’t want to be scared by the actors roaming the park. I had no idea, but there are people who want to come to the Howl-O-Scream and not be scared. Perhaps your girlfriend (or boyfriend) wants to spend time with you at the park but doesn't like the jump-scares. Or maybe instead of being scared you just want to enjoy the theme of the park. It really is quite amazing the way they decorate for Halloween.

Here's the description from the upgrades page:

Don't want to be scared? Purchase a No-Boo Necklace to let our monsters know not to scare you!

● Necklace does not guarantee a scare free evening.
● Our monsters will do their best to avoid you, but some initial contact may occur.
● NO BOO necklace may not be worn in houses and on rides.

So, on top of buying the ticket to go to a Halloween event, you can add $15 to the total and be protected from the monsters who roam the park. But not in the haunted houses! Wait, what? That's right, the necklace doesn't work in the houses. And not on the rides.

 A little pricey at $250 extra a person but it comes with:

Create your own up to 7-hour experience with a private tour guide, exclusive experiences and unlimited access to haunted houses and thrill rides. Minimum of two guests.

● Admission to Howl-O-Scream and customizable private tour
● Unlimited front-of-the line access to haunted houses & thrill rides
● One-time front-of-the line access to Iron Gwazi
● Private complimentary beverage locations that include beer, wine, water and soft-drinks
● Complimentary photo & reserved seating at the Fiends show
● Complimentary preferred parking (Subject to availability)

If you can swing the price, it's soooo worth it. The guide gives you background on the houses, then brings you right to the front of the line. In front of everybody. And the price comes with drinks. I will warn you though, rest up. Because you don't wait in any lines you do a lot of walking.