Sand Serpent

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Sand Serpent

Overview of Sand Serpent when it was Cheetah Chase
Busch Gardens Tampa Location Tampa, Florida, USA Coordinates 28.038327°N 82.42245°W / 28.038327; -82.42245 Status Defunct Operated February 2004 to July 9, 2023 Rider height 46 inch minimum Replaced by Phoenix Rising
Busch Gardens Williamsburg Name Wild Maus Location Williamsburg, Virginia, USA Operated April 12, 1996 to 2003 Replaced Glissade Replaced by Curse of DarKastle
Statistics
Manufacturer	Mack Rides
Product	Wilde Maus (compact mobile)
Designer / calculations	Ing.-Büro Stengel GmbH
Type	Steel - Wild Mouse
Riders per train	4
Hourly capacity	1,120
Propulsion	Chain lift hill
Area	144.3 feet × 62.3 feet
Height	45.9 feet
Top speed	28 mph
Length	1213.9 feet
Inversions	0
Duration	1:50

Sand Serpent (formerly called Cheetah Chase) was a steel wild mouse roller coaster previously located at Busch Gardens Tampa in Tampa, Florida, USA. The ride originally operated at sister park Busch Gardens Williamsburg in Williamsburg, Virginia. It first opened on April 12, 1996 as Wild Izzy and was renamed Wild Maus in 1997, operating until 2003.

History

Wild Izzy in 1996

The roller coaster originally opened at Busch Gardens Williamsburg on April 12, 1996. During its opening year, it was named "Wild Izzy" after the mascot of the 1996 Summer Olympic Games which were held in Atlanta, Georgia. The following year, it was renamed "Wild Maus". After the 2003 season, Wild Maus was dismantled.

In February 2004, the roller coaster reopened at Busch Gardens Tampa and was called "Cheetah Chase". For the 2011 season, it was renamed "Sand Serpent", presumably to reduce confusion with new roller coaster Cheetah Hunt which opened that same year.

In June 2017, Busch Gardens Tampa filed a permit to build a building around the ride and its queue area, hinting that the ride could have become an enclosed roller coaster for 2018. However, this was later shelved for unknown reasons.

On June 15, 2023, Busch Gardens Tampa announced plans to permanently close the ride on July 9. Following its closure, the ride was demolished.

Design

Trains

One of the cars

Single cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows, for a total of 4 riders per car. Riders are held in by lap bar restraints.

Images

• 
  The queue line

External links

• 

  Sand Serpent on the Roller Coaster DataBase.

Busch Gardens Tampa

Present

Coasters

Air GroverCheetah HuntCobra's CurseIron GwaziKumbaMontuPhoenix RisingSheiKraTigris

Attractions

Big Bird's Whirly BirdieCongo River RapidsThe Count's Zambezi RallyFalcon's FuryGrand Caravan CarouselGwazi GlidersSerengeti ExpressSerengeti FlyerSkyrideSnuffy's Elephant RompStanley Falls FlumeUbanga-Banga Bumper CarsWild SurgeZoe-Patra and the Hippos of the Nile

Former

Coasters

PythonSand SerpentScorpion

Attractions

Bush FlyersCrazy CamelDesert RunnersMonorailMonstrous MambaPhoenixSandstormSwinging VinesTanganyika Tidal Wave

Busch Gardens Williamsburg

Present

Coasters

AlpengeistApollo's ChariotBig Bad Wolf: The Wolf's RevengeDarKoasterGriffonGrover's Alpine ExpressInvadRLoch Ness MonsterPantheonTempestoVerbolten

Attractions

Aeronaut Sky RideThe Battering RamBert & Ernie's Loch AdventureBug-a-DugDer Roto BaronDer WirbelwindElephant RunEscape from PompeiiFinnegan's FlyerFlutter SputterLe CatapultLe ScootThe Little BalloonsLittle GlidersOscar's Whirly WormsPrince Elmo's SpireRoman RapidsTrade WindTurkish Delight

Former

Coasters

Big Bad WolfDie WildkatzeDrachen FireGlissadeWild Maus

Attractions

Curse of DarKastleDa Vinci's CradleEggery DeggeryGladiator's GauntletLe Mans RacewayMäch TowerSea DragonThe Flying Machine