Skyride (Busch Gardens)

Skyride is a transportation attraction at Busch Gardens Africa (in Tampa, Florida). It carries passengers from the Crown Colony section of the park to the Stanleyville section (or vice versa). During this experience, passengers get a bird's-eye view of several attractions at the park.

The ride consists of a single continuous cable, held up by evenly-dispersed supports. From this moving cable, dozens of cabins hang, each one carrying up to four passengers (or 680 pounds). These are open cabins with four seats (two rows of two, facing each other). At each station (one at Crown Colony, one at Stanleyville), a large wheel with a pulley-like groove rotates the direction in which the cable is moving. Incoming cabins are transferred from the moving cable to a stationary steel track, along which the wheels of each cabin glide. They are brought to a stop by two park employees. While one holds the vehicle in place, the other opens the cabin door as the passengers exit. The door is then closed and the vehicle is thrusted around the turn. On the other side of the large wheel, another employee re-opens the door and new passengers enter the cabin. The door is re-locked and the cabin is pushed hard enough to transfer it from the steel track to the moving cable. Once on the cable, the wheels above each cabin are not used, but the cable transporting it rests within a slot between the wheels.

The ride was manufactured by Von Roll of Berne, Switzerland and opened at the park in 1974.

Experience

The following is an account of the ride from the Crown Colony station to the Stanleyville station (observances while on the return trip would be in reverse order):

Passengers enter a cabin at the Crown Colony station. (Note: it is at this station that an enormous motor--or series of motors--powers the movement of the continuous cable for the entire ride.) The vehicle catches onto the cable and the cabin begin's its first ascent. For the first half of the attraction, the cabin passes over the animal area of the park, including the "Edge of Africa" and "Rhino Rally" attractions. During this portion, passengers can see various animals to one side, and such attractions as Gwazi, SheiKra, and Phoenix on the other side. The cabin then descends to a checkpoint structure where a total of three giant wheels, similar to those at each station, change the direction of the cable. It is here that two employees (one monitoring the vehicles going in each direction) ensure that the cabins have enough momentum to carry themselves across the steel tracks above while making the 90-degree turn. The cabin then returns to the cable and begins its second--and final--ascent, now going perpendicular to the first half of the attraction. During the second portion, passengers can see Cheetah Chase, the Timbuktu Theater and Stanley Falls Flume to one side, and Kumba to the other side. The cabin then descends to a station at the opposite end of the park, where existing passengers exit the ride and new passengers make the return trip.

During Howl-O-Scream, the Skyride is closed due to a haunted house occupying the Crown Colony station. The Skyride queue and the old Veldt Monorail station are used as waiting areas as well.

Glossary of Terms

*Gondola - The Cabin that guest ride on the skyride. Each Gondola weighs 485lb and can carry up to 680lb in passengers. According to the law, no more than 4 people must be in the Gondola while riding, including infants. As well, three Adults per Gondola. Due to the design of the Gondola, the most heaviest guest must be seated on the far side of the Gondola away from the door.

*Drive Station – The Station where the mechanical drive of the ride is held. This is also the main area where guests are loaded and unloaded from. The Barn is also located here.

*Tension Station – The station where the 14 ton counterweight of the ride is held. At one time, passengers got off at this station for the Treetops Restaurant while it was in business. Today, passengers don’t get on nor off from the Tension station.

ee also

* Busch Gardens Africa