SkyRide (Busch Gardens Tampa Bay)
| Company type | Attraction |
|---|---|
| Industry | Amusement park ride |
| Founded | 1974 |
| Headquarters | Tampa, Florida , United States |
| Products | Cable transportation ride |
SkyRide is a cable transportation attraction at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in Tampa, Florida, linking the Edge of Africa and Stanleyville areas. It provides riders with sweeping vistas of multiple park features.
History
Built by Von Roll from Berne, Switzerland, the SkyRide began operation in 1974. In 2010, it was briefly shut down to facilitate the construction of the Cheetah Hunt roller coaster, which debuted on May 27, 2011. The attraction resumed service shortly thereafter.
During this closure, the boarding platform at the former Crown Colony section (now known as Cheetah Hunt Plaza) underwent refurbishment to reflect the new Sub-Saharan Africa theme, replacing the earlier colonial Africa motif.
Ride experience
Guests board cabins at the Cheetah Hunt station, where powerful motors propel a continuously moving cable that drives the ride. The cabin ascends over animal habitats such as "Edge of Africa" and "Nairobi," offering views of wildlife on one side and park rides like Iron Gwazi and SheiKra on the opposite side. Afterward, the cabin descends to a transfer point featuring three large wheels that change the cable's direction by 90 degrees. Two staff members assist in maintaining cabin momentum along steel tracks during this turn. The journey continues with a second climb perpendicular to the first, providing sights of Phoenix Rising, Timbuktu Theater, Stanley Falls Flume, and Kumba. Upon reaching the far station, passengers exit and new riders board for the return trip.
Characteristics
The system runs on a single continuous cable evenly supported along its span, with numerous open gondolas suspended beneath. Each cabin accommodates up to four passengers (maximum weight of 680 pounds), seated in two rows facing each other. At both stations—Cheetah Hunt Plaza and Stanleyville—a large wheel redirects the cable’s path. Incoming cabins are transferred from the moving cable onto stationary steel tracks where attendants stop them, open doors for passenger exchange, then push cabins back onto the cable.
- Gondola – Each cabin weighs and can carry up to . Passenger capacity is limited to four per gondola, including infants, with no more than three adults allowed. Seating is arranged so that the heaviest occupant sits opposite the door to maintain balance.
- Drive Station – Contains the ride’s mechanical drive system and serves as the primary loading and unloading area; also includes The Barn.
- Mid Station – Equipped with a counterweight; formerly permitted passenger boarding for Treetops Restaurant but is no longer used for this purpose.
- Tension Station – Situated at Stanleyville or Jungala, this station is where riders disembark.
Incidents
- On July 19, 2009, employee and USF athlete Maikon Bonani suffered a fatal fall from the ride.