Wilde maus
| Company type | Roller coaster |
|---|---|
| Industry | Amusement rides |
| Predecessor | Wild Izzy / Wild Maus |
| Founded | April 12, 1996 in Busch Gardens Williamsburg, Virginia, United States |
| Fate | Retired and replaced by Phoenix Rising |
| Headquarters | Tampa, Florida , United States |
| Products | Wild Mouse roller coaster |
| Owner | Busch Gardens Tampa Bay |
Sand Serpent was a Wild Mouse roller coaster previously located at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in Tampa, Florida. Its original debut was at the sister park Busch Gardens Williamsburg in 1996 under the name Wild Izzy. From 1997 until 2003, it operated there as Wild Maus. Following its transfer to Florida, the coaster was renamed Cheetah Chase (2004–2011) before adopting its final title.
Constructed by Mack Rides and engineered by Werner Stengel, the ride featured a height of , reached speeds up to , and had a track length of . While it garnered positive reviews when first launched at Busch Gardens Williamsburg, its subsequent move attracted minimal press coverage.
History
In December 1995, Busch Gardens Williamsburg revealed plans for Wild Izzy, a Mack Rides Wild Mouse coaster set to debut in the 1996 season within the Oktoberfest area. The name was inspired by the mascot of the 1996 Summer Olympics, reflecting Busch Gardens' sponsorship role. The attraction officially opened on April 12, 1996. Following its initial year, the ride underwent a European-themed makeover and was renamed Wild Maus.
By late 2003, announcements indicated that Wild Maus would be replaced by a new attraction. The coaster ceased operations that year and was dismantled to accommodate the dark ride Curse of DarKastle, which opened in 2005. In December 2003, it was confirmed that the coaster would be relocated to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and rebranded as Cheetah Chase. It launched there on February 28, 2004, taking over the space previously occupied by the retired Crazy Camel flat ride in the Timbuktu section.
In 2011, to prevent confusion with the newly introduced Cheetah Hunt ride, it was renamed Sand Serpent. Situated in the Pantopia area—which received its new name concurrent with Falcon's Fury drop tower's debut—the coaster remained active until June 2023. Busch Gardens later declared that Sand Serpent would be retired to make room for a family-friendly inverted coaster called Phoenix Rising (roller coaster), which opened on July 21, 2024. Sand Serpent officially ceased operation on July 9, 2023.
Characteristics
Sand Serpent represented a standard Wild Mouse roller coaster design built by Mack Rides and conceptualized by Werner Stengel. It belonged to the "Wild Maus" Compact Mobile series. Initially, its track was painted green with yellow supports, and each car displayed colors matching the Olympic rings, adorned with lightning bolts and stars. In its final form, the track was blue with orange supports, while cars were solid shades of blue, orange, or red.
The coaster reached speeds up to , with a total track length of , covering an area measuring approximately by . It ran single cars accommodating four passengers arranged in two rows of two seats each. Unlike other Mack Rides Wild Mouse models, Sand Serpent did not include dips before reaching the brake section.[1]
Ride experience
Upon leaving the station, the car turned left before ascending a lift hill measuring in height. It then dropped into a sequence of parallel 180-degree turns, followed by a broader descending turn, a hill climb, and two sharp left turns. After another dip and climb featuring two additional tight left turns, the car descended once more before navigating two more sharp left bends. The ride concluded with a hill leading into the final brake run and return to the station. The entire ride cycle lasted roughly two minutes.[1]
Reception
When Sand Serpent first opened at Busch Gardens Williamsburg, it was met with generally positive feedback. Musician Michael McCary jokingly remarked that the ride was "not for tall people" because of the impact on the knees. Several riders described it as "more frightening than expected," drawing comparisons to the steel coaster Drachen Fire. The Star Democrat emphasized its "abrupt turns and swift drops" as particularly engaging features. After its transfer to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in 2004, the coaster's introduction received limited media attention during its low-key launch.
See also
- List of attractions at Busch Gardens Tampa
- Wild Mouse (Hersheypark), a comparable Wild Mouse coaster manufactured by Mack Rides