Falcon’s Fury, the drop tower ride at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, which has been closed for almost a year now, is set to reopen this spring, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
What’s Happening:
- Falcon’s Fury is a 335-foot freestanding drop tower at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay that sends riders plunging 60 mph straight down.
- Following the unfortunate fatal accident last year at the Orlando FreeFall, there has been immense scrutiny when it comes to drop towers across the amusement industry.
- However, despite the incident, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay says their drop tower, Falcon’s Fury, has been closed over supply chain issues.
- “It’s a perfect storm,” said Eddie Delgado, spokesperson for Busch Gardens. “All of our rides go through routine maintenance but some of our rides, a majority actually, require special parts, and with Falcon’s Fury there are limited suppliers, and they have been delayed. We are looking forward to opening this spring.”
- Shortly after the accident at ICON Park, numerous amusement parks briefly closed their drop tower rides for inspection, including Drop Line at Dollywood and Doctor Doom’s Fearfall at Universal’s Islands of Adventure.
- While Drop Line is from the same manufacturer as the Orlando FreeFall, Falcon’s Fury is from a different manufacturer, Intamin.
- Falcon’s Fury is expected to reopen at some point this spring.