TAMPA, Fla. — Many of Florida’s attractions, both large and small, held off on expensive new upgrades like coasters and new play zones in the last few years.
Now that attendance is starting to swing back up, plans are back on the books to open a really scary coaster at Busch Gardens, a new theme park devoted to Peppa Pig and a way to “virtually swim” with the Winter the dolphin, among others.
Here are some of the Tampa Bay area attractions we are most looking forward to in 2022:
Iron Gwazi
Busch Gardens canceled the debut of the Iron Gwazi coaster, which was set to open in March 2020 just as the pandemic shut down all of Florida’s theme parks. Instead, the Tampa theme park sat on the imposing coaster, which replaced the wooden track of the old Gwazi coaster with a steel and wood “hybrid.” When it does finally open in March 2022, the record-breaking coaster will likely make national news, especially among coaster enthusiasts.
The adrenaline junkies are buzzing over a monster of a ride with a top speed of 76 mph and a 91-degree, 206-foot drop. It will be the world’s fastest, steepest and tallest hybrid wooden-and-steel coaster.
Riders will have to be 48 inches tall to travel its 4,075-foot-long, 110-second course. Among the twists and turns will be 12 moments of airtime, that fluttery lift that takes riders momentarily out of their seats. There will also be three upside-down inversions and a 180-degree stall that will hang riders upside down for a few seconds.
Iron Gwazi brings the number of thrill rides at Busch Gardens to 10, more than any other Florida theme park.
Swim with Winter
For those still mourning the loss of Winter the dolphin at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, a new virtual reality attraction is set to open in January that will let guests take a swim with the famous Dolphin Tale movie star.
Winter died on Nov. 11 at age 16 of an inoperable intestinal problem. She was rescued in December 2005 after her tail became caught in a crab trap rope. The tail had to be amputated, and the story of her recovery and prosthetic tail was chronicled in Dolphin Tale, starring Harry Connick Jr., Ashley Judd, Kris Kristofferson and Morgan Freeman.
Over the course of her life, the aquarium had acquired countless photos and filmed an immersive 360-degree video of the dolphin that became a hero to people with disabilities and chronic illnesses around the world.
The aquarium is poised to add the experience to the Virtual Reality Theater on the fourth floor of its visitor center. Viewers can watch the video with 360-degree controls to immerse themselves using virtual reality goggles.
The aquarium has not released the exact opening date in January or the price, but its current virtual reality experience, Legends From the Deep, is $9.99 in addition to admission.
If you haven’t been there in a while, the aquarium looks nothing like it did when the movies were shot. In 2020, the Clearwater Marine Aquarium opened an $80 million expansion with five times more space, a 1.5-million-gallon water dolphin habitat, a new retail center and cafe.
Admission is $35.95, $26.95 for ages 3-12 at cmaquarium.org. 249 Windward Passage, Clearwater. 727-441-1790.
Adventure Island
The Tampa water park across the street from Busch Gardens is now open 10 months a year with heated pools, and it will open two new water slides, Rapids Racer and Wahoo Remix, in March 2022.
On Rapids Racer, visitors will grab two-person rafts and ride through 600 feet of slides, swishing through high-speed tunnels and turns. Wahoo Remix replaces Wahoo Run and will become Adventure Island’s first waterslide to feature synchronized light and sound elements. Visitors on family-sized rafts will splash to the beat while traveling through glowing tunnels during the 600 feet of slide.
Admission starts at $69.99. Be sure to check the park’s calendar at adventureisland.com before your visit since it is only open on weekends during off months.
Florida Conservation and Technology Center
Florida has a lot of attractions but the “theme” of this “park” in southwest Hillsborough County is the Florida environment, and how technology and conservation are helping to preserve it. Many elements of the 500-acre center are already open, but the grand opening is scheduled for January.
The center is a partnership among several environmental organizations, and the public is invited to check out their work for free. It’s all located in Apollo Beach next to Tampa Electric’s Manatee Viewing Center, a popular spot to watch dozens of manatees that congregate in the warm water next to the power plant.
The Manatee Viewing Center is the anchor attraction, and the Florida Aquarium’s Center for Conservation contains research labs. They are growing coral and conducting sea turtle rehabilitation, plus it has various research and water quality-testing laboratories. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission operates the Suncoast Youth Conservation Center there, which provides field trips and activities for families such as kayaking, fishing, hiking and wildlife viewing.
And Tampa Electric’s Clean Energy Center is an open-air shaded pavilion powered by a combination of solar, wind and the grid. It has interactive games, and kids can see for themselves how solar and wind energy can be harnessed and stored.
The center is at 6990 Dickman Road, Apollo Beach, and is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through April 15. Admission and parking are free. Walking trails connect the campus and close at 4 p.m.
Peppa Pig Theme Park
The new park set to open next to Legoland in Winter Haven is the first one in the world devoted to Peppa Pig, the popular British animated character. It includes attractions such as Daddy Pig’s Roller Coaster and Muddy Puddles Splash Pad and other attractions designed with little kids in mind.
Opening Feb. 24, the park will also be a certified autism center, with a comprehensive accessibility guide available as a preplanning tool for families through its website and in the park. Tickets start at $30.99 at peppapigthemepark.com/florida.
Orlando attractions
Ice Breaker: Like its sister park, Busch Gardens, SeaWorld Orlando also had a coaster ready to open in 2020 and kept it on ice for two years. Ice Breaker will come out of hibernation in February. The multilaunch coaster will lurch forward and backward before gaining enough speed to climb a 93-foot-tall, 100-degree spike and scale an 80-foot-tall top hat tower.
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind: Disney has only given a vague opening date of “summer” for this highly anticipated new ride at Epcot. It will be a roller coaster housed in an enormous building, making it the one of the world’s longest enclosed coasters. It will feature cameos from actors in the Marvel film series with its soundtrack of pop-rock hits.
Star Wars hotel: Disney World’s newest hotel will be more like a cruise ship on land, crossed with dinner theater. The two-night immersive adventure called Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser will let guests participate in a number of themed activities such as lightsaber training and a trip to Batuu (the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge theme park). The experience, set to begin March 1, will cost nearly $5,000 for two guests, which includes all meals and a theme park admission.
TRON Lightcycle Run: Another highly themed coaster, based on the Tron movies, is under construction at Magic Kingdom, but Disney has not announced an opening date. It was originally scheduled to open in 2021, but construction was halted. Observers such as the Disney Tourist Blog estimate it will be October at the very earliest for a ride that is a clone of Shanghai Disneyland’s TRON Lightcycle Power Run. It will be located near the Tomorrowland Speedway in the Magic Kingdom.
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