Kumba Means ROAR… Or DOES It? The Legendary History of Kumba: 30 Years
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- Опубликовано: 3 окт 2024
- Join us on Expedition Busch Gardens Tampa as we look at the iconic B&M Rollercoaster Kumba. The attraction changed the path of Busch Gardens and celebrates 30 years of operation this month. One mystery remains however... does Kumba mean roar?
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Do you want to see Kumba replaced or retracked eventually? Also does Kumba mean roar? Thanks for watching!
It needs either and soon as possible. It's a great coaster and it has history but I will not ride it because you are guaranteed a migraine anytime you ride it.
That question has two answers. I’d love to see Kumba retracked and refurbished more than any roller coaster currently operating but sadly, I can’t see that happening, Kumba will close forever when the time comes and it will be replaced by hopefully something bigger better.
@@bjoe385 I’d love to see a retracking and refurbishment to Kumba so Kumba can roar again!
I’d love to see a retracking and refurbishment of Kumba!
I'd like to see a rebuild!
I believe the “unknown African language” is, in fact, Marketingese.
You got it! 😂
@@ExpeditionThemePark Thanks again for a fun video. I appreciate the effort you put into your productions. :)
@Carleton Torpin you are not funny but nice try doooosh
@@Abcdefgx-u9g thanks for a pointless comment, troll 😂
My guess would be they tried to go for KIMBA like the Cartoon lion but a lawyer interfered... And Kimba was likewise a change from the Swahili word Simba (Lion) so the character could be protected as not having a generic word as name.
The marketing was no joke. During our trip to FL in 94 we visited universal and then sea world and were planning on going to Disney next. While exiting Sea World they had a Huge model and a TV playing an ad for the Kumba. We begged our Grandparents to skip Disney and make the 2 hour drive to Bush Gardens so we could ride the Kumba. I have no regrets.
I used to be a ride attendant for Kumba. My work duties included, when I opened the coaster was to take a safety ride, sitting in the front row. The object was to notify maintenance if there were tree branches or anything that would affect the ride. I also did walks inside the coaster grounds, picking up lost items, hats, maps, change, flip flops, whatever fell off a rider. It was fun to work there, able to ride Kumba every morning. It is the best coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay.
I used to work across the street at adventure island and would always hear the kumba roar while I was opening the park
You probably loaded me a bunch of times. One thing that ride always had was a great staff that kept it running as smoothly as possible. I've used a crutch or cane for years, and I always got the proper assistance to get on comfortably.
@@jordans5792 You could see it start the run from the top of the Gulf Scream if you were in line. I blew my knee out at bottom of that thing when I hit the pool wrong.
@@jayshaft3179 I probably did, if you boarded the ride in the early 2000’s when I worked there. After my time at Busch Gardens Tampa, I moved out to Orlando and went on to work at Universal Studios, as a ride attendant for BTTF the ride and E.T. Then I got a job as a enter/exit turn style attendant at Disneys MGM Studios. Great memories I have from working at all those parks.
@@TheCeteraEra Oh yeah, for sure you loaded me at least a few times. I had a pass back then and went 3-4 days a week. I have at least 1000 rides on Kumba, most from about '99-'09. I always had a mohawk back then and a vest full of patches and buttons. Broke my back in 2015 and I just started riding Kumba again this year.
I hope Kumba not only gets a big revamp, but has its area expanded! Today, foot traffic is low because the ride is isolated from the rest of the park. Give more people a reason to go to that area of the park!
Agreed!
I love it because there's never a wait for my second favorite coaster at the park lol
So cool. We lived in the US, Tampa for a year in 1998, and I remember Kumba. I think I was too small to ride, but its presence was incredible, so good that I still remember it 25 years later!
This is my first and only major coaster, ridden back in 1995, 6 times in a row, when I also had the opportunity to ride Python and Scorpion. Happy to know from all the comments that this is such a legendary coaster.
I remember that my favorite part was the zero-g roll.
Kumba was my very first roller coaster. I was 11 years old in 1993. I’ll never forget it. Im about to cross the 100 coaster threshold and I only want to experience more coasters, solely because this coaster showed me how much I love the experience and the thrill. I still have Kumba ranked as my #19 coaster
Going to BGT Tuesday, mostly to get some Iron Gwazi b-roll for an upcoming RMC video.
But I’m definitely stopping by to say “Happy 30th” to the first major coaster I ever rode, back when it was a couple years old, and I was **just** tall enough to meet the height requirement. (The TM might have just given me a couple extra millimeters that day😉).
Might pop over this week too and give Kumba some rides!
Kumba was my first real roller coaster, too. I'm planning to go this summer and I'll have to wish it a happy 30th myself.
My family has passes to BG and every time we go I always make it a point to hit Kumba. One of my favorite coasters!
I’ve said it before and I’m gonna say it again: This is my favorite roller coaster built by B&M. Many will prefer Montu, and for a good reason, but I just feel like this has an extra bit of aggression that Montu lacks.
I think I like Kumba more too
Agreed my Friend, agreed
BM 😂😂
Kumba is better than Montu 1000%
I like sitdowns more than suspended, and I definitely prefer Kumba over Montu any day.
I really hope BGT protect this ride at all costs. It’s still outstanding, 30 years on. Retrack treatment is in order.
And maybe modernize the trains.
Kumba was the coaster that made me an enthusiast. I love it so much, and think it's often forgotten for it's location and age. This is the most consistent coaster I've ridden. I lobe Kumba.
It’s amazing
Retracked. Great roller coasters deserve to be retracked and enjoyed by millions more for years to come. It's a no brainer that a coaster of this magnitude and significance be enjoyed by more generations. Kumba, roars!
Agreed !
Rode it last week. Still a thrill as is was in the 90's. Hope it stays around a long time to come. Almost no line at all even on the weekends. With Congo Rapids now closed, Kumba is the only reason to go to that side of the park. Then again, there are many rides/attractions/stores that are closed regularly. BG is not what it was, but still worth going.
Kumba was my first major coaster. Thank you for giving it the love it deserves!
I grew up in Tampa. I remember driving by and seeing it being built. It opened the year a graduated high school, and seniors would get a ticket to BG for an official “skip” day, and we all rode the coaster. It’s a spectacular ride!
A great reason aha
We did the same thing when Sheikra opened! Later on I skipped work for Iron Gwazi! 😂
Fun fact: Before they opened Kumba to the public, they also gave employees who worked with the City of Tampa tickets for a ride preview prior to it's debut. This was how I got to ride it for the first time at 12 years old due to my parents' job. Kumba is still fun and a classic.
This coaster is just as fun and exciting as it was 30 years ago! I say keep it as-is!
02:16 I want an entire video where he JUST SAYS "Geovanola" like fr
I rode it a month after it opened on holiday in Florida when i was 12 . pleased to see it still roaring round.
Fun fact: Kumba is so loud that when 3 trains are on the track, the staff is required to use ear protection when working. They usually only happens during Christmas Town now but still, its THAT loud.
I've been going to this park basically my entire life and you had a higher chance of liking an SLC then Kumba running 3 trains
That's why I don't really like kumba. It's too loud
I LOVE THIS RIDE. My best friend and I went to BG (our local park) and it was close to closing and this ride was empty. We rode it 3 times in a row at night in both the back and front being the only people on the ride both times and it was a blast
I absolutely love Kumba. I love how it is so fast but so smooth, and travelling low to the ground is so much fun.
One of my absolute favourites. It's amazing.
Kumba was the one that started it for me. I love that coaster. Rode for the first time in June 1993, and I am going to ride it this June to mark 30 years of riding it!
Kumba is an awesome coaster! Thanks for another great video!
my partner showed me this video and it took me until after exploring your channel that your sam from jackie's vlogs on super enthused! i had no idea you made such awesome content!!
Ahaha yeah that’s me!
Wow 30 years! And it still holds up.
This is my home park, I've been riding Kumba the full 30 years and you did a fantastic job covering this (as always). For a positive note on the future, they are at least still refurbishing the 4th train at the moment so that at least means there is a few years before anything possibly bad. #2 train is next for a refurb I think, it needs it.
That’s good to hear
One of my biggest bucket list coasters! It’s an absolute icon of the park, and I hope they remember that. That image at 13:12 of the interlocking corkscrews might be the most iconic coaster inversions ever! I think even a fair amount of the general public has seen that photo before. I am a little unsure if they will be willing to do a full retrack when the time comes, but I hope they do. I’m sure there are a fair amount of people who would rather they take out Shiekra or Cheetah Hunt before this. Long live Kumba!
It has to be right!
Such an incredible tribute to an amazing ride. Sad that Kumba gets lost in the shuffle since there are now many more B&Ms with similar layouts. Those of us who grew up riding Kumba realize how much of an icon it is.
Listen, I was devastated when we lost Dueling Dragons. If Kumba gets dismantled, I don't know what I'll do.
I would have loved to have ridden Dueling Dragons on account that it was being built by ex Animal Kingdom ride builders who were supposed to have worked on the Beastly Kingdom's roller coaster that was going to be built in that part of the park before it got cancelled and re-worked into Camp Minnie-Mickey, and now Pandora. The coaster idea they had was to go through a castle as bats and reclaim a treasure from a big animatronic dragon. The ride idea and sketch art looked so cool that its a shame it never got to be fully developed, same with Beastly Kingdom
Was there with the extended fam the day b4 opening day, my immediate fam decided to go back next day and the extended fam had to stick with their original plans and go elsewhere. Shit was legendary.
I've never heard of this ride but after they got rid of splash mountain I now cherish anything that's part history and want to ride this before it's gone, as they erase our history.
I’m lucky enough to have lived in Bradenton for 10+ years that gave me plenty of opportunities to ride this. When it first opened I was only 10 going on 11and didn’t realize how truly historic it was to be installed at BG. This was my first ever huge coaster I rode and will always remember it fondly. The track layout is truly iconic and I hope it stays open for another 30 years!
Kumba is the only coaster I can think of that you can take any picture of it and it’s guaranteed to be good
This ride was always terrifying was always bumpy like a wooden roller coaster but put you upside down like a new one. Terrifying.
Kumbas part of my home park. It was the 3rd rollercoaster I ever road as a kid. The ones the came before was of course scorpion then python. It was an amazing coaster to claim my first "big" coaster and im glad it was. Awesome video!
Thank you!
I visited a week ago and kumba is so loud while i was walking to the line entrance it went right over me and i got so scared i literally did like a god damn long jump from how scared i got
another great Video ETP! Cant help but think Kumba was - even in just a small part - some inspiration for Colossus at Thorpe. The back stories to the layouts are quite similar when I think about it!
Kumba the classic ride and happy summer
This is my home park. I rode this beast on the first day, and probably have at least 1000 runs since then. It has gotten a little rough and head banging, but it still holds up to this day. It's layout is pretty intense, and almost non-stop Gs give an amazing old school ride. I would like to see them smooth it out and at least get rid of the head banging. I remember the days when it was a very small thing near the end of the run. EDIT- Rode it last week and got a nasty headache after the third run. By the then I was ready to stop.
My grandma lived right by Busch Gardens. I remember watching it being built from her driveway.
This must be my favourite video so far on this channel. This coaster is legendary. Thanks for creating this wonderful video
Kumba is really something special. It holds up even to this day- night rides are incredible, especially through the tunnel.
I rode Kumba for the first time a few weeks ago, I was seriously impressed. I can’t imagine what people 30 years ago thought!
lol I work this park and kumba montu and iron gwazi are my top coasters in the park
I used to work this ride, love her so much she’s my favorite ride in the park. When they do replace her I’ll be so sad
Yes!!! I was watching a video, just refreshed and WOOO a new upload! Thank you!!!!
Thank you!
Its an incredible coaster. I ride it every time i go to Busch Gardens. I have season passes so a few times a year. It still is intense and smooth. Still roars. The area could use an overhaul and a new flat to bring some more life to the area. They ha e the same remote control cars and boats that dont work from when I was a kid 25 years ago. Its sad Kumba will probably be going away here within the next decade. I absolutely love how its trenched into the terrain in a dozen places. How the paths wind all around the coaster. The end tunnel and helix. Its solid.
The way the cobra roll wraps around the path to congo rapids still gets me to this day
I finally got to ride it in April 2021, and it definitely lived up to the hype. I was blown away by the intensity and fun elements, even compared to B&Ms of a similar vintage.
It’s so good!
Kumba just has a magic touch to it that few other B&M coasters manage to match. The intensity, hangtime and maneuvers are all flawless and provide an amazing experience. Sure, when I go back to Busch Gardens Tampa and get to ride Iron Gwazi, I'll almost certainly rank Iron Gwazi as the "better" roller coaster, but Kumba is the best of its kind, and has a very short line, to boot!
Was my favorite at the park until IG, just barely ahead of Montu. Both are great old school B&Ms that fly through the layout but Kumba wins for intensity and pacing easily. Plus the whole deep jungle vibe, the roar, never gets old. Amazing how a top tier coaster barely ever has a wait.
“I will miss you Nemesis roar”…as will I
More busch gardens videos please!
Rode this in 1996 when I was 12 years old. My family took a trip in our van from Colorado to Florida. We went on a weekday and there was hardly any lines on it. I must have rode it like 5 times in a row, and was even able to stay on it without getting off at one point. As a roller coaster enthusiast, it was to this day, one of the best days of my life. I rode it again last year, since I've now moved to Florida, and went with my parents again. Still just as insane, but I'm getting older so my head hurt afterwards, but still awesome. Great roller coaster, and an incredibly underrated park.
Kumba clearly means roar. It's just in Buschgardenese.
Exactly! That must be it
Wow, am I really that old?! I remember Kumba opening the year after I graduated High School and it remained a headlining attraction in the park well into the 2000’s. I myself was also duped into believing that Kumba was a Swahili word for Roar.
Right?!
I worked as a BG ambassador in late 2019 on the safari train that runs around the park and talks about the animals/rides. We were told that kumba meant roar in a Swahili dialect. Was never really given more info than that. I both loved and hated going under the track as the ride was running though. Too loud for me but it did give me a little break from spieling haha.
Kumba was my 1st real roller coaster back in 93. To this date its still one of the best coaster i have ever rode in the world.
Kumba hasn't ever been my favorite (it hurts my head and back every time) but I still have massive respect and nostalgia love for it. If BG ever takes it down I'll be actually heart broken.
Thank you for confirming this! It made my ears pop and head hurt and then I got off I was very dizzy and felt sick. Totally fine on Cheetah Hunt and Cobra but can't stand this coaster lol
One of my all-time favorite coasters. An oldy but goody.
I LOVE the old school BG Tampa content! ❤❤❤
Rode this as a kid in 93, don't know why but the queue was tiny and rode it back to back with my Dad and Godfather 3 times. Still enters my dreams to this day. Thank you so much for this video.
I rode that....screamed like Peewee Herman the whole way
Bring from south fl at the time I remember this was hyped so much. The shots from the view of the track from the park are burned in my head as a kid. Probably was my first big roller coaster. Boy it did not disappoint. Legendary.
Kumba has always been one of my favorites. Hope it continues to thrill people for many years to come!
m sill wating for disneyland 50th anniversary and viper and blizzard beach and walt disney world's 25th anniversary
I was raised in Tampa. For a good period when I was in middle school, Friday was coaster day. My dad got annual passes, would pick me up at the bus stop after school, and we'd zip to the back of the (relatively empty) park to ride Kumba a bunch of times before working our way to the front. Those were incredibly fun days and I love my dad for it.
I live in New Orleans and consider BGT as my home park. Whenever someone asks me my favorite ride in the park, it is always Kumba that I mention first. My family and I go to Florida for Thanksgiving the last few years. Kumba is the coaster I love riding the most. Don't get me wrong, Iron Gwazi is absolutely the best in the park, but Kumba is the one ride that I cab remember every single element. It would break my heart if they remove Kumba.
It’s old school good for sure
I would love to see Kumba turn into a giga personally because I want Montu when the time comes to get the retrack . Also Montu does everything Kumba does but better
Have always lived close to Busch. Been on this coaster countless times.
Nice place to be
my parents both worked at Busch when Kumba was built, the employees had a "ride test" night and all got to stay late and try it out. I never got to go on when it was brand new, now its so jolty and bumpy.
I visited in quite a busy day back in February, I was the only person on the train.
A great day
That still photo of the Biltmore Estate threw me for a real loop. Great video as always!
The ONLY acceptable replacement for Kumba is a Giga!
I want both!
Thank goodness my boots were clean for an expedition today.
Always great to see your content!
Thank you!
@@ExpeditionThemePark Thank you as well! I appreciate these trips to parks I’ve never been to
I think Kumba will be re-track and upgrade the train to floorless
Also to see this coaster as you drive by it, seems to go on forever! Truly a B&M masterpiece! As much HATE as Z-Force gets (It revolutionized the industry) having the square spine + 4 abreast seating that is commonplace now.
First major rollercoaster I ever rode. Was terrified and my middle school friends pretty much forced me on. Lucky I did, because I fell in love with rollercoasters after that!
Awesome video mate. Enjoyed. Also, interesting from the early rider cam videos that there were no belts on the OTSR's like B&Ms today
you doing one for Nemesis at Alton Towers
Never get rid of a b&m - they’re so fun to ride and feels like you’re flying/gliding! Get rid of any other make of coaster for a new ride but never b&m :p
Neither retracked nor replaced...its perfect the way it is! Lol..but no, definitely not replaced so if anything, hopefully retracked.
Hope so!
Hey, could you make The History of Revenge of the Mummy?
Kumba is iconic, but I don't see it getting retracked.
Retracking a steel coaster is rare as it cost almost as much as a new coaster. Hulk got it because Universal's Marvel agreement requires new rides to be approved by Disney (who won't), but allows refurbishment (not to mention they have the money). Nemesis got it as it is *thee* iconic ride at Alton Towers, and because of the land height requirements finding a suitable replacement coaster would be hard.
Kumba doesn't have any outside factors like that that encourages a retracking over a replacement. And its ridership has been on the decline. That said, I don't see them removing it soon. And when they do, it won't be to be replaced by a, "straddle coaster." What ever replaces Kumba will be big. A new coaster king for the region to live up to Kumba's legacy. Perhaps something with a 326 ft lift.
Ive said this before: if we have to lose kumba it better be for either a giga, or something wholly unique, like one of those crazy new vekoma models
Beautiful tribute to Kumba, as a Tampa native it always has a special place for me.
Excellent video Sam!! Very interesting!
Thank you
After 30 years, I'm surprised it hasn't been retracked yet.
Not yet!
I finally got to ride Kumba last year after waiting 30 years for the chance. I was shocked just how good (and intense) it was. It's a people eater, has been around decades and is situated way back in the corner, so it's not a shock the lines are short. But I'd be sad to see it go. It's one of the most photogenic and iconic coasters and continues to remain highly ranked.
I agree
Can't believe it's been 30 Years! To think Nemesis at Alton Towers will be 30 Years Old next year in 2024 when it reopens with a sick looking new track!
I can safely say that Kumba is in good hands.
The Coaster had gotten minor re tracking throught the years and all rumors point to it being here to stay.
I road this opening weekend!! Loved it
Kumba is a classic…and still as fun as it was 30 years ago. I hope when the time comes it gets retracked/rebuilt over being replaced.
🎵Kumba (Kumba) Kumba (Kumba)
Kumba (Kumba) Kumba (Kumba) 🎵
🎵Who lives down in deepest darkest Busch Garden? (Busch Garden)
Who's the one that brough the theme park fame?
Who's the king of roller coasters in Busch Garden?
Kumba the Black Jaguar is his name🎵
I would take Montu over Kumba A NY DAY. I love the Egyptian area, the much more scenic riding experience, the inverted seats, and most of all, the smoothness. I am not a fan of Kumba, because I come off it with a headache, because I spent the whole ride banging my ears against the restraints. 'Smooth' is one of the last things I'd ever call Kumba.
I love this coaster!! Ive been to the park on a nearly deserted day and stayed on 4 laps. I would be sad to see it ever go, so im in favor of a retrack and potentially a reduced roar because it is a bad sensory experience for a lot of people.
I love B&M so much, and their longevity amazes me. Medusa at Great Adventure is particularly astounding, it's well past it's expected lifespan and runs like it's only a few years old. (Unpopular opinion: it should be moved to UF in Gainesville FL for their theme park related majors to work on and operate at a low cost to students as a work study position, then make Green Lantern a floorless coaster and put in that rumored intamin where Medusa is now. This is selfish because it's my mom's favorite coaster and she lives in Central Florida, so i have never experienced it with her and i want her to have it because my dad already has his favorite nearby- Montu)
Kumba has been closed each time I've been this year. I want to ride it so bad! Every other coaster in the park is amazing, yet I feel like I'm severely missing out.
First experience I had on this coaster was in 2013 and we got hit with a torrential Florida downpour as we were going up the lift hill. During the ride, every rain drop felt like a tiny sting! Definitely a memorable first experience!
Ahah I’ve had those
An amazing experience. The girl in the front row was my first gf ever in 1993. Heather.
as somone who was also born in 1993, the fact that we're both 30 is quite saddening