Busch Gardens Tampa: A Complete Renovation.

What should be done with the Gwazi space?

  • Add a new roller coaster in the space.

    Votes: 2 18.2%
  • Create a D or E ticket dark ride

    Votes: 8 72.7%
  • Do nothing: The park already has enough rides

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • New animal experiences.

    Votes: 1 9.1%

  • Total voters
    11
  • Poll closed .

IAmNotAHufflepuff

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Welcome to my new series of renovation forums, where I provide my own take on how to make theme parks better than they already are.

This time, we shall focus on Busch Gardens Tampa, located one hour or so away from the Orlando heavyweights, but is still a good park in it's own right.

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In my opinion, there are three major issues that prevent Busch Gardens Tampa from ascending into the same category as a Disney or Universal park. I shall explain all three of them in no particular order:

1. Lack Of High-Quality Family Friendly Attractions.

Busch Gardens is heavy on hardcore roller coasters and thrill rides but it lacks major attractions that cater to the entire family. True, you do have Jungala, some of Pantopia, and the Sesame Street Safari of Fun children's land, but much of this is geared towards children 6 and under.

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The Sesame Street area, which is naturally geared to the toddler age group.

Kids who have outgrown the play areas but can't handle the thrill rides don't have much to do at the park other than view the animals at the park, which in this case, they might as well go to the zoo 15 minutes away for a much lower price. That can simply not do.

2. Unused Space and Non-Operating Attractions

A few attractions at the park are currently standing but not operating. Gwazi, for example, takes up a large footprint that could be used for further park expansion if the ride is actually torn down and replaced.

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That is ONE large space...

Rhino Rally, although not really taking up much unused space (the ride takes place in the Serengeti Plain habitat, sort of like Kilimanjaro Safaris.), but it decreases an already low family friendly high-quality attractions list (as seen in Issue 1). If the issue is handled correctly, Busch Gardens can be made into a better park with more experiences.

3. Disjointed Theme and Aesthetics.

When Busch Gardens Tampa was called Busch Gardens Africa, there was an actual general theme to the park, which, to no surprise, was Africa. With the additions of Jungala (which focuses on Asian animals) and Pantopia (which is a celebration of animals all together), the previous African theme now feels a little bit discontent and should be reworked to fit the common theme, which is still largely apparent in the re-named park. Also, the visual appeal in each land just feels empty and not well themed, which I find to be the park's biggest issue.
If more visual excitement and story was put into the park's lands, Busch Gardens would really benefit from it.

With the three major issues adressed, I now have a general base for my renovation plan. With these in mind, here is a list of primary goals the renovation plan will set out to accomplish:

- Rework any unused space and standing but not operating attractions.
- Add more high-quality family-friendly attractions
- Restore the connecting African theme in the park.
- Improve the visual feel and aesthetics in the park.

Without further ado, let's begin the plan with the park's new name and logo!

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We begin the retheming process by restoring the parks old name and editing the old logo.

Sound intriguing? I hope so, because in a few days we enter the park through the entrance land, Morocco.
 

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IAmNotAHufflepuff

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Without further ado, let us begin our epic journey through the new Busch Gardens!

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Morocco:

Morocco serves as the entry land to Busch Gardens Africa , having many shops and restaurants to get you prepared for your further adventures at the park.

Your adventure begins through the entry gates. Hedges of lions and elephants are displayed in small garden areas. Red and blue canopies provide shade for guests who are buying tickets or gaining entry to the park. To the left is a kiosk for Quick Queue, the Fastpass system for Busch Gardens Africa.

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One of the hedges near the entry gates.

Once guests buy their tickets and check in the park, they find themselves in a courtyard of sorts. Here, guests find bathrooms, First Aid, and ATM machines to prepare them for their upcoming adventure.

Once leaving the courtyard, guests find themselves not in a savanna, but rather a Moroccan city. Shops and market vendors provide places to buy park necessities and merchandise.

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An actual photo of Marrakesh, Morocco's biggest city.

Past the entry pathway , guests are now a large plaza, themed to a city square, where they can choose the direction where they want to go by going through humongous arches leading throughout the continent. To the left, we can see the upper part of a majestic, ginormous volcano. The hulking mountain rises (180 feet to be exact) on the former location of Gwazi, and over the quaint Moroccan city. It now serves as the unmistakable landmark for this amazing park, and the crown jewel of the renovation plan.

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This is how big the volcano will be, enough to house 1-2 E-Tickets (It will look completely different though.)

What's in the volcano? That will be revealed very soon.

Nearby is the Marrakesh Theater, which plays host for traditional African bands. Throughout the day, different music groups play traditional African music and songs.
The theater also gets an exterior refurbishment in order to fit the Marrakesh-city theme.

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The Old Marrakesh Theater.

Nearby is the Zagora Cafe (also receiving an exterior refurbishment) Here at this large counter-service eatery ,hungry guests dine on burgers, chicken sandwiches, and other delicious meals to keep you on the go! Seating is located in a shaded outdoor area.

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Back near the entrance is the Emporium (not THAT Emporium). Buy your souvenirs or necessities for adventures in the park here in this mega-store.

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To the far right is the Moroccan Palace Theater. Here, you will find the amazing ice show simply titled Iceploration.

The show tells the story of Austin, who believes technology keeps his pre-teen generation connected more than ever, and his grandfather – and old-world explorer – who encourages him to put down the smartphone and “explore the world,” including the African Serengeti, Great Barrier Reef, the Arctic and the Amazon rainforest.

This is an ice show, mixing world class skaters, puppets, and even animal stars to provide an amazing experience for all.

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Actual show starts at 4:10 in the video.

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And that was Morocco! Hope you guys enjoyed it as much as I did. Alas, this is just the tip of the iceberg.. we will be traveling counter-clockwise around the park, hitting the volcano attraction last.

The next land coming soon.
 
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IAmNotAHufflepuff

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Alright, after exactly two weeks of waiting, here comes Nairobi, the next land on our tour. Although Egypt is closest to Morocco, I'm conflicted over what to do with a certain attraction. I need some more time to think over that..
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NAIROBI:

Nairobi offers a multitude of attractions and animal experiences the entire family can enjoy. Nairobi is a small land, mostly, and currently, serving to border the expansive Serengeti Plain animal habitat and provide a pathway to Pantopia.

This is what Nairobi looks like at the moment:

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It's not that bad, but it could use a few more facades to really capture the feel of a small village bordering the Serengeti.

That's exactly what's happening. Nairobi gets a few more facades for aesthetic and theming purposes, another example of what will be a park-wide trend.

As far as attractions go, it's sort of lacking. The only true crowd-drawer in that area was Rhino Rally, and that closed down due to Cheetah Hunt and maintenance issues. We're going to mostly fix that here.


Beginning at the southern part of the land is the Myombe Reserve, which serves as the parks home for gorillas and chimpanzees. I was going to relocate them to the Congo, but I'm not sure there's enough room back there for expansive habitats.

Anyway, guests journey through carefully detailed habitats based around the Congo jungles where these great apes reside. Get face-to face with both gorillas and chimpanzees in one of the parks best animal encounters.

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The Myombe Reserve Chimp Habitat (See the chimps in the back?)

Passing Myombe Reserve, to your left is the Nairobi Caverns.

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The former name and sign of Nairobi Caverns.

Nairobi Caverns is a walk-through-animal experience, showing nocturnal critters from all over the animal kingdom, such as the bush baby or a large bat cave, where hundreds of bats soar over your head!

Nearby, the former Jumbo Junction is removed. It doesn't really serve much of a purpose and doesn't really go along with my ideals.

In it's place stands a magnificent kopje, a series of hills made up of boulders.


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In the kopje, guests have the opportunity to view hraxes and small antelope residing in their natural home. Habitats carved into the walls showcase small African insects and reptiles. This will be another worthy, thematically appropriate animal experience to the park.


To the right is the Nairobi Train Station, where the Serengeti Express makes a stop. I will express the attraction in more detail later on the plan, once we hit Stanleyville.

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Nearby are the Kenya Canteen and the Serengeti Outpost. Here, you can grab a bite to eat and reserve tickets for a safari tour (Something that will be discussed in Egypt).

Next to it is the Animal Care Center.


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This serves as the park's veterinary outpost, where experts care for the animals that reside within Busch Gardens. Tours and hands-on experiences are provided.

To the right is the anchoring addition to Nairobi, or should I say.. revival. ;)


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Rhino Rally has made a triumphant return! The attraction will remain as it was before the water element was removed. The track has been rerouted to avoid any conflict with nearby Cheetah Hunt.

Rhino Rally starts as a normal safari ride, but quickly goes awry when it becomes a quest for a missing driver. Rhino Rally adds a much-needed high-quality family friendly attraction to the park that desperately needs one. Here's a ridethrough:



Finally, the Asian elephants near Pantopia are removed and replaced with their African counterparts. After all, how do Asian elephants fit into an African park?
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And that's pretty much it. Next time, we hit the all new mini-land, the Serengeti Plain!
 
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IAmNotAHufflepuff

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
After some thinking, I decided that Edge of Africa and the Serengeti would really work well as a mini-land. Edge of Africa has really nothing to do with Egypt, not to mention I need time developing the proposed family dark ride mentioned in the TAFI Newsletter.

So without further ado, here is Serengeti Plain!
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Serengeti Plain:

Serengeti Plain is a new-mini land, combining the Edge of Africa and the vast Serengeti animal exhibit into one focused area.

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Entrance to Edge of Africa

First off, there is Edge of Africa.
This is probably the highlight animal experience of the entire park. Tour the Angalia Reserve to get the opportunity to see some truly amazing wildlife. Get face-to-face with a massive hippopotamus, a pride of lions, playful meerkats, and other iconic African creatures.

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Some of the creatures you will encounter in Edge of Africa.

Nearby, you can view the absolutely massive Serengeti Plain habitat. Taking up an astounding sixty-five acres, the habitat is home to water buffalo, giraffes, zebras, ostriches, and even more!

Not only that, but you can also tour the plain itself! After getting tickets at the nearby Serengeti Outpost, board an open-air tour vehicle, and have close encounters with the residents of the plain, some of which you can even feed by hand. Sunset tours are also available.



Reservations are encouraged, as space tends to fill up quickly for this amazing experience.


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And that's it. There's really not that much to it. I just needed a land to connect the two amazing animal experiences.

Next time, we finally hit Egypt! :D
 
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DisneyManOne

Well-Known Member
I haven't visited Busch Gardens since I was little. I don't really remember most of it, but, being a big fan of people like Some Jerk with a Camera and Doggans, I've seen Doggans' videos on Busch Gardens that he did for his "Florida Theme Park Blitzstravaganza". If you'd like to see, here are Doggans' videos on Busch Gardens (however, bear in mind that these videos were first published in 2014, so some of the attractions he talks about may not be there in the present day).








Anyways, I think you're doing a great job with this thread so far. I think it's really nice that you're doing a renovation on a park that's relatively obscure in the Florida theme park world. Can't wait for more!
 

IAmNotAHufflepuff

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I haven't visited Busch Gardens since I was little. I don't really remember most of it, but, being a big fan of people like Some Jerk with a Camera and Doggans, I've seen Doggans' videos on Busch Gardens that he did for his "Florida Theme Park Blitzstravaganza". If you'd like to see, here are Doggans' videos on Busch Gardens (however, bear in mind that these videos were first published in 2014, so some of the attractions he talks about may not be there in the present day).








Anyways, I think you're doing a great job with this thread so far. I think it's really nice that you're doing a renovation on a park that's relatively obscure in the Florida theme park world. Can't wait for more!


Thanks for the good comments! They mean a lot!

Also, after watching the videos you presented, I am now crying of laughter. :joyfull::D

Seriously, where did you find these?
 

IAmNotAHufflepuff

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Egypt:

Entering from the Serengeti Plain, Egypt is one of the headliner lands at the park, celebrating the culture and mythos of Egypt. With three major attractions located here, Egypt will become a must-see destination when visiting the park.

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Egypt is actually one of the most themed segments of the entire park, as you can tell by the imagery above. Therefore, with a few enhancements here and there, the theming and facades will receive no major changes.

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Well, okay, minus that..

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Bedouin
tents, authentic handicrafts and art create an Egyptian marketplace feel. You can actually buy merchandise from these stalls, adding a lovely shopping location to the immersive land.

Anyways, approaching from the Serengeti, is what is soon to be... Cobra's Curse.

Look, Cobra's Curse looks like a really fun, if a little short, roller coaster that will satisfy a lot of people.. but is another thrill ride what Busch Gardens needs? Hmm....

Another issue I have with the new ride is that they are billing it as "very family friendly". Judging from the layout imagery, this looks to be
fairly more intense than a true family coaster, like Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. Take a look for yourselves:

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Although Cobra's Curse is happening in real life, I figured a family-friendly D-ticket dark ride would work really well in this area, attributing towards one of my goals mentioned in the introduction to add more high-quality family friendly attractions to the park.

Therefore, taking up the space of Cobra's Curse, is Quest for the Golden Scarab.

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Join an archaeological expedition to find the long-lost Golden Scrab, an amulet of sacred power said to give immortality to the wearer.

The queue weaves through the dig site, archaeologists tirelessly perusing the find the majestic artifact. Guests enter a cavern, recently discovered as a potential hiding location for the amulet. But be warned, the Egyptians defended it with countless booby traps.

Guests now board well-worn jeeps that will be used to traverse the cavern (think of it as a more complete, smaller version of the Indiana Jones Adventure vehicle without the EMV system).

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From there, the quest is a wild ride! Darts fly over our heads, walls fill with beetles, and we encounter one large serpent! Alas, at the end of the ride, we find the scarab and return to base camp, our mission a success.

Hopefully with the addition of the new dark ride, Busch Gardens becomes more of a family-friendly destination!

2413

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Next is Montu, one of the world's tallest and fastest inverted roller coasters. As great as it is, it can be even better.

Sandy dunes replace the grass below, adding to the immersion even more. Best of all, the ride now gets a little story. In the remolded queue, guests unwittingly wander into the domain of Ra, the head god of Egypt. As punishment, Ra forces guests to board hanging trains and take a roller coaster ride made of Ra's fury.


Originally, I was going to keep the Crown Colony House, but this great idea was posted for the Road Trip competition that I really want to share.

Replacing the Crown Colony House is the Mahrajan Aiktishaf market-style restaurant.

Backstory:


Tom Oridon, an aspiring british explorer and scientist has traveled to Egypt in hopes of uncovering one of a desert village's greatest secrets. But first, we have to travel back in time...

Welcome to Alowai, a small Egyptian village. It is here, that remains and ruins of an ancient empire remain. Following this society's downfall, years passed with allowed sediment and rocks to pile on top of these ruins. It was there, that Alowai was built, forever burying these secrets: until now.

Tom Oridon, has decided to travel to Alowai to excavate the remains of the ancient city. However, he lacks substantial funds to allow the project to move forward. It is for this reason that Tom and the local villagers set up an explorer's festival, serving foods to represent countries from around the globe in order to raise funds to excavate the site.

So, travel with us to Alowai, and taste exotic foods and have a wonderful time at the festival!

Theming:

The restaurant, will be re-themed from its current, bland decor to a vibrant and culturally inspired festival in the heart of an Egyptian village. This marketplace will allow many cuisines from around the world to be showcased in order to raise sufficient funds for the excavation of the ancient ruins.

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These vibrant colors will pop off of the walls and ceiling, creating a lively atmosphere than can be enjoyed throughout the morning, through the afternoon and into the evening. In addition, live music will be played throughout the day, further immersing guests in Egypt's rich and wonderful culture.

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The basic infrastructure of the current building will remain the same. However, the theming of the facade and interior will be changed.

Menu:
The restaurant's menu will feature a vibrant variety of cuisines from around the world. After all, it is a festival of different explorers from around the globe, right? Primarily, guests can order Egyptian and African delicacies, as well as Mediterranean options mixed with Asian fusion. Our goal here at the Rollickin' Roadsters was to create a diverse menu while still pertaining to the restaurant's theme. In addition, the park's lack of diverse food options really made us want to broaden the park's horizons when it comes to food and cuisine.

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Mahrajan Aiktishaf will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The location will close 30 minutes before park closing.

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The third major attraction of Egypt is Cheetah Hunt, a high speed triple launch-roller coaster carrying guests high above the ground before diving them into a rocky gorge. The roller coaster simulates going at the speed of a cheetah through the African landscape (65 MPH!).

Nearby is the first Skyway Station, providing transportation around the park and a birds-eye-view of the park.

The rides and the neighboring animal habitat Cheetah Run are stellar and don't need any real changes.

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And that was Egypt! Next time, we resume our normal path and tackle Pantopia! :D

Also, I'm going to sound kind of stupid here, but how do I replace an old poll with a new one? :confused:
 

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IAmNotAHufflepuff

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Hey guys.

Sorry I haven't been posting on this very much, but I'm just lacking the motivation to finish this up.. I really just want to move to other projects...

If anyone has any ideas or feedback they'd like to share, please do so.. I could use the extra something to keep-me-going.
 
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IAmNotAHufflepuff

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
It is with a heavy heart, I announce the permanent hiatus of the renovation plan. It was fun to work on, but I want to move on to other priorities...

It is here that I announce I will move on to design a custom park with the SeaWorld brand...

Ladies and gentlemen.. I introduce..

Sea World Sydney!
 

DisneyManOne

Well-Known Member
It is with a heavy heart, I announce the permanent hiatus of the renovation plan. It was fun to work on, but I want to move on to other priorities...

It is here that I announce I will move on to design a custom park with the SeaWorld brand...

Ladies and gentlemen.. I introduce..

Sea World Sydney!

I'm a little downhearted. I was looking forward to more on this thread. I have very vague memories of visiting Busch Gardens when I was very little, and although I don't remember much, I was enjoying your work here.

Do you think that you will return to this thread sometime in the future?
 

IAmNotAHufflepuff

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I'm a little downhearted. I was looking forward to more on this thread. I have very vague memories of visiting Busch Gardens when I was very little, and although I don't remember much, I was enjoying your work here.

Do you think that you will return to this thread sometime in the future?

I might.... but I've just been lacking that one little spark to keep me motivated..

Thanks for the good comments!
 

IAmNotAHufflepuff

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Eh, I have some time to kill, plus I need to work out some of the basic concepts in Sea World Sydney.

Here's Pantopia.. or should I say.. The Sahara. ;)
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To start this off, I would like to address two problems with Pantopia, and why the land will get yet another re-theme.


1. The Theming.

I understand that Pantopia is supposed to be a global representation of animals, and I have to admit the land is really nicely decorated. However, it doesn't really fit the park's resurrected theme anymore, much like with Jungala, which will also get a re-theme. The park is supposed to be a representation of Africa, not the entire world. This needs to be adressed.


2. The Rides.

All Pantopia really consists of, minus the electrifying Falcons Fury drop tower, is one small looping coaster and essentially just a bunch of carnival games and rides. Low-quality attractions like these are what's holding the park back.

I have pretty much all the rides in the area set for demolition or renovation, with new, thematic and high-quality, rides set to replace them.


So, with these issues in mind.. here is the new Pantopia... also known as the Sahara.



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THE SAHARA:

Turning Pantopia back into a simple desert marketplace will really just require a fresh bucket of paint and some slight touches here and there. The real task is demolition and construction of new attractions.

Phoenix, Sand Serpent, the Pantopia Theater, and the Games Area will all be demolished (which is pretty much the northern part of Pantopia). Falcons Fury is completely re-themed. The only attraction left to spare is Scorpion.

Ready to see what's new? We'll explore Pantopia south to north.


Entering the land from Nairobi, we begin to see the land has seemed to be repainted to it's former Timbuktu origins.


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That's done on purpose. The former Timbuktu really represented what I wanted the Sahara to look like (minus the crappy attractions). The handiwork and style from Timbuktu is reintroduced to the park.

The south side of the Sahara remains almost the same. There's Scorpion, a
race through a desert jewel, which dives into a 360-degree vertical loop which will send you spiraling forward for a wild ride. Being one of three of a certain type of coaster left, I don't think it's worth giving up for the time being. The track will be smoothed up, allowing for a more comfortable ride.

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Nearby is the Desert Grill, a large restaurant with market-style dining (consider it a buffet of sorts). If there's one aspect this is known for, it's the live shows that occur here while you eat. Strangely, none of them really had anything to do with the actual park.

The new entertainment here consists of belly dancers, fire-eaters, and other Arabian circus-like talents. This is another theme-appropriate addition to the land, a trend we will see many more times throughout this walkthrough.

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In the dead center of the land lies the thrilling Falcon's Fury drop tower. Like almost everything else in the land, this gets a thematic makeover.

Although the name Falcon's Fury remains, a very noticeable difference arrives. The bottom 150 feet of the drop tower, as well as the queue line, is enclosed in a massive desert watch tower, slowly crumbling to ruins.

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What I envision the desert tower structure to look like.

The ride experience remains mostly the same though, including the face-down tilt gimmick. You can watch a video of the ride experience here.
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The remainder of Pantopia will arrive at a future date.
 
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