Iron Gwazi - The roller coaster that lived twice 

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"What was once a fight between Dragons, Lions, and Tigers, has now become a fight between Velociraptors, and Crocodiles." -Expedition Theme Park

It might only be a foot taller, but the drop is more satisfying then the drop on Steel Vengeance.

According to Busch Gardens staff ive talked to, a work-in name for Iron Gwazi was Sobek, which is the name of the parks Nile Crocodile. Sobek is named after an Egyptian god, so it makes sense why they didnt go with the name since the ride isnt in the Egypt section

I must say, the original Gwazi layout is one of my favorite dueling layouts. I love how both chain lifts are far apart, but the drops face each other. The interactions between both sides are just so satisfying

This monster is my first RMC and my absolute favorite ride. This thing is mental

Having ridden both and living in Tampa, the OG Gwazi was SO FREAKING ROUGH!!! Good thing they turned it into a masterpiece of a theme park attraction :)

Gosh, I can remember when Scorpion was the "big" rollercoaster at Busch Gardens Tampa and had an hour long wait to ride. In 1988, at 14 years old, I finally got over my fear of riding a looping rollercoaster. First was Python and then Scorpion as it was the only other one there. I can remember begging the workers there to ride Kumba in 1993 just before it opened. I was practically foaming at the mouth when I heard RMC was transforming Gwazi. In October 2022 I finally got to ride it and it is intense, especially in back. Though the drop looks awesome in front. Can't wait to ride it again!

If only I could go to America😔

This is an easy bucket list coaster for me. I absolutely can't wait to ride it someday

I rode Iron Gwazi a couple months ago! The first drop is WILD, but it was too short for my liking, tbh. I felt like each element came too fast in succession to really enjoy. Even so, I think I just need to ride it a couple more times and then i'll love it- for some reason when I know what to expect it's more fun.

Raised in Tampa and grew up riding everything, including Gwazi. I was so disappointed when, during my college years, it hadn't aged well and was borderline brain-damage levels of rough. Fast forward to just a couple months ago, and I rode Iron Gwazi for the first time. I've ridden roller coasters all around the US, and Iron Gwazi is by FAR the most intense ride I think I've ever had. And right in my own back yard! Pro tip: Loosen up, ragdoll a bit. Tensing up on this ride is painful.

hearing people praise this ride so much make me realize how lucky I am to work at iron gwazi and get free admission to the park. makes me want to go ride some coasters after my classes tomorrow! lmao

Not me working on a video about Gwazi right now… In all seriousness, I loved seeing you cover this.

My dad worked at Busch Gardens in Florida when I was a kid. He told me he got to be one of the first people to ride Gwazi, however he was known to exaggerate and fib lol I remember when the ride was built, but I never was able to ride it because my dad died and we moved. He died only a year after the ride was built. I haven’t been back to Florida since he died. Would love to go to Busch Gardens again one day.

In 12 short months I'll be on this beauty! It'll be my 1st RMC and I'm fully expecting it to be my new No1 coaster. Great content as per usual. 👏

These RMCs conversions are amazing, i've only been on one, but makes me wonder how people feel about old nostagic coasters being changed. Like when i was young, i've been on the wooden coasters as Kennywood, but i know someone like my dad would be mad if the nostalgia is gone. maybe it also didn't help he got motion sick af on iron gwazi 😆

It's so nice to have an RMC in my backyard.

The nerds went ballistic. The nerds were disappointed. I love it.

When I was a kid, about 12 or 13 I think, I went with my dad on an orlando trip, and got to ride both sides of Gwazi. I don't remember too much about it besides enjoying the ride (that was the trip where I learned to enjoy coasters, and I had been enjoying almost every single one I went to), I don't really have the memories of the roughness or anything, I was young, didn't know coasters, and was, as young people often are, more resistant to back and neck pain. I even did a short "marathon" of it when we were about to leave the park cause there was no line at all! What I do remember though is that the first time I rode it, so did my dad, and immediately after leaving the ride, he told me "this was so rough that my neck hurts, I'm not getting on that again". At the time I didn't get what he meant, but recently, after learning of Gwazi's reputation, I realized he was right! I was just too young and hyped to notice.

I might be going this year. Between this and velocicoaster, it would literally be like I’d gone to heaven

I remember when Qwazi was still wooden dueling coasters and I thought for their age they were fantastic but just recently I got to ride Iron Qwazi and oh my, it might be my new favorite roller coaster ever. Trust me I’ve ridden sum good stuff too, I’ve been to Cedar point, I’ve been to Kings Island and I live in Florida so I’ve been to all the major Florida parks many many times over. Iron Qwazi really is just simply my favorite I’ve ever ridden. The flow is smooth and wild at the same time. All the different elements were awesome stuff I don’t think I could compare to anything I’ve ridden before. Riding it made reminded me just how much I love these marvelous machines.

Got to go this summer and it’s by far my number 1 👑

Great video! The only RMC I've been on at this point is Steel Vengeance at Cedar Point and while I still find Millennium Force my favorite coaster I've ridden, this is EXTREMELY close IMO. And I may finally get to ride Iron Gwazi when I return to Orlando this December hopefully. (Same with VelociCoaster)

Next year I'll finally get the chance to ride this behemoth of a hybrid....SO EXCITED!!!

I’ve just been on The Grand National at The Pleasure Beach and wondered if they’d ever considered somehow updating it given how horrendously rough it is! It led me to wonder if a wooden coaster could ever invert, and this morning RU-vid recommended this to me, odd!

This is top documentary quality right here. Good job man!

i just went on a trip to florida and went to busch gardens and seaworld and went on iron gwazi 6 times 2 days ago. this was an awesome ride, also it was a rainy ish day and the park was dead so it was a walk on every time.

13:45 "The nerds were devastated" That's a great line LUL (I actually quite enjoyed Tigris, myself, especially in the front where you get yeeted over-the-hill as you ascend SuperVinlin)

The only rmc I rode was Zadra in energylandia, Poland and it was fantastic.

Great video! Thanks.

My 169th coaster! Simply breathtaking and unbelievable!

Hi! Was a good time meeting you today in front of Untamed! Hope you have a nice stay

rode this a few days ago, incredible coaster

I live like 45 minutes away from universal and I bought universal/islands of adventure passes so I go like every weekend!

I rode this a few months with my brother. It is sensational!

Haven't ridden it since the OG version. Last time I did, the lap bar got stuck down and I just went again (it was off hours). Man it was a rough one, but one of my first coasters.

I love your Segway into the ad break. We’re going to need your review of Universal Orlando resort after your trip. Hopefully I’ll see you on VelociCoaster.

fantastic video

Nice vlogs 👍

velocicoaster & iron gwazi is a good 1,2 punch for florida!

I can’t wait to finally ride this beauty in less than a month

Love that ride ❤❤❤❤❤

in the netherlands, you have the efteling and there is the ride joris and the dragon, it was a wooden coaster but is turning into a hybrid coaster

Got to ride Iron Gwazi back in April 2022 and it made my top 5 out of my 65 credits. So far it’s my #4.

Gwazi was the first roller coaster I ever went on (followed by Sheikrah, now that was a step up lmao)

As someone from the UK who hasn't travelled to the US i can sadly only imagine what this would be like, the height is only comparable to Stealth in height and... i don't know what else in the UK. Would love to one day experience this ride or something similar in the UK.

I grew up about an hour from tampa, terrified of coasters until for my 8th grade field trip to Busch Gardens I told my friends to do whatever they had to to force me to ride the rides. I was not going to be the lame kid eating dippin dots while everyone left to experience the rides. And I did, I rode everything in the park except Tigris (which had just come out, and for the life of me no one could tell me how the track worked, and there were rumors it went backwards? i still dont know lol), Falcon's Fury (drops were my main fear, hell no I wasn't going to ride a 300ft tall drop tower with the fear elements falcon's fury has, and Sheikra, the line was more than 120 minutes long and I didn't have the patience, and I admittedly feared the 200 something foot drop. Having ridden it a few times now, it's my favorite ride I think. I haven't been able to ride iron gwazi, and the original was closed by the time I went to the park, but now that I've ridden some proper rides, I'm so excited.

When i rode this coster in the back. This rollercoaster was the only coaster i had to sit down and take a break after riding. It was insane. This guy offered me and my family free line pass ride tickets and we had to pass up the offer😂😂😂

Never bin to bush gardens tampa but iron gwazi looks like a really good ride!

Gwazi was a really fun coaster, I can’t wait to ride Iron Gwazi.

Allegedly the project started right after the closing. But SW failed to deliver the money to RMC in time (also maybe because of orca fiasco at that time?), hence they delayed the construction of Iron Gwazi At that time construction delayed, some random themepark saw the plan of that hyper hybrid and wanted that one from ground up. But they wanna a bit more different just to distinguish enough. They deliver the money, the project accepted, and the construction began. We all know what it is. Also, that coaster has reverse-death roll. If you guys don't realize yet

I’ve ridden it twice back to back and I feel though it is definitely a top 10 coaster it didn’t live up to the hype

Imagine what wild greatness could come from a joint project between Intamin and Rocky Mountain Coasters... I'd kill to be first in line and front row for that masterpiece! But seriously, Intamin and RMC are killing it out there! Those two are at eachothers throats for most aerobatic coaster! Better yet... What about a dueling coaster?! One side Intamin the other side RMC?!?! 🤯

The word iron makes stuff better Man > iron man Giant > iron giant Gwazi > iron gwazi Deficiency > iron deficiency Maybe not the last one

I’d consider Velocicoaster to be the more intsense and better paced ride of the two. Those two launches are just legendary especially the second one. Iron gwazi has a better drop and air time but I found myself enjoying the feel of VC better.

i live minuts away from the park and i love the park but im afraid of riding Gwazi i may go this weekend wish me luck ! i love the rides but this one may blow my mind !

2 more months and I finally get to ride everything there! so hype for it and Montu!

Great video Harry . Had to skip a bit as we will be on it in about 2 weeks 🥳🥳🥳🥳🙌🏽🎢

Ghostrider at Knott's still has an average 2-3 hour wait time with millennium trains 😂

Two more weeks!!

I was one of the first every people to ride it and I gotta say it was amazing experience to go to I have ridden both when I was a child then riding it as an adult was just mind blowing I also met the designer and roller coaster molder the same day I rode it this coaster is god level wish I could upload the video of its real opening

My family is going to Orlando in '24 for other obligations. Looks like we need to extend the trip and head over to Tampa.

Already to the 4th ranked coaster wow!

Hey, love the look of this ride. Going to islands and Disney world, hope I get to go here aswell

Rode it just a few months into its life. It was so insane and forceful my elbow was thrown into my sister’s face because of the Laterals.

Cheeky newspaper column on the right at 7:29 ;)

I rode new new texas giant the year the rebuild debuted and then rode it again this year and I don’t think it’s aged a bit.

Love living in Florida

This is my home park and I thank you for highlighting it.

RMC is hitting these coasters out of park

I rode it yesterday 10 times in a row!

Any more operations videos coming in the future, Harry?

Gwazi was never really a myth or anything Busch gardens just made up that it was a myth to make it cooler but there were never actual stories past down about the gwazi so technically Busch gardens could do whatever they wanted with gwazi because they made gwazi up in the first place

You forgot daddy pigs roller coaster that’s easily the best Florida coaster

Banshee at Kings Island is the worlds longest invert roller coaster

Will we be getting an Orlando vlog?

My man tried to say "the nerds" were devastated like he wasn't already one lol.

Iron gwazi might be the craziest, but velocicoaster and Hagrids are by far the funnest.

i had a chance to do on iron gwazi but the wait was 2 hours so i was like hell naw

Babe, wake up, coaster bot just uploaded a 20 min video 🫶

Where is dispatch

It's only a half hour drive from my house...and I've yet to get on it 😢

Busch gardens really put a huge middle finger to cedar point

Must ride in the very back or the very front.

Neither one can never share iron gwazi uses both part of the track lol

hey I live in Orlando and i love going to Disneyworld

Can you a vid and about no return brakes pls

It's a shame they demolished the wooden lion and tiger roller coasters. Both were brilliant rides and my favourites in the park. Not such a fan of steel coasters. They're too smooth. When I get on a coaster I want noise and the fear I might die!

Is this the new style for the “What is…” series?

I rode Iron Gwazi 16 times consecutively

Lol I was literally here earlier today

I live in Tampa and let me tell you. Disney is a waste and there's a few rides you should try but they're spread out between the parks. Universal and islands of adventure are so so so much better. My wife and I and our 3 kids go every year. YOU MUST RIDE VELOCICOASTER. Hands down the best ride I've ever been on. Hagrids is second then I'd put a tie between iron gwazi and montu.

The death roll was pretty good but the wave turn was far and away the best element for me. An absolutely amazing addition to Busch Gardens, and definitely a headliner that they needed.

You notice...no trims

Is it only me or who Else thought that was a frog

babe wake up coaster bot just dropped a new video

😞😞

Velocicoaster. That's it. That's the comment.

Iron Gwazi's name/theme combo is awful