Busch Gardens previews new 'spin coaster'

TAMPA (FOX 13) - Busch Gardens has unveiled a miniature version of the new roller coaster that is scheduled to debut next year.

"Cobra's Curse" is a spin coaster that park officials say will be one of a kind.  The cars will spin freely -- meaning a different ride experience each time -- and instead of a gradual climb to the top of the first 70-foot hill, the cars will be lifted vertically.

"During the three-and-a-half-minute ride, the coaster trains speed along at 40 mph, spinning backward, forward and then freely," a park fact sheet explained.  "Guests will experience a new spin with each ride. Each train spins randomly, with frequency and direction determined by the rider weight distribution."

The ride's setting is a modern-day dig site in Egypt, where archeologists have uncovered the legendary temple of the snake king "Venymyss."  Riders will go through an "outward-banked turn" that provides a close call with an 80-foot-tall statue of the snake.

Park officials say the new ride should open in 2016.