New Adventure Island water slide kicks off with 70-foot drop
TAMPA (FOX 13) - Adventure Island‘s newest water slide will give you a sinking feeling, thanks to its sudden 70-foot drop.
The new ‘Vanish Point’ ride at Busch Gardens’ water park gets you started in a hurry, literally pulling the floor out from under you and sending you hurtling through a slide over 400 feet long.
"What this ride brings to Adventure Island is the thrill of the unknown," offered Adventure Island's Brian Kilpatrick.
Step into the ride’s chamber – or “skybox,” as lifeguards call it – and a clear floor allows you to admire the 70-foot plunge you're about to take – that is, until it vanishes.
"Once the floor drops out, there's 1,000 gallons of water propelling you all the way through the slide,” Kilpatrick explained.
FOX 13’s Merissa Lynn previewed the ride on a surprisingly chilly 50-degree Thursday, and afterwards proclaimed the drop to be “terrifying.”
“After you get through that initial drop, that’s probably the worst part. But the ride was excellent,” she offered.
The new ride opens, along with the rest of the park, on Friday.