TAMPA, Fla. —They don’t call it the "screamin' swing" for nothing.

What You Need To Know

  • Serengeti Flyer opens Febraury 27

  • Annual pass holders get weekend preview

  • Nicknamed Screamin' Swing

  • 90-second ride goes 135 feet high and 68 miles per hour

“Think about a swing set you rode as a kid, and someone gave you a big push. This is the ultimate push,” said Neal Thurman, president of Busch Gardens.

The new Serengeti Flyer at Busch Gardens is taller than any swing of its kind.

Thurman calls it a “really smooth” experience with unbelievable views, swinging visitors 135 high at 68 miles per hour.

Members of the media joined members of the local chapter of the American Coaster Enthusiasts for a preview to the Feb. 27 opening.

Kalin Profitt said he took 30 or 35 turns on the 90-second ride. “I think it’s kind of a fun experience being able to float up on your seat like an astronaut,” said Profitt about the multiple moments of weightlessness.

“It’s exciting. You don’t get that on a flat ride like that. I think it’s unique.” There are two swings holding ten people in the front and back. Forty people in all swish back and forth. The first time the swing goes backward, you can feel the power behind the pendulum motion.

Riders see the heavens on the upswing and then the earth below on the downswing. But you are also weightless, so you think maybe for a second you pulled your parachute chord, it did not engage, and you are hurtling to your doom.

The theme park has nearly a dozen thrill rides to its name, but also likes to emphasize its animal encounters and conservancy mission.