Giga possible?

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CarterGee

CarterGee

May 10, 2011
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I came across this video on YouTube speculating about a giga at BGT:
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What do we think? Possible? Anyone have any information about that 200' limit in FL?
 
I'm struggling to find anything about a state wide 200 foot limit. Orlando itself has it. I find the reasoning to be a little misleading as to why .

WDW doesn't go over 200 feet because it would require aviation lights and that would ruin the magic.
UO is next to residential and Orlando Code doesn't allow structures over 200 feet to boarder residential lots.
SWO has 2 attractions over 200 feet and the county has said all they have to do is ask.

The more readily believed thing with BGT not going high until Iron Gwazi has been the belief that it was situated too close to Tampa International. But I never bought into that because downtown is much closer and BGT is north-east of the airport and it's runways at N-S and E-W situated.
 
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Just because I was curious:

Florida's first structure over 200 feet tall was built in 1925, the Freedom Tower in Miami. At 256 feet tall it held the record......for about 18 months. Then in 1926 the Coral Gables Biltmore Hotel took over that record at 315 feet tall......which lasted 24-ish months. In 1928 The Miami-Dade Court House was built, reaching 394 feet in the air. The current tallest building is the Panorama Tower in Miami at 868 feet tall.

Wikipedia's list of tallest buildings in Florida ends at 47, with a height of 537 feet.

Unless there's come archaic bylaw against just somehow roller coasters (the tallest cell phone tower in Florida is 1,901 feet tall) (don't ask me to change the light bulb at the top) I'm not buying this 200 foot restriction.

I would think its more general across Florida that most areas have you file a waiver over 200 feet (where the FAA puts it at for needing a light), and that got confused for "can't build over".
 
Yes. A giga was planned for BGT and eventually evolved into Mako
Zachary said:
It is my understanding that a giga has been in BGT's roadmap for a while now. Assuming SEAS makes it out of COVID without their direction substantially impacted, it will happen—it's a matter of when.
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I’m not sure how truthful this is, but I remember hearing on Orlando United Radio (now Inside Universal) in 2016 they were claiming Mako was originally meant to be a giga at BGT and eventually the plans changed into a hyper for SWO and Cobra’s Curse for at BGT.
 
Even though it hasn't been built (or probably won't be...lol) Orlando's Skyplex had the blessing of the County and the FAA for a 570ft tower/coaster.

www.tripsavvy.com

What Were the Crazy-Tall Rides Planned for Orlando's Skyplex?

The Skyplex along Orlando's International Drive had grand plans for the world's tallest coaster and other crazy-tall thrill rides.
www.tripsavvy.com www.tripsavvy.com

Icon Park has a 400ft observation wheel. Orlando StarFlyer is 450ft.

I really think that 200ft "restriction" is (as mentioned) Disney's capping height to avoid having to put in FAA lights.
 
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The 200 foot thing is strictly a requirement with the FAA forcing permits to be filed with them for construction, and installing the FAA lights as earlier mentioned.

There's a whole set of guidelines to them that you don't really get to see unless you spend a lot of time looking at Kingda Ka or Top Thrill Dragster (trust me I would know this) since they're the only two rides I have seen with multiple sets of FAA lights. Other rides get away with one at their highest point for the most part.

Disney is really the only park(s) I won't see breaking 200 feet because they don't want to deal with the FAA lighting. Which is why Expedition Everest is 199 feet tall.

BGT can build a Giga coaster. I don't think they'll get much resistance about it from locals, Florida, or the FAA. It's more of a question as Zachary said if they get the capex greenlight to do so.
 
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b.mac said:
Disney is really the only park(s) I won't see breaking 200 feet because they don't want to deal with the FAA lighting. Which is why Expedition Everest is 199 feet tall.
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And Universal Orlando due to proximity to residential. Krakatu is 200 feet, Hogwarts 150, Dr. Doom's is 184, and Rip Ride Rockit is 164.
 
I've been doing a bit of personal research into finding a place for this to go, and it's led me to believe that they might already be prepping for it.

Remember Project Jethro? The Screaming Swing in the middle of nowhere? Well, I don't think that'll be for long. That's prime land for the giga coaster, as you can fit a lift hill, drop, and Fury 325 sized turnaround if you go all the way to the retention ponds at the back of the park. You can't put that anywhere else without interfering with the Serengeti Plains (which I doubt BGT does), getting rid of Montu (another X to doubt), or pissing off the local residents at the west side of the park. It's a perfect plot of land for it.
 
Are we ignoring the fact that Busch Gardens Tampa literally has 3 attractions over 200ft? Including one this year. Wouldnt that invalidate any argument for a 200 ft limit for the park? (Btw, the SkyTower at SeaWorld Orlando was the tallest structure in Orlando from 1973 to 1988)
 
I think it's entirely possible, and I honestly think a giga would be the thing that BGT would need to truly have one of the greatest coaster collections in the country, if not the entire world. My only concern is that that with SEAS' current financial situation, this is probably gonna never happen. Oh well, at least we have Iron Gwazi and Kumba.
 
Dombot said:
I think it's entirely possible, and I honestly think a giga would be the thing that BGT would need to truly have one of the greatest coaster collections in the country, if not the entire world. My only concern is that that with SEAS' current financial situation, this is probably gonna never happen. Oh well, at least we have Iron Gwazi and Kumba.
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Even though it is built and ready to go, you don't have Iron Gwazi yet.
 
Dombot said:
I think it's entirely possible, and I honestly think a giga would be the thing that BGT would need to truly have one of the greatest coaster collections in the country, if not the entire world. My only concern is that that with SEAS' current financial situation, this is probably gonna never happen. Oh well, at least we have Iron Gwazi and Kumba.
Click to expand...

I could see us getting a GCI instead. Give it a metal support structure like Texas Stingray and maintain the track well this time and it'll be fine.
 
Lintemuthstudios said:
I could see us getting a GCI instead. Give it a metal support structure like Texas Stingray and maintain the track well this time and it'll be fine.
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I wouldn't mind seeing a Texas Stingray sized coaster but after what happened with the original Gwazi, I don't see the park working with GCI again, at least not for a while. I don't even see them installing another coaster with a wood trackbed regardless if it had steel supports or not. Also, a new GCI wouldn't have the same marketing impact and draw after Iron Gwazi. A B&M giga would do that. Besides, SEAS execs went to ride Fury 325 and Leviathan to scope them out as a potential future installation for BGT.
 
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Unagi said:
I wouldn't mind seeing a Texas Stingray sized coaster but after what happened with the original Gwazi, I don't see the park working with GCI again, at least not for a while. I don't even see them installing another coaster with a wood trackbed regardless if it had steel supports or not. Also, a new GCI wouldn't have the same marketing impact and draw after Iron Gwazi. A B&M giga would do that. Besides, SEAS execs went to ride Fury 325 and Leviathan to scope them out as a potential future installation for BGT.
Click to expand...

B&M gigas are also really expensive, and with the current world situation it's probably going to be a while before we see another giga in the US. I'd love to be wrong though.
 
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