BGT Home Parker here. Kumba and its interlocking corkscrews have been THE iconic image of Busch Gardens Tampa for my entire life. Sad to see it go but not surprising given how it's worn down and the lack of any line for it nowadays. There's no longer a return on investment on this ride and a full retrack would not be worth the capital, as much as I and other enthusiasts would love to see it. If they did go Giga, the size of a coaster like that would do well to draw people to the back of the park and away from the stacked and congested lineup at the front of the park. Kumba was sort of off in the back corner, surprisingly easy to miss if you were just walking the normal park loop.
Tangentially related, the decision on Montu will be much more intriguing. I think there's a better case for a retrack on that ride as the area was very much dug out for that specific coaster which would make land redevelopment a lot more involved. The ride also likely serves the most riders in a year given its capacity and location near the front of the park. Hoping for a Nemesis Reborn situation on that one with added theming.
