Sand Serpent

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title: "Sand Serpent" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["roller-coasters-in-florida", "roller-coasters-in-tampa,-florida", "roller-coasters-opened-in-2004", "busch-gardens-tampa-bay", "amusement-rides-closed-in-2003", "2004-establishments-in-florida"] description: "Ride at Busch Gardens parks (1996–2011)" topic_path: "general/roller-coasters-in-florida" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sand_Serpent" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Ride at Busch Gardens parks (1996–2011) ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox roller coaster"]

Field	Value
name	Sand Serpent
previousnames
Wild Izzy (1996) and Wild Maus (1997–2003) at Busch Gardens Williamsburg
Cheetah Chase (2004–2011) at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
image	Sand Serpent.jpg
caption	View of Sand Serpent from its façade
location	Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
section	Pantopia
type	Steel
type2	Wild Mouse
manufacturer	Mack Rides
model	Wild Maus
extend	{{Infobox roller coaster extend
location	Busch Gardens Williamsburg
section	Oktoberfest
coordinates
status	Relocated to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
opened	April 12, 1996
year	1996
closed	2003
replacement	Curse of DarKastle
rcdb_number	455
lift	Chain lift hill
status	Removed
opened	February 28, 2004
closed	July 9, 2023
year	2004
height_ft	45.9
length_ft	1,213.9
speed_mph	28
duration	1:50
previousattraction	Crazy Camel
replacement	Phoenix Rising
video	Sand Serpent Busch Gardens Tampa Mack Wild Mouse POV.webm
virtual_queue_name	Quick Queue
virtual_queue_image	Quick Queue availability logo (Busch Gardens).svg
virtual_queue_status	was available
rcdb_number	2595
coordinates
designer	Werner Stengel
::

| name = Sand Serpent | previousnames= Wild Izzy (1996) and Wild Maus (1997–2003) at Busch Gardens Williamsburg Cheetah Chase (2004–2011) at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay | image =Sand Serpent.jpg | caption = View of Sand Serpent from its façade | location = Busch Gardens Tampa Bay | section = Pantopia | type = Steel | type2 = Wild Mouse | manufacturer = Mack Rides | model = Wild Maus | track = | extend = {{Infobox roller coaster extend |location=Busch Gardens Williamsburg |section=Oktoberfest |coordinates= |status=Relocated to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay |opened=April 12, 1996 |year=1996 |closed=2003 |cost= |previousattraction= |replacement=Curse of DarKastle |rcdb_number= 455 | lift = Chain lift hill | status = Removed | opened = February 28, 2004 | closed = July 9, 2023 | year = 2004 | height_ft = 45.9 | drop_ft = | length_ft = 1,213.9 | speed_mph = 28 | duration = 1:50 | previousattraction = Crazy Camel | replacement= Phoenix Rising | restriction_in = | video= Sand Serpent Busch Gardens Tampa Mack Wild Mouse POV.webm | virtual_queue_name = Quick Queue | virtual_queue_image = Quick Queue availability logo (Busch Gardens).svg | virtual_queue_status = was available | rcdb_number= 2595 |coordinates= |designer=Werner Stengel}} Sand Serpent was a Wild Mouse roller coaster located at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in Tampa, Florida. The ride originally operated at sister park Busch Gardens Williamsburg in Williamsburg, Virginia as Wild Izzy in 1996 and later as Wild Maus from 1997 to 2003. When the roller coaster was relocated to Florida, it was renamed Cheetah Chase from 2004 to 2011 before receiving its last name change.

Sand Serpent was manufactured by Mack Rides and designed by Werner Stengel. The roller coaster reached a maximum height of 45.9 feet, with a maximum speed of 28 mph, and a total length of 1213.9 feet. Upon opening at Busch Gardens Williamsburg, the roller coaster was received generally well by the public, though its relocation at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay was minimally covered.

History

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6f/Wild_Izzy_1.jpg" caption="Sand Serpent during its run at Busch Gardens Williamsburg"] ::

In December 1995, Busch Gardens Williamsburg announced Wild Izzy, a Mack Rides Wild Mouse roller coaster, would be added to the park for the 1996 season in the Oktoberfest section. It was named after the mascot of the 1996 Summer Olympics, since Busch Gardens was a sponsor of the games. Originally in January, it was reported that Wild Izzy would open later in March. Though in March, the roller coaster was announced to open in April. Wild Izzy officially opened on April 12. After the 1996 season, it was given a European theme and renamed to Wild Maus.

In November 2003, filings by the park for a new attraction were uncovered in James City County that would replace the Wild Maus roller coaster. After seven years of operation at Busch Gardens Williamsburg, the roller coaster closed in 2003 where it was removed and replaced with the defunct dark ride, Curse of DarKastle in 2005. In December 2003, the St. Petersburg Times reported that the Wild Maus would be shipped to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in January 2004 and be renamed to Cheetah Chase. The roller coaster opened on February 28, in the Timbuktu section of the park.

Cheetah Chase replaced the defunct Crazy Camel flat ride that opened up with the Timbuktu section of the park in 1980. In 2011, the ride was rethemed from Cheetah Chase to Sand Serpent. This was done to reduce confusion with the park's new attraction, Cheetah Hunt. The roller coaster is situated in the Pantopia section of the park, which was renamed with the introduction of Falcon's Fury, the park's signature drop tower. Busch Gardens announced in June 2023 that Sand Serpent would close the next month for a new family inverted roller coaster named Phoenix Rising. Sand Serpent closed on July 9, 2023. Phoenix Rising subsequently opened on July 21, 2024.

Characteristics

Sand Serpent was a stock Wild Mouse roller coaster model manufactured by Mack Rides and designed by Werner Stengel. Specifically, the ride model was the "Wild Maus", and the "Compact Mobile" version. Originally, the track was green and had yellow supports, with each car featuring colors from the Olympic rings along with lightning bolts and stars. The last iteration featured blue track and orange supports, with the cars variously colored solid blue, orange, or red.

Sand Serpent reached a maximum speed of 28 mph, with the track having a total length of 1213.9 feet, and encompassed a 144.3 feet by 62.3 feet area. The roller coaster operates with single cars that navigated the layout. The four riders per car are arranged in two rows with two seats across each. Unlike similar Wild Mouse roller coasters produced by Mack Rides, the Sand Serpent model did not feature dips in the track prior to the brake run.

Ride experience

The car exited the station into a left turn and entered the 45.9 foot tall lift hill. Following the lift, the car descended downward and went into a series of 180-degree turns that run parallel to each other. After the series of turns, the car made a wider continuous downward turn until it straightened out. The car then headed forward into a hill and two tight left turns. Thereafter the car dipped downward and ascended another hill where it takes another two left turns. The car then descended into another drop where the train headed upward into two tight left turns. Following the turn, the car descended into a hill and into the final brake run where it made a final left turn into the station. One cycle of the roller coaster took around two minutes to complete.

Reception

Upon its original opening at Busch Gardens Williamsburg, the roller coaster was generally well received by the public. In the Daily Press' coverage, Michael McCary, a musician present, had described the roller coaster jokingly "not for tall people", as the force banged up his knees. Other guests during its opening stated that it was "scarier than you might think", relating it with that of the steel roller coaster Drachen Fire. In covering the state of Virginia's amusement parks, writers of The Star Democrat had described it as "distinctly different" from others because of its "jerky turns and quick dips" that would appeal to everyone. With its relocation to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, the roller coaster was minimally covered by newspapers during its quiet debut in February 2004.

References

References

1. (December 28, 1995). "Catch the spirit of Olympic Games". [[Tribune Company]].
2. MacDonald, Sam. (March 30, 1996). "Busch Gardens' focus on 1996 summer games". Tribune Company.
3. Freehling, Alison. (April 13, 1996). "What Izzy? Park unveils new coaster". Tribune Company.
4. Freehling, Alison. (January 6, 1996). "Busch Gardens plans 220-foot-tall ride". Tribune Company.
5. Freehling, Alison. (April 13, 1996). "What Izzy? Park unveils new coaster". Tribune Company.
6. Albright, Mark. (December 8, 2003). "Hand-me-down coaster rolling into Busch Gardens". [[Times Publishing Company]].
7. Marden, Duane. "Wild Maus - Busch Gardens Williamsburg (Williamsburg, Virginia, USA)". [[Roller Coaster DataBase]].
8. Taylor, April. (November 21, 2003). "A New Ride? Theme Park Tight-Lipped". Tribune Company.
9. Marden, Duane. "Sand Serpent - Busch Gardens Tampa (Tampa, Florida, USA)". [[Roller Coaster DataBase]].
10. McMorrow-Hernandez, Joshua. (2017). "Busch Gardens Tampa Bay". [[Arcadia Publishing]].
11. Kennedy-Wynne, Sharon. (June 5, 2019). "What a wild ride: Look back at 60 years of Busch Gardens thrill rides". Times Publishing Company.
12. Bevil, Dewayne. (February 5, 2014). "Timbuktu turns into Pantopia at Busch Gardens". Tribune Publishing.
13. Carter, Ashley. (June 15, 2023). "Busch Gardens: SandSerpent coaster to permanently close in July". Bay News 9.
14. Staff. (June 15, 2023). "Busch Gardens retiring to SandSerpent roller coaster after nearly 20 years". WTVT.
15. (June 26, 2019). "Sand Serpent front seat on-ride 4K POV @60fps Busch Gardens Tampa".
16. (April 19, 1998). "Virginia for lovers ... lovers of roller coasters that is". Adams Publishing Group LLC.
17. (May 21, 2004). "Busch Gardens revs up fun". Tribune Publishing.

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