High atop the hilly end of the Cypress Gardens collection of more than three-dozen rides rests the park's most modern roller coaster. Swamp Thing is a suspended coaster which means that as many as 20 riders -- sitting paired up in 10 rows -- sit with their feet dangling during the ride. The ride isn't as intense as the name implies, though you may bang around a little bit. You never go faster than 26 miles an hour and the coaster's height peaks at seemingly tame 48 feet, 7 inches through its 1,122 feet of track, with most of the thrills coming from the gradually descending track twists than anything else.
That's why the coaster, made by the steel twisting mavens at Vekoma, is a suspended family coaster. While there is only one coaster train running the waits aren't too bad. The ride takes just 75 seconds and the crew at its efficient peak can unload and reload the train in as little as 35 seconds. For souvenir buffs, check out the cool Swamp Thing t-shirts available in the front of the park. It's a sharp black t-shirt with gators snapping about. That would definitely be one way to amp up the adrenaline factor of the relatively tame ride as installing a pit of live Florida gators below would definitely give suspended coaster riders something to worry about as their feet swoop beneath them.
Height Requirement -- 44 inches and under -- yes, UNDER -- 6 feet 2 inches
TRIVIA -- How much does Swamp Thing weigh? It's a heavy one alright. 448,000 pounds to be exact.
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