Today (July 21, 2024) is opening opening day for Phoenix Rising at Busch Gardens. Phoenix Rising is is the new family suspended roller coaster by B&M. The ride is in the Pantopia area of the park in the area previously occupied by Sand Serpent, a couple of kiddie rides and the original Phoenix looping starship by Intamin. There will be many articles today celebrating the new Phoenix Rising, but I wanted to take a few minutes to remember the original Phoenix. Perhaps I can also take credit for being a bit of a future teller in the name of the new coaster?

Phoenix was a looping starship style flat ride. Think your standard swinging pirate ship ride, but in the case of a looping starship it goes completely upside down, making multiple 360° revolutions. The Phoenix at Busch Gardens was made by Intamin, now better known for roller coasters, and was essentially the first ride of its kind. It opened in 1984 and closed in April 2018 and sat idle for 4 years.

Back in April of 2022 the original Phoenix was actually testing after being shut down in 2018 complete with human analog sandbags. At that point in time I wrote an article called, “Is the Phoenix Rising at Busch Gardens?” about that testing and wondering if the ride might be returning. Of course it wasn’t and in October 2023 Phoenix Rising was announced. However, I’ll take credit for having the name a year and a half in advance!

Phoenix Rising will by its name alone help us remember the original. On my next trip I’ll be on the lookout in the queue line to see if Busch Gardens left any Easter Eggs as an ode to the original too! If you want the Phoenix experience there’s still one of looping starship operating in the USA called Berserker in Kings Dominion. Also, thanks to CoasterForce and the video below we can always remember the ride experience.

So Phoenix Rising is here and I’m thrilled that it is, but let’s not forget the pioneering ride that was the Phoenix. Maybe you’ll remember the way the ride would sometimes be nearly perfectly balanced and hang at the top. Maybe you’ll remember hearing change fall from people’s pockets and hit the concrete below. Maybe you’ll remember the restraint system wasn’t always the most comfortable for some, typically men. Whatever you remember it for, it was a first of its kind that operated for over 30 years. It’s now being replaced by another first (at least for B&M outside of China), let’s hope Phoenix Rising has as good of a run as the original Phoenix.