Busch Gardens Tampa is currently constructing the new water ride slated to replace Stanley Falls Flume and we may have some clues about its name and theme from a trademark application. In September 2026, SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment (the former company name its parent company United Parks often uses) filed a trademark application for “SIMBI RUSH“ specifically for amusement park rides and themed areas. The ride system has also been thought to be everything from a Mack rocking boat to a Mack water coaster to an Intamin launched flume, so there are a bunch of unknowns. We don’t even know for certain that the Simbi Rush trademark is tied to the project at Busch Gardens Tampa, but it sure does seem to fit. The park has teased that all will be revealed soon though! A lot of the conjecture has been on the ride system, but here are some possibilities with the theme based on the “Simbi Rush” filing:

Lake Simbi

There is a lake  in Homa Bay County, Kenya known as Lake Simbi Nyaima which means “village that sank”. Scientists believe that Lake Simbi Nyaima is a natural volcanic crater lake formed centuries ago by a volcanic eruption and depression that filled with water. It is unique in that it is highly alkaline and full of sulfur. What is most interesting from a ride perspective is the local tribe’s legend associated with it. In Luo folklore, a wealthy and prosperous village once stood where the lake now lies with inhabitants that were known for their abundance of fish and festive celebrations, but they had also grown arrogant and greedy. A poor woman called on the village, but was rebuffed by the whole population, except for one kind widow, The poor woman revealed herself to the widow to be a spirit and warned her to flee the village before destroying, submerging it underwater. Perhaps this is a bit too dark and/or moralistically based for a theme park ride, but it is an interesting story that could be told with Mack water coaster technology like that found in Atlantis at SeaWorld Orlando.

River Simbi

The River Simbi is located in Sudan, but is more of a stream than Whitewater rapids. However, it is seasonal where it can become more intense, so perhaps there’s a story there? The River Simbi is located near the White Nile which is known for spectacular white water rafting. There are also nearby sites like the Fula waterfall and wildlife like elephants, so maybe Busch Gardens takes a bit of creative liberty and has the normally tame River Simbi flood? Ironically the rapids of the White Nile are under threat right now due to dams planned along the river, but now doubt riding whitewater rapids is a “rush” and would fir the ride name. It would also fit the Mack ‘rocking boat” technology (similar to what is used on NightFlight at Dollywood) that many are hoping for with the ride system.

The God or Spirit Simbi

Simbi is an African spiritual entity that is shared across many tribes, groups and cultures, but with significant differences across them. Simbi have historically taken many forms including water people, mermaids, snakes and even fire. In some practices a Simbi is a revered guardian spirit associated with water, streams, and nature. In other cultures they are believed to be guardians of nature in general including lakes, but also forests and mountains. In another cultures the Simbi are mermaid spirits descend from Africans who purposely jumped from slave ships, choosing death over enslavement. In a final example Simbi are said to bridge the world of the living to the world of the dead. Simbi have a somewhat centralized theme of “water spirit”, but there’s a lot of divergence after that. With the many variations you’d probably expect Busch Gardens to pick the most convenient for their story (probably something simple like “guardians of water”) or combine several traditions. A launched flume like Catapult Falls at sister park Sea World San Antonio that has geysers and other water effects could fit nicely with this theme.

So Which One is it?

I’ve heard the “god” Simbi is the most likely choice, but I’m not so sure this is the way the park will go. Busch Gardens would be trending into some potentially interesting waters with some of the historical implications of the Simbi creatures (if someone Googled it). I am a big fan of the Lake Simbi story, but that is probably best suited for a dark ride where a volcano effect and cityscape could really shine. So could it be as simple as the River Simbi and taking riders on an exhilarating ride down an African River? The ride is currently only known as “Project Driftwood” internally, so not sure if there are many clues there about the ride or ride system. Remember the Serengeti Flyer was known as “Project Jethro”, so not sure that we can conjecture too much from Busch Gardens code names. However, it sounds like we won’t have to wait long though to learn just what Simbi Rush is going to be!