Busch Gardens’ Falcon’s Fury opening delayed until ‘later this summer’

It looks like guests will have to wait a while longer to drop face first on Busch Gardens’ Falcon’s Fury. Testing has been further delayed due to a shortage of parts.

Falcon’s Fury was originally announced as opening this spring, with a VIP preview set for April 29, 2014. But the preview and the May 1 official opening was delayed. No specific reason was given at that time other than unexpected delays. Now about a month later, with billboards and other promotional items around Central Florida saying the ride is now open, it’s still delayed.

Today, Busch Gardens released this statement:

“Busch Gardens’ new thrill ride Falcon’s Fury includes first-of-its kind design elements, systems and parts. Due to a delay in the fabrication of key component parts, neither the manufacturer nor Busch Gardens are able to complete the lengthy testing processes needed to open the ride to the public. The safety of our guests and team members remains Busch Gardens’ top priority and none of these delays involve safety systems. The ride has been safely operated in the initial stages of the testing process, and all other elements of the park’s newest re-imagined land Pantopia are now open to guests. Busch Gardens will provide updates on the ride opening as events warrant. We are committed to delivering world-class thrills and the best possible ride experience, and we look forward to the launch of Falcon’s Fury, North America’s tallest freestanding drop tower, later this summer.”

We’re not sure what later this summer means, and we’re guessing Busch Gardens isn’t sure themselves yet. We can confirm the “initial stages of testing” as our reporter Kirstin Wright happened to catch this test:

Busch Gardens also put a camera on the ride as it dropped during one of the tests, providing this point-of-view video of what guests will experience once the ride opens:

We’ll update you as we hear more.