If you’re looking for thrill rides and roller coasters in Florida, there is only one park to visit – Busch Gardens in Tampa. With seven roller coasters and one kiddie coaster, this theme park is known as the “Roller Coaster Capital of Florida.”
In 2011, Busch Gardens cut the ribbon on a new roller coaster for the park and it’s one with plenty of thrills – Cheetah Hunt. This steel coaster features not one, not two, but three launches!
The ride begins with a 30 mph launch from the station and just a few seconds later, a second launch that propels the train to 60 mph before reaching a 102-foot hill where you drop 130 feet. The third launch is a 40 mph one towards the end of the ride. With a series of dips, a figure 8, some helixes, a heartline, and barrel-roll this coaster delivers speed, airtime, and a smooth ride.
The ride is meant to take riders through the park’s cheetah exhibit, Cheetah Run, and is designed to mimic the cheetah’s quick movements in the wild – and it does a pretty good job at it with the multiple twists and turns.
While it’s not the newest roller coaster in the park, that title goes to Cobra’s Curse, Cheetah Hunt attracts a crowd and during peak times, the wait could be long. However, if you purchase Quick Queue, you can jump to the head of the line on this roller coaster and others throughout the park.
Check out my front-row 4K HD POV video of Cheetah Hunt and take a virtual ride for yourself. Let me know in the comments if you rode this roller coaster at Busch Gardens and what you thought of it.