Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is filled with adrenaline-packer roller coasters, but its already impressive lineup got a new addition in late May with the opening of Cheetah Hunt, Florida’s first triple-launch thrill ride. With an impressive ride time of over 90 seconds and a 13-acre footprint, Cheetah Hunt has already broken the records for the longest and biggest attraction in Busch Gardens’ history!

Cheetah Hunt was designed to mimic the graceful cheetah racing across the Serengeti, during which riders cross over rushing rapids and traverse rocky gorges while going through a heartline roll inversion and three launches that accelerate riders to speeds up to 60 mph. These sudden bursts of speed, which propel riders up the 102-foot Windcatcher Tower, are designed with Linear Synchronous Motor technology and are meant to simulate a cheetah’s sprint through the African landscape. 

 “Cheetah Hunt will be an iconic coaster for Busch Gardens. It’s the longest coaster yet, and families are sure to enjoy its repeatability,” said Busch Gardens President Jim Dean. “With amazing views to both watch it and ride it, three launch points and a one-of-a-kind animal habitat, Cheetah Hunt and Cheetah Run solidify Busch Gardens’ portfolio of family experiences.”

Cheetah Hunt is not the only attraction to see at Busch Gardens, however, as Cheetah Run has also been open adjacent to this new coaster. Cheetah Run is home to 14 of the cats who inspired the ride and features over 11,000 square feet of terrain for the cheetahs to call home. And if you want to see these endangered animals up close, Busch Gardens’ animal care experts conduct sprints with the cheetahs several times a day, while a glass panel is all that separates guests from these graceful animals in a re-creation of their natural habitat.    

And as Busch Garden does best, they have set out on a mission to educate visitors about these endangered animals. Video panels and interactive touch-screen stations around Cheetah Run teach guests about these animals in the wild and why they have reached the endangered level that they are in today, and visitors to the attraction will also learn about Busch Gardens’ partnership with the Cheetah Conservation Fund in South Africa and how both organizations are working together to build and sustain the cheetah population around the globe.

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay has hundreds of reasons for guests to visit each and every day, but the opening of the new Cheetah Hunt and Cheetah Run gives guests an extra-special reason to stop in this summer season!