Cheetah Hunt Review - Busch Gardens Tampa

Cheetah Hunt

Busch Gardens Africa, Tampa, FL

An underrated coaster with some great segments.

The first launch out of the station gives you an idea of what's to come.

Cheetah Hunt is one of the most well-balanced and overall best coasters we've ever been on. It dashes through the Busch Gardens landscape through tunnels, over bridges, and inches from river water. The ride is unlike anything else in the United States, it's a roller coaster that has a great length and leaves you getting off wanting to turn around and wait in line again.

Score:   ➊ ➋ ➌ ➍ ➎ ➏ ➐ ➇ ➈ ➉    7.24/10
90th Percentile 

Height Requirement: 48" / 122cm
Top Speed: 60mph
Inversions: 1

Where to Sit on Cheetah Hunt: Front.

Excitement: 8.5/10 It's got 3 launches, what's not exciting about that! Cheetah Hunt is a family coaster with an inversion thrown in, but it's still not a ride that everyone will enjoy. The inversion might scare the little ones away, and the speed and launches of the ride might turn off a much older generation that feels it's too intense.  It's not the craziest ride you'll ever go on, but it's fun, simple as that. Multiple launches, elevation changes, and scenery along the path of the ride make for one awesome coaster. The river segment is one of the most enjoying sections of a coaster ever!

Pacing: 7.2/10 Cheetah Hunt has a weird pace compared to other coasters. The ride alternates between slow moments and fast moments throughout its course.  It mimics the short bursts of speed that a Cheetah would have in the wild while diving under bridges, near rivers, and under rocks. In a way, it tells a story along the way, Cheetah Hunt's unconventional pace is fun and works perfectly for this type of ride!

The "tree" structure is a work of art. It's a nice rest before another fast-paced section of track.

Technicals: 7.0/10 Cheetah Hunt is quite smooth, and the banking throughout the ride creates minimal lateral G-forces.  It might be a little shaky for an older generation in a seat other than the front, but it's smooth compared to older coasters. Not as smooth as the nearby Montu, but smoother than Kumba.

An over-exaggerated heartline roll is comfortable to go through and the one inversion you encounter on the coaster.

Theming: 5.5/10 Cheetah Hunt's surrounding area has some nice animal habitats, and the ride features a great low-to-the-ground section through the river and rockwork where the old "Rhino Rally" ride used to travel. You encounter trenches, bridges, and tunnels along your trip, it's above average for a roller coaster but could be better. The queue is average with some facts about the ride and the cheetah on signage during your wait.

Uniqueness: 8.0/10 This ride is very unique and features a custom layout that works well with its surroundings. It doesn't do anything extremely different from other rides but is a coaster that you can re-ride over and over and continue to enjoy. The "tree" element is great for picture taking, and the ride does a good job of turning the flat-land of Florida into a terrain-filled coaster. Cheetah Hunt has character.

The return trip features a strong airtime hill.

Score:   ➊ ➋ ➌ ➍ ➎ ➏ ➐ ➇ ➈ ➉    7.24/10 

Placement: 90th percentile among all coasters. (Ranked in the top 10% of coasters worldwide.)