Cheetah Hunt

Cheetah Hunt is a steel launched roller coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in Tampa, Florida. Manufactured by Intamin, it opened to the public on May 27, 2011,[1] alongside a new cheetah exhibit, "Cheetah Run".[2][3][4]

Cheetah Hunt
An overview of part of Cheetah Hunt
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
LocationBusch Gardens Tampa Bay
Park sectionCrown Colony Plaza
Coordinates28°2′3″N 82°25′12″W
StatusOperating
Opening dateMay 27, 2011 (2011-05-27)
General statistics
TypeSteel – Launched
ManufacturerIntamin
Lift/launch systemLSM launch
Height102 ft (31 m)
Drop130 ft (40 m)
Length4,429 ft (1,350 m)
Speed60 mph (97 km/h)
Inversions1
Capacity1370 riders per hour
G-force4
Height restriction48 in (122 cm)
Trains5 trains with 4 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 16 riders per train.
Launches1. 30 mph (48 km/h) in 1.8 seconds
2. 60 mph (97 km/h) in 2.4 seconds
3. 40 mph (64 km/h) in 2.1 seconds
ReplacedMonorail
WebsiteOfficial website
Quick Queue available
Cheetah Hunt at RCDB
Pictures of Cheetah Hunt at RCDB

History

Before the ride was officially announced, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay ran a teaser campaign, which slowly revealed details of the attraction across mid-2010. Five teaser videos were released which featured cut scenes of the ride's point-of-view shot video.[5][6] The attraction was officially announced on October 13, 2010 by park president, Jim Dean.[3][4] Construction of the ride began almost immediately. By November 18, some supports for the ride were already in place.[7] By mid-December, the supports for the 102-foot-tall (31 m) figure 8 element were complete with some pieces of track also installed.[8] Cheetah Hunt was named the 2nd Best New Ride for 2011 by Amusement Today's Golden Ticket Awards.[9]

Ride experience
One of Cheetah Hunt's trains ascending to the figure 8 element

Cheetah Hunt is an Intamin launched steel roller coaster.[2] The ride's station is located in the former monorail station which was decommissioned in the 1990s.[10]

Guests board one of five 16-passenger trains.[3] The ride begins with a 30-mile-per-hour (48 km/h) linear synchronous motor (LSM) launch out of the station and around a wide left turn followed by a gradual dip before approaching the second launch. This launch accelerates riders to their top speed of 60 miles per hour (97 km/h) before climbing a 102-foot (31 m) hill. A figure 8 element is located at the top of this hill where riders weave through a series of helixes before dropping 130 feet (40 m) into a trench. Riders then proceed over a directional changing airtime hill crossing over the Skyride, before completing the ride's only inversion, a heartline roll. Upon exiting the barrel-roll and its subsequent brake run, the ride remains low to the ground and goes through a series of short banked turns through a rock fixture simulating several "near misses". This leads the ride into its third and final launch which accelerates riders to a speed of 40 miles per hour (64 km/h) to navigate its way back to the station. During the journey back there is airtime and directional changing hills before the final brake run.[2][3][11]

Characteristics

Cheetah Run

This ride is inspired by cheetahs. To go alongside Cheetah Hunt, Busch Gardens Tampa also opened an animal exhibit called Cheetah Run. The exhibit features glass-paneled viewing areas which allow visitors to watch the world's fastest land animal sprinting across plains. In late January 2011, five cheetahs arrived on site in preparation for the opening of the exhibit. Educational touch screen panels complete the exhibit.[3][4][12][13]

Reception

Awards
Golden Ticket Awards: Best New Ride for 2011
Ranking
2[14]
Golden Ticket Awards: Top steel Roller Coasters
Year201120122013201420152016201720182019
Ranking –[15]–[16]–[17]48[18]37[19]39[20]29 (tied)[21]35[22]36[23]

See also

References
  1. Albright, Mark (February 18, 2011). "Busch Gardens' Cheetah Hunt coaster in sprint to May 27 completion". St. Petersburg Times. Tampa Bay. Archived from the original on February 21, 2011. Retrieved February 20, 2011.
  2. Marden, Duane. "Cheetah Hunt  (Busch Gardens Tampa)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved October 14, 2010.
  3. "Busch Gardens Tampa Bay & Discovery Cove in Orlando announce 2011 additions". SeaWorld Parks Blog. October 13, 2010. Retrieved October 14, 2010.
  4. Garcia, Jason (October 13, 2010). "SeaWorld unveils new reef for Discovery Cove, new coaster for Busch Gardens". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on January 4, 2013. Retrieved October 14, 2010.
  5. "Busch Gardens 2011". Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. Retrieved October 12, 2010.
  6. Albright, Mark (October 13, 2010). "Busch Gardens' Cheetah Hunt coaster to launch riders to 60 mph three times". St. Petersburg Times. Archived from the original on October 17, 2010. Retrieved October 14, 2010.
  7. "Insider Update: Cheetah Hunt Has Gone Vertical". SeaWorld Parks Blog. November 18, 2010. Retrieved February 7, 2011.
  8. "Cheetah Hunt: Construction Update". SeaWorld Parks Blog. December 13, 2010. Retrieved February 7, 2011.
  9. "2011 Golden Ticket Awards". Amusement Today. Archived from the original on July 22, 2012. Retrieved July 18, 2012.
  10. Roseboom, Matt (January 28, 2011). "Photo Finds: Construction update for Cheetah Hunt roller coaster at Busch Gardens". Attractions Magazine. Archived from the original on July 7, 2011. Retrieved February 7, 2011.
  11. "Upcoming Events Pictures & Videos: Cheetah Hunt Virtual Ride". Video. Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. Archived from the original on July 8, 2011. Retrieved February 7, 2011.
  12. Roseboom, Matt (February 2, 2011). "Cheetahs arrive at Busch Gardens in anticipation of new attraction". Attractions Magazine. Archived from the original on October 6, 2011. Retrieved February 7, 2011.
  13. "Cheetahs arrive at Busch Gardens". Tampa Bay. Archived from the original on March 5, 2011. Retrieved February 7, 2011.
  14. "Amusement Today – Golden Ticket Awards 2011" (PDF). Amusement Today. 15 (6.2): 4, 27B. September 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  15. "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 15 (6.2): 38–39. September 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  16. "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 16 (6.2): 36–37. September 2012. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  17. "2013 Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 17 (6.2): 34–35. September 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  18. "2014 Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 18 (6.2): 46–47. September 2014. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  19. "2015 Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 19 (6.2): 49–50. September 2015. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  20. "2016 top 50 steel roller coasters". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2016. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  21. "2017 Top 50 Steel Coasters". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2017. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  22. "2018 Top 50 Steel Coasters". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2018. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  23. "2019 Top Steel". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2019. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  24. Marden, Duane. "unknown  (Busch Gardens Williamsburg)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved February 7, 2011.


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