Cheetah Hunt

Cheetah Hunt stands as one of Busch Gardens Tampa Bay's signature roller coasters, a sleek multi-launch thrill ride that has become a favourite for guests of all ages since it first opened in 2011. Where some coasters rely on one towering hill and a single plunge, Cheetah Hunt takes a different approach, building its excitement through speed, repeated bursts of acceleration and a track that hugs the ground as it tears across the park.

This is a launch coaster in the truest sense, racing across the landscape much like a sprinting cheetah chasing down its prey. It surges out of the station, weaves through the African scenery and at one point runs right alongside Cheetah Run, the habitat where real cheetahs live and run. Few coasters tie their theme so directly to a living animal, and that connection is part of what makes Cheetah Hunt feel so special.

The Cheetah Hunt Experience

Cheetah Hunt is a multi-launch coaster, which means it does not use a traditional chain lift hill. Instead, three separate magnetic launches fling the train forward at different points along the track, recreating the way a cheetah bursts into a sprint, eases off and then accelerates again. The result is a ride that keeps surprising you, with the top speed reaching around 60mph as the train powers across the open African landscape.

For much of its journey the coaster stays low to the ground, swooping through banked turns, gentle hills and one striking tower element before diving back down. There is just a single inversion, a smooth heartline roll that rotates you through a full twist without the jarring force of repeated loops. As the longest roller coaster at the park, it covers an impressive amount of ground, giving you a genuinely lengthy ride that mixes airtime, speed and scenery into one family friendly thrill.

That balance is the key to its appeal. Cheetah Hunt is fast and exciting enough to satisfy seasoned coaster fans, yet it stops short of the extreme intensity found on the park's biggest rides, so a wide range of guests can climb aboard and enjoy the chase together.

Top Tip: The front row gives you the best view of the African landscape rushing toward you, while the back row delivers the strongest punch on each of the three launches. If you can spare the time, try both seats to feel the full range of what Cheetah Hunt offers.

Essential Ride Information

Height Restrictions

The minimum height to ride Cheetah Hunt is 48 inches, or roughly 122 cm. That makes it noticeably more accessible than the park's most extreme coasters, and it is often one of the first major thrill rides that growing children can enjoy once they reach the mark. Always check the latest height rules on the day, and use our height guide to plan which rides each member of your group can experience.

Queue Times by Season

Peak (holiday periods, spring break and summer): During the busiest weeks the wait for Cheetah Hunt can stretch to 45 minutes or more, especially in the middle of the day when the park is at its fullest.

Moderate (weekends and shoulder seasons): On a typical weekend or during the quieter shoulder months you can expect a wait of roughly 20 to 35 minutes for most of the day.

Quiet (weekday mornings and off-peak): Because Tampa generally sees lighter crowds than the larger Orlando resorts, a quiet weekday morning can mean a wait of 15 minutes or less, sometimes close to a walk on.

Quick Queue Information

If you want to skip the standby line, Busch Gardens offers a paid Quick Queue add-on that grants priority access to Cheetah Hunt and other popular attractions. It is well worth considering on busy days, and you can plan it alongside your Busch Gardens tickets so everything is sorted before you arrive.

Best Times to Experience Cheetah Hunt

The single best time to ride Cheetah Hunt is in the first hour after the park opens. Queues are at their shortest then, and you can often walk straight on or wait only a few minutes, letting you reride before the crowds build. The late afternoon, once day guests begin heading home, can offer a similar lull worth seizing.

Time of year matters just as much as time of day. Cheetah Hunt is busiest during school holidays, spring break and the height of summer, while weekdays outside those windows tend to be far calmer. Because Tampa is generally less crowded than the major Orlando parks, even a moderately busy day at Busch Gardens can feel relaxed by comparison.

Weather plays a part too. Florida afternoons often bring sudden storms, and coasters may pause during lightning. Riding earlier in the day not only beats the lines but also reduces the chance of a weather delay interrupting your plans.

Top Tip: Make Cheetah Hunt your very first stop, then loop back to it again in the final hour before closing. Bookending your day with the coaster lets you enjoy two low-wait rides while spending the busy midday hours exploring the rest of the park.

Who Should Ride Cheetah Hunt?

Cheetah Hunt is one of the great family thrill rides at Busch Gardens, striking a careful balance between excitement and approachability. With its single smooth inversion, moderate top speed and 48 inch height requirement, it makes an excellent first big coaster for younger guests who are ready to graduate from gentler attractions but are not yet ready for the most extreme rides in the park.

It is perfect for thrill seekers who love speed and airtime, for families wanting a shared adventure they can all enjoy together, and for anyone drawn to the clever cheetah theming. It may not be recommended for guests who are uncomfortable with launches or quick changes of direction, or for those who prefer to keep both feet on the ground, but for most visitors it is an easy ride to love.

If Cheetah Hunt leaves you wanting more, the park is packed with other adventures. Take a look at the full range of rides and shows, and if you are chasing serious intensity, the record-breaking hybrid coaster Iron Gwazi is the natural next step.

The Story Behind the Coaster

Everything about Cheetah Hunt is built around the cheetah, the fastest land animal on Earth. The coaster's repeated launches mirror the way a cheetah accelerates in explosive bursts, while the low, ground-hugging layout echoes the animal racing across open plains. Even the ride's name and the colours of its trains were chosen to evoke the chase.

That theme comes alive most powerfully at Cheetah Run, the animal habitat set right beside the coaster. Here guests can watch real cheetahs up close and, during keeper demonstrations, see them sprint after a lure at astonishing speed. Placing the habitat next to the ride creates a rare moment where the inspiration and the attraction sit side by side, letting you compare the coaster's rush with the genuine article.

The whole area fits within the park's wider African Serengeti theme, which runs through Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and ties its rides, animal encounters and landscapes together. Conservation sits at the heart of that story, and Cheetah Run is part of how the park raises awareness of these remarkable animals and the threats they face in the wild, turning a thrilling ride into something with a deeper message. You can explore more about the resort and its conservation work on the official Busch Gardens Tampa website, and coaster enthusiasts can dig into the technical details over at the Roller Coaster Database.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How fast does Cheetah Hunt go? Cheetah Hunt reaches a top speed of around 60mph. Rather than relying on a single steep drop, it uses three separate magnetic launches to build and rebuild that speed as it races across the African landscape, so the sense of acceleration returns again and again throughout the ride.

Q: How tall do you need to be to ride Cheetah Hunt? The minimum height for Cheetah Hunt is 48 inches, which is about 122 cm. This is lower than the requirement on the park's most extreme coasters, so it is often one of the first major thrill rides younger guests can enjoy once they are tall enough.

Q: Does Cheetah Hunt go upside down? Yes, but only once. Cheetah Hunt features a single inversion known as a heartline roll, where the track gently twists you through a full rotation. The rest of the layout stays low to the ground and focuses on speed, swooping turns and airtime rather than repeated loops.

Q: Is Cheetah Hunt suitable for first-time coaster riders? For many guests it is an ideal step up. With a single smooth inversion, a moderate top speed and a height requirement of 48 inches, Cheetah Hunt offers a genuine thrill without the intensity of a hyper or giga coaster, making it a popular choice for a first big coaster.