The ride
Cheetah Hunt is a steel launched roller coaster built by Intamin on its Blitz Coaster platform at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in Edge of Africa, Florida, having opened to the public in 2011. After 15 seasons of operation it remains one of the defining attractions on the Busch Gardens Tampa Bay midway, drawing repeat riders who track every subtle change to its trains, restraints and station soundtrack.
On paper the ride is a serious thrill machine. It climbs 102 ft above the park before pitching forward into its first descent. That opening drop measures 130 ft, long enough to pin riders against their restraints and pull a prolonged moment of weightless airtime over the lap-bar. Trains reach a top speed of 60.0 mph before the first turnaround, where the layout opens up into a sequence of lateral and vertical elements. In total the track stretches 442 ft, giving the experience a distinctly long-form feel rather than the punchy one-and-done character of many modern compact coasters. The layout includes 1 inversion, which is a notable count for any modern installation and a defining part of how the ride photographs from the queue. enthusiast trip-planning resources
Coasters from Intamin have a recognizable signature in track shaping, train design and the way transitions are paced. Riders familiar with other Intamin installations will pick up on the same DNA in Cheetah Hunt's layout, particularly through its station design and the sound profile of the running gear. As a Blitz Coaster, it sits within a recognizable family of attractions and benefits from years of refinement applied to similar installations elsewhere.
Plan to ride Cheetah Hunt early in the day or during the final hour before park close, when standby waits at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay typically drop. Because top speeds exceed 60 mph, secure loose articles before queuing — phones, hats and sunglasses are best left in a locker or zipped pocket. If sensitivity to inversions is a concern, request a back-row seat where the transitions feel smoother and the forces are distributed more evenly. Single-rider lines and early-entry ticketing programs, when available at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, are usually the fastest ways to get repeat rides on a busy day. broader coaster community archives
In CoasterVault's ranking tables, Cheetah Hunt currently appears in our 110th position for fastest coasters, 182nd position for tallest coasters, 138th position for longest tracks, 160th position for most inversions, 95th position for biggest drops lists, reflecting where its core stats place it among operating coasters in the United States. These rankings move whenever a new installation opens, so the position should be read as a snapshot rather than a permanent record.