Cheetah Hunt doesn’t climb a lift hill to build its speed — it fires riders out of the station with magnets, three separate times, which is why its numbers read differently than most coasters at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay.
Below is a complete breakdown of Cheetah Hunt’s top speed, drop, height, g-force, length, and capacity, plus what changed when the ride went through a refurbishment that closed it for several months heading into 2026.
Quick Answer
Cheetah Hunt reaches a top speed of 60 mph (97 km/h) on its second LSM launch, drops 130 feet, and stands 102 feet tall at its figure-eight tower. That main launch generates roughly 4 Gs. The ride opened May 27, 2011, runs 4,429 feet of track (the longest coaster at the park), and reopened in early 2026 after a scheduled refurbishment.
How Fast Is Cheetah Hunt?
Cheetah Hunt’s top speed is 60 mph (97 km/h), reached during its second and largest LSM launch, which boosts the train from about 30 mph to 60 mph in roughly 2.4 seconds. It’s fast, but not the park’s fastest: Iron Gwazi tops out at 76 mph and SheiKra reaches 70 mph.
The ride actually uses three separate launches instead of one continuous run. The first, leaving the station, sends the train to about 30 mph. The second — the signature moment — pushes that up to the full 60 mph. A third launch, after the heartline roll, accelerates the train to roughly 40 mph to send it back toward the station. Because there’s no lift hill, every speed increase comes from these magnetic launches rather than gravity.
Cheetah Hunt’s Drop and Height
Cheetah Hunt’s tallest structure is the 102-foot figure-eight tower built around the park’s Windcatcher landmark, and its steepest descent is a 130-foot drop that follows the second launch. Since the ride is launched rather than lift-hill driven, that drop comes from height gained through momentum, not a slow climb to a peak.
“How tall is Cheetah Hunt” has two common meanings: the structure itself tops out at 102 feet, while the minimum height requirement to ride is 48 inches, set by Busch Gardens Tampa for guest safety.
G-Force, Length, and Other Key Stats
Cheetah Hunt’s main launch produces roughly 4 Gs, among the strongest sustained forces of any ride at Busch Gardens Tampa. The coaster has a single inversion — a heartline roll — and runs 4,429 feet of track, making it the longest coaster in the park.
Intamin classifies Cheetah Hunt as a Blitz Coaster, its model name for multi-launch rides built around LSM technology rather than a lift hill. Five trains, each carrying 16 riders across four cars, keep the line moving at a rated capacity of roughly 1,370 riders per hour.
When Did Cheetah Hunt Open?
Cheetah Hunt opened to the public on May 27, 2011, after a roughly seven-year development process from initial concept to completion. It debuted the same day as the park’s real Cheetah Run habitat, which the ride and its station theming are named after.
The coaster was recognized shortly after opening, placing second for Best New Ride of 2011 in the Golden Ticket Awards (behind New Texas Giant at Six Flags Over Texas), and it has remained one of Busch Gardens Tampa’s signature attractions since.
Is Cheetah Hunt Still Open? The 2025–2026 Refurbishment
Cheetah Hunt closed for a scheduled refurbishment in late October 2025 and reopened in early February 2026. Busch Gardens Tampa Bay hasn’t publicly detailed the specific maintenance work performed during that closure, though the ride’s layout and stats were unchanged once it reopened. The coaster previously received a full repaint of its track and support structure in its original color scheme back in late 2021.
As of its 2026 reopening, Cheetah Hunt is back in regular operation at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. Periodic maintenance closures like this are normal for launch coasters and don’t affect the ride’s speed, height, or launch sequence once it’s back online.
The Ride Experience
Cheetah Hunt begins with a 30 mph LSM launch out of the station into a wide turn, setting up the signature second launch that rockets riders to 60 mph in about 2.4 seconds. Trains then climb into the 102-foot figure-eight element before diving through a low trench and a series of ground-hugging helixes.
The layout crosses over the park’s Skyride cable line on an airtime hill and executes a heartline roll — the ride’s only inversion — before a third LSM launch of about 40 mph sends the train back to the station. Riders are secured with over-the-shoulder harnesses throughout.
Design and Theming
Cheetah Hunt was designed by Mark Rose, the park’s vice president of design and engineering, who initially considered a conventional lift hill before realizing the height required would be impractical — that constraint led him to build the ride around LSM launch technology instead.
The coaster’s name and station theming tie into Busch Gardens’ real cheetah habitat, Cheetah Run, which opened the same day as the ride. Rose has cited both the speeder bike chase from Return of the Jedi and SeaWorld Orlando’s Manta as influences on the layout. Cheetah Hunt is an Intamin creation — see our full Intamin profile for the manufacturer’s history and signature coasters.
Small enough to ride with on most coasters, big enough for a phone, card and keys. Two zippers mean nothing falls out upside down.
A fan and a mist in one, rechargeable. Very popular in queue lines once the afternoon sun hits.
Build a working coaster on the kitchen table and learn why the first drop has to be the tallest. A good gift for young coaster fans.
Cheetah Hunt roller coaster stats FAQs
How fast is Cheetah Hunt at Busch Gardens Tampa?
Cheetah Hunt’s top speed is 60 mph (97 km/h), reached during its second LSM launch, which boosts the train from about 30 mph to 60 mph in roughly 2.4 seconds.
How fast is each Cheetah Hunt launch?
Cheetah Hunt has three launches: about 30 mph out of the station, 60 mph on the main launch toward the figure-eight tower, and about 40 mph on the final launch back to the station.
What is Cheetah Hunt’s drop height?
Cheetah Hunt’s biggest drop measures 130 feet, coming off the figure-eight tower after the ride’s main 60 mph launch.
How tall is Cheetah Hunt?
The figure-eight tower stands 102 feet tall. The minimum height requirement to ride is 48 inches.
What is Cheetah Hunt’s g-force?
Cheetah Hunt’s main launch produces roughly 4 Gs, making it one of the strongest sustained-acceleration moments at Busch Gardens Tampa.
How many inversions does Cheetah Hunt have?
Cheetah Hunt has one inversion: a heartline roll, located after the ride’s trench and helix section.
Who manufactured Cheetah Hunt?
Cheetah Hunt was built by Intamin, classified as a Blitz Coaster model, with the layout and launch concept developed alongside the park’s Mark Rose.
Is Cheetah Hunt currently open?
Yes. Cheetah Hunt closed for a scheduled refurbishment from late October 2025 to early February 2026 and has since reopened in regular operation at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay.
How long is Cheetah Hunt, and how many riders can it carry per hour?
Cheetah Hunt’s track measures 4,429 feet, the longest at Busch Gardens Tampa, and the ride has a rated capacity of roughly 1,370 riders per hour across five 16-rider trains.
Get More from Cheetah Hunt roller coaster stats
Log the coasters, stadiums, and venues you’ve experienced, rate Cheetah Hunt roller coaster stats, and see what your friends thought. Get the ThrillZing app.
Want the day’s theme park news in your inbox? Subscribe to ThrillZing Daily — free.