Tigris fires forward out of the station, falls back through it, launches backward, then rockets forward one last time — all before most coasters would finish their first hill. It’s Florida’s tallest launch coaster, and it packs that triple-launch sequence into a footprint barely the length of two football fields.
This guide covers exactly how fast Tigris goes, how tall it really is compared to the rest of Busch Gardens Tampa’s lineup, what the ride and its track look like, and where it lands when locals argue about the park’s best coaster.
Quick Answer
Tigris reaches a top speed of about 62 mph (100 km/h) during its triple-launch sequence and climbs roughly 150 feet into the air, making it Florida’s tallest launch coaster. It is not, however, the tallest coaster in Busch Gardens Tampa Bay overall — Iron Gwazi (206 ft) and SheiKra (200 ft) both stand taller; Tigris earns its “tallest” title specifically among launch-style coasters.
Tigris at a Glance
Park: Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. Location: Stanleyville. Manufacturer: Premier Rides. Model: Sky Rocket II. Opened: April 19, 2019. Height: about 150 ft (46 m). Top speed: about 62 mph (100 km/h). Track length: 863 ft (263 m). Inversions: 1 (a non-inverting loop paired with an inline twist). Minimum height: 54 in (137 cm). Restraints: lap bar and seatbelt (comfort collars removed in December 2025).
The official Busch Gardens Tampa Bay Tigris page lists the same top speed and height figures and is the best place to confirm current ride status, height requirements, or single-rider availability before your visit.
How Fast Does Tigris Go? The Triple-Launch Breakdown
Tigris doesn’t build speed with a slow chain lift — it uses a linear synchronous motor (LSM) launch system, the same category of technology that powers other Premier Rides Sky Rocket II coasters. The train is launched forward out of the station into a partial twist, falls back through the station, gets launched backward through another twist, then falls forward one final time.
That third and final launch is where Tigris hits its full 62 mph top speed, carrying the train through its signature inline twist and a full non-inverting loop back to back, with almost no pause between the two elements. Because the train repeats the same stretch of track during each launch and fallback, riders cover close to 1,800 feet of total path in a ride that occupies only 863 feet of physical track — which is also why Busch Gardens’ own marketing describes the experience as “more than 1,800 feet” of track distance covered.
The Ride Experience
Riders board a single train of three cars, seated two across in three rows, for eighteen guests per cycle. After the boarding sequence, the ride runs through its forward-launch, backward-launch, forward-launch pattern in well under a minute — Tigris is a short, sharp ride rather than a long journey, which is part of why it’s often compared to a shuttle coaster.
The headline moments come late: the inline twist and non-inverting loop hit back-to-back at full speed on the final forward launch, giving Tigris an intensity that outpaces what its modest 150-foot height might suggest.
Is Tigris the Tallest Coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa?
Not quite — and this is a common point of confusion. Tigris is billed as Florida’s tallest launch coaster, a title tied specifically to its launch-coaster category, not the park’s coasters overall. Iron Gwazi, the park’s hybrid wood-and-steel coaster, stands about 206 feet tall, and SheiKra, the floorless dive coaster, tops out around 200 feet — both taller than Tigris’s roughly 150-foot profile.
So if you’re looking for the single tallest ride in the park, that’s Iron Gwazi. If you’re looking for the tallest coaster that gets you there via launch rather than a lift hill, that’s Tigris.
Best Roller Coasters at Busch Gardens Tampa: Where Tigris Ranks
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay runs nine roller coasters, and enthusiast rankings from outlets like Orlando Informer and ThemeParkHipster generally put Iron Gwazi at the top for its steep drops and sustained speed, with SheiKra, Montu, and Cheetah Hunt frequently cited as other standouts for their size, inversions, or launch variety.
Tigris usually lands in the middle of those lists, but it’s consistently praised for punching above its height: reviewers describe it as a genuinely forceful ride, with the back-and-forth triple-launch sequence and the loop-into-twist combo delivering more intensity than its compact footprint suggests. If you want big, sustained airtime and drops, ride Iron Gwazi or SheiKra first; if you want a short, sharp burst of speed and disorientation, Tigris is one of the park’s most distinctive options.
What Tigris Looks Like: Theming and Photo Spots
Tigris’s track is finished in bright orange with dark, black-grey supports, a color scheme that echoes tiger markings and ties into the ride’s theming as you move through the queue in Stanleyville, set against the park’s Bengal-tiger habitat area.
The ride’s compact layout means the launch track, the inline twist, and the loop are all visible from multiple vantage points in Stanleyville, including the queue line and nearby walkways, making it one of the easier coasters in the park to photograph in a single frame rather than needing a long lens to catch a distant hill.
Restraints and Recent Changes
Since opening, Tigris used a lap bar paired with a padded comfort collar restraint. In December 2025, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay removed the comfort collars from the trains, switching to a lap bar and seatbelt setup, according to reporting from Orlando theme park outlets that month. Riders who avoided Tigris in the past due to the collar restraint may want to revisit the ride under the updated system.
Tigris roller coaster FAQs
How fast does Tigris go at Busch Gardens Tampa?
Tigris reaches a top speed of about 62 mph (100 km/h), hit during the final forward launch that carries the train through its inline twist and non-inverting loop.
Is Tigris the tallest roller coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa?
No. Tigris is Florida’s tallest launch coaster at about 150 feet, but Iron Gwazi (about 206 ft) and SheiKra (about 200 ft) are both taller overall in the park.
What is the best roller coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa?
Most rankings put Iron Gwazi at the top for its height, speed, and steep drops, with SheiKra and Montu also frequently named among the park’s best. Tigris ranks as one of the most forceful shorter rides thanks to its triple-launch sequence.
Who manufactures Tigris?
Tigris was built by Premier Rides using its Sky Rocket II model, the same launch-coaster platform Premier has used at several parks worldwide.
What ride did Tigris replace?
Tigris was built on the site of the Tanganyika Tidal Wave, a water ride that closed in April 2016 to make way for the coaster.
Does Tigris still use the comfort collar restraint?
No. As of December 2025, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay removed the padded comfort collars from Tigris’s trains and now uses a lap bar and seatbelt restraint system.
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