Tigris is a steel launch coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in Tampa, Florida, built by Premier Rides using its Sky Rocket II platform. It opened to the public on April 19, 2019, becoming the park’s ninth roller coaster and taking the place of the former Tanganyika Tidal Wave water ride, which had closed in April 2016 to make room for it.
Rather than relying on sheer height, Tigris packs its thrills into a compact footprint using a triple-launch sequence. A linear synchronous motor (LSM) system fires the train forward out of the station, lets it fall back through, launches it backward, and then sends it forward a final time to power through the ride’s signature elements, all within roughly 863 feet of track.
Stats at a Glance
- Park: Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
- 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)
- Length: 863 ft (263 m) of track
- Inversions: 1
The Ride Experience
Riders board a single train of three cars, seated two across in three rows for a total of eighteen guests per cycle. The ride begins with a forward launch that sends the train into a partial twist before it falls back through the station, gets launched backward into another twist, and then falls forward one final time to build up to top speed.
That final launch carries the train through the ride’s headlining moves: an inline twist followed by a full non-inverting loop, both taken at speed with minimal warning between elements. Because the train travels the same stretch of track repeatedly during the launch sequence, riders actually cover close to 1,800 feet of total path despite the coaster’s compact 863-foot track length.
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.
Tigris sits in the Stanleyville section of the park, themed loosely around its namesake tiger and set against the Bengal-tiger habitat area, giving it a jungle backdrop distinct from the park’s larger record-chasing coasters like Iron Gwazi.
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Tigris FAQs
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.
How fast does Tigris go?
Tigris reaches a top speed of about 62 mph (100 km/h) during its triple-launch sequence.
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.
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Photo: FloridaMan21 / CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.