Cheetah Hunt
Encyclopedia
Cheetah Hunt is a steel
launched
roller coaster
currently open and operating at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in Tampa
, Florida
. It opened to the public on May 27, 2011 alongside a new cheetah exhibit - Cheetah Run.
video. The attraction was officially announced on October 13, 2010 by park president, Jim Dean. Construction of the ride began almost immediately. By November 18, some supports for the ride were already in place. By mid December, the supports for the 102 feet (31.1 m) tall figure 8 element were complete with some pieces of track also installed.
steel
roller coaster
. The ride's station is located in the former monorail station which was decommissioned in the 1990s. Guests board one of five, 16 passenger trains. The ride begins with a 30 miles per hour (48.3 km/h) launch out of the station and around a wide left turn followed by a gradual dip before approaching the second launch. This launch accelerates riders to their top speed of 60 miles per hour (96.6 km/h) before climbing an 102 feet (31.1 m) hill. A figure 8 element is located at the top of this hill where riders weave through a series of helixes before dropping 130 feet (39.6 m) into a trench. Riders then proceed over a directional changing airtime hill before completing the ride's only inversion, a barrel-roll. Upon exiting the barrel-roll and its subsequent brake run (the only one on the ride), the ride remains low to the ground and goes through a series of short banked turns through a rock fixture simulating several "near misses". This leads the ride into its third and final launch which accelerates riders to a speed of 40 miles per hour (64.4 km/h) to navigate its way back to the station. During the journey back there are airtime and directional changing hills (one of which passes over the park's Sky Ride), before entering the final brake run
.
s arrived on site in preparation for the opening of the exhibit. Educational touch screen panels complete the exhibit.
also has a planned coaster that will likely be similar to Cheetah Hunt. Williamsburg's attraction has now begun construction. The ride will be named Verbolten
. It is due to open in 2012. This is the Busch Gardens parks' sixth attempt on creating a similar roller coaster at both parks.
Steel roller coaster
A steel roller coaster is a roller coaster that is defined by having a track made of steel. Steel coasters have earned immense popularity in the past 50 years throughout the world...
launched
Launched roller coaster
The launched roller coaster is a modern form of roller coaster which has increased in use in the last decade. In place of a traditional chain lift, the launched coaster initiates a ride with high amounts of acceleration via one or series of Linear Induction Motors , Linear Synchronous Motors ,...
roller coaster
Roller coaster
The roller coaster is a popular amusement ride developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. LaMarcus Adna Thompson patented the first coasters on January 20, 1885...
currently open and operating at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in Tampa
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. It opened to the public on May 27, 2011 alongside a new cheetah exhibit - Cheetah Run.
History
Before the ride was officially announced, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay ran a teaser campaign which slowly revealed details of the attraction across Summer 2010. Five teaser videos were released which featured cut scenes of the ride's point of viewPOV
POV may refer to:* Parliament of Victoria, Australia* Persistence of vision, a theory addressing the visual phenomenon of image retention** POV toy or device, a device that displays an image to a viewer by displaying one piece at a time in rapid succession and in varied locations* Point of view **...
video. The attraction was officially announced on October 13, 2010 by park president, Jim Dean. Construction of the ride began almost immediately. By November 18, some supports for the ride were already in place. By mid December, the supports for the 102 feet (31.1 m) tall figure 8 element were complete with some pieces of track also installed.
Ride
Cheetah Hunt is an Intamin launchedLaunched roller coaster
The launched roller coaster is a modern form of roller coaster which has increased in use in the last decade. In place of a traditional chain lift, the launched coaster initiates a ride with high amounts of acceleration via one or series of Linear Induction Motors , Linear Synchronous Motors ,...
steel
Steel roller coaster
A steel roller coaster is a roller coaster that is defined by having a track made of steel. Steel coasters have earned immense popularity in the past 50 years throughout the world...
roller coaster
Roller coaster
The roller coaster is a popular amusement ride developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. LaMarcus Adna Thompson patented the first coasters on January 20, 1885...
. The ride's station is located in the former monorail station which was decommissioned in the 1990s. Guests board one of five, 16 passenger trains. The ride begins with a 30 miles per hour (48.3 km/h) launch out of the station and around a wide left turn followed by a gradual dip before approaching the second launch. This launch accelerates riders to their top speed of 60 miles per hour (96.6 km/h) before climbing an 102 feet (31.1 m) hill. A figure 8 element is located at the top of this hill where riders weave through a series of helixes before dropping 130 feet (39.6 m) into a trench. Riders then proceed over a directional changing airtime hill before completing the ride's only inversion, a barrel-roll. Upon exiting the barrel-roll and its subsequent brake run (the only one on the ride), the ride remains low to the ground and goes through a series of short banked turns through a rock fixture simulating several "near misses". This leads the ride into its third and final launch which accelerates riders to a speed of 40 miles per hour (64.4 km/h) to navigate its way back to the station. During the journey back there are airtime and directional changing hills (one of which passes over the park's Sky Ride), before entering the final brake run
Brake run
A brake run on a roller coaster is any section of track meant to slow or stop a roller coaster train. Brake runs may be located anywhere along the circuit of a coaster and may be designed to bring the train to a complete halt or to simply adjust the train's speed...
.
Cheetah Run
This ride is inspired by cheetahs. To go alongside Cheetah Hunt, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay also opened an animal exhibit called Cheetah Run. The exhibit features glass-paneled viewing areas which allow visitors to watch the world's fastest land animal sprinting across plains. In late January 2011, five cheetahCheetah
The cheetah is a large-sized feline inhabiting most of Africa and parts of the Middle East. The cheetah is the only extant member of the genus Acinonyx, most notable for modifications in the species' paws...
s arrived on site in preparation for the opening of the exhibit. Educational touch screen panels complete the exhibit.
Busch Gardens Williamsburg counterpart
Busch Gardens Tampa's sister park, Busch Gardens Williamsburg in Williamsburg, VirginiaWilliamsburg, Virginia
Williamsburg is an independent city located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, USA. As of the 2010 Census, the city had an estimated population of 14,068. It is bordered by James City County and York County, and is an independent city...
also has a planned coaster that will likely be similar to Cheetah Hunt. Williamsburg's attraction has now begun construction. The ride will be named Verbolten
Verbolten
Verbolten will be a Zierer multi-launching steel roller coaster scheduled to open in spring of 2012 at Busch Gardens Williamsburg in Williamsburg, Virginia. Details about the ride were released on September 17, 2011 including a teaser video, ride statistics, and more...
. It is due to open in 2012. This is the Busch Gardens parks' sixth attempt on creating a similar roller coaster at both parks.