Cheetah Hunt facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cheetah Hunt |
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An overview of part of Cheetah Hunt
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| Busch Gardens Tampa Bay | |
| Location | Busch Gardens Tampa Bay |
| Park section | Crown Colony Plaza |
| Coordinates | 28°2′3″N 82°25′12″W / 28.03417°N 82.42000°W |
| Status | Operating |
| Opening date | May 27, 2011 |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Steel – Launched |
| Manufacturer | Intamin |
| Model | Blitz Coaster |
| Lift/launch system | LSM launch |
| Height | 102 ft (31 m) |
| Drop | 130 ft (40 m) |
| Length | 4,429 ft (1,350 m) |
| Speed | 60 mph (97 km/h) |
| Inversions | 1 |
| G-force | 4 |
| Height restriction | 48 in (122 cm) |
| Trains | 5 trains with 4 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 16 riders per train. |
| Launches | 1. 30 mph (48 km/h) in 1.8 seconds 2. 60 mph (97 km/h) in 2.4 seconds 3. 40 mph (64 km/h) in 2.1 seconds |
| Replaced | Monorail |
 Quick Queue available |
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| Cheetah Hunt at RCDB | |
Cheetah Hunt is a super-fast steel roller coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in Tampa, Florida. It's a "launched" coaster, meaning it uses powerful motors to shoot you forward instead of a traditional lift hill. Built by a company called Intamin, it first opened to the public on May 27, 2011. It opened at the same time as a cool new cheetah exhibit called "Cheetah Run."
Contents
History
How Cheetah Hunt Was Born
It took about seven years to plan and build Cheetah Hunt, from the first idea to the finished ride! Mark Rose, who helps design rides at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, led the team. He got the idea from a scene in the Star Wars movie, Return of the Jedi, where characters zoom through a forest on "speeder bikes."
At first, he thought about using a really tall lift hill to get the speed he wanted. But he realized it would be too high. So, he decided to use a special system called a Linear Synchronous Motor (LSM) to launch the trains instead.
Choosing the Name
When they first started planning, the roller coaster was going to be called "Cheetaka." The park even filed a trademark for that name in April 2010. But later, they realized the name was hard to say and didn't really explain what the ride was about. So, they looked for a new name.
Around June 2010, the old Skyride attraction was closed down to make way for the new coaster. Before the ride was officially announced, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay ran a fun "teaser" campaign. They slowly shared hints about the new attraction throughout mid-2010. They even released five short videos that showed parts of the ride from the rider's point of view!
On October 12, 2010, the day before the big announcement, a new trademark was filed for the name "Cheetah Hunt." The park officially announced Cheetah Hunt on October 13, 2010.
Building the Ride
By November 18, 2010, some of the ride's supports were already in place, and the main construction began. By mid-December, the supports for the 102-foot-tall figure-eight part of the ride were finished. Some of the track pieces were also installed.
In early February 2011, the park introduced some of the real cheetahs that would live in the new Cheetah Run exhibit. On February 17, 2011, the park announced that the ride would open in late May 2011. The roller coaster's trains arrived on February 28, 2011.
On March 14, 2011, all the track pieces for the roller coaster were connected. Later, on March 27, 2011, park observers saw "walk-through tests" happening on the track. This is where they make sure the trains can safely clear everything. Finally, Cheetah Hunt opened to the public on May 27, 2011!
Ride Experience
Your adventure on Cheetah Hunt begins with a powerful launch out of the station. You'll blast off at 30-mile-per-hour (48 km/h) and zoom around a wide left turn. After a small dip, you'll hit the second launch. This one is even faster, accelerating you to your top speed of 60 miles per hour (97 km/h)!
Next, you'll climb a towering 102-foot (31 m) figure-eight element, also known as a Windcatcher Tower. You'll weave through a series of twisting turns called helixes. Then, you'll plunge 130 feet (40 m) into a trench, which is like a deep ditch.
After that, you'll soar over a hill that changes direction, crossing over the Skyride. Then comes the ride's only inversion, a heartline roll. This makes you feel like you're spinning upside down!
Once you exit the roll, the ride stays low to the ground. You'll go through a series of quick, banked turns, zooming close to rock formations. This creates exciting "near misses." This leads you to the third and final launch, which speeds you up to 40 miles per hour (64 km/h). From there, you'll make your way back to the station, experiencing more airtime and directional changes before the final brakes.
Characteristics
Cheetah Hunt is a launched roller coaster made of steel, built by Intamin. The ride's loading area, called the station, is located in what used to be the old monorail station. The monorail was closed down in the 1990s.
Cheetah Run
This roller coaster is inspired by amazing cheetahs! To go along with Cheetah Hunt, Busch Gardens Tampa also opened a special animal exhibit called Cheetah Run. This exhibit has glass walls, so visitors can get a close look at the world's fastest land animals as they sprint across open areas. In early 2011, five cheetahs arrived at the park to get ready for the exhibit's opening. The exhibit also has touch screens where you can learn more about cheetahs.
Images for kids
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Cheetah Run enclosure
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Cheetah Hunt as it traverses its layout
