Cheetah Hunt: Busch Gardens Prepares to Unveil yet another World-Class Thrill Coaster!

TAMPA – As if the brilliant engineers at Busch Gardens hadn't already dreamt up enough ways to help you toss your cookies, along comes yet another first-of-its-kind thrill coaster that pushes the envelope of both design and imagination. After bolting in the final piece of Cheetah Hunt’s 4,429 feet of track just last week, Busch Gardens’ design & engineering team are wasting no time in getting the mega-attraction’s trains on track for the first round of testing.

Last week, crews began the slow process of using cranes and pulleys to drag the car around the track. This initial testing is the park’s way of making sure the car glides smoothly along the entire length of the ride, as well as checking that the ”ride envelope“ – the space around the car and rider with arms fully extended – has plenty of clearance.

Cheetah Hunt will be the bad ass roller coaster at the home of bad ass roller coasters – Bush Gardens Tampa. The newest addition to their unparalleled thrill-coaster fleet will be ready to pounce on Friday, May 27, but the excitement of curious guests has already reached a fever pitch. The ride's construction has even impacted local traffic, as cars slow to gawk at the titanic spectacle. Cheetah Hunt, a Linear Synchronous Motor (LSM) Launch Coaster, uses the force of repelling magnets to launch riders from 0 to 60 in a matter of seconds – not once, but three times, making it truly revolutionary -- the world's first multiple launch-point coaster.

The amazing ride, however, is only half of the story. Within the new area, visitors can also get up close and personal with one of nature's most fascinating creatures, the cheetah – much in the same way the park has allowed guests to experience exotic animals like Bengal tigers for years. Trainers will conduct daily sprints, providing an amazing and rare opportunity to see these animals reach their top speeds of up to 75 mph right before your eyes.

Cheetah Hunt and Cheetah Run add an entire new dimension in the two things that make Busch Gardens Busch Gardens – thrilling coasters that defy imagination integrated with up close experiences with the mystical wildlife forces that inspire their design. Get close up with the cheetahs and see if you can brave all six super coasters in one day!