7 Best Rides at Busch Gardens Tampa | Know Before You Go
In this guide, we will list out the best rides that Busch Gardens in Tampa offers, how each one is unique, and actual (point of view) videos of the rides.
1. Iron Gwazi
Showcasing speeds of up to 76 miles per hour, and a devastating 200+ ft first drop at 91 degrees, Iron Gwazi is the most popular ride in the entire park.
If you're a thrill seeker, this is the ride for you.
Iron Gwazi is a hybrid coaster, having both a steel track and a wooden frame.
This gives riders the best of both worlds in the sense that the ride is smoother than a regular wooden coaster but is still rough enough that you still get the wooden coaster feel.
Duration
1 minute 50 seconds.
Fun Facts
Iron Gwazi is the newest ride at Busch Gardens Tampa, having opened in early 2022.
2. Falcon's Fury
A ride that just goes directly up and down, what could be so special about that? You'd be surprised.
Falcon's Fury is North America's tallest free-standing drop tower, with a height of 335 feet.
The massive drop reaches speeds of 60 miles per hour!
In this ride you'll have an aerial view of the park, and it the climb to the top will be full of suspense.
Once you've reached the top, the ride will lean you forward 90 degrees facing the ground, and there's a pause of several seconds. You'll then hear the iconic noise that signals that you're now dropping, and good luck!
Duration
2 minutes.
Fun Facts
This ride cost around $6,000,000 to build.
3. Kumba
Kumba is one of the all-time classic coasters at the park. When it opened in 1993, it was so far ahead of its time, that when you ride it now almost 30 years later, it feels like a modern coaster.
The first drop of Kumba is a 135 ft drop, that transitions into a diving loop! This means that for several seconds you'll be spiraling 360 degrees.
Additionally, this ride features one of the world's largest vertical loops.
Duration
2 minutes 54 seconds.
Fun Facts
The ride was named for the distant roar of the king of the jungle.
4. Cheetah Hunt
This ride simulates a cheetah running through the wild, and even takes turns through the water for the delight of riders.
This is one of the longer rides at the park, and they did a phenomenal job simulating the environment, as this ride takes riders through the Serengeti portion of the park.
It provides a 'natural feel' and the ride designers genuinely knocked this one out of the park.
Duration
3 minutes 30 seconds.
Fun Facts
When it first opened in 2011, it was ranked as the 2nd best new ride for that year.
5. SheiKra
Sheikra is a steel dive roller coaster that takes riders through a famous 90 degree initial drop.
That's right, the ride will stop at the top, right before the 90 degree drop to create even more suspense before launching riders to speeds of up to 70 miles per hour.
If you enjoy speed & thrills, there is no need to look further.
Duration
2 minutes 20 seconds.
Fun Facts
It is a floor less roller coaster which makes looking straight down on that first drop even more thrilling, as you anxiously swing your legs back and forth prior to the drop.
6. Montu
Montu will take riders on quite the adventure reaching speeds of up to 60 miles per hour, 7 inversions, and almost 4,000 feet of track.
This inverted roller coaster is a really smooth ride with tons of loops, twist and turns including a unique zero gravity roll and a corkscrew.
Montu is perfect for those thrill seekers looking for an action-packed ride while still having the smooth experience.
Duration
3 minutes.
Fun Facts
When Montu first debuted, it was billed as the world's fastest and longest inverted coaster, and cost $20,000,000 to build.
7. Tigris
Tigris is a steel roller coaster that is filled with tons of twists. It resembles the 'U-shaped roller coasters' as it goes both forwards and backwards when the ride begins.
However, unlike those coasters, then Tigris transitions into a real coaster full of drops!
If you've never experienced a coaster that goes backwards, it's a very unique experience as you aren't able to see behind you while traveling at high speeds.
Duration
1 minute 30 seconds.
Fun Facts
This ride reaches speeds of up to 62 miles per hour and features an inversion.
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