Bush Gardens, Tampa Bay was built 60 years ago. It was originally a way to advertise the Anheuser-Bush Brewery with beer tastings and a bird garden.
Today, it serves as both a zoo and a theme park. Its 335 acres are split into 9 sections. They focus on African areas such as Morocco, Egypt, Nairobi, Pantopia, Congo, Jungala, and Stanleyville. There’s also the Sesame Stree Safari of Fun and its Bird Gardens.
The park has plenty of attractions, but most visitors come for the rides. The coasters alone are enough to fill your trip.
Like and subscribe to ViewCation for more on this wonderful park. Keep watching to learn about the best rides at Busch Gardens, Tampa Bay.
Congo River Rapids
This is one of the best rides at Bush Gardens, Tampa Bay if you’re prepared to get wet. It’s inspired by one of the most formidable rivers in Africa.
You’ll sit on a round raft when you enter. Along the way, you’ll get hit with jets and waterfalls and enter mysterious caves. It replicates the feeling of going down a river on a raft but manages to be even more thrilling.
The best part is that non-riders can pay a few quarters to spray riders with a nearby machine. Take care when working it into your itinerary because the river is only open on weekends.
Tanginaki Tidal Wave
This water ride is even more intense than the rapids. It has a 55-foot drop. Prepare to get covered in water from a huge tidal wave by the end. Kids and non-riders can sit on the bridge to watch the riders and get splashed.
Cobra’s Curse
Cobra’s Curse is a newer ride added to Bush Gardens, Tampa Bay on June 17, 2016. It’s located in the Egypt area where the King Tut’s Tomb walkthrough used to be.
You’ll ride an elevator 70 feet up to the top. The first thing you’ll notice is the 80-foot-tall cobra statue that gives the coaster its name.
The actual ride is intense. You’ll go forwards, get turned backward, and then spend the rest of the time spinning around until you’re nearly sideways by the end. It takes 8 riders at the same time.
Cheetah Hunt
Cheetah Hunt was built in 2011. A teaser campaign let future riders guess what inspired it, and the publicity led to hour-long wait times on its opening day. It became a highly ranked coaster and won a place as the 2nd best new ride that year.
Cheetah Hunt is located in the Serengeti section of the. It’s one of the safest coasters in the entire park. All riders are onto its tracks by magnets and safety clasps.
Cheetah Hunt is also one of the most thrilling coasters. The ride is meant to make you feel like you’re a cheetah running through the wild. It starts by going up 90°, lurching forward, and flinging around corners before coming back down. Its speed starts at 30mph, goes up to 60mph, slows down a bit, and goes back up to 40mph before it’s done.
The ride lasts 3 minutes and 30 seconds. It goes up to 102 feet, and the 4,429 track takes up ¾ of the park. You’ll get beautiful views from that height. The trains hold 16 passengers, and 5 of them can move at the same time, letting 1,370 passengers ride per hour.
Sheikra
This is one of the best rides at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and the most popular. It has a long wait time, but it’s the best choice if you want an intense coaster. It’s one of the tallest in the state at 200 feet and 1 of only 9 “dive” coasters that offer a fully vertical drop. Make sure to put your valuables in the nearby cubbies before you start so that nothing you need falls out.
You’ll go up a full 200 feet and hang over the edge with your feet dangling below you. Next, you’ll plunge down at 70mph, and go right into a loop. Its other main drop goes around a pond. RIders stay dry, but the water sprays everyone watching nearby.
There are 3 rows of 8 seats, and they’re all perfectly placed. Riding Sheikra will be the most adrenaline-pumping 2 minutes and 20 seconds of your life. Store your bags in a nearby locker first because you can’t bring them with you.
Kumba
This coaster has been a staple of the park since 1993 and was one of the first looping coasters in the state. It was named for the African word for roar, and you can hear the coaster running from miles away. Its age makes it shaky, but it’s still great for modern visitors who want an intense ride.
The first drop is 135 feet high and goes directly into a diving loop, putting you at 360° for several seconds. You’ll also go through 3,900 feet of twists and loops, a 360 spiral, 108-foot verticle loop, and more.
Kumba lasts for 2 minutes and 35 seconds. Stretching the thrills out is only part of what makes it so great.
Like and subscribe to FactsVerse for more can’t-miss theme park attractions. Keep watching to learn about more of the best rides at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, including more thrilling coasters and calmer rides to enjoy with your kids.
Scorpion
It may be the first, opening in 1980, but Scorpion is still one of the best rides at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. It’s also taken measures to stay safe, including lap restraints and a smooth track.
This coaster isn’t as fast as the others at only 50mph, but it’s still thrilling. It has 360 loops and spirals.
Lines aren’t long in the afternoon, but they last at least 90 minutes during the peak travel season. Take a ride while waiting in the lines for other coasters to go down or if you need a less intense coaster to calm you down.
Montu
This Egyptian-themed hanging coaster is over 25 years old but is still a fun ride. It’s full of the thrilling loops and drops you’d expect as well as some inversions.
Montu is more than one of the best rides at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay; it’s also considered one of the top 20 in the country. Its inverted steel structure puts you below the track and lets your feet dangle. If you’re willing to wait a bit longer, look for a seat in the front row.
The ride starts with a 13-story drop that leads into a 104-foot loop. It had the most inversions of any coaster for years until Busch Gardens Williamsburg built Alpegngeist. One of its most famous is called Immelman, named after a German WWI fighter pilot.
The 60mph ride is intense but smooth.
Falcon’s Fury
This ride has a complicated history. It was expected to open on May 1, 2014, in the Pantopia section, which was known as Timbuktu at the time. It kept getting delayed until August 16, but then it finally opened to the public.
Busch Gardens isn’t the only park with a drop tower; Valleyfair, Six Flags, and Disney World also have one. What sets Falcon’s Fury apart is its immense size; it’s the tallest freestanding one at 335 feet. It was built in 2014 and cost $6,000,000, but it’s now one of the most popular parts of the Pantopia section of the park.
The ride is also one of the fastest at 60mph and has an intense 90 drop. You’ll never know how long it’ll be until you thrust down because the ride operators decide that. The anticipation and the 3.5 Gs of force will give you a thrill you’ll never forget. Try not to be too frightened to enjoy the beautiful views.
Falcon’s Fury lasts for 2 minutes. It takes 32 passengers at once.
Tigris
This is the 2nd-newest attraction in Bush Gardens Tampa Bay, opening in 2019. Much like Cheetah Hunt and Kumba, it was inspired by one of the world’s most beloved big cats; the tiger.
The steel coaster goes over the same track 4 times, 2 times backward, and 2 times forwards. The path includes twists, turns, and an inverted heartline roll.
The ride lasts for 1 minute and 30 seconds. It’s incredibly fast at 62mph.
Iron Gwazi
This is the newest ride at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. Its original opening plans for 2020 were derailed by the Pandemic. It wasn’t able to be completed until March 2022.
Iron Gwazi broke all previous records to sit as the tallest coaster in the park at 206 feet. It’s also the tallest in the country and the fastest, steepest hybrid rollercoaster in the world.
Getting to the ride takes some time, but it’s worth it. Sit in the back to enjoy the more chaotic feel of that section.
Griffon
This ride sets itself apart as a history-maker. It was one of the first floorless coasters to include a 90° drop. It’s also one of the park’s faster rides at 75mph. It has enough height to get you beautiful views if you can catch anything as you whiz along.
Air Grover
Families shouldn’t miss The Sesame Street Fair of Fun. It’s the best place in Bush Gardens, Tampa Bay to find rides to enjoy with your children. Air Grover is one of the best. It’s a perfect first rollercoaster and family bonding experience.
Wild Surge
This is a great way to introduce your kids to drop rides. It was designed as a more family-friendly version of Falcon’s Fury.
The ride takes you 35 feet up before dropping you down. It also provides great views of the animals in the Jungala section of the park.
Serengeti Express Train Ride and Skyride
Not all rides have to be thrilling. Some are great because they get you through the park in the best way possible.
The Serengeti Express goes through the Congo, Nairobi, and Stanleyville sections. You’ll see plenty of animals along the way.
The Skyride gives you a bird’s-eye view of all the rides and animals. It’s a great way to get from one area of the park to another, but it’s a 1-way trip.
Are you a fan of rollercoasters? Let us know in the comments below. Like and subscribe to Facts Verse for more of the best rides in America’s best theme parks.