Photo TR: Adam goes Cheetah Hunting at Busch Gardens Tampa

After hearing such great reviews come out of Busch Gardens Tampa Bay regarding their newest addition Cheetah Hunt, I knew I couldn't contain myself until Tuesday (I'll be going back tomorrow too) to try it out. So, in a last minute, by-the-fly call, I drove out to the park with a friend on Memorial Day weekend to go Cheetah Hunting myself.

The ride is really fun and not too intense. The launches all took me by surprise, perhaps because of the initial force behind each push. The ride has some insane moments of airtime that rival those strange ones found on some of Orlando's other coasters (like Hollywood Rip, Ride, Rockit). The Crossroads of Culture serves as a fantastic environ for the new attraction and manages to transition into all three surrounding realms quite smoothly, making for a more immersive experience.

While we didn't see any cheetahs run at Cheetah Run, we did get to see Kasi and Mtani, as well as two elder cheetahs as they were brought out into the area for basic training procedures.

Also of note, for the first time since Jungala (I believe), there is a large number of characters out and about in the area. I saw French Foreign Legion soldiers walking about, explorers roaming the Crossroads and a few Middle Eastern-warriors guarding the broken arches of the area. A beautiful touch that really does add more character and charm to the already wonderful new area of the park.

We got to the park for opening and Cheetah Hunt already had a 180 minute wait.

The first train with guests for the day... Looked pretty exciting from the start.

They began to funnel guests into these temporary switchbacks as the line grew longer.

Minutes after this photo was taken, the wait time was upped to 210 minutes.

The test seat even features a scaled down version of the ride's stylized nose. I would've gotten a photo, but considering how long the line was, I just wanted to stay in my place.

Giving you prior notice, there will be some Larry love here.

Cheetah Hunt has been added to the park map, and it looks pretty good!

Up close, there were a few details on the new entrance facade that I hadn't noticed before.

As of current, Cheetah Hunt is not on the Quick Queue or Quick Queue Unlimited systems.

The old Monorail queue looks similar and different.

Along the queue area are some Cheetah Hunt factoids for your reading pleasure.

And since the construction tour, the Cheetah Rock (yes, that's what Mark Rose called it) has taken its form.

A look at the Cheetah Hunt side of the building. The other side is used by the reopened Skyride.

They really did a masterful job of merging the old Monorail building's architecture with the new Cheetah Hunt style. Left is old and right is new.

Glimpses of the ride can be seen from various angles within the queue.

You'll be happy to know I photographed every one of the 57 signs in the queue and will be sharing them here.

Okay, not really that many, but I did get all of them.

Okay, not really that many, but I did get all of them.

Fifty percent of the time it works, every time.

Stats for those who care to read.

We're getting closer...

They have some really cool sconces on the columns.

Remember that rumor that Busch Gardens Tampa Bay was developing new walk around characters for use in the park? Well that was true. Here is one.

He was walking up and down the queue, entertaining guests.

The Skyride has received an updated regulations sign to better fit the new theme of the building.

What about science?

Contain your excitement folks.

The control booth is expertly blended into the station.

In case you were wondering. As of yesterday, the video system was not yet online.

We waited in this and more for nearly two hours, but it was worth it.

Splash!, an artist group creates paintings on a stage outside of the ride's building, which can later be purchased in the gift shop.

Not sure if this was for sale, but it looks pretty cool.

They had a great little exhibit tucked in the back corner of the gift shop.

Got Footers?

Really? Really? Can I? Please! Please!

Pretty interesting stuff!

I heart Intamin.

For those that like schematics...

(Continued)

A little insight into the design of the zero car.

Zero to Cable.

Okay, so these are supply cables for the stators.

What's this?

Something looks very odd here.

Do these not look like MACK spinners, or is it just me?

This explains things a little better, but I'm really curious now to see if this tower was ever conceptualized for another ride system.

Intamin has history here at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay.

Footage from the pre-construction period is displayed on this screen, including some of the earlier promotional interviews done around the time of the ride's initial announcement.

Yep! You can touch it!

Now this... This is a cool picture frame!

Benny of the French Foreign Legion found it amusing that I stood at the bridge just waiting for a train to pass by so I could take a photo. A fun little character he was.

Dive! Dive! Dive!

The burst of speed on this launch is just fantastic.

Kasi has grown to be a little bigger now.

Cheetah Run! (Okay, not really.)

Dropping off of the Windcatcher Tower...

Like I said in the Construction Tour photo report, I knew I wouldn't likely be getting close to the track like I had ever again. That being said, the launch track is extremely close to the guest path.

Burst mode is my friend.

Zero to Cheetah.

This area is Cheetah Run.

Like with most of their animal exhibits, they had a trainer out on the intercom able to tell guests about the cheetahs and answer questions.

What goes up...

Must come down...

They also brought out two full grown cheetahs.

I'm already getting used to this sight!

Splash! at work.

Something I really love about Cheetah Hunt? How it dives in and out of the line of sight along the Edge of Africa.

Moving out towards Rhino Rally, we have some great photo ops.

Although it isn't always easy to get the perfect photo.

An unintentionally artsy photo.

These days, it wouldn't be an Adam Roth report without the signature "two thumbs up" photo.

This ride truly has some amazing guest interactions.

Over the Skyride we go!

Cheetah gonna eat the Skyride...

Flipsy daisy!

"Going up to the cheetah in the sky..."

Time to head back!

The brush surrounding Rhino Rally Canyon has been cleared to allow for some great photo ops!

Just hangin' around.

Nothing but air.

"Hold the phone guys... I'm not a cheetah."

Sleepy cat is sleepy.

Thanks for reading!

I'm still amazed at how nice the new area looks, everything just seems perfect: the ride, it's interaction, the queue... I'm really hoping to get down to Florida to ride this monster!

I liked the ride quite a bit as well. It proves that a coaster does not have to be super intense to still be a lot of fun.

Such a photogenic ride. The animal kingdom nerd in me liked the stuff about cheetahs in the queue. Thanks for sharing!

Oh my goodness... the Wild Cheetah's queue has to be the best queue I've seen thematically... ever. I love how they spaced the ride's factoids out all over the path, as well as the "Cheetah Rock" and how that thematically fits in the path.

Whenever I get the chance to ride this kitty, it should be an amazing experience! I just hope that I won't have to wait long, as I was spoiled in my only previous visit here.

nice report. really looking forward to my trip in october. I haven't gotten down there since rhino rally was brand new.

Wow, just wow! Everything about this ride is simply gorgeous! Such a terrific job done with everything, from the queue detail to the factoids about footers in the gift shop (drool) to the zero car to the ride's interaction with the surrounding area. To top it off, it sounds like the ride experience itself is outstanding. Really, really looking forward to riding this someday!

What about science?

Hold on, Adam! The idea bag is full!

What an amazing queue! I love the sound of this ride. Oh, and those are some cute kittehs!

Amazing photos, Adam. Thanks for such an awesome Photo TR! Busch Gardens never seizes to amaze with their coaster theming.

Awesome report, thanks.

Thanks for the report, I am really enjoying the Cheetah Hunt Photos. The thing is just soo damn pretty. Adam, as soon as you can see Cheetah Run, it's incredibly cool. Very very brief but cool.

So I went back on Tuesday to get some rides on the Skyride and get a few more runs in on Cheetah Hunt. While there, I visited a few areas of the park that I hadn't seen before, and revisited some that I hadn't taken the time to see in a while.

The thought of an empty queue made me sick to my stomach, considering I waited 210 minutes a mere two days prior.

But looking forward, a 35 minute wait was great!

Much better!

I could get used to this!

The Skyride is open once again, but nothing significant has changed, except for the view.

That being said, it is still one of my favorites in the park.

The station offers a decent view of the Windcatcher tower.

The view from above is really great!

We're going in!

The first train we were able to catch in motion on this run.

Clearing and site prep for the new animal care center is coming along nicely.

I think this photo sums up the ride pretty well... Awesome!

Most people forget about the Tanganyika Tidal Wave, but it does create some great photo moments.

Kumba is still fun too.

Let's show it some love.

Time for our return trip on the Skyride.

This time around, we saw plenty of trains along the way.

Diving back into the trench.

I'm quite fond of this one.

The maintenance bay is beneath the Skyride station. One train can be seen, waiting out of rotation for the day.

Busch Gardens had all of their characters out in the Crossroads of Culture today. Two of them even came into the queue for Cheetah Hunt!

Not sure what's going on here...

He wanted to pose for you all...

Another character roaming around.

(Continued)

I actually got to sit in the test seat this time!

Our friend was still in queue when we got back, once again entertaining guests.

Tah-dah!

He really was entertaining to watch!

Tah-dah!

Another one of the characters came into the queue!

A pretty cool shirt for the collector...

Another look at the questionable concept art for the Windcatcher tower.

Much better!

Notice the recurring cheetah graphic in the banners.

Mark Rose told us about the hidden tributes in the architecture. I found two!

The Egyptian influence is pretty cool in here!

The view from the backside of Cheetah Run...

Looking towards the guest side of Cheetah Run from behind the exhibit glass.

Blends pretty well, right?

See the cheetah faces in the pattern?

The launch bridge is extremely well themed!

The supports and track are even wrapped in detailed theming!

Whee!

The bridge masks much of the train from view, but it does stick out in a few areas, teasing guests as they walk by.

Sleepy cheetah is sleepy...

(Continued)

This one's for you Robb!

(Why does this always happen when I'm around?)

I had completely forgotten, but I had never been in Curiosity Caverns, so I gave it a try.

"Hadoshtey... Oombadey, oombadey!"

An ugly little thing.

How I've been oblivious to this place's existence is truly beyond me.

Busch Baby!

There's bats here too!

Lemurs are fun...

Thanks for reading!

How would the strength of the launches compare to other intamins?

^I've only been on one other Intamin accelerator and that was Stormrunner, but my memory of the ride is more than vague, so I'm probably not the best one to ask on the matter.

F--- that was thorough! Great pictures! How did I miss that Cheetah Hunt had five trains? I assume it runs four at a time with the standard Busch spare in the maintenance bay? Thanks for all the different views, that is one beautiful ride; especially in the old Rhino Rally section. They did an incredible job on the station too, as the old Skyride station was never that attractive. How were dispatches?

On a side note, Kumba looks great! Whatever pressure washing magic they did actually worked.

How long have the Curiousity Caverns been there? I've never heard of them, either.

Where in the heck are those caverns?? I thought I knew the park decent but shows you I need to spend more time there!

^^^Dispatches on the first day (the Sunday) were a little slower, but it seemed that by Tuesday they had their groove and were sending out trains quite fast. That being said, speedy dispatch continues to rely on the minimal amount of delay from guests, which can definitely mess things up at times.

^^I believe Curiosity Caverns was a recently refurbished exhibit that had been closed for quite some time. I had heard of it a few times on the net over the last couple of years, but I believe it only opened/re-opened within the last year/two years.

^Curiosity Caverns is located directly across from the Nairobi/Edge of Africa train station. I had to search for a while and found it only by accident as I was looking for Jambo Junction.

A LOT fantastic pictures! And a nice report, I thank you so much!

How did I miss that Cheetah Hunt had five trains? I assume it runs four at a time with the standard Busch spare in the maintenance bay?

When I was there this past Thursday, they were running five trains. I was there for opening, watched them load the first two pairs of empty trains, then a fifth empty train rolled in, followed by the loaded train from the first ride of the day.

Wow Adam, thanks for all the amazing photos of Cheetah Hunt! The ride looks so great! I'm in awe with how beautiful it is, I love how much Busch Gardens pays attention to small little details to make a great attraction and such nicely themed areas. Seeing your photo tour makes me want to get out to Florida again and soon!