Cheetahs are the fastest land animal, accelerating up to 70 to 75 mph in short bursts, and now Busch Garden’s Cheetah Hunt is the longest roller coaster in the state! (Disney’s Expedition Everest at Animal Kingdom comes in a close 2nd.) At 4,429 feet long, this new ‘cheetah simulator’ ride will launch riders at speeds up to 60 mph, and up to a height of 102 feet! This new coaster doesn’t use the traditional chain lift to pull the cars up to the top, but rather a “LSM” system, which means it will use ‘linear synchronous motors’, a series of electric magnetic motors, to propel the coaster cards at different bursts of speed. The 3 minute, 30 second ride carries 16 riders per train, and can take up to 1,370 riders per hour. Another thing that makes this ride different is the smaller height requirement, only 48 inches, rather than the coaster standard of 54 inches, so younger kids will be able to ride also.
Opening day was Friday, May 27th, in time for the Memorial Day weekend, but there were some glitches Friday so it was not opened until the afternoon. But those riders who finally got on were not disappointed.
Along with the new ride is the Cheetah Run, a new animal experience where guests can watch real cheetahs in motion. The opening day bugs seemed to have been worked out and I’m looking forward to testing the new ride in person, happy hunting!
