Are you brave enough to conquer the best Busch Gardens Tampa roller coasters?
Whether you want to take them on one at a time or wild enough to cross all Busch Gardens Tampa coasters off your bucket list.
Just hold on because I’ve got you covered!
The roller coasters at Busch Gardens Tampa are famous for breaking world records with heart-pounding drops and adrenaline thrills.
So, let’s dive into a world of fun as we get these awesome Busch Gardens Tampa roller coasters ranked!
THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS. PLEASE READ MY DISCLOSURE FOR MORE INFO. Which means if you click on certain links, I may receive a small commission at no additional charge to you.
10. Phoenix Rising – Coming in Spring 2024
Nothing beats the thrill of riding on the wings of the phoenix.
Get ready for an exciting, family-friendly adventure as you cruise above the Serengeti Plain and enjoy some fun twists and turns on the new Phoenix Rising.
How fast is the Phoenix Rising Roller Coaster at Busch Gardens?
This suspended roller coaster in vibrant Pantopia is inspired by legend and offers surprises and speeds up to 44 miles per hour.
With a height requirement of just 42, it’s the perfect adventure for families to enjoy together!
Let your imagination and adrenaline soar as you feel the wind rush and the thrill of the flight.
Get up to 35% off of your Busch Gardens Tampa Tickets with Groupon TODAY!
9. Air Grover
I am warming up with a junior roller coaster before I jump into this action-packed list of roller coasters at Busch Gardens Tampa.
For those that aren’t quite ready to leap into the faced paced world of roller coasters, Sesame Street Safari of Fun is where you want to start.
The Air Grover ride is a perfect place for the little ones to earn their first coaster wings.
This is because Air Grover is one of the roller coasters at Busch Gardens Tampa that is kid-friendly.
Why We Love This Roller Coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa
With gentle mini-dips and fun curves and turns, the airplane-themed ride is exciting enough to bring a bit of confidence to children.
Plus, ThemeParkHipster parents love Air Grover because they can ride alongside their young ways too to give them that extra bit of support.
Stats for Air Grover Roller Coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa
- Opening Date: March 27, 2010
- Top Air Grover Height: 25 feet
- Maximum Air Grover Speed: 22 mph (miles per hour)
- Duration of Ride: Around 1 and a half minutes
- Minimum Height Requirement: 38 inches
Get up to 35% off of your Busch Gardens Tampa Tickets with Groupon TODAY!
8. Scorpion
Scorpion is one of the best places to get your first taste of adrenaline for the Busch Gardens Tampa Bay roller coasters.
It’s an awesome looping coaster for the whole family in Pantopia that’s definitely a classic!
Why We Love This Roller Coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa
The Scorpion doesn’t waste any time at all stinging you from the first 45-foot drop and hurtling you into a 360-degree vertical loop.
While sending you on twists and turns you get just the right intensity of speed and thrills to keep you screaming and laughing from excitement.
But it’s all fun and games until the Scorpion surprise attack hits you with a final 900-degree helix that leaves your head spinning.
Stats for Scorpion Roller Coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa
- Opening Date: May 16, 1980
- Top Scorpion Height: 61 feet
- Maximum Speed of Scorpion: 50 mph
- Duration of Ride: 1 minute and 30 seconds
- Minimum Height Requirement: 48 inches
Save up to 25% on mobile exclusive offers with Hotels.com TODAY!
7. Tigris
Tigris is one topsy-turvy twirling cool coaster blasting you forwards and backward.
This is one of Busch Gardens Tampa coasters that will have you wondering which way is up…
Why We Love This Roller Coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa
Roaring you across its 1800 feet you become one with the tiger-inspired orange and black track.
Tigris propels you through stomach-dropping launches, a 150-foot-tall skyward surge, and a mind-boggling inverted heartline roll.
It’s a powerful rush of adrenaline that pulses throughout your body long after you’ve conquered the chase.
Stats for Tigris Roller Coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa
- Opening Date: April 19, 2019
- Top Tigris Height: 150 feet
- Maximum Speed of Tigris: 62 mph
- Duration of Ride: About 45 seconds
- Minimum Height Requirement: 54 inches
6. Cobra’s Curse
Cobra’s Curse whips you along its serpentine tracks.
During an unpredictable ride of 3 minutes and 30 seconds, it reaches vicious speeds of 40 mph and slithers you up a 70-foot vertical lift.
Once you ride Cobra’s Curse you will know EXACTLY why it’s known as a spin roller coaster.
Why We Love This Roller Coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa
It’s awesome because this is one of Tampa Busch Gardens roller coasters where you can’t predict a thing!
Twisting and turning, spinning and swirling you don’t know which way you are going next.
It’s so random, that you even end up traveling backyards that you have absolutely no idea what is coming next!
Cobra’s Curse is one of the best roller coasters at Busch Gardens Tampa because it’s a new crazy ride every time.
Stats for Cobra’s Curse Roller Coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa
- Opening Date: June 17, 2016
- Top Cobra’s Curse Height: 70 feet
- Maximum Speed of Cobra’s Curse: 40 mph
- Duration of Ride:3 minutes and 30 seconds
- Minimum Height Requirement: 42 inches
Check out my latest theme park adventures on Instagram TODAY!
5. SheiKra
Dive roller coasters at Busch Gardens Tampa don’t get any better than SheiKra.
With a stomach-dropping 200-foot plummet right at the beginning, SheiKra is one intense roller coaster with incredible drops!
Here at ThemeParkHipster, we like to call SheiKra the mother of all dive roller coasters.
Why We Love This Roller Coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa
If the first hair-raising 200-foot plunge wasn’t enough, you get struck again with another 138-foot drop.
Then before you can even catch your breath you are spiraling into an Immelmann loop and hit with a vertical 90-degree drop.
It’s a whirlwind of a ride whipping you around the 3,1888-foot-long track at speeds reaching 70 mph.
Oh and did I mention it’s floorless!!
Stats for SheiKra Roller Coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa
- Opening Date: May 21, 2005
- Top SheiKra Height: 200 feet
- Maximum Speed of SheiKra: 70 mph
- Duration of Ride: 2 minutes and 20 seconds
- Minimum Height Requirement: 54 inches
4. Cheetah Hunt
Cheetah Hunt will have you hanging on for dear life as you find out what it feels like to be the fastest land animal in the entire world.
It’s insane acceleration with 3 intense launches that has your heart racing as you reach speeds of 60 mph.
Why We Love This Roller Coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa
If you have a need for speed, then you will love how Cheetah Run mimics the chase of the cheetah.
Its full of twists and turns of S-curves and an epic heartline roll.
From the gorgeous Serengeti to high above the treetops and zipping across the river, Cheetah Run is a non-stop action that has your head spinning.
Stats for Cheetah Hunt Roller Coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa
- Opening Date: May 27, 2011
- Top Cheetah Hunt Height: 102 feet
- Maximum Speed of Cheetah Hunt: 60 mph
- Duration of Ride: 3 minutes and 30 seconds
- Minimum Height Requirement: 48 inches
Ready to plan your theme park trip? Watch the best vacation planning tips on YouTube. Get started here!
3. Kumba
Can you even really say you went to Busch Gardens Tampa if you didn’t hear the roar of the lion?
Kumba is by far one of the most iconic roller coasters at Busch Gardens Tampa.
Standing out from all the rest in 1993 it was the first of its kind to include a dive loop with interlocking corkscrews.
Why We Love This Roller Coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa
To this day Kumba remains a classic in the world of Busch Gardens Tampa Bay roller coasters.
The steel beast is legendary with its 135-foot stomach-lurching drop and 114-foot-tall heart-pounding vertical loop.
While roaring speeds reach 60 mph and you undergo weightless for 3 whole seconds.
It will always reign supreme as one of the best roller coasters at Busch Gardens Tampa.
Stats for Kumba Roller Coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa
- Opening Date: April 20, 1993
- Top Kumba Height: 143 feet
- Maximum Speed of Kumba: 60 mph
- Duration of Ride: 2 minutes and 54 seconds
- Minimum Height Requirement: 54 inches
2. Iron Gwazi
Busch Gardens Tampa coasters are known to be record-breaking, and Iron Gwazi is yet another one to take the award.
Dubbed as North America’s tallest and world’s fastest and steepest hybrid coaster, Iron Gwazi is one terrifying monster of a thrill ride!
Why We Love This Roller Coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa
It’s the perfect combination of old and new!
Keeping the classic nostalgic wooden coaster that so many of us love and mixing it with the steel design, a new world-class extreme coaster was reborn.
Going beyond vertical at 91 degrees, this thrill ride is no joke with some serious air-time!
With a heart-stopping plunge off a 206-foot tall peak, multiple inversions, and a move people like to call a “death roll” let’s just say you might not want to eat right before Iron Gwazi.
Stats for Iron Gwazi Roller Coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa
- Opening Date: March 11, 2022
- Top Iron Gwazi Height: 206 feet
- Maximum Speed of Iron Gwazi: 76 mph
- Duration of Ride: 1 minute and 50 seconds
- Minimum Height Requirement: 48 inches
Save 54% or more on Tampa Bay’s 5 best attractions at CityPASS. Shop Now!
1. Montu
Well, we have ridden our way to the top of the list!
The Busch Gardens Tampa roller coasters ranked as number 1 is my absolute must-DO when visiting Busch Gardens Tampa, Montu.
Ever coaster on this list has a little something that makes them so crazy fun and special from one another.
But Montu just seems to have that IT factor where you can’t help but be addicted to the terrifying pleasure.
Why We Ranked This Ride in Our 9 Best Busch Gardens Roller Coasters Tampa
Having your legs dangling from the ride as you hang in this inverted steel coaster just adds to the exhilaration.
The seven inversions have you euphoric as you fly at speeds reaching 60 mph hitting so many different loops and rolls.
Famous for its spine-tingling Batwing inversion, Immelmann loop, and epic weightless roll even the most experienced theme park junkie will be impressed.
Stats for Montu Roller Coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa
- Opening Date: May 16, 1996
- Top Montu Height: 150 feet
- Maximum Speed of Montu: 60 mph
- Duration of Ride: 3 minutes
- Minimum Height Requirement: 54 inches
Recommended: 25 Fun and Free Things to Do in Tampa, Florida TODAY!
What to Know Before You Go To Busch Gardens
Now that you have all of the Busch Gardens Tampa roller coasters ranked, let’s go through a few of the most commonly asked questions.
What’s the Biggest Roller Coaster in Busch Gardens Tampa?
The title of biggest roller coaster in Busch Gardens Tampa with the longest track goes to the exhilarating Cheetah Hunt.
With 4,429 feet of track, this steel launch coaster has enough room to pack in 3 adrenaline-charged launches racing you across the Serengeti Plain.
Get started on Your Tampa Bay Travel Plans here!
What’s the Tallest Roller Coaster in Busch Gardens Tampa?
Stomach lurching heights of 206 feet has Iron Gwazi standing as the tallest in Busch Gardens Tampa.
Not only that, but this colossal coaster also reigns as the tallest hybrid coaster in North America as well.
What’s the Fastest Roller Coaster in Busch Gardens Tampa?
Hitting lightning speeds of 76 mph, the Busch Gardens Tampa wooden roller coaster and steel hybrid mix, Iron Gwazi, takes the title as the fastest roller coaster in the Busch Gardens theme park.
Iron Gwazi is not only considered Busch Gardens Tampa fastest roller coaster in the park but this beast is the fastest hybrid coaster in the entire world.
Get the best theme park Travel Deals with Travelocity TODAY!
What Happened to the Python Roller Coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa?
Python was one of Tampa Busch Gardens roller coasters that so many braved as their first coaster experience, opening on July 1, 1976.
It was made famous for its terrifying double corkscrew with its slithering and snake-coiled track shape. It was also a first for Arrow Development Company for the theme park.
Python carried a dark shadow with its name, the mysterious death of a 39-year-old not long after challenging the Python.
However, riders continued to come out for their first looping coaster.
2003 brought about some retouching, renewing life back into the Python’s color ready to leave its mark again on thrill seekers.
Rumors that updates were going to be made to the park finally were confirmed and a few days later, Python took its last run on October 31, 2006, and came to a paralyzing halt.
Becoming prey to a bigger vision for Busch Gardens Tampa, Python was destroyed and Jungala became the new exotic attraction in its place.
Stats for This Busch Gardens Tampa Roller Coaster
- Opening Year: 1976
- Top Python Height/Drop: 70 feet
- Maximum Speed of Python: 50 mph
- Duration: 1 minute and 10 seconds
- Closing Date: 2006
Get up to 35% off of your Busch Gardens Tampa Tickets with Groupon TODAY!
My Final Thoughts on the Best Busch Gardens Tampa Roller Coasters
So there you have it, ThemeParkHipster! These are the best roller coasters at Busch Gardens Tampa!
Have you rode any of these Busch Gardens rides before? If so, let us know which one is your favorite in the comments section below.
Until next time, Happy Park Hopping Hipsters!
About the Author
Sarah Jordan is a solo traveler enthusiast, professional travel writer, and proud mama to her rescue dog Coconut.
With a love for destinations across the globe, she made Epcot her first theme park and still treasures her EPCOT World Showcase passport to this day.
After finally following her inner wanderlust, she discovered the freedom and empowerment that solo travel brings.
(Original Article Date: August 9, 2023/Updated by Editor on February 14, 2024)