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Busch Gardens Tampa Roller Coasters......and Quick Queue front-of-line passesIn the slide show above, you're viewing some of Busch Gardens Tampa's most popular roller coasters and water rides. What do these attractions have in common? Very long lines! But, for an extra fee (in addition to your theme park admission ticket) you can move to the head of each line and breeze through your day. Find Busch Gardens FL's list of Roller Coasters and Quick Queue information on this page! Also, don't forget to check our Busch Gardens Discounts page for info about current coupons & specials that the park is offering right now. List of Busch Gardens Tampa's roller coastersWhat are the most popular rides at Busch Gardens Tampa? Judging from their long lines, the park's list of terrific roller coasters are the top attractions for thrill-seeking visitors.Although there really ARE slow periods at Busch Gardens when you can nearly walk right onto these popular thrill rides, those dates just happen to fall exactly when most people are in school or at work. When weekends, vacation periods and summer travel season arrive (exactly when most people can go to Busch Gardens, right?) then the lines for these attractions are at their longest. First, here's the list of Busch Gardens Tampa roller coasters...then, in the next section, you can find out about touring strategies that will help you beat the lines for these rides, including the park's extra-fee Quick Queue front-of-line pass. SheiKra Roller CoasterSheiKra is one of Busch Gardens FL's top attractions. This breathtaking coaster consistently turns up in "top ten roller coaster" polls for the entire USA. It is also a top draw for thrill-seekers across the country who travel hundreds of miles just to add riding SheiKra to their lists of accomplishments. SheiKra is a floorless, thrilling coaster that takes riders 200 feet into the air before releasing them into a 90-degree drop with fierce turns & twists including a plunge face-first towards the ground at a speed of 70-miles per hour. As you can tell from the pictures of SheiKra in the slide show above, you should have nerves of steel if you plan to give this scream-inducing monster a try. Minimum height: riders must be 54-inches or taller and must fit the restraint system securely. Montu roller coasterThe Montu roller coaster has seven inversions and is one of the longest and tallest inverted steel roller coasters in the world. You'll be pushed to 3.85 G’s as Montu twists and turns on its high speed trip...and yet this mean machine's smoothness is almost like gliding on butter. Montu's Minimum height requirement: Riders must be 54-inches or taller. Cheetah Hunt roller coasterCheetah Hunt roller coaster, new! Busch Gardens Tampa opened a fun new roller coaster during 2011. It's called "Cheetah Hunt," which sounds really terrible...like you're going to hunt beautiful wild cheetahs to add their hides to your collection. But, it's not meant to sound that way, according to the park. Instead, it means that by riding, you'll learn what it feels like to zoom as fast as cheetahs do when they go hunting. Cheetah Hunt is relatively family-friendly, with a minimum height requirement of only 48 inches tall. Yet, the ride will have several launch points that will send you zooming to speeds of up to 60 mph. The ride includes one inversion, as well as some time spent low-to-the-ground (the track actually runs through some trenches) so you can feel like a cheetah stalking your prey. Other Roller Coasters at Busch Gardens FL--Kumba, named for the roar of the mighty lion, is a graceful roller coaster featuring seven inversions, air time weightlessness and high speeds up to 60 mph. Kumba's minimum height for riders is 54 inches tall. --Gwazi, a double "dueling" wooden roller coaster, is named for a mythical African animal with the head of a tiger & body of a lion. One of the trains, therefore, is the "lion" train; the other side is the "tiger." Enjoying the excitement of 6 near-misses is supposed to be part of the fun. However, in the past, it was rare to find both sides operating. This love-it-or-hate-it coaster shook passengers so hard that the warning sign in front of the entrance forbade riders to board if they were wearing a prosthesis; it could literally shake off your wooden leg or fake eye! However, some adjustments and re-tracking have been made & new trains have been added. On January 22, 2011, the coaster opened anew with great anticipation by the park and wooden roller coaster enthusiasts. Reviewers are claiming that Gwazi's ride is now smoother and more enjoyable...but only time will tell if other reviewers and "real visitors" agree. Will you be aboard on your next visit to Busch Gardens? Here's the park's official Gwazi video, where you can see it running for yourself...and decide. --Scorpion, one of Busch Gardens Tampa's older roller coasters, is located in the Timbuktu area of the park. Reaching speeds of around 50 miles per hour & with a 360-degree vertical loop, it sends riders into 3G spirals before releasing them from its grip. What is the minimum height? Riders must be at least 42-inches tall. Busch Gardens Tampa--Water RidesWhat do Busch Gardens Tampa's roller coasters have in common with the park's water rides? On busy, hot vacation days, they both have very long lines! Here's a list of the park's 3 popular rides where you can cool down by getting drenched!1.) Congo River Rapids: Enjoy white water rafting that spins and twirls riders down a racing river complete with waterfalls, splashes and a dash through a cave. Wanna get wet? The Congo River Rapids raft ride is sure to do the job! Minimum height requirement: Riders must be 42-inches or taller. 2.) Tanganyika Tidal Wave: The slow & scenic beginning of this boat ride may cause you to let down your guard, but the plunge down 55 feet into the water below is sure to bring you back to your senses! You'll get drenched...and so will the hopeful onlookers who stand in the "soak zone" just waiting to get splashed as your boat sends up its towering spray! Riders must be at least 48-inches tall. 3.) Stanley Falls Log Flume: Enjoy the floating sensations of your "log" as it makes its way along the scenic flume passageway. But thrills are just ahead; you'll scream through a 40 foot drop (complete with a splashdown) before you reach the end of this relaxing & cooling water ride. Busch Gardens Tampa's Quick Queue PassHow much does a Busch Gardens Quick Queue pass cost? That depends. There are 2 types of Quick Queue passes: one that will give you unlimited all-day front-of-line privileges, and one that will let you bypass the line ONE TIME ONLY for each ride on the list. For the one-time-per-ride Quick Queue, you'll pay between $15 and $30, depending on the season. (When the park is crowded, this pass sells for more money than when it's not.) For the all-day front-of-line privileges, your Quick Queue Pass will cost $44.95, at minimum, when the park isn't crowded...and $50 or more on days when there really are lines. What rides are part of the Quick Queue pass plan? Here's the list-- Roller coasters included: Cheetah Hunt Water rides included: Congo River raft ride One other attraction: Rhino Rally, which is jeep tour of the African safari area of the park. You'll get up close & personal with rhinos and other African wildlife...and unforgettable experience open to all guests age 3 and over, as long as they meet the 39" minimum height requirement. Is the Busch Gardens Quick Queue pass worth the price?Considering that you'll pay for your Quick Queue pass IN ADDITION to whatever you paid to enter the theme park, is the price really worth it? Here's your firm answer to that question: yes...and no.If you live fairly close to Busch Gardens Florida, and you'll be making several trips to the theme park throughout the year...you'll possibly be wasting your money. After all, you will probably be returning to the park on a less-crowded day, anyway, and you might feel resentful at having to pay extra to go on rides that you've experienced time and again. Exceptions to this rule would be if you're bringing guests with you who aren't familiar with Busch Gardens Tampa...or, if you make plenty of money and it's not a strain on your budget to pay the extra fees. If you're visiting Busch Gardens Tampa from afar, it makes lots of sense to get a Quick Queue pass. You've already paid plenty for transportation, meals and hotels...so why not pay just a little extra to get the Quick Queue pass? Your expensive vacation time shouldn't be spent waiting in line...when a good alternative is available. Where can you purchase a Quick Queue front-of-line pass for Busch Gardens Tampa? You can purchase it when you reach the theme park. Or, you may order it ahead of your visit from the Busch Gardens website. For your convenience, here's a link to the Quick Queue ordering page of the Busch Gardens Tampa official website. Can you get discounts to make the Quick Queue pass cheaper? You won't find any coupons available to the general public, but if you've got a Busch Gardens annual pass, then you may get a Quick Queue discount by purchasing it on the passport member's website. Here is a link to the Busch Gardens FL annual pass holders website.
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