Yesterday was media day for the new Cheetah Hunt coaster at Busch Gardens in Tampa, Florida and I was lucky enough to attend. I cannot say enough about how well this event was setup & many thanks to my host Jody (next to me in the video below), who went out of her way to make sure everything went a smooth as possible for me.
For now I'll just get to the point & give you my opinion of the coaster. As you can tell from the on-ride video, I thoroughly enjoyed the ride. The coaster is super smooth, with a nice punch of airtime at the top of the hill after the second launch, followed by incredible views throughout the figure eight, then a nice dive through a deep tunnel into a great inversion & the twisty dive through the water canyon is breathtakingly gorgeous. I don't think I've ever ridden a coaster that was the such a perfect 'family friendly' thrill ride & while it might not be all that many of you had hoped for, it is definitely a fantastic addition to the park & well worth the trip from Orlando for all of those of you who have been to the park before. In fact it's so good that I'm back at the park right now, putting up with the huge opening day crowd, hoping to get another ride.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDt3ZXek9uM[/youtube]
However, there have been a few glitches over the past two days, the biggest of which is the delayed opening today, as the coaster is experiencing technical difficulties & they are now hoping for an early afternoon opening.
A similar problem occurred yesterday. I had one of the last scheduled morning timeslots & right after my ride they took a lunch break, but couldn't get the coaster running again for the afternoon media timeslots. After waiting around for hours those members of the media that didn't get to ride were told to return that evening for the VIP event to get their chance to ride. By the time the VIP event got underway they had the coaster running again & it ran for three solid hours without any trouble. Although I've been told by the park's operations manager that it isn't the exact same trouble, it's something that can be fixed & they should get it up & running in the next couple of hours.
I don't have enough time to post my photos or a longer report right now, but I hope to get to all that tonight when I get back to my hotel. For now you have these videos of my on-ride & my interview with Mark Rose, the Vice President of Design & Engineering, who answered a few questions I had about the coaster.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yH9mk9dFAlo[/youtube]
I've only been able to post this now thanks to the park allowing me to use their facilities as my hotel's internet connection was beyond bad. It took me 2 1/2 hours just to upload the on-ride video last night & I wasn't able to upload the interview at all. Now that it's done I'm heading back over to the coaster to join CMonster & UC, who are also both here. :--D
Edit - I found out that the issue they had during media day & opening day morning was that the coaster had stalled just before the return launch causing a sensor problem that needed to be adjusted. The same issue came up again in the evening, but the last one only caused about a hour delay compared to the 4-5 hour delay of the earlier trouble.
Anyway, on with the report.
Media Day:
Everything was extremely well organized & I was given a timetable to follow in advance of the event. I arrived shortly before my scheduled timeslot to find a separate entrance was being used.
Since I had a few moments to spare before my host was to arrive I took a quick look around & got my first glimpse of Cheetah Run.
This behind the glass view was the only glimpse of the cheetahs that guests would be getting today as the rest was closed off for media only. To get to Montu & that section of the park guests had to leave the park...
...and walk back into the park on the other side of Cheetah Run & Cheetah Hunt.
After a few moments I was introduced to my host, Jody, who escorted me past the barricades into Cheetah Run where I got a better view of the big cats...
...and the "tree", as I like to call it.
At the end of Cheetah Run you go under the launch into this courtyard...
...where they have this cheetah topiary.
He's quite a looker.
Then we crossed over a small bridge that goes over the second launch...
...to get my first look at the station.
The transformation from the old sky ride entrance is quite a sight to behold...
...and those cats are pretty amazing.
As were the lovely ladies that greeted us.
Gotta love the test seat!
After entering the station you are greeted with the rules & regulations.
The queue line extends up...
...and around Cheetah Rock.
All along the way they have facts posted on all the columns to read while you wait to ride.
The near side...
...and far side of the queuing area.
I watched the local media interview Mark Rose while Jody went to confirm my ride time.
I also got my first views of the train...
...and all the fancy camera equipment.
Here's the launch out of the station.
Since I still had some time before my ride, Jody arranged for me to interview Mark Rose up on the balcony overlooking Cheetah Run...
...the courtyard...
...and the launch.
After the interview there were some technical difficulties with the coaster, so Jody & I took went on the sky ride.
Really squeezed the transfer track in there, didn't they?
When we returned to the station it was finally my turn to take a ride. Then we exited through the gift shop...
...where they have some nice displays....
...with all kinds of information...
...about the supports...
...and the cables...
...along with some nice artwork...
...as well as all the other goodies you'd expect to find.
We went back upstairs to get a backseat ride, but missed the last train before the crew took a lunch break. After an hour it was time for the afternoon sessions, but the coaster had the trouble I mentioned before & all the afternoon sessions had to be cancelled. I couldn't believe how lucky I was to get that 11:30am timeslot & took one last photo with my lovely host Jody.
So with the coaster down for the rest of the afternoon, I headed out into the park to film the other rides (which I will be posting on our youtube channel as time permits).
Opening Day:
I arrived an hour before opening to find the park entrance overflowing with a huge crowd & I made my way through the mob past the turnstiles only to find an even bigger crowd on the other side.
After just over an hour wait the ropes dropped & everyone took off running for Cheetah Hunt. Much to my surprise I was able to keep up & found myself at the front of the crowd as we got to the barricade in front of the station.
However soon announcements were made that the coaster was having technical difficulties & the ride wouldn't be open until early afternoon. Then the barricades came down & everyone rushed the entrance, where more barricades were erected to keep the crowd back. It seemed to take the staff by surprise that so many people were willing to stay until the coaster opened rather than ride something else until then. I took this opportunity to upload the Mark Rose interview video & start this topic. After about 2 hours I received a text from CMonster that it looked like they were about to open the ride, so I made a quick dash to my car to store my laptop away & head back to the coaster. I found Corey just a few feet from where I had been earlier & joined him at the front of the line.
We talked for a few moments about the hours he had spent waiting in the hot sun when I overheard a couple of German guys next to him talking about their wait as well. I found out that they were on a massive coaster tour of the US that included stops in Texas, Wisconsin, Ohio, Virginia, Pennsylvania & New Jersey after their two week stay in Orlando. By the time they filled me in on everything they were doing, the ride opened & we were escorted through the queue.
I couldn't believe how everyone was cheering, clapping & giving high-5s after waiting for so long.
Here is a video I made of the entrance crowd, the crowd waiting for the coaster to open & our walk through the queue line to get to finally ride the coaster.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5i0qwWkoMxA[/youtube]
Here's CMonster (Corey) & I just before our first ride...
...and my new German buddies.
Here's the guys on the first ride of Opening Day...
...and my fellow countrymen.
I had to get back off my train as the one in front of mine stalled on the far brake run, so I took advantage to check out the train (without all the camera equipment).
After a 20 or so minute wait I finally got my front seat ride!
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPhb3O4vIvo[/youtube]
After my ride it was time to say goodbye to CMonster & my German friends & head out into the park to film some off-ride footage & take some photos.
Up & around the courtyard...
...down under the bridge...
...and into the second launch.
Around & round it goes...
...before the drop!
Going up...
...and coming down.
Over the skyride!
It even looks cool from a distance.
Here...
...it...
...comes...
...and there...
...it goes!
Over the sky ride...
...into the brake run...
...past the waterfalls...
...and through...
...the twists!
There are so many great spots to view the coaster from & I really have to commend the park for doing such a great job with that. You can get an even better idea of what I'm talking about by watching the off-ride video I filmed.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6a2PhYfU9RI[/youtube]
So with those photos & that footage taken I thought it would be a good time to take another trip across the park on the skyride. The queue line for the coaster is beside the one for the skyride, only much longer.
You get a nice view of the coaster...
...from the skyride queue.
I still can't believe how lucky I was with timing my ride on the skyride.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnRJyoVY6Kw[/youtube]
With such a great video on the way out, I decided to take photos on the way back.
The coaster can be seen from so far away...
...which builds the anticipation of riding as you get closer.
Over it goes.
On it's way back...
...to the station.
Another skyride hop shot.
Here it comes...
...again...
...and there it goes again.
With all the photos & video footage done, there was only one thing left to do - try the back seat ride, even if it was a 2 hour wait.
The wait ended up being just over three hours however as the coaster stalled on the far brake run yet again.
But no one left the queue line in spite of the long delay.
At least I ran into my two German buds to keep me company while we waited.
I'll post the backseat reverse POV in my next post for those that want to check it out.
Once again my gratitude goes out to everyone to Busch Gardens who went out of their way for me.
I can't wait to go back with the wife & kid to see what they think of the coaster, but I'm sure they'll like it.
As for all you doubters out there, all I can say is that everyone that waited for nearly 6 hours to ride were just as enthusiastic after riding as they were before they got on the coaster. All I heard was how it was so worth the wait & a lot of the people went right back into that massive queue as soon as they got off. If that isn't what the park was trying to achieve with this coaster, then I don't know what is.
For now I'll just get to the point & give you my opinion of the coaster. As you can tell from the on-ride video, I thoroughly enjoyed the ride. The coaster is super smooth, with a nice punch of airtime at the top of the hill after the second launch, followed by incredible views throughout the figure eight, then a nice dive through a deep tunnel into a great inversion & the twisty dive through the water canyon is breathtakingly gorgeous. I don't think I've ever ridden a coaster that was the such a perfect 'family friendly' thrill ride & while it might not be all that many of you had hoped for, it is definitely a fantastic addition to the park & well worth the trip from Orlando for all of those of you who have been to the park before. In fact it's so good that I'm back at the park right now, putting up with the huge opening day crowd, hoping to get another ride.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDt3ZXek9uM[/youtube]
However, there have been a few glitches over the past two days, the biggest of which is the delayed opening today, as the coaster is experiencing technical difficulties & they are now hoping for an early afternoon opening.
A similar problem occurred yesterday. I had one of the last scheduled morning timeslots & right after my ride they took a lunch break, but couldn't get the coaster running again for the afternoon media timeslots. After waiting around for hours those members of the media that didn't get to ride were told to return that evening for the VIP event to get their chance to ride. By the time the VIP event got underway they had the coaster running again & it ran for three solid hours without any trouble. Although I've been told by the park's operations manager that it isn't the exact same trouble, it's something that can be fixed & they should get it up & running in the next couple of hours.
I don't have enough time to post my photos or a longer report right now, but I hope to get to all that tonight when I get back to my hotel. For now you have these videos of my on-ride & my interview with Mark Rose, the Vice President of Design & Engineering, who answered a few questions I had about the coaster.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yH9mk9dFAlo[/youtube]
I've only been able to post this now thanks to the park allowing me to use their facilities as my hotel's internet connection was beyond bad. It took me 2 1/2 hours just to upload the on-ride video last night & I wasn't able to upload the interview at all. Now that it's done I'm heading back over to the coaster to join CMonster & UC, who are also both here. :--D
Edit - I found out that the issue they had during media day & opening day morning was that the coaster had stalled just before the return launch causing a sensor problem that needed to be adjusted. The same issue came up again in the evening, but the last one only caused about a hour delay compared to the 4-5 hour delay of the earlier trouble.
Anyway, on with the report.
Media Day:
Everything was extremely well organized & I was given a timetable to follow in advance of the event. I arrived shortly before my scheduled timeslot to find a separate entrance was being used.
Since I had a few moments to spare before my host was to arrive I took a quick look around & got my first glimpse of Cheetah Run.
This behind the glass view was the only glimpse of the cheetahs that guests would be getting today as the rest was closed off for media only. To get to Montu & that section of the park guests had to leave the park...
...and walk back into the park on the other side of Cheetah Run & Cheetah Hunt.
After a few moments I was introduced to my host, Jody, who escorted me past the barricades into Cheetah Run where I got a better view of the big cats...
...and the "tree", as I like to call it.
At the end of Cheetah Run you go under the launch into this courtyard...
...where they have this cheetah topiary.
He's quite a looker.
Then we crossed over a small bridge that goes over the second launch...
...to get my first look at the station.
The transformation from the old sky ride entrance is quite a sight to behold...
...and those cats are pretty amazing.
As were the lovely ladies that greeted us.
Gotta love the test seat!
After entering the station you are greeted with the rules & regulations.
The queue line extends up...
...and around Cheetah Rock.
All along the way they have facts posted on all the columns to read while you wait to ride.
The near side...
...and far side of the queuing area.
I watched the local media interview Mark Rose while Jody went to confirm my ride time.
I also got my first views of the train...
...and all the fancy camera equipment.
Here's the launch out of the station.
Since I still had some time before my ride, Jody arranged for me to interview Mark Rose up on the balcony overlooking Cheetah Run...
...the courtyard...
...and the launch.
After the interview there were some technical difficulties with the coaster, so Jody & I took went on the sky ride.
Really squeezed the transfer track in there, didn't they?
When we returned to the station it was finally my turn to take a ride. Then we exited through the gift shop...
...where they have some nice displays....
...with all kinds of information...
...about the supports...
...and the cables...
...along with some nice artwork...
...as well as all the other goodies you'd expect to find.
We went back upstairs to get a backseat ride, but missed the last train before the crew took a lunch break. After an hour it was time for the afternoon sessions, but the coaster had the trouble I mentioned before & all the afternoon sessions had to be cancelled. I couldn't believe how lucky I was to get that 11:30am timeslot & took one last photo with my lovely host Jody.
So with the coaster down for the rest of the afternoon, I headed out into the park to film the other rides (which I will be posting on our youtube channel as time permits).
Opening Day:
I arrived an hour before opening to find the park entrance overflowing with a huge crowd & I made my way through the mob past the turnstiles only to find an even bigger crowd on the other side.
After just over an hour wait the ropes dropped & everyone took off running for Cheetah Hunt. Much to my surprise I was able to keep up & found myself at the front of the crowd as we got to the barricade in front of the station.
However soon announcements were made that the coaster was having technical difficulties & the ride wouldn't be open until early afternoon. Then the barricades came down & everyone rushed the entrance, where more barricades were erected to keep the crowd back. It seemed to take the staff by surprise that so many people were willing to stay until the coaster opened rather than ride something else until then. I took this opportunity to upload the Mark Rose interview video & start this topic. After about 2 hours I received a text from CMonster that it looked like they were about to open the ride, so I made a quick dash to my car to store my laptop away & head back to the coaster. I found Corey just a few feet from where I had been earlier & joined him at the front of the line.
We talked for a few moments about the hours he had spent waiting in the hot sun when I overheard a couple of German guys next to him talking about their wait as well. I found out that they were on a massive coaster tour of the US that included stops in Texas, Wisconsin, Ohio, Virginia, Pennsylvania & New Jersey after their two week stay in Orlando. By the time they filled me in on everything they were doing, the ride opened & we were escorted through the queue.
I couldn't believe how everyone was cheering, clapping & giving high-5s after waiting for so long.
Here is a video I made of the entrance crowd, the crowd waiting for the coaster to open & our walk through the queue line to get to finally ride the coaster.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5i0qwWkoMxA[/youtube]
Here's CMonster (Corey) & I just before our first ride...
...and my new German buddies.
Here's the guys on the first ride of Opening Day...
...and my fellow countrymen.
I had to get back off my train as the one in front of mine stalled on the far brake run, so I took advantage to check out the train (without all the camera equipment).
After a 20 or so minute wait I finally got my front seat ride!
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPhb3O4vIvo[/youtube]
After my ride it was time to say goodbye to CMonster & my German friends & head out into the park to film some off-ride footage & take some photos.
Up & around the courtyard...
...down under the bridge...
...and into the second launch.
Around & round it goes...
...before the drop!
Going up...
...and coming down.
Over the skyride!
It even looks cool from a distance.
Here...
...it...
...comes...
...and there...
...it goes!
Over the sky ride...
...into the brake run...
...past the waterfalls...
...and through...
...the twists!
There are so many great spots to view the coaster from & I really have to commend the park for doing such a great job with that. You can get an even better idea of what I'm talking about by watching the off-ride video I filmed.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6a2PhYfU9RI[/youtube]
So with those photos & that footage taken I thought it would be a good time to take another trip across the park on the skyride. The queue line for the coaster is beside the one for the skyride, only much longer.
You get a nice view of the coaster...
...from the skyride queue.
I still can't believe how lucky I was with timing my ride on the skyride.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnRJyoVY6Kw[/youtube]
With such a great video on the way out, I decided to take photos on the way back.
The coaster can be seen from so far away...
...which builds the anticipation of riding as you get closer.
Over it goes.
On it's way back...
...to the station.
Another skyride hop shot.
Here it comes...
...again...
...and there it goes again.
With all the photos & video footage done, there was only one thing left to do - try the back seat ride, even if it was a 2 hour wait.
The wait ended up being just over three hours however as the coaster stalled on the far brake run yet again.
But no one left the queue line in spite of the long delay.
At least I ran into my two German buds to keep me company while we waited.
I'll post the backseat reverse POV in my next post for those that want to check it out.
Once again my gratitude goes out to everyone to Busch Gardens who went out of their way for me.
I can't wait to go back with the wife & kid to see what they think of the coaster, but I'm sure they'll like it.
As for all you doubters out there, all I can say is that everyone that waited for nearly 6 hours to ride were just as enthusiastic after riding as they were before they got on the coaster. All I heard was how it was so worth the wait & a lot of the people went right back into that massive queue as soon as they got off. If that isn't what the park was trying to achieve with this coaster, then I don't know what is.
