There are many rides at Busch Gardens Tampa, but only a few are in the top five.

   Coming in at number 5 is Kali River Rapids. It’s a water ride where you climb into a circular raft and float through a river of rushing water with waterfalls and a strong current. The ride will get you drenched, so it’s really nice on a hot summer day, but will leave you freezing during the winter months. 

   At number four there’s Montu, a ride with a plethora of loops, drops, and corkscrews. If you enjoy roller coasters, this is a good one for you. It’s a hanging coaster, so your feet are dangling from the cart and the track is above you. 

  For number three we have Cobra’s Curse. Cobra’s Curse has an elevator that lifts the cart from the ground near the loading bay to the start of the track, where you meet face to face with a cobra statue. The cart spins on the track and as you round a few turns, the car drives backwards. Towards the end of the ride, there is a part in the track that hangs you almost sideways. It’s super fun and better for people who don’t like coasters that go upside down or have huge drops.

   Next, at number two is Cheetah Hunt. Cheetah Hunt is a launch coaster, a coaster that launches forward in multiple places. It is a magnetic based track, meaning the coaster is secured by magnets as well as several safety clasps that normal roller coasters have. This coaster goes almost 90 degrees straight up after launching out of the dock, around a corner and lurching forward. It then rounds a few more corners and begins its descent. The track is about ¾ of the park and you can see the serengeti from the coaster. The ride has one corkscrew and no loops, which makes it a perfect inbetween for people that are scared of loops in roller coasters. 

   Finally, at number one is Sheikra. This ride is the main attraction for Busch Gardens Tampa and always has a long wait time. The wait time is worth it though, if you like big drops and loops. This ride stops right before the largest drop of the ride, hanging you over the edge. The drop is 200 feet down and at a 90 degree angle, then straight into a loop. The ride has one other main drop that goes around and over a man-made pond, spraying water towards the people standing near the edge of the track.

   There are other rides at Busch Gardens Tampa such as Tigris, Falcon’s Fury, Kumba and Scorpion. And although those rides are fun for some, other people may disagree. 

   Kumba was manufactured 1993, and the ride is so old that it shakes your head and body when on the ride in a discomforting way. Newer coasters are a lot smoother, and the top 5 beat out Kumba with no problem.

   Scorpion is a fun, short coaster with one loop. However, the ride only has lap bars, which although due to physics and gravity it’s not possible to fall out, some riders could feel unsafe and unsecure on the ride, which means it does not make the top 5.

   Falcon’s Fury is a drop tower, similar to those in other parks, such as Valleyfair, Six Flags, Disney World, and other parks. While this is a great attraction for people who enjoy drop towers, it’s not an original enough idea to be placed in the top 5.

   Lastly, is Tigris. This ride is newer at Busch Gardens Tampa, and it goes through the same track four times in a row. The ride goes backwards twice and forwards twice. The reason it did not make it into the top 5 was because while it is super fun, it repeats the same track multiple times without any new parts of the track, such as a new drop or a new corkscrew, which make it predictable for first-time riders, bumping it out of the top.