SheiKra reviews
Theme Park Insider readers offer their ratings and reviews for SheiKra, a roller coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa. (The minimum height to ride is 54 inches.)
Written by Justin Kermgard Naturally, Busch Gardens wanted to top that. SheiKra would stand at a Florida record coaster height of 200 feet, reach speeds in excess of 70 miles per hour, and boast a maximum vertical angle of 90 degrees. But BGT wanted to really one-up the competition. So they added a second drop, 138 feet tall at 81 degrees, plummeting underground before taking a banked turn into a splashdown area in a nod to the water theme of Stanleyville. The advertising campaign says it all: 200 feet up. 90 degrees straight down. SheiKra's coaster trains are a different design than your standard coaster. Each train has only three rows, but span eight seats across, carrying 24 passengers per train. There are five trains on the coaster and two can be loaded at once. This design increases guest capacity, reportedly accommodating approximately 1,500 guests an hour, barring technical difficulties. The top of the lift hill grants guests a spectacular view of landmarks including downtown Tampa, Adventure Island and the USF campus before rolling right over the edge and pausing. The train holds for 5 nerve-testing seconds before being released down the vertical drop, zooming along the ground and back up into an Immelman inversion. Coasting over the break hill, the train barely pauses for the second drop, which takes guests through part of the African jungle ruins, under the splashdown area and over the Zambia Smokehouse. The underside of the last row of each coaster is outfitted with special pipes. These pipes launch the water in the splashdown up into the air and onto the heads of guests waiting near SheiKra and the Stanleyville train station. Although guests on the ground may get drenched, riders will walk off nearly completely dry. In the winter BGT takes off the round tubes and puts on square tubes so the splash effect is still there but the people below it dont get quite as wet. And if you get there at special times the tunnel and the surrounding area is filled with mist. If that wasn't enough, now following the success of Griffon at Busch Gardens Europe, the cars have now been made floorless to add even more thrills to this incredible ride!!!
Readers' rating:
If you ride this ride in the front it's awosome but if you don't ride the front then it's nothing great - Giovanny Cruz On our recent visit to Florida this was the only coaster that I had any trepidation about riding. The butterflies in my stomach were doing barrel rolls while we were in the queue. Looking up the lift hill was huge. Once on the ride I was not disappointed; anticipation built up on the lift hill and was multiplied when hanging over the first drop. The drop was fantastic and the rest of the ride superb, the only downside was that it didn't go on longer. Don't miss it, it's awesome!!! - Peter Coulton This is a great coaster. Take the extra time to get a seat in the front. Hanging over the first drop is absolutely terrifying. Physically and psychologically thrilling. I only wish they would have made it longer and added more elements. It almost seems wrong to waste that much kinetic energy at the end. - Tim Hillman Perfect coaster, amazing drop. 10/10 - D H I rate this coaster 10/10. I love it! I only wish it were a little longer. It is so smooth you truly feel like you are flying. The two dives (the first one especially) are my favorite part! It is a must-ride! - Chris Hall i love this ride best in front and the drop oh the drop - Manny Rodriguez Amazing ride, but prefer Griffin. - Tyler Bell The anticipation as you hang over the first drop is probably the best part of the ride. It's definitely an enjoyable ride, but it seemed to end very quickly after that first drop. - Carl Stovall An awesome roller coaster. It's one of the best rides I've been on and it's most definitely a must ride for coaster fans. Sitting in the front is essential if you really want to get the most out of it. - Formula 40 9/10. That vertical drop makes the ride an instant classic, but the shortness of the coaster is it's downside. The long lines are worth it and when its a slow day there's nothing like riding it over and over again. Chickening out on this coaster is something you'll regret. - Jose Vazquez Shiekra is great. But when I went to the Williamsburg location, Griffon got stuck when it tipped before the drop. It was closed for the rest of the day before I got the chance to ride it. I'm guessing that Tampa location didn't have enough room to put in an exact copy of Griffon because Griffon has two inversions, and is taller, faster and longer. Shiekra is over really fast, even though I love it and rode it ten times in three days. - Bradley Keith Just like the Griffon - vernon griffin One of the best. Great visuals as well. - Eugene Koh More attraction and restaurant ratings:
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