Detailed user ratings
Kumba features
Onride Video
Also in Busch Gardens Tampa 14
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Reviews 706
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Inversions Intensity
It's so sad walking up to this ride and seeing no wait for it even with one train operations, because it's still a fantastic ride even to this day. The inversions are all fantastic and forceful, with the highlight being the Zero-G Roll, but really, everything here is fun, even the helix at the very end is so forceful for no reason. This ride is a masterpiece, and I REALLY hope they Hulk it when the time comes!
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Inversions Fun Intensity
another example of an old b&m coaster that supposedly has a rattle but i didn't feel anything like that on any of my rides. probably the best standard sit down from b&m, huge fan of it
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Layout Rattle Discomfort Pointless
In my opinion, Kumba is the only bad roller coaster at Busch Gardens. Kumba is a roller coaster that needs to be torn down. Not a bad idea is getting rid of it and adding a nice giga or launched coaster, or even a wooden! Just not a coaster that belongs at Busch.
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Location Rattle Headbanging Pointless
Kumba just sucks. The ride is rattly and pointless plus it just bangs your head the whole time. It’s not fun or good at all.
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Intensity Layout
This ride has a personality that other rides can't compare to. It has a very fun layout with some great moments of whip and positive G force. Great fun!
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Launch Fun Intensity
Such a CRAZY, cool coaster. I loved this amazing ride. It gets your heart pumping, going all over the place!
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Inversions Nice surprise! Intensity Headbanging
What a classic! Kumba was way better than I expected. The inversions were all very snappy and forceful. I wish I could've ridden this in its prime.
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Pace Intensity Layout
Kumba is legendary. The whole ride is full of incredible positive G's. the first two loops are great but the zero-g roll after is the highlight of the ride for me. Front row on an edge seat and you go flying to the side. The whole second half has so many cool interactions with the area around it and holds it's speed well. The helix finale in the tunnel is a great way to end the ride.
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Inversions Masterpiece Intensity Rattle
This ride is everything B&M does right with their coasters. They make this and pump out nothing but junk for years to come afterwards. Its a shame this ride's life will come to an end soon but I will enjoy it until then
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Inversions Pace Layout Headbanging
The ride has an amazing layout with powerful inversions and a chain lift through a loop! The only con was on the turn in the tunnel where your head bangs into the restraints.
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Duration Pointless
Busch Gardens needs to remove this antiquated ride which rarely has a line or queue. I remember in 1993 riding Kumba and it was so exciting but that was 30+ years ago! Busch Gardens needs to reinvent itself with indoor and outdoor attractions, hyper coasters, or indoor/outdoor coasters that are impacted by the weather. There are so many attractions geared towards children, including the new Phoenix rising family coaster. If I wanted a family coaster, I would go to my local state fair.. The only saving grace right now is iron Gwazi, which is a fantastic experience. Even older Rides like scorpion are so badly needed to be removed. As the amusement industry continues to develop groundbreaking and innovative rides, Busch Gardens seems to fail, and recognizing that both adults and children are looking for ground breaking thrill experiences. Why do you keep around scorpion and Kumba and even Montu. They’re no longer groundbreaking and they no longer provide a thrill (with exception to some folks which is rare) given the ‘less than 5 minute’ queue lines every time I’ve visited… as they are antiquated. Platinum passholder here, for many years… Look at Cedar point and model your development, given the fact that you have taken so much real estate from the African Safari area and other animal attractions, be innovative, and structured for enjoyment and thrill. Get rid of the animals except for rehabilitation, after talking with guides at the park for certain attractions, it’s just an outdated formula for a SeaWorld experience – keeping animals in captivity surrounded by noise, screams and ridiculous imbecile rides that have cut into the African safari. I’m about conservation and fortification efforts to help endangered species, but so much real estate has been taken away already that you might as well get rid of the animal attractions – again besides rehabilitation into the wild – and focus on your main POV amusement. I’m not amused watching tigers walking around looking emaciated and elephants (If you can ever find them) shying away trying to keep themselves cool. Keep yourselves relevant to amusement sans entrapment for monetary income. It’s about time Zoos from amusement parks because the lines have been so blurred it. No one longer makes business sense, and you can see that at Busch Gardens, Tampa. The animal habitats have shrunk, it’s very rare that you can see animals in BG’s captivity – which I think probably is a good thing moving forward – but utilize yourselves through monetary contributions an operationalize how you can support conservation versus entrapping animals (which you most likely won’t see on your visit) for monetary purposes. That’s all I have to say. Sorry it grew into a diatribe of coasters versus animals.
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Inversions Intensity Layout
It was a nice surprise - I almost felt in love with this coaster for the layout, its power, the jungle there you cross during the layout and some super elements - I consider it's the sister of Montu according to the same constructor, but more for the same sensations felt - the layout is different and Kumba more powerful and more " wildy " but sooo soo good to ride - whatever the row, I could ride it 7 times and I never get bored - the weakness of the ride is the slowdown in the second part and the thrill ends before the tunnel but it's so sooo good - theming gives the good experience and obviously, the position " jungle " in the park - the soft green color - to ride it by day or by night <3
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Inversions Intensity Duration Rattle
The first half of this coaster is incredible and I was honestly liking it more than Montu, the loop is intense and the hell roll is just as good as hyped to be, throw in a nice dive loop and whippy cobra roll and you’ve got a solid run of elements. Than you the mid course and the rattle starts the headbanging during corkscrews and overall tamer second half are what made Montu better for me however I do still enjoy this more than Sheikra. Overall a really strong first half that carries this ride, and a second half that definitely sold.
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Kumba is a frustrating ride. It is typically very intense and fun, but 19 times out of 20 this ride has headbanging, particularly during the iconic corkscrews. I almost always love everything through the corkscrew, even if Montu is definitely more intense overall. Sometimes the pain really takes away from the experience, and it happens so often. I think the ride is ultimately showing its age a bit and while it is a classic with plenty of great traditional B&M elements, it isn't as fun as Montu or Sheikra for me and I don't tend to look forward to riding it as the other two.
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Capacity Location Intensity Headbanging Disappointing!
Although this ride is fine, it's WAYYYYY overhyped. Heard that its the best B&M sitdown, but it was rougher and more boring than Hulk. The color scheme is good, and the landscaping is beautiful, but the ride is so rough that the headbanging will give you a migraine. If you can somehow ignore the headbanging, there is a good layout behind it.
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Intensity Intensity
Kumba is like Montu but I think the floorless position was in its favor because I actually wanted another ride. It’s so well integrated with the landscape and reminds me of RMC wild maneuvers so it’s a bit more fun than most B&Ms.
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Inversions Location Intensity Theming
Kumba is an intensity monster that takes a lot out of you to ride it, but it's definitely worth it. All of the inversions pop so well and deliver face-melting positives, especially the snappy zero-g roll. This ride's location in the back of the park allows it to feel like a secluded journey, but it still has some neat interaction with walkways. It's a bit of a nitpick, but I think this ride could have some better theming, especially considering its competition in Montu at the same park. 8.5/10 - I came the closest I ever have to a fight at a theme park while in queue for this ride
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Capacity Nice surprise! Duration
Kumba is 30 years old and while past its prime delivered a pretty noteworthy experience. It doesn't compare to Iron Gwazi (not much will), but it had a good amount of intensity throughout the entire ride and I can only imagine how it stacked up to other coasters when it first came out. It must have truly stood out among the top coasters of the time. The foundations you now find in most B&M Hypers are evident in the car and track design. But surprisingly, it had a lot more tricks up its sleeve than the most modern of B&M hypers...inversions, corkscrews, etc. Made me wonder what something like Candymonium, Intimidator, Goliath (SFOG) or Mako would feel like if inversions were added to the equation. I have to imagine B&M has some things to gain if were to add some of Kumba's elements to its newest Hyper designs. One can dream...
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Pace Intensity Layout
Kumba is a fantastic classic coaster. The layout, terrain, and intensity make this one of Florida's best coasters. The color scheme is phenomenal with those yellow trains and the location wrapping around pathways and diving into tunnels is fantastic. You go up the lift hill and pre-drop to the left. The first drop isn't anything special but then you enter the vertical loop where the positives begin to crush you. The dive loop following is even more intense and also has some good whip thrown in. You enter the zero-g roll which is one of the whippiest inversions in the world and my favorite element on the whole ride. You dive under a bridge and enter a smooth and whippy cobra roll. You hop up into the mid-course brake run and dive to the left. You enter the only portion of the ride that features a rattle, the interlocking corkscrews. Rattle aside the corkscrews are whippy and forceful. You hop up left into a stengel dive which is fantastic. You dive into a tunnel and go through the final helix which is positioned very close to the ground. One of the best B&M loopers there is without question. The entire ride has positives that just seem to be turned up a notch compared to other B&M loopers I have ridden.
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Inversions Pace Intensity Rattle Headbanging
It's definitely overrated, with there being roughness and headbanging. It's still a stupidly intense ride. Inversions are fun, and the pacing is good.
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Capacity Duration Headbanging Disappointing!
This one was the most disappointing of the park. Maybe with the high Captain Coaster rating and percentage I thought I would love this one but it just didn't do much for me. I felt like there was way too much headbanging to actually enjoy it and it felt like an old Arrow looper more than a B&M. The layout was pretty solid and this one had amazing capacity but I don't remember too many forces on this one. There were a couple of inversions with fantastic whip to them but I feel like I've ridden better rides. 3.5/5 stars
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Inversions Intensity Dead spots
A very intense coaster. Not at all uncomfortable.
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Inversions Pace Intensity Rattle
While I love Kumba from riding it in my formative years in its glory days there's something I can no longer deny; Kumba is rough. It rattles, it shakes, and the strong sustained g-forces hurt my head. Both me and Kumba are getting old. I love this ride but with it being far in the back of the park and Florida always being hot nowadays, I tend to skip it more often than I used to. Still, the revolutionary layout it pioneered remains legendary.
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Inversions Intensity Layout
This was a pleasant surprise, despite its age it still hauls and delivers a great experience.
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Inversions Pace Intensity
Kumba has some of the most sustained positive G’s I’ve experienced. While other coasters have far stronger moments, throughout most of kumba and especially the larger inversions you are plastered to your seat the entire time and you never really lose the pace. It’s how long you are experiencing these G’s that makes it special. One of the only moments where there isn’t great positives is the hell roll which changes things up with amazing whip. This coaster also has a nice location tucked back in the trees and there’s lots of grass and other plants you can touch during the ride which is cool. There isn’t much variety to this ride but it does what it sets out to do very well, it feels like one super long greyout. Overall one of the better B&M loopers out there.
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Inversions Nice surprise! Fun Headbanging Harness
I really, really like this ride. The layout leads naturally into the inversions, which are smooth and fun. I list headbanging as a con, but it's really earbanging. That hard plastic OTSR smacks my ears, making them bright red and a little sore after each ride. I'd like Kumba even more if the OTSRs had shoulder straps. (My ears would definitely enjoy the ride more...) Better yet, how about just a lap bar?
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Inversions Pace Intensity Rattle
Kumba shreds through its layout, while its course is not original. Its downright insane Positve g’s are what make it. The hell roll is one of the most violent inversions in the world with insane laterals and floater airtime, corkscrews are very whippy and the first loop is a guaranteed grey out for me. The ending helix is also very forceful, Due to its age its not the smoothest but I still love this coaster
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Inversions Pace Masterpiece Rattle
Visually stunning, amazing forces, large capacity, this coaster has it all. Unfortunately, “all” includes a slight rattle, but it doesn’t detract too much. B&M were making damn near perfect rides even in 1993.
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Inversions Fun Intensity Rattle
I rode this early 2022, it didn't impress me. But when I rode it very recently, it very much impressed me. It's super intense, has awesome inversions, such as the dive loop (weightlessness), and the insane zero-g roll. If you sit in the right edge of the train, you can reach your arm out and try to touch the grass on the final helix. It's super fun!
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Inversions Fun Intensity
This ride is SOOOOO FUN! It is quite intense and it has SO MANY INVERSIONS! People also say there is a ‘rattle’ on this ride but when I went on it I didn’t feel it at all.
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Intensity Rattle Headbanging Tear it down!
The wait for this was five minutes and I can see why. It’s either in need of a retracking or a tear down. Old, way too rattle-filled, and outdone in thrills by countless other coasters. Worth it once for a five minute wait, but I never need to do it again. Skim if the wait is over 20 minutes.
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Inversions Rattle
Honestly, Kumba is a middle of the road coaster for me. It's my 3rd least favorite at BGT due to the rattle and headbanging. That one inversion that went upside down is kinda cool. I think it would be great if B&M came in and turned the lift hill into a 340 ft tall vertical lift hill, changed the first drop, and left the rest of the layout the same. It would add to the forces and intensity, and I think Flordia could use another vertical lift coaster. Wasted potential.
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Location Intensity Smoothness
I don't really know why exactly, but I really love this ride. There's just something about it that makes it special to me. I love the extremely loud classic B&M roar that Kumba makes and I love the intensity in the back. It's a bit of a walk to get to it, being all the way in the back of the park, but that does have its advantages. So far, on the two times that I've been there, there has been no line for the coaster, which is great. Overall, I think it's a really fantastic ride that is a bit looked over in a park filled with great rides.
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Inversions Intensity Smoothness Headbanging
Kumba is a very solid ride. The inversions are all very fun. An all-around fun classic roller coaster worth riding.
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Inversions Fun Layout
Unique layout and inversions with this one, it has a little rattle but it's manageable and a fun ride, the back to back corkscrews are so much fun
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Intensity Layout Duration Rattle
I actually thought this ride was super intense. The inversions are just great and although I noticed it had a bit of a rattle to it, it did not take away from how great this ride is.
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Fun Masterpiece Layout
This was my first roller coaster. Kumba is still the greatest coaster I've ever ridden, and it is infinitely rerideable.
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Intensity Rattle
WAs a fun ride but once was enough because it definiteliiy has somewhat or a rattle BUT much better than incredible hulk coaster that I had ridden earlier in the week
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Inversions Intensity Rattle
It was a good ride. It made me a little disoriented because of the rattle. I think it’s a little overrated but it’s definitely an iconic ride at Busch gardens Tampa.
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Fun Intensity Rattle
What a classic this ride is and the most picturesque ride out there.
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Inversions Rattle Headbanging
Honestly just not a fan of these B&M "invert machines." I've ridden several of them, and I just think they all set you up for a headache. On a side note, I'm a pretty small guy (5'10"/170), but the seats were pretty cramped. The first couple of inversions were alright, but the back half felt pretty pointless.
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Inversions Disappointing!
Honestly, Kumba doesn't do it for me. It feels....boring. The drops lack steepness, the inversions are meh, and it overall felt like it lacked any reasonable intensity. B&M loopers aren't known to be the most thrilling in the world, but I really felt let down.
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Comfort Intensity Layout
This takes the 7 inversion layout of Sfgadv Medusa or Scream and notches those up to 1000. The constant positives and whip just keep on coming and there aren't really any dead spots to me. My favorite current B&M and traditional looper and for good reason.
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Inversions Intensity Headbanging
Révision de la note cette année. Les trains sont vraiment rincés.
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Capacity Layout Rattle Headbanging
This one is certainly a rough ride, and while it has a great layout, the constant headbanging can distract from what would be a very thrilling and fun experience. I would recommend going for the front row on this one. UPDATE 2022-02-04: I rode front row on this one with a full train and it was phenomenal. Definitely the most underrated coaster in the park, if not the whole state of Florida.
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Intensity Rattle
Kumba is on the more intense side of B&M, but also on the rattlier side. This ride has a serious rattle after the midcourse brake run, be aware of this.
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Inversions Intensity Duration Theming
Pretty good coaster with pretty intense inversions and other good elements.
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Inversions Location Intensity Rattle Dead spots
Kumba is a true classic - the first half of the layout is immaculate, intense greyout valley after intense greyout valley, the whip on the cobra roll and Zero G Roll, the positives on the dive loop and loop are perfect. Outside of the slight rattle, the ride's first half really is incredible. The corkscrews are a bit lackluster however, being too fast for hangtime, but too slow for whip, and despite the rather intense ending helix, the second half really lacks enough speed to cement it as a truly elite coaster - but it's still incredible.
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Inversions Fun Layout Disappointing!
This is a very good ride. It has several great fun inversions. However, it wasn't as intense as I was expecting
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First Drop Capacity Intensity
A good sit down B&M with a good first drop and awesome first loop over the chain lift. Packs some decent positives during the ride and the roar of the track fits the theme so well.
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Inversions Intensity Rattle Headbanging Discomfort
This coaster has some great intense elements, such as the cobra roll, the interlocking corkscrews, and the helix. This sounds like a good layout on paper but this ride is very rough, and has over the shoulder restraints which make it painful to ride. My friend got sick after riding it from all his headbanging, and i had a headache.
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Inversions Intensity Layout Rattle Headbanging
Kumba features some really forceful elements and inversions, my favorite being that awesome zero-g roll, but the constant headbanging after that elements detracts from the amazing layout.
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Inversions Pace Fun
It feels like a sit-down version of Kraken with a worse drop, but the drop is still fun. I like this ride!
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Inversions Intensity Duration
A really fun old B&M looper, not as good as it's made out to be, but I did go on a cold, rainy day, so that might impact my opinion.
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why did they stop building these? so intense, so long, so much fun. i absolutely loved kumba. every element hits so hard, i greyed out, i loved it, maybe the best ride in the park for me.
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Capacity Inversions Location Rattle
This ride is a classic. Great capacity, (all three trains running when I went), rock solid inversions that are still fun to this day, and the secluded location in the back of the park, not to mention the interlocking corkscrews that are extremely photogenic. The only slight problem with this ride is that it has a rattle.
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Inversions Fun Intensity Rattle
One of my fav. rides at the park, its very fun to ride with many inversions (amazing zero g rolls). Also its beautiful to look at and there is never waiting in line. Only con is that became a bit rough, after 4 rides in a row I got a headache.
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Inversions Rattle Layout
Its a B&M multilooper with no standout elements. No snap, no interesting inversions, just eh.
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Inversions Masterpiece Intensity
Best B&M Looper I've ever ridden, (and most intense too!).
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Inversions Pace Headbanging
7.6 out of 10. many inversions that fun and enjoyable. little rough at times.
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Inversions Masterpiece Intensity
Kumba was the coaster that got me into coasters. I love this ride to death for that, and many more reasons. I haven’t ridden it in nearly four years (but I will return to my former home park, Busch Gardens Tampa, this April) so my very fond memories might be a bit outdated. I remember a few months before I rode this coaster, how I’d just been getting into the enthusiast gig. I watched POVs of coasters online on a daily basis, which helped me get over my fear, and began to focus my attention on breaking that fear of inversions. Against my better judgement I decided to ride Kumba in February 2015. Walking up to it, my gut feeling began to kick in. Was I REALLY about to ride this huge B&M looper? I punched my stomach for being afraid and went into the nonexistent line. I fastened the shoulder harness, took some deep breaths in disbelief, and soon we were off. The slow and agonizing climb up the chain lift did nothing to ease my fear. Quicker than I would’ve liked it to be, the train disengaged from the chain dogs and we plummeted thirteen stories down. I didn’t scream; I never really have on coasters. Then the test of my will came; the 114-foot vertical loop. One of the most ridiculous things I thought about inversions was, with all the blood rushing to your head would that make you dumber? How did it exactly feel to go upside down? Would I end up upset after my ride, like I was at SooperDooperLooper back in 2014? That all came to a head as the train inverted. It was a glorious feeling, being upside down for so long. My questions had finally been answered. The train soared through a dive loop and into the “Hell Roll” — Kumba’s overly forceful zero-g roll, the term unbeknownst to me at the time — but my favorite part of the ride was right up ahead. This cobra roll has a lot of whip and G’s to it, I thought to myself, and before I could contemplate the ride up to this point we were already dropping out of the mid-course. The pair of corkscrews and the banked turn, as photogenic as they are, offer high G’s to boot; then we dove under the station, into the dark tunnel, and burst out into a surprisingly high-G helix. I was pinned to my seat! Yet all too soon we hit the brake run, and with that, my undying obsession with roller coasters had just been amplified. All in all, biased or not, Kumba is a literal masterpiece. I am more than ecstatic to ride this beast again this April, after nearly four looong years of waiting, along with my other old friends at Busch Gardens Tampa; Montu, SheiKra and (even though I don’t like to admit it) Cheetah Hunt. For many reasons it will forever be my favorite coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa, even if RMC Gwazi turns out to be as incredible as us coasterfans expect it to. While Voyage may be my #1 coaster overall, Kumba holds a special place in my heart for being the coaster that helped me over my fear. I love this ride!!!
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Inversions Location Rattle
I was one of the lucky ones to ride Kumba in it's opening year, completely oblivious to it's significance at the time. Still a great ride this far down the line and Busch work very hard to look after it - allegedly it's one of the more complex B&M's to maintain. It doesn't share the same structural features as virtually all other B&M's, take a close look at the joints between track and structure. It can be a bit rattley at times but it's also not scared to apply forces, something newer rides often back away from.
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Inversions Masterpiece Intensity Theming
MAN THIS ride is powerful, these old school B&Ms really rock. This ride is relentless from start to finish it is a must ride.
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First Drop Inversions Headbanging
A great ride with a decent duration as well. The zero-g roll is my favourite inversion. There was some headbanging towards the end however.
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