This January I began working in the Cheetah Hunt Area of the park, and boy was I excited! It was, and still is, a true learning experience. I learned about all the ride’s safety systems, the extensive and sensitive maintenance it required on a daily basis, and even all the brand new technology that Intamin, the ride manufacturer, showcased on our ride; the use of repelling magnets as the main propulsion method.
And I even learned where the best seat on the ride was located....I’ll let you know which one it is, later in this post!
Cheetah Hunt is almost completely automated with its super advanced safety system. There are enormous generators, transformers and computer rooms that control the three launches of Cheetah Hunt. But these control rooms have to be maintained at very low temperatures to keep the electronics cool, as they emit a lot of heat.
BIG electrical equipment = FAST launches!
Part of this advanced safety system that the ride has includes making sure that all these control rooms are cold temperatures, all gates are closed, and even makes sure the ride trains made it to the next checkpoint, or block. If everything is not in perfectly working order, ride will not start, but will let you know if there was a problem and where specifically the cause of the problem was to get it corrected as soon as possible.
This makes this one of the safest rides, ever, and with safety at the top of our list, this is a must for my ride.
Cheetah Hunt requires extensive daily maintenance, including but not limited to checking all of the safety harnesses daily, daily inspection of each of the brakes, the kicker tires that move the ride near the station area, and even the track itself is free of any debris.
A view of Cheetah Hunt behind the scenes: the trains in their queue
The use of repelling magnets and the LSM motors systems are also a fairly new technology. Basically, instead of using drive wheels, or a sling shot, to accelerate the ride to a specific speed, we use a system of repelling magnets that get supercharged as the train goes by, making the propulsion possible. You experience three sets of launches on the ride reaching speeds up to 60MPH and up to 1.1 G of launch acceleration. Both of these elements can be experienced on the second launch of the coaster.
Now back to the question,“What’s the best seat on Cheetah Hunt?” Well it’s all a matter of opinion, but I can tell you that you do not experience the “whiplash effect” that you would normally feel sitting on the back of other roller coasters. From rows two through eight, it’s pretty much the same experience, but front row is a completely different experience. And, it’s even better at night!
I challenge you to ride Cheetah Hunt at night especially now that Summer Nights is coming in the next few months! Our hours will get a little longer and there will definitely be more night time riding time available.
What’s your favorite seat on Cheetah Hunt? How many times have you ridden?
