Kumba at Busch Gardens Tampa is revered as one of the best coasters from Bolliger & Mabillard.
It’s iconic and incredibly forceful.
But it also may arguably be the most important roller coaster for the Busch Gardens chain.
Find out why in this review of Kumba.
When you think about roller coasters in the Busch Gardens and SeaWorld chain, what rides
come to mind?
Chances are it’s a B&M.
This has been the chain’s manufacturer of choice over the past few decades when they
need a big roller coaster.
The B&M that started it all for the Busch Gardens parks was Kumba.
Built in 1993, this was Bolliger & Mabillard’s first sit-down roller coaster.
And it would also be the company’s largest roller coaster to date, standing 143 feet
or 44 meters tall and spanning 3978 feet or 1212 meters of track.
It also would also tie the record for the most inversions on any roller coaster with
seven upon opening.
Kumba caused double digit attendance growth for the park and has been thrilling guests
for nearly three decades.
So it’s no surprise Busch Gardens and SeaWorld have returned to B&M several times since.
In fact, the Williamsburg park wanted to add a similar B&M but because Bolliger & Mabillard
was so busy, Williamsburg had to go with Arrow Dynamics for Drachen Fire which was a disaster
to say the least.
Needless to say, the Tampa park is fortunate they got the B&M.
While Kumba is the chain’s oldest B&M, many still think it’s their best coaster from
them.
Located in the very back of Busch Gardens Tampa, Kumba has a presence.
The ride’s name is a made up word for roar, which is fitting given how loud this coaster
is.
Beyond the ride’s sheer size, the teal track looks fantastic and the yellow trains really
pop against that color pallet.
The ride is also super well-landscaped and integrated within the park.
I love how sections of the ride fly over and under pathways.
It really builds excitement prior to riding.
Kumba doesn’t really have any theming.
But I think that’s fine given how the ride was thoughtfully positioned in the park.
Because of how far Kumba is from the main entrance, it typically doesn’t open until
an hour after the rest of the park.
On the bright side, Kumba usually has a pretty short wait because of this location.
Most of my rides over the years have been station waits.
The only exceptions have been when Kumba runs just one train in the off-season on a busy
weekend.
On that note, definitely check the park’s refurbishment calendar prior to visiting.
Kumba is the coaster with the most downtime in the off-season, and that’s not too surprising
given its age.
Kumba is one of the most cycled B&M coasters in the world.
Beyond its age, the coaster operates 365 days a year in a harsh climate.
The Incredible Hulk Coaster was retracked a few years ago and Nemesis at Alton Towers
is poised to receive a track replacement in the next year.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Kumba is due for a similar treatment and I hope the park
is willing to spend that on one of their headliners to preserve it for many decades to come because
it’s still a crowd-pleaser.
When Kumba runs two trains, this coaster’s line flies.
Each train seats up to 32 riders across 8 rows.
And dispatches are usually pretty swift on this coaster.
Unlike the newer B&M sit-down coasters that feature floorless trains, Kumba’s trains
have floors.
While I prefer the more open vehicles of the floorless coasters from a visual standpoint,
these trains are equally as comfortable.
You have the familiar over-the-shoulder restraints.
These are hard, but thankfully Kumba is still pretty darn smooth after all these years.
The worst part about these trains is how little arm space you have with the adjacent rider,
but that’s just a minor nuisance.
Kumba has an extended queue for the front and it usually takes several extra trains
to board.
But my favorite row is the back anyway.
That is the most forceful seat on Kumba.
Once dispatched, you slightly turn out of the station and ascend the lift hill.
You don’t get the best view since the lift is positioned away from the park and Tampa
skyline.
Instead, you’re looking out into the nearby neighborhood.
Once at the top, you navigate a quick pre-drop and twist 135 feet or 41 meters back down
to the ground, reaching speeds of 60 mph or 97 kph.
I love many things about Kumba, but this drop is admittedly underwhelming.
It doesn’t have much force to it.
More or less, it just gets you up to speed.
The fun begins with the massive vertical loop.
This was the first time B&M had one of these elements wrap around the lift hill, which
is a neat visual.
But more importantly, this inversion is very powerful.
Strong positive Gs are sustained all throughout the loop and I typically greyout here.
It’s the most powerful loop on any B&M.
That’s followed by an excellent dive loop.
You get a faint pop of inverted airtime in the back rows and then you’re yanked back
down to the ground, experiencing some crushing positive Gs on the way.
Just after I regain my vision from the vertical loop, I typically start to get fuzzy here
as well.
Then comes the best element on Kumba, the zero-G roll.
I’ve heard some coin this element the hell roll and I can see why.
This inversion is violent in the best way possible.
It’s extremely snappy and rapidly rotate 360 degrees.
And that motion is even crazier since you’re levitating out of your seat as the train pulls
you through it.
I think the weightlessness is slightly better up front, but the back gets more whip to compensate.
Kumba then hurtles over this little speed hill.
It’s pretty elongated, but it can still give a little pop of airtime as a contrast
from the positive Gs.
You then get pinned to your seat for B&M’s first ever cobra roll.
While I find this element forgettable on a lot of their newer coasters, Kumba’s is
very snappy and I started to greyout slightly again from the positive Gs ascending and descending
the element.
Kumba then rises up into the mid-course, giving a reprieve from the blitz of forces.
You’re likely going to be trimmed here, but the second half still packs a punch even
when slowed down.
The drop off the brake run is pretty forgettable, but the interlocking corkscrews are anything
but.
These two corkscrews have some great snap to them, particularly in the back rows.
They’re whippier than B&M’s newer corkscrews.
That’s for sure.
I do want to note that the entry into the first one can cause some headbanging, but
that’s the only rough patch on the ride.
You then navigate this banked hill that dives into a tunnel.
It doesn’t look like much, but the drop pulls you downwards in the back.
When you emerge from the tunnel, you navigate this upwards helix that hugs the terrain.
The helix doesn’t feel all that fast, but it still delivers really good positive Gs.
You then hit the brake run, ending this forceful classic.
Kumba has to be one of the best paced B&Ms.
Outside of the mild first drop and reprieve on the mid-course, Kumba is incredible.
There are no throwaway elements or turnarounds here.
All 7 inversions deliver incredible positive Gs and/or snap.
I wish the later B&Ms could match the intensity of Kumba.
And the ride has an impressive sense of speed, particularly in the first half since you’re
zooming alongside trees and pathways.
So what would I rate Kumba?
I would give the original B&M sit-down looper a 9 out of 10.
This ride is a powerhouse.
Between the coaster’s strength and pacing, it’s about as good as a looping coaster
can be.
This ride is one of the best rides on the planet for positive Gs and snappy inversions.
Beyond the force, the ride also has that nice location and still offers a smooth experience
after all these years.
Although I prefer Montu in the same park, Kumba is still one of the best looping coasters
from B&M and it’s a ride I always look forward to lapping whenever I visit Busch Gardens
Tampa.
So those are my thoughts on Kumba at Busch Gardens Tampa.
What are your thoughts on this looper?
Do you prefer this or Montu?
Let me know your thoughts down in the comments.
If you enjoyed this review, I’d appreciate it if you gave this video a like and you considered
subscribing since there will be a lot more roller coaster and amusement park videos here
at Canobie Coaster.
Thanks for watching!