REVIEW: Kumba – B&M Sitting Coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa – December 2019

Kumba is a fast paced and intense B&M (Bolliger & Mabillard) sit down steel roller that opened in 1993 at Busch Gardens Tampa. Kumba is one of five B&M sit down coasters in the world, making it a special and rare experience. Kumba opened as Busch Gardens Tampa’s second roller coaster, with seven unique inversions. I’ve ridden this coaster more times than I can count, and here are my thoughts:

Kumba is packed full of amazing elements with almost no breathing time in between. The ride starts off by taking a left hand turn down the 135 ft drop into a forceful vertical loop that circles around the lift hill. The coaster then travels up an incline into an intense dive loop. From there you are whipped into a zero-g roll that makes you feel weightless. Following the zero-g roll comes a very intense cobra roll that makes me gray out almost every time I go on it. After the cobra roll, you have a little time to gain composure on the mid-course brake run before dropping into interlocking corkscrews. While the ride is mostly very smooth, I have found that the section following the mid course brake run can get a bit rough. Once you are through the corkscrews, the ride finishes of by going through a tunnel into a helix. This part is pretty mundane because of the loss of speed going into it.

The Verdict

Kumba is a fun and intense ride overall. Whenever I go to Busch Gardens Tampa, I always make sure to get a few rides on it. Kumba is located in the back area of the park and doesn’t get a lot of attention, which in turn leads to the coaster having a very short line all the time which is a very big plus. The first few elements before the mid course are jaw-dropping and get me close to graying out almost every time I ride. In the end, the ride is a very fast-paced, intense and smooth experience that is definitely worth getting on if you’re at Busch Gardens Tampa!

Final Score: 9.5/10

. . . . .

Want to stay up to date with our latest theme park plans, reviews, and more? Be sure to follow us on Instagram @Limitless_Park!

Thanks for Reading!