I still remember the first time I stood under the lift hill at Busch Gardens, listening to the chain clank and the trains roar overhead, and wondering why I keep coming back to the same two parks for a speed fix. Is it the animals, the international villages, the live shows, or the water rides? For me, it is always the roller coasters. Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and Busch Gardens Williamsburg have built their reputations on animal exhibits and lush landscaping, but the real conversation starts when the harness clicks shut and the train leaves the station.
As of 2026, I have to make one important correction to older speed lists. For years, Griffon at Williamsburg sat at the top of the Busch Gardens speed chart at 75 mph, and it remains the speed king of that park. But Tampa Bay has Iron Gwazi, a 2022 hybrid coaster that reaches 76 mph and stretches to 206 ft. That single mile per hour matters in a speed-first ranking, so my 2026 version puts Iron Gwazi at the very top. Does one mile per hour really change the experience? In a park family this competitive, yes, it changes the bragging rights.
Here is how the speed ladder looks to me, from the 60-mph club to the current crown.
| Coaster | Park | Top speed | What I remember most |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loch Ness Monster | Williamsburg | 60 mph | Two interlocking loops, a 114-ft drop, and 3.5 Gs |
| Montu | Tampa | 60 mph | A 150-ft inverted giant with a 128-ft drop and 3.8 Gs |
| Kumba | Tampa | 60 mph | Seven inversions, a 135-ft drop, and 3.8 Gs |
| Cheetah Hunt | Tampa | Over 60 mph | A smooth launch, cheetah theme, and a final corkscrew |
| Tigris | Tampa | 62 mph | Three launches, 150 ft of track, and a dizzying partial twist |
| Tempesto | Williamsburg | 63 mph | A forward-and-back launch and a surprisingly smooth 2015 track |
| Alpengeist | Williamsburg | 67 mph | A 167-ft lift, a 170-ft drop, and 3.7 Gs |
| SheiKra | Tampa | 70 mph | A 200-ft dive, splashdown, and Immelmann loop |
| Apollo's Chariot | Williamsburg | 73 mph | 170 ft, over 4 Gs, and eight airtime hills with no inversions |
| Griffon | Williamsburg | 75 mph | A 205-ft drop, two Immelmann loops, and a splashdown |
| Iron Gwazi | Tampa | 76 mph | A 2022 hybrid monster and the current Busch Gardens speed king |
The 60-mph club: where the adrenaline starts
I love that three very different coasters can all sit at 60 mph and feel completely unlike each other. Loch Ness Monster opened in 1978 as the world's tallest and fastest coaster, and it still carries that old-school drama through two interlocking loops. The trees and calm water below make the ride feel strangely peaceful until the train dives. Montu, by contrast, is a 150-ft inverted coaster that pushes riders through a 128-ft drop and 3.8 Gs. Kumba packs seven inversions into under three minutes, including a vertical loop, a dive loop, a zero-g roll, a cobra roll, and two interlocking corkscrews. Can a coaster feel fast without being the fastest? Absolutely. Kumba proves that intensity is about pacing, not just the number on the sign.
Cheetah Hunt adds a different flavor at Tampa Bay. It opened in 2011 with a cheetah exhibit, and its launch sends the train racing over 60 mph before a series of careful turns and a corkscrew. I always think of it as the park's sleek sprinter rather than its brute-force heavyweight.
The 62 to 67 mph middle ground
Tigris at Tampa Bay reaches 62 mph and stretches over 150 ft high. I enjoy the unusual launch rhythm: the train rushes forward, falls back, and then speeds into a partial twist. Tempesto at Williamsburg does something similar with a 63-mph launch and a 2015 track that still feels remarkably smooth. Then there is Alpengeist, the runaway ski-lift themed inverted coaster that reaches 67 mph. After the 167-ft chain lift, it sends riders down a 170-ft drop and whips them around with 3.7 Gs. Is it a ski lift gone wrong or a masterclass in controlled chaos? I vote for both.
The 70 mph big hitters
SheiKra was the first coaster in the Busch Gardens family to make me feel like I was falling out of the sky. It dives down a near-vertical angle at 70 mph from 200 ft, and the splashdown and Immelmann loop complete the show. It opened in 2005 and became floorless in 2007, which only made the drop feel more exposed. Apollo's Chariot at Williamsburg goes 73 mph, and even without inversions it delivers over 4 Gs and more than eight airtime hills. Who needs to go upside down when a chain of floating hills can leave you breathless?
The 75 and 76 mph crowns
Griffon remains the Williamsburg speed champion at 75 mph. It is a dive coaster with two Immelmann loops, a splashdown, and two vertical drops, including a 205-ft plunge. The ride lasts about three minutes and serves up 4 Gs, so it earns every bit of its reputation. But in 2026, the overall Busch Gardens speed crown belongs to Iron Gwazi at Tampa Bay. At 76 mph, it edges Griffon and turns the old ranking into a new story. I would plan a morning ride on Iron Gwazi, follow it with Montu and Kumba before the queues build, and save Apollo's Chariot and Griffon for a Williamsburg day when I want airtime and theatrical drops. The speed spectrum is wider than ever, and that is exactly why I keep coming back.