Motion sickness at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay: what's rough and how to cope

Photo: Montu Man 1011, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Resized and converted.

Tampa, Florida, United States · United Parks & Resorts · ~3.975M visitors (2024, industry estimate)

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay deserves its reputation, with an asterisk. The coaster bench is heavyweight: Iron Gwazi drops 91 degrees at 122 km/h, Montu runs seven inversions, SheiKra dives 61 m straight down, and Cheetah Hunt launches three times. Yet the ride most likely to actually make you sick is the modest-looking Cobra's Curse, whose cars spin freely and add unpredictable rotation to coaster motion. Force sensitivity and spin sensitivity are different problems, and this park tests both. The counterweight is the animal side: the Serengeti Express train, the SkyRide, and the Edge of Africa walkthrough form a genuine second park where non-riders and recovering stomachs get a real day. Ride big early, spin late or never, and reset among the animals between rounds.

The rides most likely to set you off

• Iron Gwazi: hybrid coaster with a 91-degree drop at 122 km/h.

• Montu: inverted coaster with seven inversions.

• SheiKra: dive coaster with a 90-degree, 61 m drop.

• Cheetah Hunt: triple-launch coaster.

• Cobra's Curse: spinning coaster whose cars rotate freely.

Cobra's Curse is the stealth pick: its cars spin freely on top of the coaster track, and unpredictable rotation beats raw drop height as a nausea trigger.

Where to reset between rides

When your stomach needs a break, head for Serengeti Express train, SkyRide or Edge of Africa animal walkthrough. Slow visuals, a fixed horizon and a seat that is not spinning give your inner ear time to settle before the next big ride.

Feeling queasy at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay right now?

Stop the nausea

Open Dizzout, plug in any headphones, tap play. Drug-free sound therapy, and most people feel better in about 90 seconds. No pills, no drowsiness, no waiting for a tablet to kick in.

Download on the App StoreGet it on Google Play

On a computer? Dizzout installs on your phone — scan the code, or open dizzout.com/get on your phone and it'll take you straight to the right store.

Your survival plan for Busch Gardens Tampa Bay

1. 1

   Ride Iron Gwazi and SheiKra in the first two hours, before Florida heat stacks onto coaster forces.

2. 2

   Decide on Cobra's Curse separately from the big coasters; free-spinning cars can undo a stomach that handled Montu fine.

3. 3

   After every second intense ride, walk Edge of Africa or sit on the SkyRide as a reset.

4. 4

   Ride Cheetah Hunt before lunch; three launches on a full stomach is the avoidable mistake.

5. 5

   Send non-riders to the Serengeti Express train with a set meeting point so nobody queues sick out of politeness.

6. 6

   Drink water constantly and take shade breaks; heat is the quiet multiplier on every nausea trigger here.

7. 7

   Pack headphones and run a Dizzout sound therapy session at the first wave of queasiness; most people feel better in about 90 seconds.

Going with kids

The Serengeti safari side lets non-riders have a real day out.

Common questions