Busch Gardens' roller coaster tours: Behind the scenes, 200 feet up

TAMPA, Fla. - When most thrillseekers go to amusement parks, the adrenaline they crave is on coasters. But for the ultimate daredevils, Busch Gardens is taking thrills to new heights: Their roller coaster tours are proving popular, with reservations filling up quickly.

Each tour starts with a bird’s-eye view from Sheikra, one of the park's most popular rides. A lift takes you up almost 200 feet to the top of the coaster. Once on top, you'll savor the view riders only get for a few seconds.

"Not many people get to stand up here, at least that don't work on the ride," said Norman Snook, a ride supervisor. "They don't get to stand up here and get this view of the entire park."

Next is Cheetah Hunt, where you'll stand inches from one of the coaster's magnet-powered launch sites and learn what happens behind the scenes.

"They're going to see some of the ways we do our safety checks each day, some of the ways our rides operate, and how we do our maintenance to make sure it's smooth sailing every ride," park spokesperson Becca Romzek explained.

Plus, you'll get to catch a ride on any of the coasters you tour -- before the park opens.

Romzek hopes the tour is as inspiring as it is thrilling.

"Maybe we'll inspire the next generation of theme park leaders, who knows?" she said.

Tickets for the tour cost $69.99, and tours are held August 25 and September 1, 8, and 15.

More information can be found on Busch Gardens Tampa Bay website: https://buschgardens.com/tampa/tours/roller-coaster-tour/