Upon opening, Cheetah Hunt received positive acclaim from the public, and ranked as the 2nd Best New Ride of 2011 by the Golden Ticket Awards.

[3] Rose was inspired by a scene in the Star Wars film Return of the Jedi where the protagonists navigated the forests of Endor on speeder bikes.

[2] In the early planning and construction stages, the roller coaster was initially called "Cheetaka", as a trademark was filed on April 18, 2010, for the name by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, parent company of Busch Gardens Tampa Bay.

[7] Construction walls and survey stakes were observed in April 2010 within the Edge of Africa section, with the Serengeti Express closed to reposition railroad track.

[7][18][19] Temporary pathways were erected during the construction of Cheetah Hunt behind the former Budweiser Clydesdales stables to reroute foot traffic.

[28][29] It was observed that the park was completing "walk-through tests" on the track, a measure to ensure the trains could safely clear obstacles, in late March.

The second launch accelerates riders to their top speed of 60 miles per hour (97 km/h) before climbing a 102-foot (31 m) figure-eight element (also known as a Windcatcher Tower).

[35] Riders weave through a series of helixes before dropping 130 feet (40 m) into a trench, then proceed over a direction-changing airtime hill crossing over the Skyride, before completing the ride's only inversion, a heartline roll.

Upon exiting the barrel-roll and its subsequent brake run, the ride remains low to the ground and goes through a series of short banked turns through a rock fixture simulating several "near misses".

This leads the ride into its third and final launch, which accelerates riders to a speed of 40 miles per hour (64 km/h) to navigate its way back to the station.

[33][36] Cheetah Hunt was originally termed within the Crown Colony Plaza area of the park,[37] now the Edge of Africa section.

[2] The exhibit features glass-paneled viewing areas which allow visitors to watch cheetahs sprint across a 220-foot (67 m) dirt track and educational touch screen panels.

[46][47] The cheetahs originated from the White Oak Conservation Center located near Jacksonville, Florida, and South Africa.

Sean Daly from the Tampa Bay Times said that Cheetah Hunt is not that scary and compared it to SheiKra and Montu.

"[35] Dewayne Bevil of the Orlando Sentinel positively highlighted the scenic tower, winding maneuvers, and low curves that were akin to slalom skiing.

[60] Bevil complimented the ride running smoothly with comfortable over-the-shoulder harnesses, overall stating it "isn't an extreme coaster, but definitely a fun one".

[60] Staff of Attractions Magazine praised the roller coaster's combination of launches, airtime, and "zig-zag motion".