Busch Gardens Williamsburg (BGW BGE) Discussion Thread

[SaldekHave I mentioned how awesome donkeys are?]

Not sure why they moved it but I do like this view better. You can also partially see Nessie in the background and watch the train go through both loops.

[cfcI've gone pantless!]

That's a cool angle. I wonder why they made the switch?

So we could sit and watch all the people on the bridge whining when it's closed?

You can hear the wind and creaking sounds effects they use on the bridge pretty clearly, too.

[grimbyI Love Donkeys!]

That's an awesome camera angle and set up. Nice clarity. I wish more parks made an effort with web cams, like moving, panning cameras. Like you can see at the panama canal web site.

[DJENERGYZEI Guess Donkeys Are Okay]

you guys i have great news.!!! my supervisior has informed me that the yellow train should be up and running by this weekend. thus decreasing the wait time even more.

[T-BONDIcoasterkidI wrote the book about donkeys!]

I hope I can make it up there for this weekend!

you guys i have great news.!!! my supervisior has informed me that the yellow train should be up and running by this weekend. thus decreasing the wait time even more.

When I was there on the 6th, they had the yellow train running a few laps before putting it back into the storage house. I'll post photos and ride reviews attached to this post later tonight!

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Last week, my family and I went down to Busch Gardens and Water Country USA for the 4th of July, visiting Water Country on the 4th, and attending Busch Gardens on the night of the 4th too. We also went to the park on the 5th and the 6th, but only until 2pm each day due to a heat index of 105 or more! It was insanely hot, but worth every second.

Water Country was pretty busy on the 4th of July, but nonetheless we still had an enjoyable time. Aquazoid sported a long line all day, but since the queue usually moves pretty quickly, the max we waited was about 15-20 minutes. Hubba Hubba Highway was jam packed almost all day, as well as Rock 'n Roll Island and the wave pool. We tended to stay away from the second two, but our chairs were underneath the coverings at Hubba Hubba, so riding in it throughout the day was a necessity. Jet Scream had a "long" line, but the max waiting time was about 10 minutes; the same goes for Malibu Pipeline. The worst line of the day was Big Daddy Falls, having the line stretch almost up to the turnstile at the front. After standing in line for 10 minutes and not moving, my brother and our friend bailed. We never went back to the ride. Nitro Racer had a decent line as well, and I'd say 5 of us waited around 15 minutes to ride. Meltdown we did first thing in the morning, and waited 15 minutes too.

But, the big hit of the day for my brother and I was Vanish Point. The line for the "Drop" side tended to be on the lengthy side, so we walked right up and onto the "Slide" side for all of our rides (which was 6 ) I must say that the ride looks much taller at the top than you would expect, and the sensation of sliding over the top is one of pure adrenaline. Once you go over the edge, you feel an incredible rush of speed, only to be plastered to the slide for a good 5 seconds until you splash into the watery runway. I loved it! Even though my back was red a little and my butt was sore for days after (from splashing along the water at the end of the ride), I would do it again, and again, and again...

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Now, onto Busch Gardens!

I haven't been to the park since 2009 if I can recall correctly, and last time I was there Big Bad Wolf was still in operation and Mach Tower had yet to be installed. I also took into account why this park has been voted the Most Beautiful Park in the World so much, finally realizing how pretty it is compared to other parks! The scenery and foliage is simply stunning, and I really loved all of the hanging plants found through Italy.

Since we took advantage of our Discovery Passes, we went to the park the night of the 4th for fireworks and to ride a few rides. Little did we know how much of a mad house the park would be! We went to Oktoberfest with hope of riding Verbolten, but the queue was full to the brim, and my parents weren't willing to wait 40 minutes for us to ride. Instead, we headed to the Festhaus for dinner, and then went to the employee parking lot behind DarKastle to watch the fireworks.

Behind the Scenes!

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Cool Griffon shot..

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After the show we went back to Verbolten to check the wait, only to find the line stretched outside the queue and weaving through an extension line! Yuck. I forgot to mention Mach Tower had been shut down that day, as well as the next day (the 5th). We decided we would leave the park then, but I soon found out everyone else in the park that wasn't in line for Verbolten had the same idea...creating a huge bottleneck at the bridge. So, instead of getting stuck, we walked in the opposite direction, stopping at Curse of DarKastle for a quick ride.

Spooky!

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We then headed on to Alpengeist, walking right on and riding in the second row. I hadn't ridden this ride since 2006, and I must say that it was really fun in the dark, albeit the huge trim at the top and on the mid-course brake run.

The next day, we went back to the park again, riding Verbolten, Alpengeist, Griffon, Loch Ness, but not Apollo's Chariot. The ride was having "technical difficulties". So, we headed back to our hotel after braving the blistering heat all morning.

On the 6th, our last day in Williamsburg, we went to Busch Gardens again, arriving a little bit earlier to get right to Apollo's Chariot. And, before I forget, there was no one there!

What we're here for!

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Last row...and my lucky number N9NE!

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Since some members of the family don't ride roller coasters, the ones that did got in two rides on Apollo's Chariot before arriving at the bridge for Oktoberfest opening at 10:30. The chickens that didn't ride had saved us a spot right at the front, giving us a head start for Verbolten!

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But, when we arrived on the scene, Verbolten wasn't quite awake, having us wait for about 25 minutes for the ride to open. I finally discovered that the reason for our delay was that the yellow train was actually on the track making runs with the other four, giving it a little opportunity to be re-introduced to the ride after it's little "incident". The trains did another lap, and then the yellow train was placed back in the storage bay and the ride was opened up. Mach Tower was also open as well, but I didn't ride it. My mom overheard one of the supervisors/managers say that Mach Tower needed a specific park, but when they received the part last week, it wasn't the correct one, causing the ride to be down for over a week. The 6th was the first day that the ride had been open after an unplanned haitus - again.

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Wouldn't wanna be at the end of that line....

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Now, going into Verbolten I knew exactly what was going to happen. I'd watched videos, seen pictures, read reviews, and more, trying to prepare myself since the ride was announced back in September of 2011. The queue and theming around the ride are very well done and executed in a great way, and the cars are just awesome. They looked so neat in person, and really did give the feeling of a true themed experience instead of just another roller coaster.

I rode in the 3rd and 4th rows, so my opinion of the ride is based on the ride from the middle of the train. The meandering at the beginning of the ride is nice and smooth, and the sound effects on the train are a great touch. Coming up to the launch you know something isn't right, and the launch into the tunnel isn't forceful at all. The main thing about the first launch is, similar to Vanish Point, the intense sensation of speed. You can tell that you're getting faster and faster, and the cool air from the Show Building definitely adds to the effect! The "Black Forest" theming on the launch is neat, and I loved the lightning effect on the airtime hill.

Inside the ride building, throw your expectations out the window. While many compare the ride to Revenge of the Mummy, I found it a notch above that. The special effects in the first half of the ride are really cool (if you watch for them), and the forces on the helix left me insanely dizzy, seeing stars, and disoriented. I had no idea where I was or what was coming next, and the first brake run shows off the forest to your left with it lit up all eerie and scary. The drop leading up to the second brake run is somewhat forceful, and then you're slowing down again with one of three scenes. I experienced the wolves and the thunderstorm scenes, and the wolves one is mainly darkness with sound effects and glowing eyes. The thunderstorm one seemed a little more immersive, but both were still good.

The drop section of the ride is the most thrilling part of the ride, as you don't know when you're going to fall or how far you're going to fall. I was totally surprised when we actually did fall, and screamed both times as it's really scary! I loved it! The launch out of the building is much more forceful than the first one, as you feel yourself being pressed into the back of your seat and rocketing up to the bridge. The drop down to the Rhine River is a bit slow with little airtime, but fun and enjoyable. The first turn heading up the hillside back to the station is much more forceful than I anticipated, and there is some vibration there on the ride. The airtime hill is just a hill, and the final turn is pretty forceful as well. I think I cringed a little bit on those two turns the second time I rode because they really slam you into the seat.

Overall, the park has a very solid ride that is based on a family experience. I don't think I saw anyone get off the ride hating it, and I recall a lot of people laughing and obsessing over the drop section of the ride, seeing as it's unexpected and unforgettable. Verbolten is a great attraction that will keep thrill-seekers and families with smaller kids coming back for rides, and it's a perfect addition to the park.

More to come soon!

[MeteornotesKeeper Of The Carnivorous Bees!]

Would it help any if they incorporated The Final Countdown into the ride instead?

This quality post was many pages back, but needed more recognition for its awesomeness and for the genius of recognizing that The Final Countdown improves everything, even The Final Countdown.

And I still think they should blame all Verbolten downtime on the real reason: The Intamin Cable.

dt

[cfcI've gone pantless!]

^Maybe that's what Mach Tower needs--The Final Countdown!

[coasterfreak101Gimme Some Candy!]

^Funny story, the first time I rode Mach Tower this year it was without audio, and that night the ops were singing songs to us over the speakers. Pretty sure our second ride that night was to none other than The Final Countdown...and it was fantastic.

[DJENERGYZEI Guess Donkeys Are Okay]

you guys i have great news.!!! my supervisior has informed me that the yellow train should be up and running by this weekend. thus decreasing the wait time even more.

When I was there on the 6th, they had the yellow train running a few laps before putting it back into the storage house. I'll post photos and ride reviews attached to this post later tonight!

so you saw it when we had all five running. at least someone noticed lol