Busch Gardens Williamsburg (BGW BGE) Discussion Thread

^They said that Mach Tower will include some "surprises" at the top--but that you'd have to ride it to find out what they are. (So, you may get your wish. )

I'm going to post some pictures from the event today (still have to sort through them).

[AbsimilliardWhich came first the turtle or the donkey?]

Sounds nice! Looks like Mach Tower will be a gyro drop from Intamin or a Fabbri Drop Tower.

As for Vanish Point, this seems to be the first US installation of the new Proslide "Superloop" slide. http://www.proslide.com/rides_08_d.php . The term "Skybox" is a trademark of Proslide too.

[larrygatorObsessive Overlord of the TPR Park Index]

Fresh Baked Pretzels! Hell Yeah!

[VigilI just made a donkey in No Limits!]

Hmmm... That drop tower I must admit I am a little disappointed in by looking at the pictures. It did not look like a Intamin and looked like it had a very low capacity. I know pictures can be wrong but not that wrong. Also I was expecting a little more theming too. But I won't knock it til I've tried it.

However, I am looking forward to the new coaster. This is going to be fun.

Oh and the name..."Mach Tower" what are we Cedar Fair now?

Busch Gardens held a special event as part of its "Annual Passholders Appreciation Weekend" today--a presentation of their two-year plan for BGW and Water Country USA. The keywords here are drop tower, multi-launch coaster, and pretzels!

The presentation began in the Festhaus at 11:00 am for 1,500 passholders. To give you an idea of the turnout, I arrived at there around 10:20, and there were already 1,100 people partaking of complimentary coffee and strudel. The presentation was divided into five parts:

1. The expansion of scarezones for this year's Howl-o-Scream (that is, "The Scare Is Everywhere").

2. The expansion of Christmas Town into Italy this year, with new shows, food offerings, and "1,000,000 lights" in Italy alone (not mention the rest of the park).

3. The "re-envisioning" of Oktoberfest. This will include new performance areas (such as a regular Maypole dance), new buildings, fresh baked pretzels (you can watch them being made), and a beer garden--and the new, 240-foot Mach Tower. This will be the tallest struture in the park. The ride will seat 30 guests, and the seats will roatate as they climb up the tower at six feet per second, thus giving everyone a great view--at least on the way up. They promised other "surprises" at the top . . . but you'll have to ride it to see what those are. Mach Tower will sit where Das Katapult is currently located, but not to worry--the old flat ride is going to return in 2011, too.

4. Vanish Point, a new set of slides for Water Country USA. These will be freefall slides with "2 super loops" and a 75-foot vertical drop! And sliders will have two choices--to launch themselves onto the slide, or to have the floor dropped out from under them! (I think these have the potential for being the most-insane rides at Water Country.)

5. A new "multi-launching roller coaster"! This is really all they said, but my guess is a ride along the lines of what Tampa is getting for 2011. They mentioned the old Big Bad Wolf prominently, thus hinting that the new ride will follow much of the same route (this is just speculation on my part).

All-in-all, it was nice event to thank passholders for their loyalty to the park over the years--and Busch's plans for the next two years sound pretty impressive. Here's a look at the event along with the official press release below:

Official Press Release



http://www.buschgardensvablog.com/coming-soon-drop-tower-new-water-slide-and-coaster

Just announced, though it's no Secret. Mach Tower and Waterslides in 2011 and The Launched coaster in 2012

Here's the announcement from John Reilly, president of Busch Gardens and Water Country USA.

Today is a big day for the Williamsburg theme parks.

I’m happy to tell everyone about our two-year plan that includes five major changes between Busch Gardens and Water Country USA. This plan is the largest investment in our history, and it offers something for everyone in the family.

Many of you have asked about this, and I’m happy to tell you we’re expanding Christmas Town: A Busch Gardens Celebration. Beginning Nov. 26, guests will experience the flair of an Italian Christmas, featuring a golden color scheme and graceful angels as far as the eye can see. Our Italy village will leave guests with a feeling of peace on earth as the park completes the transformation into a Christmas wonderland. And the expanded Christmas Town has an expanded schedule, staying open every day after Christmas until New Year’s Eve.

Then in 2011, Busch Gardens and Water Country USA are taking their attractions to new heights. As you enter Oktoberfest next spring, you’ll see the massive spire known as Mäch Tower™. The tallest ride in the park, Mäch Tower will take you 246 feet above Oktoberfest. After rotating at the top of the tower and getting a few seconds to take in the view, riders drop at breath-taking speed. State-of-the-art special effects including enhanced audio and other surprises will elevate Mäch Tower to new heights in ride design and engineering. This psychological thrill ride opens in the spring.

After more than 30 years, the park is updating the look and atmosphere of Oktoberfest. Restaurants, games and everything in between will be rejuvenated. You can enjoy fresh-baked pretzels and a new beer garden set amid canopies of colored maypoles and festive banners that depict the rich heritage of Bavaria.

At Water Country USA, guests are in for the slide of their lives at our epic new drop slide, Vanish Point™. The crest of this 75-foot tower challenges guests with two wave paths. They can step into a skybox and take a plunge when the floor drops out beneath their feet, or you can brave a 300-foot speed slide that drops you straight down as soon as you enter. Either way, it’s pure liquid adrenaline.

And now I want to tell you what we’re planning for 2012. For more than a year, coaster fans have been speculating as to what would replace The Big Bad Wolf. I’m excited to tell you that we are planning for a new, state-of-the-art multi-launch roller coaster that will propel riders at high-speeds through twists, turns and even more surprises. That’s all I can tell you now, except that it will feature many “firsts” when it debuts in the spring of 2012.

We couldn’t be more excited about what’s planned for the next two years, and we hope you are too. To keep track of our progress, you can always follow us on this blog, Facebook and Twitter.

YouTube Videolink


Photos from today's event:

[NoxegonI'm a culture ho]

Drachen Fire's Revenge?

[jarmortoken black guy]

multi launch...wow could this be 2 kick A$$ intamin 6 hours north and south of me! Intimida...what? lol

[Dr.ShadeyCan I park my donkey here?]

Wow, that's some exciting news. Thanks for the update.
I'm trying to imagine what kind of "firsts" this new launch coaster is going to claim. Most likely regional firsts?

Disappointing. Doesn't look like a Gyro Drop...not because of the pictures, but because of the capacity - Intamin Gyro Drops have a 40-person capacity, and this says that the tower will have a 30-person one. Unless they're building a custom one (with a smaller radius carriage) to make room for the special effects.

The launch coaster? On Big Bad Wolf's old route? Excellent! It's a great way to reuse the resources, also it will be much-more open-air and more "OMG we are way too close to these buildings" than BBW was.

Vanish Point? Looking good, if a bit generic. I've heard the SuperLoop is a lot more intense than the AquaLoop.

[SquidDoes Jeff Johnson count this donkey as a credit?]

Pardon me while I drool... thank goodness, not a B&M flyer! I stand a chance of riding it.