Busch Gardens Williamsburg (BGW BGE) Discussion Thread

[netdvn]

Nothing is essentially "blocked" per se (outside of the drop track and the various elements hidden behind curtains) and you can see the theme elements quite well. The effects don't seem to work when the lights are on though so you don't get a complete experience like you would if the lights were off.

 

The park doesn't have any other props outside of the ones you can see in the dark.

[Expoman]

I was able to ride Verbolten twice on Saturday. It was an amazing ride and I rate it 11 out of 10. I found no flaws with this ride knowing there were going to be some kinks missing in the soft opening. People need to stop whining about the roughness. Why do people always have to find something negative. It's not too fast, the freefall drop wasn't big enough, etc. I did not find the ride shaky at all, and the free fall drop actually delivered a nice kick. I was going into the ride knowing it was not going to be Kingka Ka but a nice spooky family themed coaster.This ride would fit perfectly in a Disney or Universal park. Blackstone has really proved their investment with the Busch parks, and I can't wait to see whats next up their sleeve with the possible Resort Expansion and Water Country Expansion. I feel like Busch Gardens is going through what we saw in the mid to late 90's. I expect a boom in the next five or so years. The Oktoberfest expansion is a great model on what kind of direction is going for the future of Busch Parks. I don't know if they were planning this, but with the success of Christmas Town Busch Gardens was maybe looking for new ways to enhance the experience.With most of Verbolten being indoors maybe it has a higher chance of staying open during colder days. Just a thought.

 

 

 

Here is a little review of Verbolten. I rode twice. Once in the front and once in the back. Since I used to be a ride attendant back in Disney I know that is no problem requesting for a certain row. I liked the back a little more because of the slight increased G's. I was so disoriented inside that I did not quite catch the show scenes. I was having too much fun inside there. I have a passion for indoor coasters. There is something great about zooming around in a dark building and it never matters how fast you are going. This all goes back to the success of Space Mountain in the 1970's. I found this ride to be a mixture of three coasters down in Florida. Cheetah Hunt in Busch Gardens Tampa, Expedition Everest in Disney's Animal Kingdom, and Mummy at Universal Studios. I have ridden all three of those coasters in the past year and I found Verbolten shares a lot of elements taken from all three coasters. Kudos to Zierer, I feel like this is a big project for the up and coming company. Kind of like what Montu & Alpengiest did for B&M in 1996/1997. I have always respected Busch Parks concept to shy away from the cookie cutter coaster designs Six Flags and Cedar Fair Parks usually go with. I guess Sheikra and Griffon are an exception. You can't really customize a vertical drop coaster too much, and Busch Parks even did a good job customizing those rides.

 

 

 

Great job Zierer, Blackstone (Merlin), and Busch on a great ride, and everyone needs to come check this thing out as soon as possible.

[DBru]

People giving this ride an 11/10 is why Verbolten is being regarded as over-hyped.

 

I'm sure the coaster is a fun ride. Let's not blow it out of proportion, though.

[Schotcher]

^ ...8, 9, 11, 10...

 

It seems to me like BGW nailed their goal of "extreme family coaster", not too wimpy, but not too intense. Kudos to the park.

[cfc]

I'm looking forward to finding out for myself this week--sounds promising based on what many people have said so far.

[niiicolaaah]

I'd give it a 6/10. I looked up Wes' "steps of a new coaster thread" thingy and showed it to my boyfriend before we went to the park... then we got off the ride and he jokingly said "OMG ejector air on the brake run and in the station! This ride can cure cancer!"

 

[HersheyBearsDan]

I'm planning on taking a trip down to BGW in July, on a saturday. Should I buy Quick Queue passes online beforehand or can I buy them at the Park the day we are going???

[Homeboy23]

^ You can buy them when you get there if you want. Several gift shops sell them and there is one right when you enter the park.

[deguy123]

lets not blow it out of proportion, though.

 

You have been on this site long enough to know what to expect correct?

 

The ride looks good but yeah an 11/10 seems a bit blown out of proportion but peoples opinions are different. I'm hoping to do all of East Coast Bash because at first I was only thinking about doing KD.

[Moose]

At least it isn't the park that is over hyping the coaster *cough* th13teen *cough*

[angelport]

The ride looks really neat, but I thought parts were a bit rough and rattly for being so new. I'm delicate though, so maybe it's me!! But I think I liked Big Bad Wolf better!

[cfc]

I liked the Wolf, but it had become quite the maintenance nightmare. Never found it particularly rough, either. I'm glad that Verbolten pays some tribute to BBW, too.

 

There's always an initial rush of folks who both over- and under-praise a new atrraction. Personally, it looks like the park got the ride it wanted with Verbolten. Looking forward to tomorrow!

[Skycoastin Steve]

I'd like to petition the moderators for a new word filter. With Verbolten being close to opening, can we make sure the term "V-Bolt" is never used to describe this coaster? It just makes my head hurt, and it's an idiotic nickname. And if anyone refers to it as "Boltie," the permaban should be dropped on them.

[Hhappy]

...... And if anyone refers to it as "Boltie," the permaban should be dropped on them.

So you are basically requesting a ban for yourself?

[cfc]

^We'll miss you, Steve.

[Skycoastin Steve]

^^That is the first and last time that B-word will ever be put into print by this man.

[robbalvey]

I'd like to petition the moderators for a new word filter. With Verbolten being close to opening, can we make sure the term "V--Bolt" is never used to describe this coaster? It just makes my head hurt, and it's an idiotic nickname.

Agreed! And Done!

Edited May 16, 2012 by robbalvey

[AstroDan]

Anyone able to compare the sensation provided on the Intamin system (Th13teen) and the Zierer (Verbolten)?

 

[Skycoastin Steve]

^^V-Bolt.

 

Awesome!

[cfc]

^I'd call it a "win-win" solution. Lazy people don't have to type out the full name, and picky people don't have to be annoyed with the shortened versions.

Edited May 16, 2012 by cfc

[ernierocker]

And if anyone refers to it as "Boltie," the permaban should be dropped on them.

 

Adding an "...ie" to the end of a coaster is reserved only for Cedar Point coasters.

 

Maggie

Millie

Draggie

Mavie

[Skycoastin Steve]

^^I just get annoyed by nicknames for coasters, i.e. "Maggie" for Magnum (although Robb's satirical use of them in the CP report was full of win). Call me a snob, I won't mind.

 

^Exactly! Robb and I talked about that not long before he went up there, it's awful!

[cfc]

^The only such nickname I've ever cared for was "Nessie" for the Loch Ness Monster.

[Rai Fox]

^The only such nickname I've ever cared for was "Nessie" for the Loch Ness Monster.

 

Still such a great coaster, and always going to be a favorite of mine. I'm even wearing my Loch Ness Monster t-shirt today! ^^

[robbalvey]

^^I just get annoyed by nicknames for coasters, i.e. "Maggie" for Magnum (although Robb's satirical use of them in the CP report was full of win).

I'm glad someone picked up on that!