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Busch Gardens Williamsburg (BGW BGE) Discussion Thread

P. 469: A Stroll Around Christmas Town

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This would be the best Christmas park ever if they ran all of the coasters. I'm sure their seasonal beer collection is out of this world and there's nothing I love more than cold weather drinking. In the summer you kind of need to drink water and stay hydrated occasionally. In the winter there's no need to waste your time with that type of bull***.

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Surprised no one has linked to the parks post about the trains for Invadr.

 

 

It's been a very busy few weeks at the InvadR construction site. Rather than update you on what's going on at the project site like previous posts, I would like to take a moment and talk about three character qualities: talent, skill and dedication. The Busch Gardens maintenance team exemplifies those three qualities and they deserve recognition for their hard work in bringing InvadR to life. We mentioned previously that the InvadR trains were gently used for a few seasons at our sister park, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. Our maintenance team had been tasked with re-building these trains in order to make them look and run as if they were brand new. There's quite a bit of work involved in refurbishing these trains and I am happy to report that they look amazing!

 

I have enjoyed observing so many of our talented team members taking ownership of these trains. Rebuilding them has involved quite a number of people and departments such as the park ride mechanics, painters, carpenters, welders, ride supervisors, the SEA creative studio and support from the Busch Gardens and ride vendor engineering teams. Even our Park President, David Cromwell was able to lend a hand at turning a few bolts this week (photo below)!

 

The photo below shows what a completed lead axle chassis and first coach chassis looks like. I am very pleased with how these trains are coming together.

 

With all of this progress on the trains, there were many of us who wanted to take the trains for a test drive. Below are a few photos of the Busch Gardens design team (including me) testing out one of the new trains.

 

Some of you may ask, "What about the theming on the trains?" I think our fans will be very excited to see what we have in store with this; Suzy from the engineering department will have more to share on that at a later date!

 

Jonathan Smith

Design and Engineering

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InvadR-cars-test-2-930x3652.png.59ae3d6b410437c3d13df8b4a6610812.png

InvadR-cars-test-3-930x3653.png.ac22270fba731eb0abe2aa8acf9b453e.png

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^

 

I mean, they have a freaking invert themed to a runaway ski lift. And they don't run it during a Xmas event.

 

Or when it snows.

 

alpie_0.jpg

 

The park won't run their B&M coasters when the temperatures drops below 42 degrees.

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By the way I just realized that the indoor, temperature controlled Dark Ride isn't open for this event. What the hell? I mean... I get it, it's not a family friendly ride but neither is Tempesto.

 

Part of the answer is probably annual maintenance and staffing. Plus, the space in front of DarKastle is taken up with the Mistletoe Marketplace, a craft show that runs during Christmas Town.

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Here's an amusing story from last night. Verbolten has a strict "no hats" policy. So, before I entered via Quick Queue, I took off my cap, put it in my coat pocket, and zipped it up. That hat wasn't going anywhere unless my entire coat went with it. So, after I sat down in the train, one of the ride ops asks. "Sir, do you have a hat?"

 

Me: "Yes, it's zipped up in my coat pocket."

Ride Op: "You'll have to leave it in the station."

Me: "Er, OK."

 

They must've had a serious hat-related incident this year, as they've been announcing in the station, "Hats are NO LONGER allowed on Verbolten." But being as mine was in a zipped-up pocket, there was little chance of my hat going rogue and attacking anyone. Oh, well.

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^While I haven't been to Busch Gardens this year, I've noticed the same thing happening at Kings Dominion these past few weekends. There was a few times I saw ride ops having to ask for rider's hats, as well as announcing that all hats had to be left in the station.

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Huh. We've got it lucky, I guess. Most every time I'm on Coaster at Playland, and somebody's got a cap on, the ride op

just advises the rider to take their cap off, as "they might lose it." And that's it. The rider usually stuffs the cap in a back

pocket or in the jacket, etc. like Chuck would have done.

 

And there are caps at the bottom, inside the open areas of Coaster, lol. But it's not started a No-Caps-Period policy.

 

And to add, I think I would rather be 'hit' by a soft cloth cap, than a cell phone, mid-ride.

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In addition to hitting the last night of Howl-o-Scream, I took some photos for another InvadR update. This might be the last one of the year, unless I can squeeze in another when the park reopens for Christmas Town.

 

They've made quite a bit of progress since the last update.

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One last train ride to check out InvadR? We'll see.

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The train is getting ready for Christmas Town.

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They've even put up some Christmas trees, sans lights.

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Looks like those little footers have started to grow.

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They have a ways to go yet.

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Lots of work over at the tunnel

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Here's somewhat closer look.

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The worker's water-jug stand got some steel.

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I do believe this is some "theming." Call it a hunch.

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From the looks of that tower, the villagers are getting ready to fend off the Vikings.

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The construction wall is now completely blocking the entrance to LeScoot, which has been closed all during Howl-o-Scream.

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But they did provide another hole for curious people like us.

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The little "shed" is coming along.

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Don't impale yourselves on those sharpened posts on the right.

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They've added some wooden track since last time.

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Here's a closer look

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It's looking nice and curvy.

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Let's move on to the bridge by Alpengeist.

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Looks like another tunnel to me.

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Here's that curvy bit we saw earlier from another angle.

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A closer look.

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That's all for InvadR. Whew! Glad I sprung for Quick Queue today.

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One last look at the Rhine River trestle while the leaves start to turn. That'a all for now.

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Seeing Invadr going vertical is getting me excited for this as well. I considered going to BGW this year but hearing the announcement as early as they made it made me wait until next year. I haven't been there in like 3 years and that's too long between visits since I live 4 hours away. It seems like they've made a lot of minor improvements over the past few seasons as well.

 

Bottom line is I'm more excited for a small GCI than I should be because it gives me another reason to get to a fantastic park (possibly my favorite) next year.

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I think InvadR is going to be one of the underdogs this year that makes a big impact.

 

To be fair (barring Mean Streak somehow being a 2017 attraction), right now the 3 biggest coasters coming to the U.S. next year are this, another mid sized GCI and a Gerstlauer Euro-Fighter thing at the Jersey Shore. It's really not even much of an underdog... there's basically no competition here.

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