Busch Gardens officials announce 2012 roller coaster details

Busch Gardens’ officials unveiled the name of the Williamsburg theme park’s 2012 roller coaster during an exclusive pass-member appreciation event Saturday morning.

“Verbolten℠ offers the latest in roller coaster technology,” said Park President Carl Lum while addressing an enthusiastic crowd inside Busch Gardens’ 2,000-seat dining facility. “When Verbolten opens in spring 2012, coaster fans will feel the exhilaration of multiple launches and a few surprises that can’t be found anywhere else in the United States.”

Saturday’s announcement naming Verbolten as the Williamsburg park’s new roller coaster ended months of speculation among coaster fans who have been eagerly awaiting official news about the new thrill ride.

In addition to the name, park officials unveiled a few technical details about the roller coaster and a way for fans to learn more about Verbolten over the next several months. Guests with smartphones or other Internet-connected devices can download exclusive coaster details using a unique Quick Response Code, a.k.a. a QR code. Content will be updated regularly, but it can only be accessed by reading the in-park QR code.

Saturday’s event also offered pass members an exclusive preview of the 13th anniversary of Howl-O-Scream, which begins Sept. 23.

Vice President of Entertainment Scott Gasparich introduced pass members to a menagerie of creepy characters representing the Dark Side of the Gardens that make up this year’s Howl-O-Scream. Most haunted houses, scare zones and shows are new, Gasparich said, while the rest are resurrected guest favorites.

“Busch Gardens pulled out all the stops for Howl-O-Scream’s 13th anniversary,” Gasparich said. “There is nothing in this year’s event that hasn’t been intensified, including new takes on old favorites.”

Great new haunted houses like Dead Line offer a modern spin on some classic scares. Howl-O-Scream fans suffering from coulrophobia take note that the evil clowns are back and have taken over Festa Italia in Fear Fair and Grin and Scare It. Finally, Fiends is back in the Festhaus by popular demand. Gasparich and his creative team have breathed new life into Busch Gardens’ classic show that debuted during the first Howl-O-Scream in 1999. It is always “Code Pink” in Dr. Weirdstein’s laboratory, and the good doctor is once again feverishly working on his latest and greatest invention.

Howl-O-Scream begins Sept. 23 and continues every Friday, Saturday and Sunday through Oct. 30. Howl-O-Scream is not suitable for younger guests after 6 p.m. Parental guidance is encouraged. The park’s younger guests will be treated to Halloween happenings during the day with their favorite characters at Sesame Street Forest of Fun.

For more information about the 13th anniversary of Howl-O-Scream, visit www.howl-o-scream.com/va

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