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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The Anticipation Is Over - Mach Tower opens at Busch Gardens Williamsburg

Busch Gardens’ Mach Tower officially opened today, ending months of anticipation from guests eager to ride the parks’ newest and tallest thrill attraction.

“We know our guests have been eagerly awaiting the debut of Mach Tower,” said Park President Carl Lum. “During the manufacturer’s initial testing, some mechanical issues were discovered that caused the delay. Now that the ride is open, we are excited to share this amazing experience with our guests.”

Mach Tower offers an incredible view as its 30-seat rotating carriage climbs nearly 240 feet above the park’s Oktoberfest village. Thrill elements experienced during the ride keep riders from becoming complacent on their journey to the top. Once riders get a few seconds to take in the view, the carriage plummets at breathtaking speed straight down the massive maypole-themed tower attraction.

“We’re pleased our guests will be able to ride Mach Tower before the summer comes to a close,” said Lum. “We allowed our guests a sneak peek earlier this week and the overwhelming comments have been, ‘it’s been worth the wait.’”

Ray Beyer and his son Brandon were some of the lucky guests who experienced Mäch Tower during the sneak peek.

“I thought it was great,” said Brandon, adding that the drop took his breath away. “Not being able to look down sort of freaked me out.”

Mach Tower anchors a newly rejuvenated Oktoberfest village featuring new game areas, performance spaces and a pretzel bakery serving some of the best pretzel-themed cuisine in the region.

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Busch Gardens Tampa Bay announces Cheetah Hunt

For more than five decades, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay has found inspiration in its animals. Animal care experts have turned that inspiration into adventure with immersive natural habitats like the Serengeti Plain and Myombe Reserve. Engineers have also turned it into adrenaline, capturing the spirit of the animals in wood and steel with coasters like Kumba, Gwazi and SheiKra.

Now, the next generation of thrills emerges from the crossroads where up-close animal encounters and awe-inspiring rides come together. Spring 2011, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay introduces a mega-attraction that invites guests to feel the spirit and feel the speed of the cheetah.

Cheetah Hunt
The centerpiece of the new attraction is Cheetah Hunt, a Linear Synchronous Motor (LSM) Launch Coaster that uses the force of repelling magnets to launch riders from 0 to 60 in a matter of seconds – not once, but three times.

The first launch propels the train out of its station and into the grasslands that surround the new area. Moments later, a second burst of speed accelerates riders to 60 mph and up into the ride’s signature tower element that climbs more than 10 stories above the African landscape before plunging 130 feet into a subterranean trench. At the far end of this three-quarter-mile path, a third burst of speed rockets the train back across the plain toward the station in a thrill-ride experience unlike anything Busch Gardens’ guests have ever experienced.

Cheetah Run
But this one-of-a-kind coaster experience is only a portion of the new realm. Building on Busch Gardens’ unrivaled ability to combine thrills with immersive animal encounters, Cheetah Run will set a new standard for bringing nature and humans together in a really unique way.

Located in the area that formerly housed the Budweiser Clydesdales, this expansive new habitat will give visitors the opportunity to get closer to cheetahs than ever before with elevated, glass-paneled viewing areas. Even more exciting will be the chance to witness the world’s fastest land animal in action. Busch Gardens’ trainers will conduct daily sprints with the cheetahs for an awesome opportunity to see one of nature’s true wonders in full form!

Families can also explore interactive touch screens to learn even more about these big cats and SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment’s work on their behalf. Through the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund, the adventure parks have been helping cheetahs in the wild since 2005.

Cheetah Hunt and the Cheetah Run open in spring 2011. Together, they form a unique experience – the kind you’ll only find at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay.

Cheetah Hunt Facts

• Type of ride -- Linear Synchronous Motor (LSM) Launch Coaster
• Launches -- Launch 1: 30 mph ... Launch 2: 60 mph ... Launch 3: 40 mph
• Other elements -- 130-foot drop into an underground trench ... over-banked turns ... "air time" parabolas ... heartline roll inversion.
• Track length -- 4,429 feet -- more than three quarters of a mile!
• Maximum speed -- 60 mph
• Maximum force -- 4 G
• Height -- 102 feet
• Ride duration -- 3 1/2 minutes (including loading and unloading)
• Seats/Train -- 5 trains, 16 passengers per train
• Guest capacity -- 1,370 guests per hour
• Height requirement -- 48"
• Location -- Crown Colony Plaza, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
• Manufacturer -- Intaride LLC, exclusive U.S. supplier of Intamin rides.

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Busch Gardens Williamsburg announces 2011 and 2012 plans

As you enter Oktoberfest and pass by the fun-filled halls of Das Festhaus, you see it rising into the sky – the massive spire known as Mäch Tower.

Craning your neck to see the top, you notice a group of revelers being lifted and spiraling into the stratosphere. Suddenly, in a rush of wind and screams, they drop. So does your jaw.

This is Mäch Tower, the highest ride in Busch Gardens. It’s 245 feet of adrenaline-pulsing thrills with a view of the park and surrounding countryside you have to see to believe. That is, if you can keep your eyes open.

Mäch Tower – Heart racing. Jaw dropping. Spring 2011.

Then in 2012, we unveil our next attraction ... a multi-launch roller coaster featuring many "firsts".
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