Rode Verbolten at Busch Gardens Williamsburg

[prberk]

I rode the new Verbolten rollercoaster at Busch Gardens Williamsburg this weekend, and I have to admit it was a lot of fun. I was apprehentious at first, since it went into an enclosed building and my brother would not tell me what it does, just that it was "a lot worse than Expedition Everest". You see, I love most regular rollercoasters, loops and hills and all. But I hate the new extreme takeoffs that many of the new ones feature. Aerosmith's RNR at WDW is fun but that takeoff kills me. (It's the anticipation mostly. I tense up and make it worse for myself.)

Anyhow, Verbolten was crazy and fun. It has a wonderful surpise in the middle of the dark building, but It was fun.

[SPOILER ALERT] Skip this to avoid spoiler....









My brother had said that I would like it, and I did. We rode it with his eight-year-old son, who loved listening for my reaction as we... stopped, the track itself dropped, then flew virtically way up again (just like Twilight Zone Tower of Terror), to connect with a higher track, to finish our ride. Then once back outside again, it followed a similar final drop over the water, just like the ride it replaced, the Big Bad Wolf. It was a lot of fun, and I recommend it.

It was like Rock 'n' Rollercoaster meets Tower of Terror, but without the obnoxious take-off! That's not to say it wasn't scary enough! (My nephew laughed because he heard me say an unfortunate word when we dropped.) But I love those kinds of thrills.

Here is a link to the promo: http://seaworldparks.com/en/buschgardens-williamsburg/Attractions/Rides/Verbolten

Anyway, let me know what you think if you have been. (And, by the way, as much as I love the MK, I have to agree with the people who argue how beautiful Busch Gardens Williamsburg is. They really do a good job, but the old-growth trees left throughout make the difference. Not to mention the price -- even comparing their premium passes that include Sea World Orlando.)

Paul

 

[Yensid78]

I too thought Verbolten was a lot of fun. It is not what I would consider a thrill ride per se (not by today's standards anyway) BUT it is soooo much fun to ride and you can ride it over and over again without it really getting to your stomach. Just to clarify something though as someone who has ridden Verbolten many times now. The track does not actually go back up after you free fall in the event building. Well, not until you move off that section anyways at which point it has to move back up into place for the next train. It drops, pauses for a second while the locks disengage the train, and then the train slowly moves out of the building going down a small hill to the LSM section where you are then shot back out towards the covered bridge and down the hill. I should also mention that there are 3 different "endings" within the ride building itself. There are the wolves, the moon, and then the thunder/lightning storm. Having experienced all three several times, I would have to say that the thunder storm is my favorite and the moon would be my least favorite. One other aspect of the ride I really like as well is the speed the line moves when they are loading at both stations. It can be misleading though since every time I have ridden it the wait time was about half of what it said at the entrance to the ride.

I would also add that the ride does have some sharp turns and sudden drops so definitely not good for anyone that has back issues.

 

[prberk]

I thought for sure I felt us go back straight up after the freefall, and before setting out again.

 

[ScoutN]

To be 100% correct with facts there are three versions for the ending you will get; The Storm, The Wolf, and The Spirit. The line the coaster follows post event building forges onto the EXACT footer path of BBW just before the bridge. After that point the supports are in identical locations, the footers were reworked/enhanced. The drop segment does not lift back up once it has descended until the train has cleared the launch block. The cable lift system it maintains lifts it has a rather slow rate so I guess the darkness got the best of you on that one. The entrance height is its highest point with a train (can go higher with no train in manual mode).

 

[prberk]

To be 100% correct with facts there are three versions for the ending you will get; The Storm, The Wolf, and The Spirit. The line the coaster follows post event building forges onto the EXACT footer path of BBW just before the bridge. After that point the supports are in identical locations, the footers were reworked/enhanced. The drop segment does not lift back up once it has descended until the train has cleared the launch block. The cable lift system it maintains lifts it has a rather slow rate so I guess the darkness got the best of you on that one. The entrance height is its highest point with a train (can go higher with no train in manual mode).

Hey I could not see the image you attached for some reason, just a red-x block that said "IMG" beside it.

Anyhow, thanks for the analysis. Can you explain a little better what happens inside the building? How the drop works and what happens afterward, to get back up. I thought I felt us catapulting back upward after the drop.

Thanks

 

[ScoutN]

Try this link. In the upper left you can see the drop at its highest point and lowest point (for reference as there is only one drop section). The highest point is where the train enters the block. you can see the lower portion just beside it. You roll through a brake run, track swoops down and back up to another brake run where your train enters the drop segment. The drop segment drops ~5meters and only drops, it does not send you upward again. It has about three foot of settling height after the drop before it locks in and send the train out.

Click Here.

Drop at its lowest point. You can see that the pulley system for lifting is no designed for an up down action but just to reset for another gravity fall.

[url=http://www.bgwfans.com/pictures/zp-core/full-image.php?a=construction/verbolten&i=dsc_0131.jpg&q=75&wmk=watermark]Click Here.[/URL]

Entire building contents. The drop is on the left. You can see the top of drop and that it can go not really any higher than the lead in brakes.

Click Here.

Another overall shot of the inside.

[url=http://bgwfans.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Verbolten-Event-Building-1-11-25-2011.png]Click Here.[/URL]