New Busch Gardens coaster, Verbolten, takes riders into the forbidden Black Forest

WILLIAMSBURG -- Busch Gardens gave media members an exclusive hard hat tour of Verbolten, the park’s new multi-launch, indoor/outdoor steel roller coaster, March 1. The coaster is due to debut in late spring and will feature design elements never before seen in the United States, and construction crews are working around the clock to ensure that deadlines will be met.

Unlike many roller coasters that lose momentum after the first or second drop, Verbolten promises to give riders a thrill from start to finish and will be the longest three minutes of their lives.

“In Verbolten, we’ve got a completely different experience for you,” said Larry Giles, Busch Gardens’ vice president of design and engineering. “From the beginning to the end, it’s going to be exciting. When you get off the ride, you’re not going to be sure which part of the ride was the best part – I guarantee you!”

The ride has an elaborate back-story where guests will meet Gunther and Gerta, a German brother and sister team who run a tour agency at the edge of the Black Forest. Here, the team rents vintage German sports cars for scenic tours of the Bavarian countryside.

“One of the things that they are going to tell you is, while you are on your tour, be sure to not go into the Black Forest – avoid the Black Forest at all cost,” said Giles, “because they’ve had a lot of experience with folks who go into the Black Forest and they don’t see them again.”

In fact, Gunther often goes out into the Black Forest to find the cars, but all that is left is their luggage. Despite dire warnings of supernatural happenings within the forest, riders will fall into the clutches of the Black Forest’s inhabitants when they themselves make a dreaded detour.

“You and 16 of your favorite guests will be getting in together and you’re going to head off for a nice leisurely drive through the countryside,” said Giles. “When you get to the bottom of the hill, unfortunately somebody in your group decides to make a right turn – that’s going to be very unfortunate because that’s where the Black Forest is – and that’s where you’re also going to hit our first launch. It’s a linear synchronous launch, the first one we’ve ever done at Busch Gardens.”

This launching system is very similar to what the U.S. Navy will use on future aircraft carriers. Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System, or EMALS, is a complete launch system designed to replace the existing steam catapult currently being used on aircraft carriers. The USS Gerald R. Ford will use this system.

“We’re going to take you, we’re going to throw you in the back of your seat – almost at 1G (g-force) horizontal load,” explained Giles, “which is like going from zero to 60 (mph) in like two and a half seconds … it’s moving!”

One of Verbolten’s main surprises, a free-fall drop hidden within the massive indoor special-effects building, will take riders’ breath away and is the only one of its kind in the world.

“It’s a free-fall where we pull the coaster track – you won’t know it – and that thing will just drop right out from under you,” said Giles. “Not like anything else we have in the park where you go over the hill, this one, the track is horizontal and we just free-fall drop it.”

Riders will feel the sensation when the entire train drops 16 feet in complete darkness. The drop’s design uses high-powered magnets to suspend the coaster, but when the magnets release, the train and track drop to the floor. Riders will come to rest momentarily before they experience the second launch, which will shoot the train out of the Black Forest at speeds approaching 55 mph. Audio-visual special effects, scenic elements and other controls inside the darkened special-effects building create the illusion of a forest that comes to life.

“Visually you’re going to see things that you’ve never seen before. Physically you’re going to feel things that you’ve never felt before,” said Giles.

Other highlighted design features include a covered “broken” bridge that plays into the ride’s Black Forest-inspired theme. The bridge is one of the final elements of the attraction and sits atop a nearly 90-foot drop over Busch Gardens’ Rhine River. The drop also pays homage to the final drop experienced on The Big Bad Wolf, which previously operated on the site. Recreating the drop allowed design engineers to minimize Verbolten’s environmental impact by reusing the existing concrete foundations along the banks of the river. The drop was raised 10 feet higher than The Big Bad Wolf and riders will now experience it on top of the track versus below, so the visual point for riders is approximately 20 feet higher than its predecessor.

Verbolten is essentially a family ride because it doesn’t go upside down, but there is a 48-inch height requirement. The ride is designed to handle 1,400 customers an hour on their five available trains, with approximately a 40 second interval between trains. The trains are all equipped with onboard video that will record the experience for each rider and videos can be purchased when riders return to the station.

For military service members, Bush Gardens will continue their “Here’s To The Heroes” program for the 2012 summer season. The program provides any active duty service member (all branches), activated or drilling reservist, or National Guardsman one complimentary single-day admission per person, per year, during the regular operating season. Visit www.herosalute.com/cavatx/overview.html for more details.

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