New Roller Coaster at Busch Gardens

By: Ryan Weisser

The wait’s nearly over! In just a few weeks, on Friday, May 18, Busch Gardens will open Verbolten, “the park’s new multi-launch, indoor/outdoor roller coaster.”

Since September 2010, amusement-park lovers and roller-coaster enthusiasts have been waiting for the unique roller-coaster, set in Busch Garden’s Oktoberfest village, to open up to the public.

It may just be one of the most immersive and realistic roller-coaster experiences for roller-coaster thrill-seekers and families alike due to the exciting storyline taking place in the Black Forest.

First of all, Verbolten has five cars that are decorated as German roadsters – perfect for the high-speeds of the Autobahn. The five cars are all styled differently, but each car has chrome details, race-car stripes, side-view mirrors, real headlights and rubber tires to make the coaster a realistic thrill-ride.

The cars take tourists on a seemingly peaceful ride on the Autobahn – that is, until things take a bad turn in the Black Forest. To make it through the spine-chilling forest, the Verbolten has to rev up to nearly 60-mph in less than two seconds!

In no time at all, rider’s worries of getting stuck in the Black Forest are whisked away and they headed toward the perilous Rhine River Bridge, which may not be able to hold up against Verbolten’s high speeds. However, the bridge is the passengers’ only way of getting back to the German tour and rental site, so they must prepare for a breath-taking, 90-foot drop that will catapult them over the Rhine River.

Alongside the racing thrill that Verbolten has to offer, Busch Gardens is launching other attractions this spring to be in Oktoberfest village such as: Mach Tower, a 240-foot drop tower; an award-winning pretzel restaurant; and a new show at Das Festhaus, “Tales of Good and Grimm.”