Verbolten

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Verbolten

Busch Gardens Williamsburg
Location	Williamsburg, Virginia, USA
Coordinates	37°13′56″N 76°38′43″W / 37.232257°N 76.645333°W / 37.232257; -76.645333
Status	Operating since May 18, 2012
Rider height	48 inch minimum
Replaced	Big Bad Wolf

Statistics

Manufacturer

Zierer

Product

Elevated Seating Coaster Custom

Type

Steel - Launched

Propulsion

2 LSM launches

Height

88 feet

Drop

88 feet

Top speed

53 mph

Length

2835 feet

Inversions

0

Duration

3:25

Verbolten is a Zierer launched roller coaster located at Busch Gardens Williamsburg in Williamsburg, Virginia, USA. The ride uses the location of the former Big Bad Wolf, an Arrow suspended coaster, which opened in 1984 and closed in 2009.

History

The addition of Verbolten was announced on September 17, 2011.^[1]

Verbolten opened on May 18, 2012.^[2]

Design

Elements
LSM launch (rolling) Over-banked curve Helix Block brake Vertical drop track with a 18 foot drop LSM launch Block brake

Verbolten features two launches and numerous sounds and lights in the enclosed section. The same famous drop formerly found on Big Bad Wolf has been replicated in this design. The ride also has a vertical drop track.

The name "Verbolten" is a play on the German word verboten, which means forbidden. The attraction takes riders on a high-speed drive on the German autobahn before venturing into the forbidden Black Forest.^[1]

Ride experience

As the train exits the station, riders hear a paragraph that says, "Remember, don't look back as you brave the Black Forest!" The train makes a left and right turn. After the right turn, the train accelerates from 0 mph to 45 mph in 2.3 seconds into a building. The building has lights and sound effects in total darkness. After a short drop, riders go pass an over-banked curve and a helix. The train goes through a block brake and makes a left turn. Riders will slowly move along, as sounds are heard. A vertical drop track then plunges the train 18 feet. Three different sequences can be played before the drop:

Forest Spirit
Storm
Wolves (which is a reference to Verbolten's predecessor)

Riders exit the building by launching from 0 mph to 53 mph in 2.7 seconds. The train hits an s-curve and a block brake, reaching a max height of 88 feet.^[3] Riders then drop 88 feet near the water, reusing some of Big Bad Wolf's footers. This drop is a tribute to Big bad Wolf's iconic drop over the water. Riders then pass an s-curve and glide into the final brake run.

Trains

5 trains with 8 cars per train. In each car, riders are arranged 2 across in a single row, for a total of 16 riders per train. The automobile-themed trains have lap-bar restraints.