On June 13th we received another survey from Busch Gardens Williamsburg, this time asking primarily for our thoughts about possible ride rethemes. While the last round of market research (discussed here) focused on new, mostly non-coaster attractions, this new survey largely focused on a range of options for upgrading the experiences on existing attractions.
As before, we will share their descriptions (and by “their,” I mean blocks of text likely generated by AI), followed by our (emphatically not AI-generated) musings. The bottom line is that our answer to the question, “which do you want?” is “yes.” As a theme park, BGW only benefits from additional, cohesive story-telling and, as you will see, many of these proposals seem focused on delivering such experiences.
Verbolten Retheme
Fully renovated and enhanced Verbolten roller coaster, with a fresh new storyline and setting, transforming the experience into an even more immersive and high-energy adventure. While the ride’s thrilling drops, sharp turns, and sudden surprises remain unchanged, new thematic elements and special effects will enhance the sense of speed, excitement, and cinematic intensity—putting you at the center of a dramatic, fast-paced journey.
When Verbolten opened in 2012, it was a highly-themed coaster with extensive story-telling in the queue, a huge “dark ride” section, and a variety of show elements, including a changing set of light and sound effects before the vertical drop. Over the years many of the elements have broken and been removed, leaving the attraction with little more than an empty building and an unfortunate amount of light bleed. The park did fix the bridge before the final drop following storm damage, but the coaster has not seen much other investment beyond basic hardware maintenance.
Given how central the storytelling is to Verbolten, it—more than any other attraction in the park—desperately needs a thematic restoration. We also love the idea of giving it a new narrative. The park has enough wolf- and storm- focused rides (DarKoaster/Big Bad Two and Alpengeist/DarKoaster, respectively). Surely, there is something else that riders could encounter in the Black Forest (or in Germany, in general).
Pantheon Theming
Fully renovated and enhanced Pantheon roller coaster, adding Roman architectural theming elements to the ride experience, both along the ride course itself and in the queue / station areas. Theming elements may include tunnels, ruins, columns, vehicle fly-throughs, and fog effects.
Pantheon’s need for a “retheme” (really any theming at all) is self-evident. In what could be reasonably thought of as Busch Gardens Williamsburg’s lowest point, the park plopped an amazing Intamin LSM Launch Coaster in the middle of a cow field. Unless you are theming your high-thrill attraction to a barnyard, grass and farm smells are not adequate immersive elements. It turns out that once I got on the ride, I did, in fact, still notice the lack of theming. While I stood in the slow, unsheltered queue, I also noticed the lack of theming. Even when I used a Quick Queue, I noticed the lack of theming.
While, I’m not sure that this likely ChatGPT-generated proposal identified the best story beats (I would prefer something related to the gaggle of Greco-Roman gods implied by the ride’s name), anything is better than the sad banners and generic station we currently “don’t remember.”
Apollo’s Chariot Retheme
Fully renovated and enhanced Apollo’s Chariot roller coaster with immersive Roman theming, featuring crumbling marble archways, sculpted deities, and decorative columns that the train races past at high speed. A key highlight is a darkened tunnel resembling a collapsed Roman aqueduct, plunging you into shadow before launching you back into sunlight.
As Patheon apologists like to point out, despite being a fantastic coaster, Apollo’s Chariot fails in the theming department as well. It does have lift-hill music and a unique dispatch spiel, and I do believe audio is an essential component of placemaking. Unfortunately, however, we probably need more than a recommendation that we enjoy our “voyage to the sun on the wings of Apollo’s Chariot” to feel as if we have entered an ancient myth.
Once again (what I assume to be) ChatGPT has missed the mark. Why would anyone driving a sun chariot traverse a darkened tunnel and be plunged into shadow? Is this ride themed to a solar eclipse? I, personally, think the park should investigate the story of Phaethon, the mortal son of Helios/Apollo, the god of the sun, who was allowed to drive his father’s chariot and lost control. It would match the layout of this B&M Hyper and explain what humans are doing in the sun chariot.
What is that you say? Helios was Greek, not Roman? Well let me share another idea BGWFans has been discussing recently. Just as we recommended a retheme of New France to Norway in our previous article, so too would we like the park to reimagine Festa Italia as Greece.
It has been decades since Festa Italia has been a narratively coherent hamlet anyway, recently being treated as merely an Italian circus. Creating a Greek hamlet, including a retheme and/or rebrand of the existing Festa rides, would very likely be much more marketable than updating any attraction individually. Classical mythology provides a wide range of stories that can fit together to create a single, immersive environment. Both Pantheon and Apollo’s Chariot would benefit from new overlays tied to such an update.
B&M Surf Coaster
Feel the awesome power of the ocean on the new Surf Coaster. You will experience the rush of launching up into the air and through unique maneuvers, feeling every bank and curve as though you’re really riding the waves, thanks to innovative dynamic seats that give you unparalleled freedom of movement.
So… um… I guess SeaWorld Orlando’s Pipeline has been a success? Or maybe BGW is thinking of creating a Portuguese hamlet and building a new coaster themed to big wave surfing? If they are, they need to put the stein down and remember that surfing is largely associated with Polynesia and American and Australian beach towns. Whatever is happening at Nazare (jet skis and high tech equipment) in the 21st century is tonally out of step with the rest of Busch Gardens Williamsburg. Maybe they could install it at Water Country USA.
Regardless, the new B&M standups are fine and exactly what the park doesn’t need after building several launch coasters. Holes in the lineup include dark rides, flats, and a high-intensity thrill ride. Does the park need a new, big coaster by the end of the decade? Yes. Should it be this? Probably not. In fact, while we weren’t huge fans of the Mack Stryker from the last survey, it was a better idea than a surf coaster. (Our recommendation for an extreme spinner or a flier stands, however.)
New Corkscrew Hill
This new, fully immersive attraction begins a new chapter of a story once told at Busch Gardens. Using dynamic motion, wraparound visuals, and special effects, you will be transported into a mystical journey through an ancient Irish village plagued by supernatural forces. Venture into an enchanted forest on the backs of galloping horses and soaring griffons, encountering magical creatures and confronting the evil witch at the heart of this thrilling new tale.
In our response to the last survey, we argued in favor of Corkscrew HiII over Europe in the Air Two: The Revenge of Miles O’Skye. So, we are thrilled to see a concept that seems to propose a return to that universe, even if the AI image generator took the “corkscrew” and the “hill” a bit too literally in its concept “art.” Of all of the stories used in that simulator building, Corkscrew Hill is probably the most beloved and certainly lends itself to follow-on tales. The supernatural Irish world in which it was set is large enough that another attraction can easily be designed that links to Corkscrew Hill, while still being unique.
Our only concern about this proposal is the phase “[…] using dynamic motion, wraparound visuals […],” which could be describing the current motion-based simulator system. While the existing ride was cutting edge when first installed in the 80s, it is now essentially an uncomfortably jerky antique which experienced frequent downtime. We would prefer a more modern system, like an Intamin Dynamic Motion Stage, and Intamin Motion Tower, an Intamin Ultra Tower, a Mack GamePlay Theater, a Mack Flying Theater, or even a Vekoma Mad House. Other than that, no notes.
We were surprised to discover a second survey had popped up in our email this week, but are super excited to see the park thinking about adding new and immersive stories to some of our favorite rides in the park. We really hope that more than one of these proposals gets funded, adding beauty and charm to Busch Gardens Williamsburg.
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