Scott and Carol Present Busch Gardens Europe's Verbolten

All winter long we have waited for the news, and on 1/17/2012 we finally heard that the last piece of Verbolten was bolted into place. Cheerful news from the dead of winter in the Midwest.


The teasing pennants have been up for a while, promising something totally different for the guests of Busch Gardens Williamsburg in spring of 2012.


A slightly use Porshe Carrera is parked out front, it has been there so long the vegetation is taking it over. When you visit, be sure to check out the car's interior. The exterior of the station has been repainted, along with a new sign.


The front attests to the fact that the driver needed "parking assist," or maybe they should have paid for a valet.


This slightly modified Volkswagen Beetle has been placed on a pedestal,


obviously by the landscaping department. A nice touch of whimsy for the attraction.


All three trains are certified and ready for passengers. The 2:11 ride will be one of the longest in the park, and full of surprises and thrills along the way.


The water dummies have logged lots of laps on the intricately themed cars. A lot of people would have changed places with these guys in a heartbeat.


Rolling out of the station through a canopy of trees,


a graceful "S" curve into the valley lines the train up with the first 0 to 55 mph launch,


that shoots the train into the building where riders will actually stop, and then drop over 15 feet in total darkness.


Most of the special effects occur in this building which fills the large hole we showed you last fall. It appears that a lot of the dirt removed from here ended up over by the old Drachen Fire area.


A nine story drop to the "Rhine River" approximates one of highlights of the retired Big Bad Wolf. It will also make for a nice view for guests on the river boats.


This is the view of the final turn before returning to the station.


If you look closely, under the new footer you can see how the old Big Bad Wolf footer was widened by driving in some pilings and casting a larger footer over the old one. Recycling the parks own waste and encouraging guests to maintain that in their lifestyle is an educational strong point behind many of the messages at Busch Gardens.


Here is the water level view of the anything but straight climb back up through the tunnel towards the station. These pictures were taken 4/6/2012, with many thanks to Kevin Crossett. Also on that day, Busch Gardens Williamsburg announced that Verbolten will be open on 5/18/2012, as soon as they raise the theming to the park's standards. We can't wait, and there are thousands of guests right there with us.