Battle For Eire - Action VR Ride Now Open at Busch Gardens Williamsburg

© Busch Gardens Williamsburg

Today marks the official grand opening of Busch Gardens Williamsburg's new attraction, Battle for Eire - Action VR Ride.

The innovative new virtual reality ride opened to crowds of park visitors today among many invited Williamsburg-area dignitaries, along with members of the local Boys & Girls Club.  Battle for Eire combines a traditional motion simulator base with virtual reality headsets and is one of the first attractions on the globe to do this.

“With Battle For Eire and the 360-degree virtual reality, riders can have a unique experience each time they ride,” said Kevin Lembke, park resident for Busch Gardens and Water Country USA. “That’s what’s going to keep people coming back over and over again.”

© Busch Gardens Williamsburg

The main character of the ride, Addie, was on hand (above) to help with the official ribbon cutting ceremony.  Park officials are excited to share the ride with their guests, as they've put many months of work into creating such a cutting-edge ride type. 

“Battle For Eire is a phenomenal new experience. It’s something that has never been done before,” said Larry Giles, vice president of design and engineering at Busch Gardens Williamsburg. “You really feel like you’re there. You’re not just watching it. You’re part of it.”
 

© Busch Gardens Williamsburg

Visitors pass through several pre-show rooms within Battle for Eire, the last of which sees them adding the green virtual reality headsets holders just before boarding.  Once in their seats, riders add the final virtual reality screens to their headset and the journey beings.

The ride's storyline follows Addie as she embarks on a quest to rescue the Heart of Eire from evil villain Balor.  According to Busch Gardens Williamsburg, "riders will be completely immersed within the story and be able to see, hear and feel actions happening all around them, both through the virtual reality headsets and within the motions of the simulator."

For more information on Battle for Eire - Action VR Ride, check out the below preview video along with the theme park's official website.