New Coaster Announcement at Busch Gardens

By Sam Thrift Friday, September 16, 2011

Busch Gardens will announce details today about a new coaster coming in 2012, but coaster enthusiasts believe they already know what the newest attraction will be.

In the spring, websites such as BGWfans.com and thecoastercritic.com have speculated that “Verbolten” will be the new addition to the park, which they say aligns with the rumored Autobahn ride through the Black Forest theme.

The name Verbolten, which translates to ‘forbidden’ in German, was trademarked in March by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment LLC, the parent company that owns Busch Gardens.

In November 2010 Busch Gardens filed for a special use permit and a height waiver with the James City County Planning Department for a launch coaster that will take the place of the Big Bad Wolf in the Germany section of Busch Gardens. The Big Bad Wolf closed in September 2009 after 25 years in service.

Busch Gardens’ special use permit application was for a new attraction that will include a 26,000-square-foot “event building” extending 80 feet above the existing grade and a themed bridge extending 95 feet above the existing grade. The new ride will also use the Big Bad Wolf’s former station building, and will feature “exciting interaction” between the three elements. Leanne Reidenbach, a planner with the county planning department, said the application does not indicate how the event building would be used.

At 10:30 a.m., the park will reveal details about the ride to active pass members at Das Festahus, along with information about the soon-to-open Howl-O-Scream.

The 13th year of &feature=player_embedded">Howl-O-Scream, a frightening park attraction filled with haunted houses and rides, opens Sept. 23 and will run every Friday through Sunday until Oct. 30.

This time last year the park announced they would add the 264-foot-high Mach Tower, which opened August 20 after technical difficulties delayed the original planned opening on May 27.