Busch Gardens Williamsburg Project 2023: DarKoaster (Multi-Lap Intamin Straddle Coaster)

Important Articles:​

• BGWFans' full "Project DarKoaster" leak:
  
  

  Busch Gardens Williamsburg's New-for-2023 Roller Coaster

  BGWFans.com has exclusively obtained a bevy of information regarding a yet-to-be-announced, fully-indoor, multi-launch, family coaster currently in development for Busch Gardens Williamsburg.

  bgwfans.com
• BGWFans' summary of the DarKoaster: Escape the Storm announcement:
  
  

  DarKoaster: Busch Gardens Williamsburg's Indoor Roller Coaster

  Everything we know about Busch Gardens Williamsburg's officially-announced, new-for-2023, multi-launched, family roller coaster, DarKoaster

  bgwfans.com

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Major Updates:​

• July 15th, 2021: ParkFans member, @horsesboy, posts a rumor regarding possible DarKastle redevelopment plans
• November 25th, 2021: BGWFans begins teasing a Curse of DarKastle replacement
• December 2nd, 2021: Building permit filed for "modifications to existing Germany village building" valued at $3.5 million
• December 6th, 2021: BGWFans confirms that the Curse of DarKastle replacement is a roller coaster
• December 30th, 2021: BGWFans leaks "Project DarKoaster"
• February 10th, 2022: @Jahrules discovers a utility markings request for the area around DarKastle
• February 16th, 2022: DarKastle has been cleared out
• February 18th, 2022: Photos from inside DarKastle
• April 7th, 2022: DarKoaster plumbing and electrical permits found
• April 20, 2022: @horsesboy reports that stagged construction materials have been decreasing suggesting ongoing construction
• June 1, 2022: BGWFans reports that DarKoaster track is on-site and subsequently posts the first photos
• June 2, 2022: Busch Gardens Williamsburg teases Project DarKoaster for the first time
• June 14, 2022: BGWFans publishes DarKoaster photo and locker building plans
• July 18, 2022: Outdated photos from inside DarKastle leak online
• September 6, 2022: Busch Gardens announces DarKoaster: Escape the Storm opening in 2023
• April 20, 2023: Busch Gardens announces May 19, 2023 as the opening day for DarKoaster, with a Members Only Preview starting May 11, 2023.

 

[RollyCoaster]

Can I go to the Preview next Thursday with my Sea World San Diego Platinum pass?

 

[EdK]

If they don't market the hell out of this thing, people won't know it is there. For years there has just been a building there with nothing going on, if you weren't aware of a change you could easily miss that there is now a ride in there as an average passerby who has been going to the park for a couple years now.

Imagine how upset someone would be if it opens and they think it's the old Curse of DarKastle and wait in line just to find out it's only a roller coaster.

 

[Nicole]

Really happy to see the soda/beer/etc. collaborative marketing with this coaster. It's wild to me that they put that additional effort into a small indoor family coaster, but not into their newest, flashy, giant spiked, multi-launch, marquee coaster. I'm sure that the pandemic played a role in not doing so for Pantheon, and the nostalgia for the location and theme helped do so for DarKoaster, but I hesitate to think they'd have done it regardless of covid.

For what it is worth, there has been turnover in the marketing department, so different people are handling DarKoaster.

 

[Mr. Porkchop]

For what it is worth, there has been turnover in the marketing department, so different people are handling DarKoaster.

In April SEAS hired Marisa Thalberg as the Chief Marketing and Communications Officer. Previously she was the Chief Marketing Officer for both Taco Bell and Lowes.

 

[bwick29]

Now that's interesting. Taco Bell's marketing has been fire for years, pun intended.

 

[willrobs3]

I'm loving the effort going into this! New statue being built in the queue area.

 

[Mushroom]

2005: Awesome wolf statue
2023: Legs?

 

[Zachary]

I'm loving the effort going into this! New statue being built in the queue area. View attachment 28893

It's done from what I understand. Seems like they were going for castle ruins.

 

[tursiops]

Busch Gardens on Pantheon: "Once you're riding you won't even notice the lack of marketing!"

Nobody posted this collab yet. Eat this, drink the fanta, then the beer and finally ride. If you don't get sick you win a prize!

 

[Zachary]

Eat this, drink the fanta, then the beer and finally ride. If you don't get sick you win a prize!

Gotta do the DarKoaster Hideaway menu too!

 

[Coasternerd]

Gotta do the DarKoaster Hideaway menu too!

Which is absolutely amazing I might add.

 

[pizzathieff]

It's done from what I understand. Seems like they were going for castle ruins.

There was a crew working on it today.

 

[Irishlad]

It's done from what I understand. Seems like they were going for castle ruins.

Honestly I think that it looks good! I don’t mind it at all

 

[Zachary]

There was a crew working on it today.

Oh, yeah, paint and artificial aging and whatnot, right? The form of the statue is complete though from what I gather.

 

[Thomas]

They found the legs of the fearsome Black Knight!

 

[Seaworld History]

So much for the decals

Oh, yeah, paint and artificial aging and whatnot, right? The form of the statue is complete though from what I gather.

At least it has theming

 

[Mushroom]

Maybe I’m just a cynic, but I can’t help but wonder how much of the decision was genuinely about wanting it to look like castle ruins and how much of it was BGW not wanting to pay for a full statue.

 

[Thomas]

Maybe Ludwig was a confederate general and it would have been frowned upon to leave the rest of the statue up.

 

[horsesboy]

If you are an ACE member they are looking for volunteers for add shoots morn and after on the 10th and media day riders on the morning of the 18th. Sign up for the pool ends Monday.

 

[Coolguy15]

Translation: “the employees got to test it first ”

Don’t know where this came from, but my dad just sent this to me