Mäch Tower

Manufacturer

Moser's Rides

Model

Gravity Tower

Hamlet

Oktoberfest (Germany)

Opening Date

August 18th, 2011

Closing Date

January 8th, 2023

Attraction Height

240ft

Duration

About 90 Seconds

Riders Per Cycle

30

Height Requirement

48in

Mäch Tower was a Moser's Rides Gravity Tower located in the Oktoberfest section of Busch Gardens Williamsburg.

Originally planned to debut in the spring alongside Beste Brezeln und Bier and numerous other alterations to the Oktoberfest hamlet, Mäch Tower faced months of delays throughout the first half of 2011. Ultimately, the attraction did not open to the public until August 18th, 2011.

Mach Tower was typically converted into an observation tower named Nächt Tower for the park's annual holiday event, Christmas Town.

On December 16, 2022 it was announced by the park that Mäch Tower would close on January 8th, 2023. The ride did not operate in it's typical Nächt Tower mode in 2022, in order to have final sendoffs in the normal drop tower mode.

When it debuted, Mäch Tower featured an onboard audio system which would play music throughout the ride's ascent and a seat vibration effect that would trigger immediately before the drop. A POV featuring the on-ride audio can be found below.

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Sources:

1. Mäch Tower Announcement Press Release
2. Official Statement Regarding Opening Delays
3. "Waiting for the Mach Tower to Drop" via The Virginian-Pilot
4. "Busch Gardens opens towering drop ride after 3-month delay" via The Virginian-Pilot
5. First Ride Video & Opening Day Photos via BGWFans
6. Early Mäch Tower Ride Impressions via Theme Park Insider

 

[CoasterAuditor]

^I have a sneaking suspicion the broadness of one’s shoulders are a variable in how much people enjoy Mach Tower. I’ve never ridden I thought about checking the test seat yesterday but it just has so much hate and I wanted to go eat at Trappers so I did that instead.

 

[mikes]

^I have a sneaking suspicion the broadness of one’s shoulders are a variable in how much people enjoy Mach Tower. I’ve never ridden I thought about checking the test seat yesterday but it just has so much hate and I wanted to go eat at Trappers so I did that instead.

It's like they designed the seat around water dummies.

 

[CoasterAuditor]

It's like they designed the seat around water dummies.

Hah it’s like “hey maybe we should make the seat slightly larger than a water dummy humans do tend to vary in size and there are many slightly larger these these in many dimensions” Moser: “Nah.”

 

[Jonesta6]

My only gripe is it's easy to bang your nether regions into the oversized cod-piece of a leg separator built into the seat design - but as a drop tower, it's fine.

 

[horsesboy]

My only gripe is it's easy to bang your nether regions into the oversized cod-piece of a leg separator built into the seat design - but as a drop tower, it's fine.

So you had the double arm amputation that is required to sit comfortably on it?

 

[Jonesta6]

So you had the double arm amputation that is required to sit comfortably on it?

I don't recall having any more issues with my arms with the MT restraints than trying to put my hands up on Nessie. Is it as good as KD's Drop Tower's restraint design? No. But is it at KD and manufactured by Intamin? Also no. So it is what it is - I like having this kind of ride at both of the major parks in Virginia.

 

[mikes]

I don't recall having any more issues with my arms with the MT restraints than trying to put my hands up on Nessie. Is it as good as KD's Drop Tower's restraint design? No. But is it at KD and manufactured by Intamin? Also no. So it is what it is - I like having this kind of ride at both of the major parks in Virginia.

I want the style ride, just not this one. KDs I fit fine. I fit fine in the old drop tower at Kennywood too. This is just a bad design.

 

[ControlsEE]

I want the style ride, just not this one. KDs I fit fine. I fit fine in the old drop tower at Kennywood too. This is just a bad design.

It's what Busch gets for buying a full sized major ride from a kiddy ride manufacturer. There was a time I was concerned about Verbolten being from Zierer, given that at the time, they hadn't put out many larger rides. Hard to believe that was 10 years ago

 

[DrunkenCronuts]

My only gripe is it's easy to bang your nether regions into the oversized cod-piece of a leg separator built into the seat design - but as a drop tower, it's fine.

This. This is why Mach was a 1 and done for me. I felt like one of those Jackass stuntmen after riding this thing. I love it as Nacht Tower though. People give it too much grief as a drop tower. It's not great, but it's not bad.

 

[CoasterAuditor]

Honestly totally random passing thought both BGW and KDs scramblers used to occupy where the parks drop towers currently are and both scramblers currently still operate today. Neat.

 

[Mamunia]

I’m not adventurous with the roller coasters (I’ve only ridden Grover so far ), but I liked the old Knott’s Berry Farm parachute drop ride when I was a kid, so I thought I’d like Mach Tower. I expected a fun free fall. I didn’t expect to be simultaneously shoved AND dragged down like that. Never riding that again!

 

[Jonesta6]

I’m not adventurous with the roller coasters (I’ve only ridden Grover so far ), but I liked the old Knott’s Berry Farm parachute drop ride when I was a kid, so I thought I’d like Mach Tower. I expected a fun free fall. I didn’t expect to be simultaneously shoved AND dragged down like that. Never riding that again!

Shoved? Dragged?

Not really sure what you mean by that?

 

[Mamunia]

I mean it didn’t feel like a free fall at all. With all the restraints it felt like being violently shoved down from above and dragged down from below all at the same time. There was no sense of weightlessness for me. I didn’t realize what the restraints would feel like, having only been on a ride where you were standing unrestrained.

 

[mikes]

I mean it didn’t feel like a free fall at all. With all the restraints it felt like being violently shoved down from above and dragged down from below all at the same time. There was no sense of weightlessness for me. I didn’t realize what the restraints would feel like, having only been on a ride where you were standing unrestrained.

This ride is just only going to be comfortable to a subset of individuals

 

[bigbadwolffan76]

they should replace mach tower w this

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[GrantLee123]

Hooray, Peace on earth! Maeeech tower is closed today

 

[mikes]

I'm anxiously awaiting the defunct tag to be added to this thread

 

[CoasterAuditor]

I think a sufficient amount of humans ride it to where that's not happening for awhile unfortunately.

 

[kmccarthy27]

There is some discussion in a Facebook group that BGW is waiting on replacement restraints because of what happened in Florida.

Could be one of those "spoke to Dippin Dots guy" things but just thought I would mention it.

 

[RollyCoaster]

That makes no sense. It’s a Moser attraction, and the god awful restraints already have seatbelts. Mark the reason it’s closed as simply being Mach Tower.