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The first entry in this thread is a WikiPost. As such, it can be edited by anyone with the appropriate permissions.

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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Direct Link to Embedded Media Source



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
 
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I was informed the crane for the removal is scheduled to be on property Jan. 8. I expect work on removing the tower will be done as quickly as possible to avoid renting the crane for more than a few days at most.
And well, it can't take that long to tank it down. Isn't it like in 50' or so pieces?
 
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ok I actually rode it Saturday and I wonder; is the backlash against this ride mainly bcuz of the maintenance issues or smthg? cuz as far as the ride experience itself is concerned, I honestly thought it was kinda decent, just with the downside of those hard plates on the sides of the seats making it a bit tricky for me to find space for my arms, but I know I'm in the minority here so I wanna know what else is bad abt this ride
 
Seems to me they could just remove the padding from the restraints, it's not like you need it, to make more room. Other than that bit of awkwardness, I can't see any difference from any other non-launching drop tower. I don't like any of them, although Zumanjaro is better as you can see the structure holding you up instead of just suspending you in space.
 
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ok I actually rode it Saturday and I wonder; is the backlash against this ride mainly bcuz of the maintenance issues or smthg? cuz as far as the ride experience itself is concerned, I honestly thought it was kinda decent, just with the downside of those hard plates on the sides of the seats making it a bit tricky for me to find space for my arms, but I know I'm in the minority here so I wanna know what else is bad abt this ride
My issue with the ride is the actual drop is extremely forceless. I think it’s better in observation mode.
 
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The drop itself also sucks in my opinion. The brakes engage practically halfway up the tower — you’re really only in free fall for 100 feet or so. Compare that with KD’s taller drop tower where the brakes don’t kick in until you’re a few dozen feet above the ground.

So Mäch Tower fails at the only thing a drop tower needs to be good at: dropping. Throw in the super uncomfortable seats (how does a drop tower even have uncomfortable seats?) and it just adds insult to injury. I also think it looks ugly. The tower is extremely blocky and covered in all sorts of brakes and mechanics. It’s ironic that the ride is themed to a maypole when Intamin’s drop towers like the one at KD have a much rounder, smoother, more aesthetically pleasing appearance.

The one thing I like about Mäch Tower is the rotating gondola. (And the onboard music, but we know how that turned out.) I’ll miss the panoramic view of BGW and the surrounding countryside. Hopefully BGW eventually gets something else in their lineup to give guests such a beautiful view.
 
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The first entry in this thread is a WikiPost. As such, it can be edited by anyone with the appropriate permissions.
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