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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Direct Link to Embedded Media Source

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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

 

[I64 Trekker]

I am thinking of heading to Oktoberfest in Munich this fall, and found an attraction BGW could install to replace Mach Tower...

Feldl's Teufelsrad

Feldl’s Teufelsrad is a Wiesn cult hit! Wiggerl Kugler and his colleagues perfect schadenfreude in a typically charming, Bavarian style. Children and adults can ride on a disc that spins ever faster. The one who stays down the longest, wins!

www.oktoberfest.de

 

[TLancaster]

Looks like they are now building a roof over the old Mach tower structure.

 

[Le Moose]

View attachment 28890
Looks like they are now building a roof over the old Mach tower structure.

I hope they repaint it!

 

[Thomas]

So I guess nothing is replacing the Mach Tower spot next year.

 

[Celticdog]

MachBar next year

 

[tursiops]

Honestly the seating is nice. My top location to be replaced is by far BfE. Then DaVincis Cradle.

 

[belsaas]

MachBar next year

As long as they don't drop the drinks 240 ft.

 

[Jwanger93]

I want this stage like area to host some form of dance show. I don't care what it is or how cheap I just want to be able to say that they are literally dancing on Mach Tower's grave.

I love how ever other tread on the forum is full of discussion and feelings positively or negatively for the different rides past present and future, but it’s almost completely unanimous Mach tower was atrocious and no one misses it.

 

[Jonesta6]

I didn't have all that many issues with it, the only things I could think of was between reliability so whether I could catch a ride or not and the seat design could have been more comfortable.

 

[Mushroom]

Yeah, it always makes me smile walking by that part of Oktoberfest and seeing Mach Tower no longer there.

 

[horsesboy]

I love how ever other tread on the forum is full of discussion and feelings positively or negatively for the different rides past present and future, but it’s almost completely unanimous Mach tower was atrocious and no one misses it.

The year it was removed I was at the ACE q&a with Kevin and he was asked what his least favorite ride in the park was. His response was I haven't had a least favorite since January.

 

[Jwanger93]

I just feel drop towers are the most low effort rides for the parks, especially Mach tower which was basically just dropped down in Germany given a German name and called good enough. Don’t miss it glad it’s gone.

 

[harry580]

I feel like mach tower would have worked better in another area, but not in the German selection, I wonder if Busch gardens Williamsburg would get a new drop tower

 

[mtpelepele]

I just feel drop towers are the most low effort rides for the parks, especially Mach tower which was basically just dropped down in Germany given a German name and called good enough. Don’t miss it glad it’s gone.

As much as I disliked the ride, I have to disagree with you somewhat. There's not a lot of theming you can do to a simple drop tower, but Busch actually went far beyond what most parks do with the Maypole theme of the ride. I mean, look at KD. Let's just plunk down a tower and name it after a forgettable movie, or even worse, the ever so creative post Paramount name. Theming? Eh, paint it orange and yellow. Good enough.

 

[horsesboy]

I feel like mach tower would have worked better in another area, but not in the German selection, I wonder if Busch gardens Williamsburg would get a new drop tower

I kinda doubt you will see another one at least not for a while. Will I have no hard evidence it seems like drop towers have started to become less of a draw in the last few years I don't think it's likely that in the near future.

 

[bwick29]

I mean, look at KD. Let's just plunk down a tower and name it after a forgettable movie, or even worse, the ever so creative post Paramount name. Theming? Eh, paint it orange and yellow. Good enough.

Except KD's drop tower example is actually a good implementation of the ride type. Large capacity, very tall, crisp release, high speed, and extremely late-braking.

 

[mtpelepele]

Except KD's drop tower example is actually a good implementation of the ride type. Large capacity, very tall, crisp release, high speed, and extremely late-braking.

I don't disagree that Drop Tower is by far a superior ride to Mach Tower. I was responding entirely to the perceived lack of effort in theming and placement.

 

[ControlsEE]

Found this on reddit, thought you guys might like this.View attachment 28220

Was digging back in this forum and noticed that they claimed they would have information about what would come next. Did they ever do anything with this, or even have any rumors as to what their "legacy" of having exactly two drop towers (if you want to call the Elmo head a drop tower) means for their future at the park...

 

[rollercoastercoaster]

Was digging back in this forum and noticed that they claimed they would have information about what would come next. Did they ever do anything with this, or even have any rumors as to what their "legacy" of having exactly two drop towers (if you want to call the Elmo head a drop tower) means for their future at the park...

This was a meme making fun of CPs announcement of TTDs retirement. The park didn't actually release that

 

[ControlsEE]

This was a meme making fun of CPs announcement of TTDs retirement. The park didn't actually release that

Gotcha. Egg on my face then