Verbolten

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Manufacturer
ZIERER

Model
Elevated Seating Coaster w/ Vertical Drop Element

Hamlet
Oktoberfest (Germany)

Official Opening
May 18, 2012

Soft Opening
May 11, 2012

Tallest Drop
88ft


Top Speed
53mph

Inversion Count
0

Launch Segments
2

Riders Per Train
16

Number of Trains
5

Height Requirement
48in



Verbolten is an indoor/outdoor ZIERER Elevated Seating Coaster that features a Vertical Drop Element. It officially opened in mid-May 2012 on the site formally occupied by the Arrow Suspended Coaster, Big Bad Wolf.


Videos​

Development Documentary​

Ride Recordings​

On-Ride Videos​

Backstage Footage​

 
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Click to expand...
Why did it take me almost a week to post these? I have no idea. Anyway, I'm pretty sure this is one of those things you can only see at Busch Gardens Williamsburg.

 

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^
I showed these images to a buddy of mine and he said the same thing. It's just a perspective issue. I think the sunlight makes the concrete look "washed out" with little or no gradient in the color, and then you have the ladies there with a lot of color on top of it. Plus the structures look gigantic (because they are). It does kinda look 'shopped, but they were there. Quite a few of us witnessed it in person on Nessie's birthday.
 
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^ This. Because of Verbolten's crazy footers, things look horrendously out of proportion. You really have to see people down there to grasp how tall Verbolten's final turn actually is.
 
Could the slope of that particular hill also have something to do with the perspective, or am I making things up?
 
Grass-trimming aside, did anyone happen to ask the herders what the practical purpose of letting sheep down there was? Simply attracting more attention to the park's animals, perhaps?
 
Natoma said:
Grass-trimming aside, did anyone happen to ask the herders what the practical purpose of letting sheep down there was? Simply attracting more attention to the park's animals, perhaps?
Click to expand...

Though I have no experience with Sheep (training, keeping etc.) I imagine the sheep derive benifit from be able to do what they would do naturally.
 
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I think the idea was brilliant. I would imagine that cutting the grass on a slope like that is not all that fun. Having the park's sheep do the work is not only beneficial for the sheep's enrichment but also provides a great "eco" way to use less gas guzzling machines.

In addition, it is a great attraction to guests and if you ask me,the sheep herding by a coaster like Verbolten adds a quirky juxtaposition of the old and new.
 
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It even gives it some theme! After escaping the Black Forest, you drive back through the peaceful Bavarian countryside, where a band of sheep are grazing...
Eh, maybe not.

But like you all said, I agree that it's a great idea. Kind of like killing a lot of birds with one stone. Of course the animal workers probably wouldn't condone that idiom, but a great idea that takes care of a lot of problems nonetheless.
 
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Shane just reminded me about the survey the park sent out to select pass members back in early 2011 asking for opinions on the various name ideas they had for Verbolten. I hadn't really thought about since then, but even the idea that Verbolten could have been named Revenge of the Black Forest, Über Bahn, or Black Forest Turbo is simply cringeworthy. I'm still not a massive fan of the Verbolten name, but it's good enough- especially compared to the other options.
 
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Thanks for that link! I'd totally forgotten about that thread, it's amazing how everything turned out, and what we were thinking and debating and totally fussing over. I really got into re-reading how more than half of us agreed Verbolten would be built by Intamin and I'm currently in the middle of our huge debate as to whether it would be 300 feet tall. Huh. I realize that I'm actually real happy with how well the theming and feel of the ride has come out, though I just now realize that the autobahn itself isn't actually recognized in the story, which it was originally supposed to do. It's basically all about the Black Forest and its lore, with a slight inspiration by the autobahn for the car theme. Weird how things change...looking back, I'm actually really pleased with the feel and theme of Verbolten...much better than I had imagined it way back when.
 
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I was really hoping they would plant a lot of bright colored flowers between the station and the first launch. It would have looked more like their concept art, but alas it's just grass.
 
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