Verbolten

Register or Login to Hide This Ad for Free!
Status
The first entry in this thread is a WikiPost. As such, it can be edited by anyone with the appropriate permissions.

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​

 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • Like
Reactions: Zachary, Coasternerd and Julia
Click to expand...
Well I guess right now the verbolten show building fits the theme. It's a forest... of blackness.
 
Maybe they'll miss and take out the dumpster fire that is BfE
 
Rode it saturday and all the sound effects were off... never realized how much of a difference they make. Made for a much more mild and awkward ride, especially on the drop track.
 
Well that is just sad... I wonder if they do not have a checklist to check the show computer each day. Maybe not
 
Just making my seemingly annual post to lament the sad-but-true notion that, as a rule, Verbolten is today better than it will be tomorrow. By that I mean, I suspect that it'll never get any substantial investment and instead its effects will simply flicker out one by one over the next decade until it operates in darkness with no lights or sound. Maybe that's pure pessimism, but SeaWorld Parks doesn't seem to be in the habit of returning to rides for necessary upkeep (see DarKastle) much less improvements. Why add to an old ride? That's not marketable...

Somewhere out there in an alternate (U)niverse, Verbolten is one of the best dark ride/coaster hybrids on Earth.

The simple, achievable things that could get it there, even today:
  • Fix "Scene 1." The "section of a wall on stilts" is embarassing, and planting a forest around it would literally transform the ride's opening. Yes, it's been brought to my attention that this particular area is too steeply sloped for trees, etc. etc. Bring in artificial pines and anchor them to concrete foundations. Hide that damn building and make it look like the wall continues on through the trees. Wanna get REALLY crazy? "Scene 1" could be re-built with the initial S-curve traveling through a "German village" a la BBW. This would completely conceal the showbuilding, provide context for the "wall" section being on the outskirts of town, and act a clear story transition. These simple sets could be constructed today and give the ride that "world class" theming package, while also adding to the ride's mystery making only the covered bridge visible to passers-by.
  • Fix the Forest. Step 1 is just returning the backdrop against the far wall / visible from the MCBR (removed for those flashing blacklights meant to reduce disorientation? Are you kidding me?). Step 2 is adding more scenes. I don't even mind the blacklight curtains and flats... There just need to be more. The "near misses" during the first dive and twist inside are brilliant. It's a shame that it then opens up into a warehouse with a moon on the ground, and without that floor-to-ceiling backdrop, the MCBR is just a stop in darkness with nothing happening or to see.
  • Plant an "exit tunnel." My recommendation in this thread long, long ago was a vine-tunnel covering the second launch. This would be especially effective as a transition out of the building and to disguise the second launch, especially if we could get more trees planted around launch 1 to make the vine tunnel hidden from view.
  • Keep up with it. Verbolten shouldn't operate if its show isn't up to par. Keep audio and lighting at 100%.
The "high end," $5 million improvements that would make the ride one of the world's best:
  • Improved dark ride experience. More than just "fix the forest," let's have something happen on the MCBR; really build-out the interior; maybe the MCBR becomes a projection tunnel of wolves running alongside the car, leaves blowing around you, a brief light simulator moment before you dive into the darkness, etc.
  • On-ride audio. This commercial might give some indication of what it could be like. Imagine traveling through the initial S-curve (made-up with German village buildings around it!) and having yodeling over the car's radio, then being "sucked" into the Black Forest and having on-ride synchronized music, the car revving, the engine sputtering on the drop track, etc.
As with quite a few things, BG is basically sitting on a world-class ride with Verbolten, but the $1 million it would take to get there will just never happen. And so, I sigh.
 
  • Like
  • Sad
Reactions: CastleOSullivan, Invisibread, jornor and 12 others
bkroz said:
Just making my seemingly annual post to lament the sad-but-true notion that, as a rule, Verbolten is today better than it will be tomorrow. By that I mean, I suspect that it'll never get any substantial investment and instead its effects will simply flicker out one by one over the next decade until it operates in darkness with no lights or sound. Maybe that's pure pessimism, but SeaWorld Parks doesn't seem to be in the habit of returning to rides for necessary upkeep (see DarKastle) much less improvements.
Click to expand...

I really liked your post and agree with most of your points but this one that SEAS isn't interested in upkeep. They have proven that they will take the time to refurbish and perform upkeep necessary. Let's not forget that just a few years ago that Le Scoot got a substantial refurbishment to improve the ride. It does seem that they take the approach of coming back to a ride every x years instead of looking at the ride every year and doing some minor tweaks.

Also if Darkastle was more popular and had higher ridership it would still be here. It's problem was that is ridership no longer justified the high costs to run it. It has nothing to do with BGW or SEAS not wanting to perform upkeep.

Edit: also let's not forget the work being done on Apollo this year.
 
Last edited:
Yes that is the key...they come back in X years. They don't maintain it (very well) in the meantime. I was shocked that they fixed up Verbolten's queue a bit... but that was after like 5+ years of neglect.

EDIT: This isn't just a SeaWorld thing. Carowinds does the same. Spend millions on a coaster then you come back and see paint chipped off, faded/scratched seats, things rusting, LED lights broke, etc.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jornor, Mushroom, GrandpaD and 1 other person
That's an almost every park not named Disney/Universal thing. The sad state of SR's and Fahr's stations and paint is heartbreaking.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mushroom
They have cleaned up (dusted) some of the elements in the queue. They left the dust on the typewriter and such which I’m fine with as that plays into the theming of them being old.

In the spring this area was very dusty and people had written graffiti in the dust.

15623
 
  • Like
Reactions: jornor, Nicole, Zachary and 6 others
I also collected some g-force data on the ride today. I also recorded the G's on alpie for comparison.

The early spikes are from me plopping into the seat and can be thrown out.

Alpie.
15625

Bolt.
15626
 
  • Like
Reactions: jornor, Mushroom and BGWnut
Can I get some context on which direction is which? And how whichever software you used measures its data in reference to these "axes"?
 
I think it’s awesome that you went through the effort of collecting g-forces for all the rides. This is the stuff I love about the forum, thanks for doing that.
 
  • Love
Reactions: Luke
You must log in or register to reply here.
Status
The first entry in this thread is a WikiPost. As such, it can be edited by anyone with the appropriate permissions.
Consider Donating to Hide This Ad