Verbolten

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​

• From Dreams to Screams: Verbolten by Devin Olson

Ride Recordings​

On-Ride Videos​

• Opening Year POV (Storm Sequence)
• Opening Year POV (Spirit Sequence)
• Opening Year POV (Wolves Sequence)
• Spring 2019 Lights-On POV
• 2012/2019 Side-by-Side POV

Backstage Footage​

• Verbolten Control Booth Screens

 

[horsesboy]

God that really looks ugly when back lite by the settings sun.

 

[GrantLee123]

God that really looks ugly when back lite by the settings sun.

I’m almost willing to bet Busch Doesn’t even replace the bridge. Verbolten is a year round coaster, and they probably have some money ball metric saying people don’t care.

 

[horsesboy]

I’m almost willing to bet Busch Doesn’t even replace the bridge. Verbolten is a year round coaster, and they probably have some money ball metric saying people don’t care.

Yeah it wouldn't surprise me especially given the inside condition.

 

[GoHokies87]

I know Zach has heard otherwise but I've heard it's basically a mystery mine sort of situation if you're familiar with what happened there.

 

[warfelg]

I know Zach has heard otherwise but I've heard it's basically a mystery mine sort of situation if you're familiar with what happened there.

For those who don't know, can we get a Readers Digest version?

 

[GoHokies87]

For those who don't know, can we get a Readers Digest version?

This sums it up:

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To be clear, I am not aware of any injuries on Verbolten due to the bridge theming.

 

[warfelg]

This sums it up:

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To be clear, I am not aware of any injuries on Verbolten due to the bridge theming.

Without any injuries I can't see it being a different situation.

My tin foil hat thought:
SEAS doesn't want to take care of any on ride theme elements or even queue elements. So what if SEAS is waiting for guests to complain about the state of all the theme elements of VBolt to take it all out and put up a theme and name for the ride that is easier for them to maintain and cheaper to take care of?

 

[GoHokies87]

Without any injuries I can't see it being a different situation.

My tin foil hat thought:
SEAS doesn't want to take care of any on ride theme elements or even queue elements. So what if SEAS is waiting for guests to complain about the state of all the theme elements of VBolt to take it all out and put up a theme and name for the ride that is easier for them to maintain and cheaper to take care of?

regardless of if and how soon it will be replaced, I'm close to 100% certain that's why it was removed.

 

[AlpenChariot]

Got some questions. So it's confirmed that Verbolten is open for Christmas Town?

Also, I have some general knowledge inquiry about Verbolten? When the ride operator starts the ride up at the beginning of the day, does that automatically activate the special SFX in the event building? Or is it something that has to be turned on sedately each day? Or are the effects just looped in with every train that enters? So basically, Ed the technician could walk on the track, trip a sensor and the special SFX start up?

Yeah from what I remember Verbolten's special effects are tied into the ride being turned on. For the lights to work on the trains there is a switch underneath the front car. They are not automatic.

 

[ControlsEE]

Yeah from what I remember Verbolten's special effects are tied into the ride being turned on. For the lights to work on the trains there is a switch underneath the front car. They are not automatic.

The only thing that has to be manually turned on are the headlights and taillights on the trains themselves. Any special effects in the building that are missing were either turned off or unplugged by maintenance or entertainment.

 

[AlpenChrist97]

The strangest and most irritating thing just happened at Verbolten... I was getting ready to ride and the ride op told me that I would not be able to ride until I removed a jacket that I had bought at the park 5 years ago because "it looked too much like an employee jacket" and "they could get in trouble"... The icing on the cake was as the train was rolling back into the station, a few of them looked to be snickering and laughing at me... WTF....

 

[GrantLee123]

The strangest and most irritating thing just happened at Verbolten... I was getting ready to ride and the ride op told me that I would not be able to ride until I removed a jacket that I had bought at the park 5 years ago because "it looked too much like an employee jacket" and "they could get in trouble"... The icing on the cake was as the train was rolling back into the station, a few of them looked to be snickering and laughing at me... WTF....

I hope you found a supervisor and played up the cold, that’s unacceptable. Who doesn’t know who their employees are?

 

[Mushroom]

I once wore a red Winterfest jacket to BGW and people kept assuming I worked for BGW (not even the right park, of course). I got approached by so many people asking for directions to the nearest restroom that I eventually gave up explaining I wasn't a BGW employee, and just gave them the directions.

 

[vacoasterfanatic]

i suppose wearing the actual employee jacket i recieved from someone isnt a particularly great idea then lol. although i almost look too young to work there anyway

 

[Zachary]

i suppose wearing the actual employee jacket i recieved from someone isnt a particularly great idea then lol. although i almost look too young to work there anyway

Nah, do it. I've worn employee or employee adjacent shirts and jackets to BGW for years. As long as you're comfortable helping people with directions and whatnot, it's great. Making other people's experiences at the park better is super rewarding.

 

[vacoasterfanatic]

hm ill consider it. anyway on a bolt related note, the ride has a broken set piece but not in the way everything else in that building breaks. its actually stuck ON. its the little tree branch piece in the buildings first s curve. its very visible from the first mcbr and brightens up the building like crazy.

 

[warfelg]

Completely unrelated but VBolt tied:

I really think a great full refurb of VBolt should happen. I would do a somewhat translucent roof to let some light in. Inside the first helix of the ride, there should be a giant tree, where branches can be turned into near miss elements. For story #1 in the roof get some elements that can be a Storm around the tree, and it gets "struck" by lightning and turns red through lighting elements. For story #2 they can imbed the tree with LED lights that look like wolf eyes and have howls. And for story #3, have random lights flicker all throughout the area with a sound of "get out".

After the first break run, impeded in the wall would be a crashed car. If you get story #1, here you have a flash of light, a crashing sound, and tires squealing. LED lights in the wall make it look like the crashed car was right in front of you. If you got story #2, the LED lights in the wall make the lights looks like wolf eyes running around and you are swerving to avoid hitting them. If you get story #3, the LED lights can create a hand pattern reaching out.

In the drop track room, I would do away with the set piece like is there now, keep the total blackout roof up there, and do a universal style 360 screen. In story #1, you get the sounds of a storm, combined with visually more wind, then the sound of trees breaking, and that's when the train drops; then at the bottom you hear the car driver yelling "Let's get out of here" as the train launches and a strobe light does off trying to make the effect of lightning striking where you just were. In story #2, you see wold eyes in the trees with growing howls and the sound of paws in the ground. Right as wolfs jump out from all the trees is when the train drops, and while you are down there you here the barking from wolves clawing, and right as you are about to launch the "driver" goes "woah, that was close". And in story #3 there's indistinct whispers as the trees start to grow limbs and the start reaching out, then right as the face of a Spector comes out the train drops; and down there there's a horrible screech, and the driver goes "I can't lose another one" right as the train launches.

Last thing I would do is change up on the bridge. Do away with the broken bridge idea, and build a fully constructed bridge. If you got the storm, here you get the sound of the bridge falling apart. If you got the wolves, you get the sound of stampeding feet. And if you got the spirit, you get the sounds of ghost whispers. In any way, the driver come on right before you drop saying "Hold on, it's gonna get bumpy." and you drop.

 

[MikeLovesKD]

Completely unrelated but VBolt tied:

I really think a great full refurb of VBolt should happen. I would do a somewhat translucent roof to let some light in. Inside the first helix of the ride, there should be a giant tree, where branches can be turned into near miss elements. For story #1 in the roof get some elements that can be a Storm around the tree, and it gets "struck" by lightning and turns red through lighting elements. For story #2 they can imbed the tree with LED lights that look like wolf eyes and have howls. And for story #3, have random lights flicker all throughout the area with a sound of "get out".

After the first break run, impeded in the wall would be a crashed car. If you get story #1, here you have a flash of light, a crashing sound, and tires squealing. LED lights in the wall make it look like the crashed car was right in front of you. If you got story #2, the LED lights in the wall make the lights looks like wolf eyes running around and you are swerving to avoid hitting them. If you get story #3, the LED lights can create a hand pattern reaching out.

In the drop track room, I would do away with the set piece like is there now, keep the total blackout roof up there, and do a universal style 360 screen. In story #1, you get the sounds of a storm, combined with visually more wind, then the sound of trees breaking, and that's when the train drops; then at the bottom you hear the car driver yelling "Let's get out of here" as the train launches and a strobe light does off trying to make the effect of lightning striking where you just were. In story #2, you see wold eyes in the trees with growing howls and the sound of paws in the ground. Right as wolfs jump out from all the trees is when the train drops, and while you are down there you here the barking from wolves clawing, and right as you are about to launch the "driver" goes "woah, that was close". And in story #3 there's indistinct whispers as the trees start to grow limbs and the start reaching out, then right as the face of a Spector comes out the train drops; and down there there's a horrible screech, and the driver goes "I can't lose another one" right as the train launches.

Last thing I would do is change up on the bridge. Do away with the broken bridge idea, and build a fully constructed bridge. If you got the storm, here you get the sound of the bridge falling apart. If you got the wolves, you get the sound of stampeding feet. And if you got the spirit, you get the sounds of ghost whispers. In any way, the driver come on right before you drop saying "Hold on, it's gonna get bumpy." and you drop.

I really like this idea. The bridge idea is rather cool, because it makes it non-passive. To really get the most out of it, they could re-program the bridge breaks; so that it holds you longer, to enjoy your new bridge special effects.

There is another cool element that most people overlook for this ride. If you board the loading bay in the back of the station, your train gets halted outside of the station near the car. That way you get to enjoy the sound of the car engine SFX. In the late evening, it's very suspenseful sitting there waiting for the train in front of you to exit the event building. I would do a little bit more with the SFX. Maybe some car technician dialogue, where you heard the lead technician asking his employee in training if he remembered to put the spark plugs back in correctly. You hear the new technician replying "Oh, I think so". The lead technician replies back with "Oh my GOD!". The new technician replies "No need to worry though; I'll just........". He's interrupted with "No! Not another word. They shouldn't even be driving in there at this hour anyway. Close up and shut the lights off." After you hear the sound of a garage door shut, you'll hear a slight engine stall SFX sounds. At one point it goes completely quiet for a couple of seconds before the coming back on.

Also, has anyone seen the video of Verbolten's testing. Someone uploaded one on YouTube and what caught my attention is how the train can sit at the entrance of the event building. When the LSM's launched it, it appeared as if the train still yanked in at full speed. What if they reprogrammed the ride to halt every train at the entrance for maybe 8 seconds, so you can see a special effect before being launched in? For those who have rode Verbolten at night, you know what I mean. When approaching the event building, it is very DARK. I am happy that BGW isn't safety cautious and lights the tunnel up. They actually keep the tunnel pitch black.

I'd enjoy sitting in front of it for 8 seconds and hearing one of the following sound effects for each theme.

STORM sitting in front of event building 0:00-0:08
EVIL SPIRIT sitting in front of event building 0:04-0:12
WEREWOLF HOWL sitting in front of event building 0:00-0:07

 

[AlpenChrist97]

Apparently the new shut down temperature is 40° instead of 36° like it's always been...

 

[Jonesta6]

I thought that was the standard they've been using across all coasters for at least a few years now?