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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
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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Major shoutout to the Bolt ride ops today… only 3 trains and 1 station operations but they’re dispatching so fast that trains are having to hold on the block outside the station (the one where the train from station B usually holds).

Thought… the train holding isn’t being released until the train before it is launched out of the show building. With both stations I’ve seen that the second train hit the launch while the first train is still on the drop track. Do the trains hold more blocks apart since it’s one station operations?
 
Major shoutout to the Bolt ride ops today… only 3 trains and 1 station operations but they’re dispatching so fast that trains are having to hold on the block outside the station (the one where the train from station B usually holds).

Thought… the train holding isn’t being released until the train before it is launched out of the show building. With both stations I’ve seen that the second train hit the launch while the first train is still on the drop track. Do the trains hold more blocks apart since it’s one station operations?

I knew I wasn't crazy. I rode Verbolten a tone of times this summer. I thought at first it seemed a bit risky to launch a train in, while the other one was still in the building. Then I went later in the summer and saw that one train will hold outside the station until the one in the event building exits. My guess is that if there is still a train in the event building, there is a probably enough time calculated, where it will drop; long before the train behind it clears the first break platform. So in reality, the train in front of you is already on the drop track, before the train behind it launches.
 
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I was just making an observation that in the past when they’ve been running both stations, the second train holds outside the station until the first train clears the brake run in the building. When this happens, the first train drops while the second train is being launched into the building. In today’s experience, the train held outside the station until the previous train cleared the second launch towards the bridge. Wasn’t sure if anyone else has noticed this difference between one station and two station operations.
 
I was just making an observation that in the past when they’ve been running both stations, the second train holds outside the station until the first train clears the brake run in the building. When this happens, the first train drops while the second train is being launched into the building. In today’s experience, the train held outside the station until the previous train cleared the second launch towards the bridge. Wasn’t sure if anyone else has noticed this difference between one station and two station operations.
Sounds like they've programmed it to hold differently for different amounts of trains. When I worked at the ride, it didn't matter how many trains were running. If we dispatched a train before the train before it dropped, it would continue to launch 1 and hold the first train on the drop. Not super surprising as VB is turning 10 this year and I'm sure they've tinkered with the program at some points along the way
Plus, I don't think it would be that difficult to add in that feature.
 
Verbolten's queue is in desperate need of a refurb. All of the Televisions are broken, 2 of the ones in the office had something with tv static covering the screens, all of the fake vines throughout the queue are gone/broken, and the car out front is covered in rust, the mirrors have broken off of it, and the big vine broke. All this being said, the 10th anniversary is this year, I was really hoping we could see a refurb, but the ride is open until at-least February 27th.
 
If I understand @c.timber17's question correctly, keep in mind there's a block brake right before the drop track too so it should be fine from a safety perspective if not the actual experience.
Exactly. It’s launch-turning drop- Helix-Block brake-drop-drop track. The block brake is where you hear the sound effect that’s a preview of which program the drop track will have.

This coaster has about 9 points where it can stop a train I believe. 5 of them being the final brake run, double station and holding area
 
In the manual it says Launch 1 is a block section by itself but Launch 2 is part of the Brake 5 block (covered bridge).
So if the ride were to be stopped, would the second launch technically not launch, or would it still launch?
 
Historically when there were power issues before they upgraded the grid, they would sometimes hold trains on launch 2.

However, if I were to guess, they were able to do that with tire drives as the actual LSMs aren't designed to fully stop and hold a train. Therefore once a train has cleared the drop track segment the next true control point would be the top of the drop/broken bridge.
 
Historically when there were power issues before they upgraded the grid, they would sometimes hold trains on launch 2.

However, if I were to guess, they were able to do that with tire drives as the actual LSMs aren't designed to fully stop and hold a train. Therefore once a train has cleared the drop track segment the next true control point would be the top of the drop/broken bridge.
Although Hagrid’s has a similar setup in which you go into the last launch after a short coast off of the drop track and after that comes the final brake run, and that launch counts as a block (at least according to ElToro Ryan). Maybe that’s because it’s Intamin and has a small drive tire set at the start of each launch.
 
Verbolten's queue is in desperate need of a refurb. All of the Televisions are broken, 2 of the ones in the office had something with tv static covering the screens, all of the fake vines throughout the queue are gone/broken, and the car out front is covered in rust, the mirrors have broken off of it, and the big vine broke. All this being said, the 10th anniversary is this year, I was really hoping we could see a refurb, but the ride is open until at-least February 27th.
I'll never forget being there for opening day in 2012 for this ride. Truly special, and full of details. Now it just looks uncared for in a way that makes it seem as if Busch couldn't afford the ride in the first place. There's a difference between making something look "taken" by mother nature, and letting it become derelict. Look at Nemesis at Alton Towers. Theme is well-done to appear being absorbed by forces of nature, not being in a state of disrepair...

I worry it will be 5-10 years before any serious thought is given to this ride, now that the focus is on Pantheon, DarKoaster, and whatever else is on the priority list for SEAS...
 
I'll never forget being there for opening day in 2012 for this ride. Truly special, and full of details. Now it just looks uncared for in a way that makes it seem as if Busch couldn't afford the ride in the first place. There's a difference between making something look "taken" by mother nature, and letting it become derelict. Look at Nemesis at Alton Towers. Theme is well-done to appear being absorbed by forces of nature, not being in a state of disrepair...

I worry it will be 5-10 years before any serious thought is given to this ride, now that the focus is on Pantheon, DarKoaster, and whatever else is on the priority list for SEAS...
The only way they will do the absolutely needed upgrades *cough cough fix the damn theming on and off the ride* is if guests are complaining that the ride looks like it’s falling apart, *cough cough the bridge cough cough* which still won’t be fixed as long as they don’t care about the theming, apparently.
As for currently broken effects, aka the bridge, probably won’t be fixed until Verbolten goes down for annual maintenance.
 
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The only way they will do the absolutely needed upgrades *cough cough fix the damn theming on and off the ride* is if guests are complaining that the ride looks like it’s falling apart, *cough cough the bridge cough cough* which still won’t be fixed as long as they don’t care about the theming, apparently.
As for currently broken effects, aka the bridge, probably won’t be fixed until Verbolten goes down for annual maintenance.

Complaining is equally likely to result in the ride getting torn down for a replacement.
 
Complaining is equally likely to result in the ride getting torn down for a replacement.
I wouldn’t be surprised, but Verbolten is one of the most popular rides in the park, despite its broken (90% of the time) theming. What theming effects do work, most guests don’t pay attention to anyways. Also, a lot of people look at the entrance, and also see the drop onto the Rhine and are like, Cool let’s do that!
Even on days where it’s not too busy, just kind of average, the ride still gets a decent wait, even if their ops are actually working fast.

As for removing, even if they did remove it, they’d still be about 98% sure to reuse those footers on the Rhine, they’re already there and we know how much seas loves to save money. But let’s not go down that rabbit hole yet.

While I do see what you mean, I find it unlikely that they would tear down the ride that cost 50 million to build, when it would be cheaper to fix the effects.
 
While I do see what you mean, I find it unlikely that they would tear down the ride that cost 50 million to build, when it would be cheaper to fix the effects.

Fixing effects would be cheaper, however I believe that cost figure went for the entire Oktoberfest overhaul including BBW's demolition. And while it was probably cheaper to rebuild/reuse footers I think their main reason was to avoid the long delays with getting land disturbance permits within the RPA buffer zone.

But if what we're seeing on other threads is true and SEAS maintenance departments are working through their backlogs then it's logical to me that the effects will be restored to some degree in the not super distant future.

Until the track is shaking itself apart and there's never anyone riding even on busy days.... Or they're willing to gut it for the next big thing... It's not likely going anywhere.
 
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I wouldn’t be surprised, but Verbolten is one of the most popular rides in the park, despite its broken (90% of the time) theming. What theming effects do work, most guests don’t pay attention to anyways. Also, a lot of people look at the entrance, and also see the drop onto the Rhine and are like, Cool let’s do that!
Even on days where it’s not too busy, just kind of average, the ride still gets a decent wait, even if their ops are actually working fast.

As for removing, even if they did remove it, they’d still be about 98% sure to reuse those footers on the Rhine, they’re already there and we know how much seas loves to save money. But let’s not go down that rabbit hole yet.
I SEE ZERO chance barring some unforseen catastrophic event the Bolt goes anywhere in the next 10-15 years.

for the footers I am sure that as long as they are structurally sound that they would be reused. And that is more than just about SEA being cheap. Some of the studies and plans that have been loomed at for the old Geonga Lake park show just how enormously expensive removing footers like that is and leaving them unused would create a massive eye sore.
 
Hello park fans.

It's been a long while since I posted on this forum. How is everyone. I had some spec questions about Verbolten that I was hoping you could answer.

1. How many yards is Verbolten's first launch?
2. How many square feet is Verbolten's building?
3. Does the ride have a system inside the building that control special effects?
4. Can ride still reach top speed if sitting in front of first launch at a standstill?
 
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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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