Busch Gardens Begins Verbolten’s final testing phase before May 18 grand opening
By amusementtoday | April 27, 2012
Busch Gardens reached another milestone last week when engineers and operators began Verbolten’s extensive ride-testing procedures. Ride testing is one of the final construction phases an attraction undergoes before it opens to guests.
“We will inspect every inch of Verbolten before it opens May 18,” said Larry Giles, Busch Gardens’ vice president of design and engineering. “We are confident that we will complete our work in time for our scheduled opening.”
Ride testing is a multi-step process designed to check and recheck every component of the roller coaster. It is a collaborative effort between the ride’s manufacturer, the park’s engineering team and Busch Gardens’ operations staff. The track, the coaster cars, the ride’s electronic safety interlocks and the physics of the ride itself are among the many checks performed to prepare the ride for the public.
The testing also validates the park’s standard operating procedures established to ensure the safe operation of the coaster. Park operators have spent the past several weeks finalizing ride procedures, learning the coaster’s sophisticated control system and practicing shutdown and recovery procedures to ensure the ride and the team operating it are prepared for the millions of guests who will enjoy riding Verbolten over its lifetime.
The final aspect of the ride testing program involves the use of special “water dummies” that are secured in each of the coaster train’s 16 seats and simulate the actual ride experience. That is closely followed by actual ride testing by park employees, who are the first to experience the new coaster before it opens to guests.
“By the time we allow people on the ride, we are confident that the coaster is ready for service,” said Mark Pauls, Busch Gardens’ vice president of operations. “We can’t wait for everyone to experience this one-of-a-kind roller coaster. It’s truly a special ride”
Verbolten is the capstone attraction of a two-year rejuvenation project in Busch Gardens’ Oktoberfest village. Mäch Tower, the park’s 240-foot drop tower, joins the launch coaster as the park’s newest thrill attractions. They join an award-winning pretzel restaurant and new performance spaces that also opened in 2011.
