Williamsburg, Virginia, USA — In 2011, Busch Gardens and Water Country USA are taking visitors to new heights with towering rides that offer spectacular views of the James River.
As guests enter Busch Gardens’ Oktoberfest in spring 2011, they will see the massive spire known as Mäch Tower™. The tallest ride in the park, Mäch Tower lifts up to 30 riders nearly 240 feet above Oktoberfest. After rotating at the top of the tower and getting a few seconds to take in the view, riders drop at breath-taking speed. State-of-the-art special effects including enhanced audio and other surprises. This thrill ride opens in spring of 2011.
Mäch Tower is part of a complete rejuvenation of the park’s Oktoberfest village. After more than 30 years, the park is updating the look and atmosphere of the village with restaurants, games and performance areas that follow a traditional German Oktoberfest celebration. Guests can enjoy fresh-baked pretzels and a new beer garden set amid canopies of colored maypoles and festive banners that depict the rich heritage of Bavaria.
Water Country USA reports that guests are in for the “slide of their lives” via an epic new drop slide, Vanish Point™. The crest of this 75-foot tower challenges guests with two wave paths. They can step into a skybox and take a plunge when the floor drops out beneath their feet, or they can get horizontal on a 300-foot speed slide that drops them straight down as soon as they enter. Park spokespeople term it “pure liquid adrenaline.”
Set to fill the space that was once home to The Big Bad Wolf is a new state-of-the-art launch roller coaster. It debuts in the spring of 2012.
SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment operates 10 parks across the U.S. including SeaWorld parks in Orlando, San Diego and San Antonio; Busch Gardens parks in Tampa, Fla. and Williamsburg; Discovery Cove and Aquatica in Orlando; Sesame Place near Philadelphia, Pa.; and water parks Adventure Island in Tampa and Water Country USA in Williamsburg. The 10 parks play host to 25 million guests each year and employ 26,000 people nationwide.
Related stories from InPark News and InPark Magazine:
SeaWorld interactive turtle attraction for 2011; Discovery Cove adds Grand Reef in 2011; SeaWorld promotes Daniel B. Brown to COO; SeaWorld rescues manatees; The making of Jungala at Busch Gardens Africa
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