Mach Tower still not open at Busch Gardens Williamsburg

Actually, if you think about what you just said, Travis, people who go to the same park year after year are already going. Sure a new attraction gives them something new to do, but if they are already going annually, the new attraction is not the reason they are going.

Carrie, don't confuse us with logic :)

I see what you are saying, Carrie, but I believe that building a new ride is the reason a lot of people visit each year in the first place. Building a new ride keeps attendance level year after year.

Trying to figure out why non-coaster enthusiasts visit amusement parks is still somewhat of a mystery though. :)

Even more so to me is the people that go by themselves but don't ride anything. They aren't coming for the food, at least not to a CF park.

delan said:
^ I agree T, which is why I'm surprised Great Adventure and Magic Mountain still have not added one to their lineup.

Magic Mountain and Great Adventure both had Intamin 1st generation drop towers up until a few years ago. I assume that new drop towers have to be in the near future for both parks.

Another major park that is notably missing a drop ride is Hershey.

What, you don't give them any credit for Frog Hopper? ;)

For Busch Williamsburg I always imagined a couple of drop towers, maybe Intamin 2nd Gen Freefalls, back in Italy around the dead-end that is the raft ride. They would be designed and decorated to look like giant Roman columns with the chairs running up the sides. Both could run on busy days and just one on the slower. They could be nice and tall, and would look great from a distance as well as providing a great view from the top. Ah, well. From where I sit I can only play "If I Ran the Park".

I think Mach Tower, delays or no, is still a miss. And KD's ride aside, I agree that there were plenty of other options available that would improve the experience and increase capacity. Germany's Oktoberfest section gets by with featuring carnival-style rides that would remind us of Munich, I suppose, but for the long-awaited drop ride Busch could've shown some creativity.

DejaVuNitro said:

delan said:
^ I agree T, which is why I'm surprised Great Adventure and Magic Mountain still have not added one to their lineup.

Magic Mountain and Great Adventure both had Intamin 1st generation drop towers up until a few years ago. I assume that new drop towers have to be in the near future for both parks.

Another major park that is notably missing a drop ride is Hershey.

Great Adventure hasn't gotten a drop tower in recent years because the president of the park at the time, Mark Kane, said as long as he is president, the park won't get a drop tower. Since he is gone, hopefully the park will get one next year with the rumored package of flats (as long as it doesn't come at the expense of the parachutes).

I remember reading Hershey had purchased a drop tower but it was never installed, themed to a thermometer possibly?

delan said:
^ I agree T, which is why I'm surprised Great Adventure and Magic Mountain still have not added one to their lineup.

Yesterday was the first time I ever got the balls up to try Parachute Drop at Great Adventure. Only to be told by the ride operator after he pushed the button we were too heavy to ride it.

The jokes about that lasted til my friend hit the first drop on El Toro :)

I remember reading Hershey had purchased a drop tower but it was never installed, themed to a thermometer possibly?

Well the name Fahrenheit is already taken, so they could call it Celsius perhaps? :p

DejaVuNitro said:

I remember reading Hershey had purchased a drop tower but it was never installed, themed to a thermometer possibly?

Well the name Fahrenheit is already taken, so they could call it Celsius perhaps? :p

How about Kelvin? :)

Does BGT have a drop tower? I've been 4 times and I don't ever recall seeing one there.

I believe they added a very small one when they added Jungala, but I havent been there in a few years.

Mike Gallagher said:

DejaVuNitro said:

I remember reading Hershey had purchased a drop tower but it was never installed, themed to a thermometer possibly?

Well the name Fahrenheit is already taken, so they could call it Celsius perhaps? :p

How about Kelvin? :)

Or Rankine
(geek quota exceeded for the day)

One thing I've noticed about BGW is they haven't been advertising as much in the DC area this year. Typically, when they open a new ride, they pound it up in this area. I didn't even realize they were opening a new ride this year, not a single mention. So why do you spend so much money on a "new" ride and then not promote it.

Really? I've seen a lot of Busch Gardens ads this season, a few of which were specifically for Mach Tower (always mentioning 'opening soon') earlier in the summer. Those haven't been shown much lately, but I still see ads for the park frequently.

Mach Tower *is* open now though, right? Thought I saw something posted to FB about the ride being operational...

It is open. I saw a photo trip report somewhere online about it being open...

I found it! Here it is!