This trip report is going to be a weird one. The crew and I ventured to Busch Gardens Williamsburg (BGW) on Friday, March 4, 2022 for their Pantheon Preview event for Platinum Pass Holders. With vouchers we were able to claim from our member perks, we could get a single ride on Pantheon and that was supposed to be it – one and done. That, however, changed during the event. About an hour after the park opened, pass holders were granted permission for unlimited re-rides. This changed the day’s plans instantly. The limited number of attractions that were open took a back seat to Pantheon instantly.
First Up, Pantheon... Of Course
Due to the cold weather and potential for crowds, once the group arrived we all made our way to Pantheon. I won’t be covering the coaster here since I published “Pantheon – Preview Day Thoughts” yesterday along with “Pantheon 1st Impressions & Off-Ride,” on the We Were Inverted YouTube channel. Please be sure to give them a look if you’re seeking information and my thoughts on Pantheon. Today I will be focusing on our limited rides on the rest of the park’s open coasters.
Grover's Alpine Express
After our first ride on Pantheon, the crew split up for the rest of the day. Kaylee, along with some friends, went off into the rest of the park. She was looking to claim the Grover’s Alpine Express credit to complete the park’s coaster line up. It was closed when we visited back in October and wasn’t open on a recent trip she made to BGW. So while the rest of us only added one new credit to our lists, Kaylee earned herself two.
Apollo's Chariot
While Kaylee and her friends were at Grover, Chris, Carrie, and I made our way to the nearby Apollo’s Chariot. The ride was a walk on with most visitors focusing on the Pantheon event. With it being so cold Apollo’s also felt sluggish. It’s already lower on the list of strength of airtime when compared to other Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M) hypers, in my opinion. That’s when it’s running in warm weather too, so this was a step down from that. I can’t fault the ride though. It is the original B&M hyper and still has one of the best courses found on any installment. Going through the woods, down to the river, and back again has always made this ride one I still love regardless.
Verbolten
All of the crew got in a ride on Verbolten Friday, just not together. Chris, Carrie, and I managed a night ride, which only makes this ride better, in our opinions. I rode in the back row, which was the first time since 2020. In my 2021 visits I took the front seat every ride while filming POV content. Getting in the back once again was a nice change of pace, especially when adding in the fact that it was also my first night ride on the coaster since 2020. The icing on the cake, however, was that extra inch or so of space I had in the restraints. It had my butt off the seat several times throughout the ride. Verbolten certainly wasn’t running slow in the cold weather, although we did get to it much later than our previous rides.
If I ever make a list video or blog talking about underrated or under-appreciated rides, this will certainly be on there. And oh yeah… we got the wolf theme! It’s been a while since I’ve gotten that one.
Final Ride Counts
Apollo’s Chariot (1)
Grover’s Alpine Express (1: Kaylee)
Pantheon (5: Patrick, 3: Chris, 2: Kaylee, Carrie)
Skyride (2: Kaylee)
Verbolten (1)
A Fun, Limited Day Outside Pantheon
Needless to say, we were all happy to finally ride Pantheon. For the last few years I’ve been visiting BGW for their winter events, but with the park being open year round now, I was curious to see what visiting in early March would be like as well. To be honest, had it not been for Pantheon, making the 3.5 hour trip down for what was open, with the threat of cold weather on top, wouldn’t have made sense for me. If I lived closer, getting to the park with these lighter crowds would certainly be fun and not as much as a risk. I just wonder if financially the park is pulling in enough with these skimpy crowds on these colder days thus far.
Regardless, I can’t wait to get back down to ride all the park’s amazing coasters. With gas costing as much as it does, that probably won’t happen until things warm up a bit more of those coasters are up and running again. If I only lived closer…
Busch Gardens Photo Gallery - March 4, 2022
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CREW MANIFEST
The following flight crew members attended this park, & earned the respective credits below:
Patrick
CAG
New Credit(s): Pantheon
Kaylee
Commander
New Credit(s): Grover's Alpine Express, Pantheon
Chris D.
Ensign
New Credit(s): Pantheon
Carrie
Ensign
New Credit(s): Pantheon
