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Apollo's Chariot

Coordinates: 37°14′05″N 76°38′29″W / 37.23480°N 76.64130°W / 37.23480; -76.64130
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This article is about the roller coaster. For the mythological chariot of Apollo, see Solar deity.

Apollo's Chariot
The first drop of Apollo's Chariot is at an angle of 65°.
Busch Gardens Williamsburg
LocationBusch Gardens Williamsburg
Park sectionFesta Italia
Coordinates37°14′05″N 76°38′29″W / 37.23480°N 76.64130°W / 37.23480; -76.64130
StatusOperating
Opening dateMarch 27, 1999 (1999-03-27)
CostUS$20 million
General statistics
TypeSteel
ManufacturerBolliger & Mabillard
DesignerWerner Stengel
ModelHyper Coaster
Track layoutOut and Back/Terrain
Lift/launch systemChain lift hill
Height170 ft (52 m)
Drop210 ft (64 m)
Length4,882 ft (1,488 m)
Speed73 mph (117 km/h)
Inversions0
Duration2:15
Max vertical angle65°
Capacity1,750 riders per hour
G-force4.1
Height restriction52 in (132 cm)
Trains3 trains with 9 cars. Riders are arranged 4 across in a single row for a total of 36 riders per train.
Quick Queue available
Single rider line available
Apollo's Chariot at RCDB
Video

Apollo's Chariot is a steel roller coaster at the Busch Gardens Williamsburg amusement park in James City County, Virginia, United States. The ride was the first Hyper Coaster designed by Swiss firm Bolliger & Mabillard. It officially opened to the public on March 27, 1999.[1] This coaster is themed to the Greek and Roman god Apollo, who is the god of the sun, music, and healing. Apollo used his chariot to control the directions of the sun.

The 4,882-foot-long (1,488 m) ride is characterized by eight air-time hills, with heights ranging between 49 and 131 feet (15 and 40 m). Riders ascend 170 feet (52 m) on the chain lift hill before dropping 210 feet (64 m) at an angle of 65°. Apollo's Chariot has been well received, consistently ranking in the top 10 of the annual Golden Ticket Awards from Amusement Today.

History

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Apollo's Chariot was announced on September 5, 1998, as the tallest and fastest roller coaster at Busch Gardens Williamsburg.[2] An article in the Daily Press on January 23, 1999, mentioned that the ride was nearing completion with approximately 20 pieces of track left to be installed.[3] Apollo's Chariot performed its first test runs in mid-February 1999.[4]

The ride opened on March 27, 1999.[1] Upon opening, it was the first hypercoaster from Swiss manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard.[5] Busch Gardens held Apollo's Chariot's opening ceremony three days later on March 30.[6][7] Italian fashion model Fabio Lanzoni was brought in to promote the new roller coaster; this was part of Busch Gardens Williamsburg's annual program of celebrity appearances.[8] During the ride's inaugural run, a 10-pound goose struck him in the face leaving his nose covered with blood. He was treated at a nearby hospital for minor cuts, while the goose was killed on impact. In 2021, he clarified that the goose hit a camera and a piece of that camera hit him in the face.[6][7][9]

Characteristics

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The 4,882-foot-long (1,488 m) Apollo's Chariot is a Hyper Coaster made by Bolliger & Mabillard. The park's existing terrain is utilized to allow a 170-foot-tall (52 m) lift hill to be translated into a first drop stretching 210 feet (64 m). With a top speed of 73 miles per hour (117 km/h), the ride features eight air-time hills. Riders of Apollo's Chariot experience up to 4.1 times the force of gravity on the 2-minute, 15-second ride. Apollo's Chariot operates with three trains with nine cars per train. Riders are arranged four across in a single row for a total of 36 riders per train. This configuration of trains allows for a theoretical capacity of 1,750 riders per hour.[1] Riders are restrained by a lap bar and the seats are elevated so riders’ feet don't touch the ground.[2]

Ride experience

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The final drop on Apollo's Chariot

After departing from the station, the station will spiel the send-off recording "Thank you and enjoy your voyage to the sun on the wings of Apollo's Chariot!" as the train begins to climb the 170-foot (52 m) chain lift hill while loudspeakers play the official theme song.[10] When the train reaches the top, it drops down a few feet in a pre-drop. The pre-drop serves to reduce the stress and pull of the chain. After the pre-drop, the train goes down a 210 foot (64 m) drop toward a water-filled ravine at a 65-degree angle and reaches a top speed of 73 miles per hour (117 km/h). At the end of the ravine, the train enters a second airtime hill with a 131-foot (40 m) drop. A short narrow above ground tunnel is at the bottom of the second drop. After the tunnel, the train descends a 144-foot (44 m) drop, which banks to the left as it descends. The train then goes through an upward helix. Coming out of the helix, the train drops 102 feet (31 m) then turns right and rises up into the mid-course brake run. The train drops 48 feet (15 m) out of the brake run followed by another drop at 87 feet (27 m) toward the ravine. The train then banks right, makes a 38-foot (12 m) dip, turns left and goes through a small 16-foot (4.9 m) dip. The train then makes one last 49-foot (15 m) airtime drop before climbing up and into the final brake run.[11][12] There is approximately 26 seconds of airtime during the 2-minute, 15-second ride.[13]

Incidents

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On July 15, 2018, a family from Virginia Beach, Virginia, suffered injuries as they were riding the roller coaster due to a ride operator accidentally pressing the emergency stop button, causing them to report concussions the next day.[14] In July 2019, a guest from Virginia Beach sued Busch Gardens Williamsburg's parent company SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment. The guest claimed that he had suffered severe injuries on Apollo's Chariot due to the previous year's emergency-stop incident.[15][16]

Reception

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When Apollo's Chariot opened, the Daily Press described it as setting "a new standard in stomach-churning fun", enhanced by the fact that the ride had 26 seconds of airtime.[13] In the ride's debut year, Busch Gardens Williamsburg had lower than expected levels of attendance. This was attributed to prolonged periods of inclement weather. As a result of this, the park planned to relaunch Apollo's Chariot in 2000 in an attempt to drive attendance.[17]

In Amusement Today's annual Golden Ticket Awards, Apollo's Chariot has consistently ranked highly. In its debut year, it ranked position 20. In the 13 years since, the coaster has consistently ranked higher, peaking at #4 in 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2012.[18][19]

Golden Ticket Awards: Top steel Roller Coasters
Year 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2021 2022 2023 2024
Ranking 20[18] 9[20] 7[21] 5[22] 5[23] 5[24] 4[25] 5[26] 4[27] 4[28] 5[29] 4[30] 7[31] 4[19] 5[32] 7[33] 6[34] 6[35] 11[36] 6[37] 8[38] 11[39] 8[40] 11[41] 25[42]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Marden, Duane. "Apollo's Chariot  (Busch Gardens Williamsburg)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  2. ^ a b Deacle, Robin (September 5, 1998). "New Ride Not For Mere Mortals". Daily Press. Archived from the original on May 31, 2014. Retrieved January 28, 2013.
  3. ^ Deacle, Robin (January 23, 1999). "Sweet Chariot". Daily Press. Retrieved January 8, 2013.
  4. ^ "Busch Gardens Williamsburg Starts Testing Apollo's Chariot". Ultimate Rollercoaster.
  5. ^ Marden, Duane. "Roller Coaster Search Results  (Hyper Coaster)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  6. ^ a b Rivenburg, Roy (April 9, 1999). "Fabio Survives Goose Encounter, but Take a Gander at His Honker". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 9, 2015.
  7. ^ a b Holtzclaw, Mike (March 31, 1999). "Bird flies in face of Apollo's debut". Daily Press. pp. 1, 6. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
  8. ^ Holtzclaw, Mike (March 26, 1999). "Fabio an advertising Apollo for Busch Gardens' Chariot". Daily Press. pp. 36, 37. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
  9. ^ "Bird slams into Fabio's face". CNN. March 31, 1999. Retrieved April 27, 2007.
  10. ^ "Apollo's Chariot (Music from Busch Gardens)". SeaWorld Attraction.
  11. ^ "Apollo's Chariot Front Seat on-ride widescreen POV Busch Gardens Williamsburg". CoasterForce. YouTube. October 17, 2009. Archived from the original on November 15, 2021. Retrieved January 28, 2013.
  12. ^ "Apollo's Chariot at Coaster-Net". Coaster-Net. Retrieved January 28, 2013.
  13. ^ a b McDonald, Sam (April 2, 1999). "Apollo's Ride Screams Fun". Daily Press. Retrieved January 28, 2013.
  14. ^ Amy Poulter (July 15, 2018). "3 people suffer concussions after Busch Gardens employee accidentally hits emergency brake". The Virginian Pilot.
  15. ^ Monroe, Madeline (July 2, 2019). "Virginia Beach man sues claiming he was injured on Apollo's Chariot". Daily Press. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
  16. ^ Fearing, Sarah (August 21, 2019). "Jury trial set for injury case involving Apollo's Chariot, emergency brake incident". Williamsburg Yorktown Daily. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
  17. ^ Powell, Tom (September 13, 1999). "Williamsburg Busch Gardens Unveils 'Huge' Halloween Promo". Amusement Business. 111 (37): 33.
  18. ^ a b "Top 25 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 7B. August 1999.
  19. ^ a b "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 16 (6.2): 36–37. September 2012.
  20. ^ "Top 25 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. August 2000.
  21. ^ "Top 25 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 7B. August 2001. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013.
  22. ^ "Top 25 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 7B. September 2002. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013.
  23. ^ "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 14–15B. September 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013.
  24. ^ "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 18–19B. September 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 3, 2007.
  25. ^ "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 26–27B. September 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013.
  26. ^ "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 26–27B. September 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013.
  27. ^ "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 11 (6.2): 36–37. September 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013.
  28. ^ "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 12 (6.2): 36–37. September 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013.
  29. ^ "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 13 (6.2): 32–33. September 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013.
  30. ^ "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 14 (6.2): 34–35. September 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013.
  31. ^ "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 15 (6.2): 38–39. September 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013.
  32. ^ "2013 Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 17 (6.2): 34–35. September 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013.
  33. ^ "2014 Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 18 (6.2): 46–47. September 2014.
  34. ^ "2015 Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 19 (6.2): 49–50. September 2015.
  35. ^ "2016 Top 50 Steel Coasters". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2016.
  36. ^ "2017 Top 50 Steel Coasters". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2017.
  37. ^ "2018 Top 50 Steel Coasters". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2018.
  38. ^ "2019 Top 50 Steel Coasters". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2019.
  39. ^ "2021 Golden Ticket Award Winners". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2021. Archived from the original on November 15, 2021.
  40. ^ "2022 Golden Ticket Award Winners". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2022. Archived from the original on September 12, 2022.
  41. ^ "2023 Golden Ticket Award Winners". Amusement Today. 27 (6.2): 66–70. September 2023. Archived from the original on September 10, 2023.
  42. ^ "2024 Golden Ticket Award Winners". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2024. Archived from the original on September 9, 2024.
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