Apollo's Chariot
I2 · Cedar Point & The Midwest
I2 · № 122/159
Apollo's Chariot
Busch Gardens Williamsburg · US · B&M Hyper Coaster
UNOFFICIAL · NOT PARK-ENDORSED
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Fast facts
- A steel Bolliger & Mabillard Hyper Coaster, operating since 1999. coasterpedia.net
- The ride stands 51.8 metres high. coasterpedia.net
- Its trains reach 117.5 kilometres per hour. buschgardens.com
- Apollo’s Chariot contains no inversions. coasterpedia.net
- The published hourly capacity is 1,750 riders. coasterpedia.net
- Construction was recorded at a cost of twenty million dollars. coasterpedia.net
The story of Apollo's Chariot
Apollo’s Chariot was announced in September 1998 and opened to visitors in March 1999. It was the first Hyper Coaster built by Bolliger & Mabillard, establishing a new kind of large steel ride for the Williamsburg park. coasterpedia.net· coaster101.com
The lift rises 170 feet, yet the first descent reaches 210 feet as the track follows the ground into a ravine. This careful use of the Virginia terrain gave the ride its unusually deep opening plunge without requiring a taller lift structure. coasterpedia.net· coaster101.com
When it arrived, Apollo’s Chariot became the principal attraction of the Festa Italia section. Its sweeping structure could be seen beside the approach to the park, giving arriving visitors an early glimpse of the great purple track crossing the landscape. coaster101.com
The early reception was notably warm. Park recollections describe visitors finding the ride smooth and full of graceful rises and falls, and Apollo’s Chariot has since been repainted while continuing in operation. coaster101.com· coasterpedia.net
Sources
- coasterpedia.net Preferred source
- buschgardens.com Acceptable source
- coaster101.com Acceptable source