WILLIAMSBURG – A signature Busch Gardens coaster is reopening with a new story and characters just before summer.
Verbolten: Forbidden Turn returns May 30 with updated theming and a revised story centered on Frau Hexel, the new owner of the Black Forest motor tour company.
According to Busch Gardens officials, the coaster reaches speeds of up to 53 mph and travels more than 2,800 feet of track. The ride retains its signature drop-track element, in which a section of track drops to connect with a lower portion, as well as its 88-foot drop toward the park’s’ Rhine River-themed section.
The coaster, which opened in 2012, was a replacement for the Big Bad Wolf ride and is located in the park’s Oktoberfest section.
“We invested in developing an all-new storyline for the attraction. The updates include new theming pieces and animatronics,” said Kevin Lembke, president of Busch Gardens Williamsburg.
In the updated story, the Black Forest tour company is no longer operated by twins Gerta and Gunter Schwartzwald. Instead, guests are guided by Frau Hexel and her companion, Broom, who repeatedly warn riders: “Don’t turn right.”
Busch Gardens members get exclusive early access to Verbolten: Forbidden Turn on May 29, ahead of the attraction’s official opening. A ceremony with a ribbon-cutting is scheduled for May 30 at 10:30 a.m.
