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
Out 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

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

Golden Ticket Awards from Amusement Today
.

History

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] [10]

Characteristics

The 4,882-foot-long (1,488 m) Apollo's Chariot is a

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

The final drop on Apollo's Chariot

After departing from the

brake run.[12][13] There is approximately 26 seconds of airtime during the 2-minute, 15-second ride.[14]

Incidents

On July 15, 2018, a family from

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.[16][17]

Reception

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.[14] 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.[18]

In

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.[19][20]

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
Ranking 20[19] 9[21] 7[22] 5[23] 5[24] 5[25] 4[26] 5[27] 4[28] 4[29] 5[30] 4[31] 7[32] 4[20] 5[33] 7[34] 6[35] 6[36] 11[37] 6[38] 8[39] 11[40] 8[41] 11[42]

References

  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. 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. ^ https://people.com/movies/fabio-explains-what-happened-when-a-when-a-goose-struck-him-on-a-rollercoaster/
  11. ^ "Apollo's Chariot (Music from Busch Gardens)". SeaWorld Attraction.
  12. ^ "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.
  13. ^ "Apollo's Chariot at Coaster-Net". Coaster-Net. Retrieved January 28, 2013.
  14. ^ a b McDonald, Sam (April 2, 1999). "Apollo's Ride Screams Fun". Daily Press. Retrieved January 28, 2013.
  15. ^ Amy Poulter (July 15, 2018). "3 people suffer concussions after Busch Gardens employee accidentally hits emergency brake". The Virginian Pilot.
  16. ^ Monroe, Madeline (July 2, 2019). "Virginia Beach man sues claiming he was injured on Apollo's Chariot". Daily Press. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
  17. ^ 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.
  18. ^ Powell, Tom (September 13, 1999). "Williamsburg Busch Gardens Unveils 'Huge' Halloween Promo". Amusement Business. 111 (37): 33.
  19. ^ a b "Top 25 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 7B. August 1999.
  20. ^ a b "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 16 (6.2): 36–37. September 2012.
  21. ^ "Top 25 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. August 2000.
  22. ^ "Top 25 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 7B. August 2001. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013.
  23. ^ "Top 25 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 7B. September 2002. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013.
  24. ^ "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 14–15B. September 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013.
  25. ^ "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 18–19B. September 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 3, 2007.
  26. ^ "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 26–27B. September 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013.
  27. ^ "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 26–27B. September 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013.
  28. ^ "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 11 (6.2): 36–37. September 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013.
  29. ^ "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 12 (6.2): 36–37. September 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013.
  30. ^ "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 13 (6.2): 32–33. September 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013.
  31. ^ "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 14 (6.2): 34–35. September 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013.
  32. ^ "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 15 (6.2): 38–39. September 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013.
  33. ^ "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.
  34. ^ "2014 Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 18 (6.2): 46–47. September 2014.
  35. ^ "2015 Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 19 (6.2): 49–50. September 2015.
  36. Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today
    . September 2016.
  37. Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today
    . September 2017.
  38. Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today
    . September 2018.
  39. Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today
    . September 2019.
  40. Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2021. Archived
    from the original on November 15, 2021.
  41. Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2022. Archived
    from the original on September 12, 2022.
  42. ^ "2023 Golden Ticket Award Winners". Amusement Today. 27 (6.2): 66–70. September 2023. Archived from the original on September 10, 2023.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Apollo's Chariot.
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