Behind-the-Scenes: Pantheon Roller Coaster Hard Hat Tour
January 28, 2020
On January 23, local media outlets, bloggers, and a few lucky fans were invited to Busch Gardens Williamsburg for the chance to don hard hats and tour the Pantheon roller coaster construction site. The mild winter weather remained on our side as guests were wowed b the nearly-completed track, which will total 3,328 feet when finished.
Excitement was the theme of the day when the tour began at the base of the Top Hat, which features a 95 degree drop, with key notes about the construction progress and the ride’s features by Park President Kevin Lembke.
Our tour then proceeded under the track itself for a presentation with Elizabeth Ringas, Communications Director of American Coaster Enthusiasts, about the ride experience itself. Standing in the shadow of the inversion directly beside launch one, it wasn’t hard to imagine the sight of the Pantheon coaster train zooming by, eventually reaching the top speed of 73mph.
Next, Suzy Cheely, Senior Leader of Design & Engineering, lifted off in a crane bucket to bring our attention to the 178 foot tall spire, which Pantheon will launch up backwards before plummeting forward to launch again over the Top Hat. She spoke briefly about the ride’s theme, which will embody the might of five Roman guides: Minerva, Mercury, Neptune, Jupiter, and Pluto.
Finally, we met with Jonathan Smith, Corporate Director of Rides and Engineering, who spoke a bit about the new switch track technology that is an exciting part of Pantheon’s multi-launch experience.
Pantheon was recently voted one of the Top 10 Most Anticipated Roller Coasters in 2020 by USA Today. We were delighted to bring some more of that anticipation to our local media friends, bloggers, and -- of course – our fans!
Pantheon will open this spring in Busch Gardens Williamsburg’s Festa Italia village and will be joining our other world-class roller coasters, exciting thrill rides, and beloved attractions.
Do you want to be one of the first to ride Pantheon, the world’s fastest multi-launch roller coaster? Get exclusive access to Pantheon, as well as unlimited visits, monthly rewards, and other benefits by joining Membership today!