POV of Busch Gardens Williamsburg's Tempesto Released!

Tempesto, Busch Gardens Williamsburg's newest coaster, still has about a week and half before it opens to the pubic on April 25th, but the park has released the first official POV footage from the ride this week.

As you'll see, there really isn't much to this one and yes, the ride does actually only last for 53 seconds. Not much when you think about Apollo's Chariot, which is right next door.

Not really much else to say on this one other than to point you to the video below and we'll probably have our own at some point this year when we visit.

So, without further ado, let's take a ride on Tempesto!


As always, you can follow along with us right here for all the latest out of Busch Gardens Williamsburg and beyond or on Twitter, Google+, Tumblr and Facebook for all the latest!

Busch Gardens Williamsburg Leaks Tempesto Info!

Well, it's not exactly news that Busch Gardens Williamsburg has been building a new roller coaster for 2015. It's finished and sitting there visible to just about anyone that drives by. The name has also been pretty much a known thing as well, with only a little doubt that it would be in fact, Tempesto.

However, earlier today there was a goof on the Busch Gardens Williamsburg website where the info was posted up to the live site. Along with it came a bunch of other information regarding just what folks can expect from their newest coaster as well.

Speaking of that, Tempesto will feature three different launch elements, as well as reach speeds of 63mph as it takes riders through their daredevil run. The highlight? A "high speed inversion" at 154ft in the air. Also mentioned is a "high speed station experience", which is just talk for a station fly through.

As for the proof? Well here ya go, taken straight from the Busch Gardens Williamsburg website...before it was taken down rather quickly at that.

The best is, that wasn't all, there was another place on the site that the folks over at BGWFans.com were able to snag as well. So, for the matter of due dilligence, here's their screenshot that they managed to grab!

Track Completed for Busch Gardens Williamsburg's Newest Coaster

Well, the folks at Busch Gardens Williamsburg have been quietly building something new for 2015. It's been known for a while just what this new piece of their coaster landscape would be, but the fact that they've been building, guests had been noticing during Christmas Town, and you can see it from the main road without any official word? That's weird.

It's really only a matter of time until they do spill the beans, but it's not like anyone in the area or visiting hasn't seen what's going on at this point. They already know what's coming and sites like BGWFans and others have been watching and putting information out there, so why the wait? I don't think we'll ever know the answer to that.

What we do know is that thanks to those intrepid folks at BGWFans.com, particularly user netdvn, we have pictures taken at the end of January which show the track completed and some theming being placed on the structure. Whether they go with the Tempesto or Diavolo name, no one knows, it's definitely an interesting choice for the park. We've talked a good bit about that as our coverage of the ride's construction has gone on, so we'll just leave that there for you to check out.

In the meantime, here's the latest set of photos.

As you can see, pretty hard to miss this one out there and it sands out rather starkly against Apollo's Chariot there in front. And, just what is hanging from the structure? Well, those appear to some kind of banner or some such but it's hard to see what's going on with them as we're looking at the backside. One can hope they add some that face outward as well, but who knows what'll happen there.

Here's a couple of more photos showing things a little more closely.

Construction on Busch Gardens Williamsburg's Newest Coaster Continues

Well, construction is moving ahead more and more with each day at Busch Gardens Williamsburg. Their newest coaster still hasn't been announced by the park, but it's definitely impossible to hide that something is coming.

We've known for quite a while just what the newest addition to the park will look like and be, so it's a little weird they haven't announced anything by now.

That said, thanks to a ton of folks out there, there's a whole slew of video and construction of what is to believed as either Tempesto or Diavolo. First up, a little video look from the folks at In The Loop.


It really is hard to figure out why the park hasn't said anything as it's painfully obvious they're building something and it was extremely easy to see during their Christmas Town event. Who exactly do they think they're going to surprise with this?

Anyway, now onto a few photos from the awesome folks over at BGWfans.com. You can check out more on their site and forums right here too.

"Tempesto/Diavolo" Construction Goes Vertical at Busch Gardens Williamsburg

Well, Busch Gardens Williamsburg still hasn't made an official announcement about this one, but it's only a matter of time before they do. The main reason? The structure is going vertical and right now that's during their Christmas Town event, so it's starting to be noticed by more people who are in the park most likely. There's no official word on when they'll be releasing all the details, even if most of us out there know what they're up to already.

That said, construction is moving along and considering that this isn't exactly a huge project, they seem to be right on course for an opening to go along with the park's Spring 2015 opening date. Don't quote on me on that though, we'll just have to wait and see but it does feel that way to me.

Just how far along are they? Well, thanks to the ever awesome folks over at BGWfans.com, we can show you!

For those not familiar, the new ride is going into the Festa Italia section of the park and right up against Apollos Chariot. It's an odd placement, and many don't agree with it, but everyone here suspects that it's due to visibility from the road.

If you're curious as to what exactly the ride is going to look like or what it's going to entail, we've already covered that quite extensively in the past. And yes, we're still shaking our heads over why Busch Gardens would put something like this into the park and not something more substantial. Either way, there's no avoiding it, it's definitely coming.

So, enough rambling, let's get to a few more pictures form the BGW Fans folks showing off how the construction has come along since our last visit to the park. If you'd like to see more, head over to their site for all that and tons of talk about Busch Gardens Williamsburg. 


Now for a few more pictures!

Busch Gardens Williamsburg- New Coaster Track On Site!

Image from Screamscape

 Busch Gardens Williamsburg- New Coaster Track Spotted!

 While it's common knowledge that Busch Gardens is up to something, not everyone knows what.

 We know they are getting a new roller coaster, which seemed to have a hotly contested name. Folks can't seem to decide if it's going to be the "Diavolo" or "Tempesto" at the moment, either way this new 'teal' colored track has been spotted coming into the park.  Seeing as we spent this past weekend at the park, we can confirm two pieces of track are on site.. but very hard to spot.

 The only way to spot them is from the very top of Griffon, before the drop if you peer far into the distance of employee parking (to the left of the coaster's drop) you can see them hidden back near the old trolley. The physical damage is more obvious, it can be spotted in the clear cutting directly beside "Apollo's Chariot".

 We expect to hear the announcement of this new coaster during the 'Pass-holders Appreciation Weekend" which is September 6th and 7th, 2014.

 More News when it becomes available! 

Busch Gardens Williamsburg- Site Plans for Festa Italia Expansion

Busch Gardens Williamsburg- Site Plans and Specs for Festa Italia Expansion.

 Well, the folks at BGW Fans have done it again. Finding the decoding the plans for the 2015 Busch Gardens Williamsburg expansion to the Festa Italia area. 

 It's pretty obvious that the fears of a stock Premier Rides coaster had come to pass, with nothing original about it. A stock ride which is often found in Six Flags Parks will soon be raising into the sky for the Festa Italia expansion. While myself and many others have been attempting to deny this, it's getting harder and harder to stand when so many plans are being found then released. 

 While it's still impossible to say if the ride builder is Premier Rides, it's seeming more obvious due to past relationships with other ride builders and the parks. So it's very likely an announcement will be coming soon from Busch Gardens, which will either confirm or deny the facts we've uncovered for ourselves. 

 If the plans are accurate and all guesses to the ride manufacturer are correct, we can easily know the stats for this new coaster.  While some folks who've ridden this style of ride assure me it's more fun then it appears, I think it's likely a mistake. You don't get people coming back to the park for a stock ride, that privileged is often reserved for new, original design coasters. People will come but I doubt they'll get the turn-out they seem to be hoping for with this move. 

  Either way, the stats are as follows for this style coaster from premier rides:
150 Feet Tall
863 Feet Long
1 Inversion
62 MPH Launch Speed  
50 Seconds Ride Time
 






All images are from BGW Fans

Busch Gardens Williamsburg- Possible Premier Rides Coaster for 2015?

Image from BGW Fans

 Busch Gardens Williamsburg- Possible 'Primer Rides' Coaster coming for 2015?

Well, it's no real secret that fans of Busch Gardens Williamsburg have been in an uproar for months over the possible 2015 'Festa Italia' expansion.  For months the speculation has run wild over a project which we know will be roughly at a height of 156 feet.

Image from BGW Fans

Now, while it can't be confirmed, the great folks at BGW Fans have been posting up blue-prints of what looks like a stock (off the shelf) Premier Rides coaster. This also has fans in a complete tizzy, with many feeling that the park is going cheap with using a stock design and not something custom built.

While the 'Festa' area has never had a well set theme, being that more of a carnival feeling, this addition could cement the area of the park. The project name (or the working name) seems to be that of "Diavolo' who was a big name bicycle stunt rider in the 1880s.

So, while we're speculating, could this coaster have the 'moto-seats'? Meaning, your coaster train would be designed off the old 'steeple chase' idea. 

Honestly, these seats are hard to explain, so I've liberated a picture from Coasters and More. This photo is from "Booster Bike" which is in Towerland, The Netherlands.  Very similar to 'Pony Express' at Knott's Berry Farm and Steeple Chase at Coney Island.

However, Premier Rides has never used this system of seat before...but it's also not entirely unknown to have another company design the coaster trains while someone else does the track, it's just very rare in steel coasters.

Now, with that said, I can't say if this restraint system will work with a coaster that has inversions involved since nothing using them has any. Most coasters which have inversions have the normal 'over-the-shoulder' style restraint system, leaving us with a stock Premier Rides coaster with little to no themeing involved but that doesn't fit with the way Busch Gardens normally does business.

Which, in the end, leads us right back to the fact that we simply don't have enough information on this ride yet. So, until such a point, I shall resume my 'fence sitting' position and hoping against hope that Busch Gardens isn't falling into any bad habits.