This post isn’t about history, but if you’re a coaster enthusiast it’s right up your alley. A few years back my son and I took the Busch Gardens Williamsburg roller coaster tour, where you get an inside look at maintenance buildings, get up close with the trains and parts, and…check this out…go up to the very top of Griffon.
This 205 ft dive coaster utilizes a maintenance car that climbs the lift on a separate mechanism connected to the main track. We boarded the vehicle and commenced the slow ascent; at the top we were free to roam around the walkways. The views are amazing, and well, it’s just awesome to stand at the top of this huge coaster and peer over the edge.
The other stops included the maintenance shed for Loch Ness Monster and Griffon; for Verbolten we stood inside the show building and walked behind the last launch that leads up to the bridge and final drop.
The tour cost $75, if I remember correctly, in addition to our park ticket, but was well worth it. We had a fabulous time, the park staff took loads of photos, and we were given a photo CD at the end of the day. All parks should do something like this; seems like an easy money-maker for not too much trouble.
