Theme_Park_Insider
03-10-2010, 11:00 AM
By Robert Niles: & fsBy far, the most popular roller coaster model among Theme Park Insider readers is the Bolliger & Mabillard Mega Coaster. In fact, the reason why I implemented the rule for this year's Best Theme Park Attraction Tournament (http://www.themeparkinsider.com/tournament/) that only one installation of any model would be included was because of the B & M Mega. Without that rule, five of the top 10 coasters in the tournament would have been B & M Megas.
While I love the B & M Mega, too, a tournament that reduced to voting on which Mega was the best Mega just didn't seem that exciting to me. So I made the call, and today we reveal which of America's B & M Mega Coasters received the highest average rating from Theme Park Insider readers, and thus, a spot in this year's tournament.
First, though, let me note the irony that even though the B & M Mega is Theme Park Insider readers' favorite coaster model, the B & M Mega is not the top seed in the roller coaster bracket. That honor, obviously, was won by another manufacturer, which I will reveal on Monday. (Though, I suspect it should take you folks about 0.3 seconds to guess what it is.)
So... the second seed in the Best Roller Coaster bracket of the 2010 Best Theme Park Attraction Tournament is...
http://www.themeparkinsider.com/art/news/bgw-apollo.jpg
Apollo's Chariot (http://www.themeparkinsider.com/reviews/busch_gardens_williamsburg/apollo's_chariot/) at Busch Gardens Williamsburg, in Virginia.
Featuring a 210-foot initial drop over a pond, followed by a series of 100-foot-plus drops that yield superb airtime, not to mention excellent views of the James River region, Apollo's Chariot offers a smooth ride, blending high-speed thrills with outstanding visuals. The open car design on the B & M Mega enables those sweet views, and Busch Gardens made full use of that potential with an excellent site placement.
Of course, no discussion of Apollo's Chariot would be complete without its, uh, rather notorious 1999 opening ceremony (there's some good POV of the initial drop here, too):
Okay, maybe Fabio "lashed out" at the park, but by leading to him being whacked in the face, Apollo's Chariot immediately endeared itself to a generation of fans who couldn't stand the male super-model or at least the hype (at that time) surrounding him.
Other B & M Megas include Kings Island's Diamondback, Six Flags Over Georgia's Goliath, Six Flags Great Adventure's Nitro and Six Flags Great America's Raging Bull.
More... (http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/201003/1758/)
While I love the B & M Mega, too, a tournament that reduced to voting on which Mega was the best Mega just didn't seem that exciting to me. So I made the call, and today we reveal which of America's B & M Mega Coasters received the highest average rating from Theme Park Insider readers, and thus, a spot in this year's tournament.
First, though, let me note the irony that even though the B & M Mega is Theme Park Insider readers' favorite coaster model, the B & M Mega is not the top seed in the roller coaster bracket. That honor, obviously, was won by another manufacturer, which I will reveal on Monday. (Though, I suspect it should take you folks about 0.3 seconds to guess what it is.)
So... the second seed in the Best Roller Coaster bracket of the 2010 Best Theme Park Attraction Tournament is...
http://www.themeparkinsider.com/art/news/bgw-apollo.jpg
Apollo's Chariot (http://www.themeparkinsider.com/reviews/busch_gardens_williamsburg/apollo's_chariot/) at Busch Gardens Williamsburg, in Virginia.
Featuring a 210-foot initial drop over a pond, followed by a series of 100-foot-plus drops that yield superb airtime, not to mention excellent views of the James River region, Apollo's Chariot offers a smooth ride, blending high-speed thrills with outstanding visuals. The open car design on the B & M Mega enables those sweet views, and Busch Gardens made full use of that potential with an excellent site placement.
Of course, no discussion of Apollo's Chariot would be complete without its, uh, rather notorious 1999 opening ceremony (there's some good POV of the initial drop here, too):
Okay, maybe Fabio "lashed out" at the park, but by leading to him being whacked in the face, Apollo's Chariot immediately endeared itself to a generation of fans who couldn't stand the male super-model or at least the hype (at that time) surrounding him.
Other B & M Megas include Kings Island's Diamondback, Six Flags Over Georgia's Goliath, Six Flags Great Adventure's Nitro and Six Flags Great America's Raging Bull.
More... (http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/201003/1758/)