Busch Gardens announces major expansion

WILLIAMSBURG

Busch Gardens and Water Country USA announced on Saturday plans for major expansions to the two theme parks.

Combined, the capital investments will add up to the largest in the parks’ combined histories, officials said in a news release.

The changes will begin this year and finish in 2012. First, the park will expand its Christmas Town, which this year will have an Italian theme. Then in spring 2011, the new Mäch Tower ride will open. It will be the tallest ride in the park, lifting 30 riders at a time 246 feet in the air before rotating for a few seconds and plummeting back to the ground.

Mäch Tower is part of an overhaul of the park’s Oktoberfest village, which is over 30 years old. The updated look will follow the traditional German Oktoberfest, with a new beer garden and canopies of colored maypoles and banners that depict the heritage of Bavaria.

Water Country USA will also open a new ride, called Vanish Point. Riders will choose one of two wave paths at the top of the 75-foot drop slide: Either plunging from a skybox that will drop the floor out from under their feet, or taking a 300-foot speed slide that drops straight down.

Officials also announced that a new, state-of-the-art roller coaster will replace The Big Bad Wolf. Park president John Reilly did not give details, but said the ride will debut in spring 2012, according to the news release.