Loch Ness Monster is lurking in Williamsburg
Popular coaster at Busch Gardens to reopen in May
JAMES CITY — Following months of renovations, the Loch Ness Monster at Busch Gardens is set to reopen in about a month.
The roller coaster should be ready to roll in early May after the completion of renovations, including replacing portions of the track.
The iconic yellow-andblack track was repainted, and 900 feet, including the intersecting loops, has been replaced, park officials said during a media briefing Thursday. There are also updates to the cave section and improvements to the areas where patrons wait in line. The park has also opened a new Sighting Center, where visitors can learn about the history of the coaster, which opened in 1978.
Kevin Lembke, president of Busch Gardens Williamsburg and Water Country USA, said people have been wondering if the ride, which has been closed to the public for months, would be eliminated. He said the renovations will keep the coaster favorite around for generations to come.
The repairs will “add to the overall ride experience,” Lembke said. “People are going to be pretty excited.”
The route of the ride is identical to what it was before, just with updated structure and paint. There will be no major speed differences, still topping out at about 60 mph.
Lembke said elements of the track needed to be replaced, and that transformed into a full-blown renovation. The track was built in Utah and shipped across the country to be assembled at Busch Gardens.
A specific date hasn’t been given for the reopening. Park members will have a chance to ride it before the general public. Its storyline will center on the hunt for the mythical creature.
Suzy Cheely, vice president of design and engineering, said riders will find new flooring and railing in the queue area at the front of the line, newly painted trains, new graphics and fresh paint on the entire track to give it a uniform look.
The need for track improvements made sense because the ride has been around for over four decades, and structures have life spans and safety developments are made as time passes on, Cheely said. However, she said it was important to keep the ride around.
“We didn’t want to let Loch Ness die,” she said.
“It’s really cool,” said Sara Paul, visiting with her family from Indiana. She, her husband and son are roller coaster enthusiasts. “After hearing about the updates, the story that it’s telling, it’s going to be a really neat ride and it’s exciting,” Paul said. “It’ll be fun to be on it.”
There will be new theming, and people will have a chance to come face to face with the Loch Ness monster in the cave, part of the ride that is pitch black and serves as the monster’s lair. Lembke said while it’s the same coaster, the updates will give riders a new experience leading up to the ride and while on it.
“We’re really treating it as a brand new launch,” Lembke said.
There’s a new soundtrack for the ride, and Busch Gardens’ website hints of “something monstrous lurking under the water” after the first 100-foot drop.
Other areas of the park are being renovated as well. Squire’s Grille and Squire’s Sweets, in the England area, are being updated.
The new Sighting Center will be open in the Scotland area of the park daily through April 21.