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1 Rating Posted by: fergusonat on 5/3/2005 1:40:00 PM

If there is a single ride that you have to ride sometime in your lifetime, this is it. Combining an excellently paced ride, insane airtime, amazing scenery, and great theming, Apollos Chariot stands firmly as number 1 in my personal Top 10. The drops on this ride are some of the best, especially the drop out of the mid-course brake run, which has clinched #2 in my personal rankings for drops, just behind Phantoms Revenges 228 foot plunge.

But the key to this ride is the seating. The restraints are extremely comfortable and the seats confrom perfectly. Your legs have an almost ridiculous amount of room. The best seat in the house is the back-left---on the third drop that leads into the upward helix, the ground seems just inches from from your head

I missed this, but pretty good review Ferg. Sure, its not quite on the same level as the ATC one, but still pretty darn good

Thank you

I kinda hoped to be able to go back up and ride it again this weekend, but it just didnt work out. I might be goin to PKD with a kid from A&Ms forums instead. But yeah, I love this ride and I regret only riding it 3 times last time I went. Each time I leave the park, I regret the pitiful number of times I rode Apollo, but then I realized that the more you ride the thing, the more youre going to need to ride it. It truly is an addiction

3 Times!?!?!?!?!?! When I went I rode it like 8 times. I just kept walking on as the park was closing and I got in like 5 rides in a row in the dark. But then again, I kinda tried to ride more because I knew it would be a LONG time before I could come back. Same thing with Storm Runner and Lightning Racer

Yeah its pitiful I know! Plus the ride started to get pretty crowded unfortunately...this was DarKastles opening day and the park was packed. The park was only open until 7 anyways, so I couldnt get any night rides in

Next time, Im gonna park myself near Apollo and just ride it for 2 hours minimum for as many times as I can

I got 13 rides in 2 strait hours. Then again, it was walk on, ride, walk off, walk around, get back on conditions. I dont know if many more within a 2-hour stretch are possible (especially with their no reride policy)

They dont let people stay on the ride if theres no line? That stinks...because they were letting people do it on Escape from Pompeii while I was there, even though it was still too chilly for me to take advantage of the opportunity

Yea, even when I was there, during my first hour on the ride, Festiva Italia was a ghost town. There were like five of use who just kept riding and riding (I met another enthusiast from Pennsylvania who only rode in the back seat -- smart man) but even with an empty station they made us go around again and again... I just kept leaving my camera bag on the exit platform in the station, and kept "forgetting" to pic it up, so I just had to ride again

Lol, thats pretty dumb though...and it seems very un-Busch to put their guests out like that. I guess it doesnt matter too much...Apollos Chariot is worth the quick jog back through the queue

AC was crowded in the morning when I went. I had to wait 2 hours for my first ride. I went during their Summer Nughts promotion so the park was opened late. In about an hour I got 6 rides, all in the dark. Thats about what Bob averaged in his 2 hours

Unfortunately I still wont be able to get any night rides in when I go this weekend...the park still closes at 7:00 on Sundays

I bet Apollo is one heck of a ride at night...

I read somewhere once that the reason they make you leave is to protect themselves from lawsuits and they have to empty the train to be able to recheck the next group of riders. Im not sure though since I have been to a lot of parks who just let you stay in your seat if noone is in line for your seat.

But if they open the restraints and recheck them, then why does it even matter?

I dont know something weird about getting out of the seat and people on the platform. Like I said I think it is one of those real weird issues. When I went to Michigans Adventure they ran the train through the station and let us ride two laps. That was pretty cool.

wow thanks for your anonymous opinion shall we all changfe ours. The airtime on this is what I liked better then MF

They are completely different rides...MF is all about speed, and Apollos Chariot is all about airtime. Sorry, but these meaningless Anonymous posts are getting on my nerves. If you think MF blows it away, at least say why...then at least we can respect your opinion...

But for the moment, Im just happy that Im gonna be riding this beast in a couple days. Anonymous...you cant deny that this ride aint a beast

He/she can deny anything hence the power of Anonymous

It sounds to me that youre the typical teenager that so many parks aim for...people who just look at speed to determine if the ride is good or not. True quality isnt correlated to speed or height. I am in no way putting Millennium Force down, but speed does NOT make a good ride

Wow, I thought the sensation of speed was excellent. Just the way that the trains are open makes it feel fast. Even if "Anonymous" feels that MF is better, lack of speed on AC is a stupid reason.

Also, the feeling of speed is really amplified on that straight piece of track after the first drop...

This person is a perfect example of why any poster should have an account. 70 mph hour and a 200 ft drop are just too slow and too small.

Wow, this guy has no idea what hes talking about....First off, there are strict height restrictions that Busch Gardens must follow. Plus, even if there were no height restrictions to their rides, they still couldnt build a giga-coaster without the Kingsmill Resort snobs yelling at them. I think Busch Gardens built Apollos Chariot brilliantly. They managed to make the ride well under 200 feet tall and still salvaged a 200 ft+ drop. As for the 4 seater complaint...Busch gardens doesnt build the rides, Bolliger and Mabillard built Apollos Chariot. It is just what B&M does and its not going to change. Besides, it increases capacity, so I really dont know why you find fault in it....

Holy crap, just got back from BGW again....and APOLLO WAS ON TODAY! I got on it 4 times, pretty good for how packed the park was

"What is Busch with all these 4 seated trains?" As Fergusonat said, it just increases capacity, and the only coaster featuring 4 wide trains is Alpengeist. Maybe he thinks that if Alpengeist was a stinkin little Vekoma with 2 seats per car, it would be better. 2 seats is more exciting? Hes nuts.

"Apollos Chariot is slow, im a guy, i need speed in my life 2 get a rush, duh!"

Wow. I cant believe how simple some peoples thought processes are

Uh, Fore91...Apollos Chariot has 4 across seating

Yea because the air on the back row isnt any good.

Uh, we must be riding different rides...I think the air is amazing in the back seat. I actually tried it out on the 7th row once, and was very surprised to find that 2 rows made a huge difference in the dosage of airtime. The back-left is my favorite seat. The front is good for visuals, but the back is the best to me. It just has that jolting intensity that is lacking in all the other rows for me. For some reason, the drop out of the brake run makes me do this crazy maniacal laugh that I cant keep in...it actually scares me, lol

Yes so do I sarcasm is just a lost art on the computer.

ummm...."only OTHER ride with 4 across seating" I know AP has 4 across. He just made it sound like busch was a 4 seat across worshiper. (i dunno either) I was pointing out that only 2 of their 4 coasters have 4 across.

^Ooooh, ok, lol

I guess you could argue that Busch is a "two-across worshipper" as well, since their other 2 coasters have 2-across seating

You guys. Seriously. When Busch decides to build a coaster the number of seats in a row isnt at the top of their list of most important factors

Exactly, lol...I was being sarcastic with the 2-seat-worshipping crap!

yeah, I know. But he anonymous person really doesnt understand the concept of ride designers and seating

In my opinion, he doesnt understand much of anything...

Thats so true

Just say why...sheesh, thats all we ask

O doyle rules not Milennium Force. Tool

^ Did that make no sense to anybody else?

Nope, but I dont even want to know. :withstupid:

Hey, I just noticed something...the anonymous posts have stopped....THANK YOU!

Lets stop this nonsense. Ferg, thanks for resurecting a dead thread LOL Even if the posts disagree with your position, and I wish he would sign up, they are fine and let them go. anon, B&M isnt about speed and height which go hand and hand. Billy Madison is the best movie ever.

:o This is absurd...

Youre Anonymous, nobody cares about what you have to say

Great review Ferg. I see youre from VA like me. What kind of coaster do you think BGW should get next? Busch parks have historically been mostly steel, but the best I can think of is a monster wooden coaster, something the East doesnt really have. A wooden coaster thats really tall or somehow unique. Not a racer/dueler. Anybody (whos a member) have any ideas?

From what I remember, BGW isnt allowed to build a wooden coaster because it would be too loud and disturb the Kings Mill people.

Oh, I didnt know that. Interesting. Well theyve got the steel coasters pretty well covered (sitdown looping, suspended, inverted, & hyper). Whats left? Maybe a LIM launch ride could rise out of the ashes of Drachenfire. Or maybe a flying or dive coaster. I can see why theyve taken their time selecting another coaster to build.

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