Intamin is notorious for creating incredibly intense rides that annihilate their competition in the intensity category. B and M can’t come close to matching the intensity of their hyper-coasters. Neither can S and S with their drop towers. And Intamin has completely revolutionized the launched coaster. But one blip that tarnishes Intamin’s flawless intensity record are their relatively tame shoot the chutes. Simply put, their older ones just don’t live up to the Hopkins ones with their slower and weaker plunge (though their newer ones such as Perilous Plunge and Pilgrim’s Plunge probably rectify this blemish). However, there always are exceptions, and this certainly is one of them.
Located in the Italy section of the park, Pompeii’s highly stylized building looks incredible and really looks like the ruins of a once-great ancient city. Not only that, but the landscaping around the attraction is superb as well, highlighted by the beautiful shrubs and rock gardens scattered beside the queue. And speaking of the queue, you may think that lines on a 100 plus degree day would be unbearably long. Well, I thought that too and much to my surprise, it was a walk on! This can most likely be attributed to the attraction’s incredibly high capacity thanks to its incredibly quick working ops and more importantly, and the number of boats Busch had operating was a very pleasant surprise.
Once seated in the nice-looking splash boat, the attraction follows the same path as most shoot-the-chutes- a lift, giant turn, drop, splash, and final turn. Well, Pompeii as you very well know has a unique twist on a classic attraction- the indoor section. Once entering the building, I was absolutely blown away, no pun intended. Themed to the famous eruption that destroyed this classic city, Pompeii dazzled me with its array of pyrotechnic effects ranging from a simple blaze to a raging inferno that probably actually could bring down an entire city. Just the heat generated just has to be experienced and it really captures the sense of peril that Busch intended for. Of all the effects though, the falling column was far and away my favorite. Now I had seen that effect hundreds of times in theme park specials on TV, but it was just so flawlessly executed that it made me jump! It just came so close and was very abrupt since all the fire in each direction distracted me. All of the theming inside was mind-blowing and Disney-quality, and heck, could even be a stand-alone dark ride. Yes it’s just that good!
Just when you don’t think you can withstand the heat anymore, the boat reemerges and is faced with the climatic plunge that is featured on all shoot-the-chutes. As I said earlier, Intamin versions just lack the intense plunge featured on Hopkins ones and unfortunately this one also suffers from the plague. Simply, it’s not nearly as tall or intense, leading to much less enjoyment. That being said though, the drop is still moderately enjoyable, just not intense at all. However, the splashdown, while not awe-inspiring or colossal like the ones on Hopkins versions, was perfect for providing a much needed drenching on a stifling day; it’s just not as visually stunning off or on ride.
Escape From Pompeii simply put, is easily one of the best shoot the chutes I’ve been on. While it lacks the intensity of Hopkins models, Pompeii absolutely blew me away with the pyrotechnic effects featured in the amazing indoor section that allows it to leapfrog over almost all the other shoot the chutes I’ve been on. That being said, I still prefer Tidal Force’s raw intensity over the incredible theming of Busch’s, but Escape From Pompeii is a definite must for anyone visiting Busch Gardens. One final note, unless you’re wearing sandals or sneakers that you don’t care about getting completely soaked, avoid sitting up front because of the mad torrent of water that comes rushing in over the front of the boat following the lift, but wherever you sit, you are sure to get a good drenching that will surly provide some much needed refreshment on a hot, summer day.
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