On March 25, Busch Gardens Williamsburg will open Pantheon, their newest multi-launch coaster.
Credit: Busch Gardens
Busch has stated that Pantheon is one of the most anticipated attractions to open in 2022, lumping it in with coasters such as Iron Gwazi at their Tampa Park, Icebreaker at SeaWorld Orlando, and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at Walt Disney World Resort, which is rumored to open in May after a Disney executive leaked the information on Twitter.
The company describes the ride as, “Pantheon, the world’s fastest multi-launch roller coaster, is officially launching at Busch Gardens® Williamsburg on March 25, 2022. Members will have exclusive opportunities to ride on select dates, Now – March 13! Harnessing all the speed and strength of five of the greatest Roman gods, this record-breaking coaster stands 180 feet tall with a top speed of 73 mph, and features a 95° drop, 4 launches, 5 air-time hills and 2 inversions.” With stats this crazy, it seems that the coaster can compete with some of the most thrilling in the world, including the newly launched Jurassic World VelociCoaster at Universal Orlando Resort.
Credit: Busch Gardens
At the moment, the attraction may not be available to Guests but as of now through to March 13, Members are able to ride the attraction before anyone else! Whenever a new ride is introduced, hiccups are anticipated, but yesterday proved to be a challenging day for the new coaster. BGWFans (@BGWFans) was on the scene yesterday, documenting all of the weather-related issues that caused Pantheon to shut down. Below, we can see that the coaster closed down on multiple occasions due to wind.
We can also see there were some technical issues with the coaster that caused more downtime, and a much longer line then expected, even with just Members at nearly two hours.
After some brief technical downtime a few minutes ago, Pantheon is open again EXCLUSIVELY FOR VOUCHER HOLDERS. Given the huge line and the 6pm park closure, rerides are looking TREMENDOUSLY unlikely today. People are being told the current line is an hour and 45 minutes long.
After some brief technical downtime a few minutes ago, Pantheon is open again EXCLUSIVELY FOR VOUCHER HOLDERS. Given the huge line and the 6pm park closure, rerides are looking TREMENDOUSLY unlikely today. People are being told the current line is an hour and 45 minutes long. pic.twitter.com/xJhEGB8fIB
It was also noted that Guests would have to worry about being too tall for this ride, as opposed to the typical worry of being too short.
Some information from someone who is bordering on over-height for Pantheon. Seems like a deeply frustrating situation. Also, I guess you should invest in water shoes if you’re close to the limit.
Some information from someone who is bordering on over-height for Pantheon. Seems like a deeply frustrating situation. Also, I guess you should invest in water shoes if you're close to the limit. 🙁 https://t.co/VI2Gtt2yJe
Wallin Ballin (@wallin_ballin) took to Twitter to show that even the wait time signage has some minor issues, displaying a two-year wait time for the ride!
I mean….. technically these people were waiting two full years for this to open…. So…. They’re not wrong.
Busch Gardens Williamsburg located in Virginia is a fantastic theme park for those looking for thrills. Apollo’s Chariot, Verbolten, Invadr, Griffon, Tempesto, The Lock Ness Monster, and Escape From Pompeii are among some of my favorite rides that I have enjoyed within the Park. Hopefully, Pantheon will be able to smooth out any issues as the opening date soon approaches.
What do you think of Pantheon? Let us know in the comments below!
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Credit: Busch Gardens 
