Mäch Tower

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Mäch Tower is a drop tower design amusement ride, located at Busch Gardens Williamsburg, in James City County, Virginia.

Description
Located in the park's Oktoberfest section, Mäch Tower's base is encircled by two concentric rings of pillars from which festive blue, orange, and red banners hang. As the centerpiece of the newly rethemed area, the tower's bright color palate and signature flags are also mirrored on nearby restaurants, shops, and booths. The ride carriage itself features a large, blue casing that is adorned with depictions of doves, crests, and festive designs that further exemplify the German theme. The queue line is located in a Bavarian-lodge style wooden covering that wraps around the tower's base.

Standing 246 feet tall, Mäch Tower is the tallest ride at Busch Gardens Williamsburg, and one of two drop towers with the other drop ride being Falcon’s Fury at Busch Gardens Tampa. Announced in September 2010, Mäch Tower soft-opened on August 18, 2011 (initially having been targeted for a "late spring 2011" opening.) The gondola holds thirty riders divided into four colored zones (red, green, blue, and yellow). It ascends at a rate of 6 feet per second to the top, completing three revolutions along the way to give all riders a panoramic view of the park and the nearby James River.

The ride is also unique in that it has on-ride audio, with speakers attached to the ride carriage playing classical, European-themed music during the ride's ascension. Once the gondola has reached the top of the tower, the classical music ends in three dramatic notes which trail off in an echo. After a short pause, the carriage drops at 50 miles per hour.

Mäch Tower uses a magnetic braking system to slow the carriage quickly and smoothly once it reaches the bottom of the tower. This system - typical for many drop tower rides - is fail-safe, because magnets do not need powered by electricity or other sources; they work intrinsically by the laws of magnetism.

Taller riders with long torsos, or more stout riders, may find that they don't fit in the seats. The problem is that while the shoulder harness locks the seat sensors will not register the harness as secured. This will prevent the ride from launching. Such passengers will have to leave the ride. As of August 26, 2011 operators were giving passengers thus removed from the ride a pass that permitted a single re-ride on another attraction in compensation.