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Apollo's Chariot - Busch Gardens Williamsburg (Williamsburg, Virginia, USA)

 Facts  Pictures 
Roller Coaster: Apollo's Chariot
Amusement Park: Busch Gardens Williamsburg (Williamsburg, Virginia, USA)
Classification: Roller Coaster
Type: Steel - Sit Down
Status: Operating since 3/27/1999
Make / Model: Bolliger & Mabillard / All Models / Hyper Coaster
Designer: Ing.-Büro Stengel GmbH
Maps: Bing Maps (Satellite) · Google Maps (Satellite)
Capacity: 1,750 riders per hour
 
Length: 4,882 ft 
Height: 170 ft 
Drop: 210 ft 
Inversions: 0 
Speed: 73 mph 
Duration: 2:15 
Max Vertical Angle: 65° 
G-Force: 4.1 
Elements: 170 ft tall Lift Hill with a 210 ft drop
Hill with a 131 ft drop
Hill with a 144 ft drop
Hill with a 102 ft drop
Hill with a 48 ft drop
Hill with a 87 ft drop
Hill with a 38 ft drop
Hill with a 16 ft drop
Hill with a 49 ft drop
 
 
Trains: 3 trains with 9 cars per train. Riders are arranged 4 across in a single row for a total of 36 riders per train.
Trivia: In a freak accident during Apollo's Chariot media day on 3/30/1999, model Fabio was struck in the face by a goose while riding.
Theme: Based on Greco-Roman mythology: Apollo was the god of light, purity, and the sun. In Greek mythology, he was the son of Zeus, the king of the gods. According to an epic tale, Apollo, driving a celestial horse-drawn chariot, was responsible for hauling the sun across the skies. One day, his son Phaethon pestered his permission to take the chariot for a ride. Phaethon was encouraged by his sisters and even his own mother. But Apollo always refused - he knew that his son was far from ready to assume such a responsibility.

However, against his better judgement, Apollo eventually allowed the request. So one day Phaethon climbed into the chariot, which was drawn by two white horses, grasped the reins and set off across the skies. It was soon apparent that Phaethon was incapable of controlling the horses - they galloped so high in the sky that the earth was close to freezing, then they plunged so close to the earth that the fields were burnt. This didn’t sit very well with Zeus - he was so enraged by Apollo’s irresponsible behavior that he struck Phaethon dead with a thunderbolt.
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