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I’ve really enjoyed the influx of roller coasters opening during 2022 after several years of delays. In particular, SeaWorld Entertainment has added many cool new rides during the past four months. This includes Iron Gwazi at Busch Gardens Tampa, Ice Breaker at SeaWorld Orlando, and Emperor at SeaWorld San Diego. Another exciting addition is Pantheon, the new multi-launch coaster at Busch Gardens Williamsburg. The 178-foot tall ride opened on March 25th, more than two years after the official announcement. Pantheon has two inversions and reaches a maximum speed of 73 miles per hour.
My Busch Gardens Williamsburg correspondent, Mary Kwiatkowski, returns to the Tomorrow Society Podcast to talk about her experience with Pantheon. She rode the coaster several times during a member preview and has a lot to say about that visit. We talk about Pantheon’s theming and queue, place within the park, and everything about the ride itself. Mary also explains where she would rank Pantheon compared to other coasters there like Apollo’s Chariot and Griffon. The bar is high for this new attraction to stack up to Busch Gardens’ best thrill rides.
SeaWorld hypes Pantheon with the tagline “harnesses the speed and strength of five of the greatest Roman Gods.” I’m unsure how anything could match that description, but Mary explains how closely it fits. With its 95-degree drop, four launches, and five airtime hills, Pantheon has created massive expectations. Mary and I also talk about rumors for what’s on the way at Busch Gardens Williamsburg including the “Project DarKoaster” to replace Curse of DarKastle. Finally, I test Mary’s understanding of SeaWorld’s marketing taglines in a fun game. I can’t wait to make the trip to Virginia to check out Pantheon, which sounds great based on Mary’s report.
Show Notes: Pantheon
Follow Mary Kwiatkowski on Twitter and Instagram and listen to her talk about pop culture on the Kowskicast and Rob Has a Podcast.
Listen to Mary’s first appearance on the Tomorrow Society Podcast on Episode 126.
Support The Tomorrow Society Podcast and buy me a Dole Whip!
A Closer Look at Pantheon’s Queue
Mary shot a bunch of pictures of her day riding Pantheon in late March. This collection gives you an up-close perspective on Busch Gardens Williamsburg’s latest coaster through the signs in its queue. These include descriptions of the five gods and each aspect of Pantheon that connects to them plus a map that includes all of those gods.
All photos are by Mary Kwiatkowski and may not be used or reproduced without permission.
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