Busch Gardens Williamsburg announces plans for North America's fastest multi-launch roller coaster

Busch Gardens announced Tuesday that the all-new Pantheon rollercoaster will be the fastest multi-launch coaster in North America, reaching speeds up to 72.5 miles per hour.

Posted 9:59 p.m. Jul 30, 2019 — Updated 10:06 p.m. Jul 30, 2019

Robbie Vaglio

, WRAL.com intern

WILLIAMSBURG, VA. — The Busch Gardens Williamsburg location announced Tuesday that the all-new Pantheon rollercoaster will be the fastest multi-launch coaster in North America, reaching speeds of up to 72.5 miles per hour.

The coaster will include three forward and one backward launch, two loops and a 95-degree drop. Each of the four launches will increase in speed throughout the two-minute ride, from 36 miles per hour to 67 miles per hour. The ride will reach a maximum height of 180 feet.

Crews work at the site of Pantheon®, a record-breaking multi-launch roller coaster coming to Busch Gardens® Williamsburg in spring of 2020. ©2019 SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

“Pantheon is going to be non-stop action for riders," Larry Giles, senior director of design and engineering at Busch Gardens, said in a press release. "We’ve designed it so that the experience is changing all the time and will keep riders wondering what’s next. Multiple launches, speed changes, a sharp drop and backwards acceleration are just a few of Pantheon’s one-of-a kind traits."

The ride is scheduled to open in the spring of 2020 in the Virginia theme park's Festa Italia area.

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