14 years after Busch Gardens Williamsburg first opened its family launch coaster Verbolten, the ride has been overhauled into a new incarnation, called Verbolten: Forbidden Turn. 

This is one of the few roller coasters outside of Disney and Universal that focused more on theming and special effects for the experience than sheer coaster forces — and it’s one of the reasons the Williamsburg park sets itself above other regional parks. Yet the park’s parent company, United Parks, had let so many of its effects fall into disrepair that my 2022 rides felt more like a coaster in the dark than any deeper attempt at storytelling.  

So I was very eager to get back to Williamsburg in 2026 and see what Verbolten could be at its very best. 

The queue

The German architecture and scenery of the Verbolten queue remain largely intact, all freshened up with new paint and signage. But the biggest difference and upgrade is the addition of an animatronic for Forbidden Turn. 

Meet Frau Hexel, the new manager for the Black Forest tour office.

While her spiel will go on for several minutes, what you’ll remember is her stern warning: “Don’t turn right.” And with that, the ride has a clear story which the original never quite got across. 

Kaylee Fortney, Busch Gardens Williamsburg’s social media content manager, explained it best to the Virginia Gazette: “You weren’t really sure what you were signing up for, but now, we’re convincing you that you’re taking this great ride, and then it turns right. I think our character now and everything is a lot easier to understand.” 

Inside the queue for Verbolten: Forbidden Turn (Theme Park Tribune)

There are also more than 50 easter eggs hidden around the queue that reference not only the original Verbolten but other bits of Busch Gardens history, if you have the time in line to look around. 

The ride experience

If you want to follow along with all the changes with the new Verbolten and the original, check out this side-by-side video posted by Corny Coasters on YouTube. 

The first difference you’ll notice with the new ride comes just after dropping out of the station, where a colorful Black Forest billboard with a rotating arrow fills out what was previously a dead space in the ride — and fulfills the new ride’s “don’t turn right” warning. 

The new billboard on Verbolten: Forbidden Turn (Theme Park Tribune)

From there, riders head into the main show building. There’s no more of the three randomized storylines from the original. Really, it can be difficult to spot the differences on your first ride — zooming around in the dark is fun on its own— but having only ridden Verbolten in the last few years, the new version immediately feels like there is more happening around you.

Perhaps the reality is just that more of the ride is in working order again, meaning fixed lighting effects allow me just to see more of what I was always supposed to be experiencing. Either way, passing through a skull-shaped cave and past a wrecked car helped elevate this above just being a coaster in a box.

The indoor portion of Verbolten: Forbidden Turn (Busch Gardens Williamsburg)

You end up stuck amidst the thick Black Forest trees and Frau Hexel admonishes you for needing her help with a rather corny joke. This triggers the ride’s drop track, a rare and exciting element even 14 years after it debuted. However, this section already had some noticeably broken lighting effects on the trees, which makes me worried about how long these upgrades may last. 

The haunting eyes after the drop track are a nice touch compared to the total darkness I remember seeing with the previous ride, even if the effect is quickly interrupted by light bleeding into the building as it opens.  

From that point forward, the ride is the exact same: a launch into the last drop and turn by the river, mimicking the old Big Bad Wolf, followed by a few turns to get back to the station. 

Taking the final drop on Verbolten: Forbidden Turn (Busch Gardens Williamsburg)

The finale still has the same issue to me as the previous ride. While the setting over the river is special, the brakes hit so hard that the last drop loses any excitement beyond the speed. Perhaps it’s just because I don’t have any connection or nostalgia for the old Big Bad Wolf, but I was hoping this one piece would see some change with the update.

Is it better than the original?

This is a harder question to answer than you may think, as the issues with the old Verbolten seemed to be a result of the United Parks chain not keeping up with maintenance rather than fundamental problems. 

Based upon my last rides on the original Verbolten in 2022, I say that Forbidden Turn is a definite improvement. 

I can’t judge whether the updated ride is truly better than how Verbolten originally operated upon its 2012 debut. Even for those who did, it may be hard to keep the rose-colored tint of nostalgia out of your view. 

The verdict

Verbolten: Forbidden Turn is a welcome upgrade to what was already one of the best-themed roller coasters outside of Florida and California. Granted, that’s not stiff competition, but the ride sports a level of detail and theming that regional parks largely don’t even attempt these days. 

Now the real test will be whether Busch Gardens Williamsburg and its parent company will make sure the ride is maintained properly this time around. 

Grade: B+

Editor’s Note: This review is based on my own opinion and perspective. I paid for my own park ticket and Busch Gardens Williamsburg did not grant me any special access to conduct this review.