Why not start this round of reviews with my favorite coaster from my Spring Break 05 trip: Apollos Chariot, my first taste of B&M Megacoaster Glory. Nestled along the side of the park near the parking lot, the daunting 170 lift immediately catches the attention of every soon-to-be parkgoer driving up to the park. The coaster is one of the few steel coasters that are truly beautiful to me, with its nice color scheme of gold and purple, it fluid lines and wonderul curves, all surrounded by trees, with terrain dives and nearby bodies of water. B&M delivered a true hit with Apollos, which sends the riders down a 210 initial drop at speeds approaching 75mph, giving us at least three seconds of increbile airtime in the back row, from what I experienced. The coaster is amazing! It thrills with the high-speed dives, interacting with the terrain which is a favorite of mine, and launches its riders on every hill. After riding a total of 21 times in one day, I can safely say that the coaster would never get old. I took a ride in every row at least once, mostly on the outside, including 6 back row rides and 3 up front. The back row was superior to all of the rows for airtime, but the front row still had the whole no-obstructions bonus going on. All seats provided good air, with the front mainly providing floating air on the hills, which the back catapulted riders out on the drops. I would have to say that the far left seat in the back row was best, mainly for the sensations on the drop into the helix, but the same can be said about the seats on the far right side concerning the drop-turn-drop feature near the end. The design of the trains was awesome in its own respect, from the ultra-open vehicles that provide a great effect, to the comfortable chairs and the simple lap bars, which were also comfy and less restricting than the Intamin version. The design of the trains made the airtime-filled drops even better, because you werent battling pain from a metal bar, and it felt like thats all that was keeping you from joining Apollo XIII. This coaster also had something that many B&Ms are criticized for lacking: high forces. The first drop was really intense, as were some of the other drops. So, just sit back, kick your legs up and throw your arms to the sky and praise the ancient gods, for there is nothing stopping that raging Chariot, cause you are in for the ride of a lifetime. I doubt there is anything more I can say to bring this coaster its justice, and for now, it is in a tie with Millennium for my #1 steel coaster, both of which join Thunderhead in that tier of "special" coasters that deserve much more than a 10. Bravo Busch Gardens, youve redefined the meaning of airtime for me, and Ill be back
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