rcrider4

I was also there today. Rode it 6 times today, with 5 of them being when it just opened. We literally walked off, went through the queue line, and were back on the next ride. Went back and rode it for the 6th time and then the storms rolled in waiting for out seventh time.

Definitely different. SheiKra's first drop doesn't start out facing totally straight down, so there is still some negative G's in play on it.

No, due to the fact that you are facing the ground, there is no opportunity for an ejector feeling. Instead, with the ride falling right at freefall speed, it feels like you are actually free falling like you are skydiving or something. That feeling is enhanced because the ride freefalls right about the same pace your body would anyway, so instead of it pushing you down the ride, you kind of float in your seat and forget you are strapped into anything at all until the brakes hit. Really a cool experience.

It's not nearly as abrupt as it looks. It rides very smooth from beginning to end.

It is definitely a freefall. The braking doesn't really happen until the seats start to swing out. As for the sensation it gives, it's unlike anything else I have ever ridden. It's kind of hard to explain, but I guess you could kinda say it is like a typical negative G feeling, but going backwards instead of up. A really weird but fun feeling.

Well I can confirm that they soft opened it to the public today (or I guess technically yesterday now) at 3:10. I was on the second run The ride is absolutely amazing. The first ride in a long time to really get my adrenaline going.

Yep, here is a video of the first run [youtu_be]http://youtu.be/9Hxm3xy22fg[/youtu_be] And the article about it on BGTFans.com

It was because of a parts issue. They had to replace all of the cables that move the catch car, and I guess it took a while for them to be delivered. Not sure if this next part is official or not, but I heard that they had to be replaced because the lubrication used in the old ones was not reacting well with the Florida weather.

Webisode #4 for Flacon's Fury is up

Not news or anything, but I found it kind of funny that in a video promoting their newly redesigned app, Busch Gardens opens with a shot of Griffon with the track digitally altered to be red for some reason.

In a news article I read back in November or December it talked about a lady coming in to paint a sunset design and that it was going to take about two weeks. However, that was slated to happen after the tower was constructed but before testing. Obviously that didn't happen, so I'm not sure what the plan changed to be before this setback happened.

^^ Yeah the wait times in the app are very hit or miss. Sometimes it is accurate, sometimes it is wrong, and sometimes it just doesn't get updated all day. On the days where it works, it is great, but it's amazing to me that they can't keep it running every day. I do love that they added Passbook support for tickets though. Not having to pull out my wallet to get in the park is awesome, although it's annoying that it only works for entering the park, not for discounts and such. Hopefully they are working on that.

Can't speak much for BGW, but down at BGT, I have never once heard an operator say anything before dispatching a coaster. It's just not something Busch Gardens seems to do.

It does. It's also pretty loud. You can hear it from a lot of the areas in the park.

I was there yesterday for a little bit and it tested at least 5 times while I was there, with water dummies at that. The hydraulic piece doesn't disconnect anymore, so if that was the only issue, it's looking like it may open soon. [youtu_be] [/youtu_be]

It was 6 inches of rain in 2 hours. Not the easiest thing to drain from a deep trench.

Busch Gardens has put up a POV of Falcon's Fury. Makes me wonder if they are going to keep the seat rotation how it is. Also, if you look closely at the cars, you can see the the footage of it going up is sped up. I would estimate that this was filmed about 4-6 days ago looking at where the construction walls are.

Nope. They were a hard material. I saw a picture of them up close before they were put on that shows them off better, but I can't find it again. Sure. This is the best photo I have. Orange Phoenix And this is from the Busch Gardens app. Note that they painted the sign too. From the app

Well I went there yesterday also, and noticed that the side panels have been installed onto the seats. It was hard to get a good shot of it though, so this is the best that I could do. Also, they added a design onto the catch car, but I forgot to take a picture of it. There wasn't anyone working on it, but they did do one test run without rotation about 10 minutes before the park closed.

It is between Spring Break and Easter Break for the most part right now, so the lines aren't too bad. I went on Sunday and never saw a wait longer than 35 minutes (and that was on Cheetah Hunt).

^^^It definitely has a second train. It is sometimes out on the storage track, although that is a pretty rare thing to see. They never have two running on the track for some reason though. You can actually see the second train in TPR's POV

It was discussed in the construction tour video and is visible in the rendering above. The seats get pulled back and up, similar to how a flying coaster gets into position to leave the station.

I know the park is usually pretty busy around Spring Break, but I don't know exactly how much as I usually avoid going around that time. As for food, the best tasting meat-based food is over at the Zambia Smokehouse, while the Desert Grill is better if you want to watch a pretty good show while you eat. Make sure you check the times for the Desert Grill show and plan to be there about 30 minutes before the showtime so that you will definitely get through the line and get a seat before show time, as on busy days like that, getting there late could mean spending half the show in the food line or having a very hard time getting a seat.

I don't know if anyone has noticed this yet, but the three kiddie rides in Timbuktu are listed on Busch Garden's Ride Update page as coming back April 19, 20, and 21st. Looks like an Easter weekend opening for Falcon's Fury might be right after all.

Here you go: Not a very good look at it, but it is all I have seen so far.