Photo TR BGE/ Griffon Soars!!

[jedimaster1227]

Maybe this whole floorless dive-machine thing isn't such a gimmick after all... That is a pretty cool looking floor-to-floorless setup... Oddly enough, this is making me even more giddy about my next return visit to Busch Gardens Africa!

[coasterfreak101]

Wow, the pics are amazing! I was really hyped to get to BGE this year, and now that I've seen some pics of Griffon in action I'm even more excited!

 

So, by seeing that there was a video of the floor retracting, should we be expecting another great video from you ?

[pkdcoaster]

Hi Everybody, Thanks for the compliments.

 

I will try to answer everybody's questions

 

BGE has many signs up now about no cameras on rides now, so no POV. But I plan to take my camcorder there within the week to shoot footage for a music video so look for that in the next couple of weeks.

 

Yes that was a black Snake that just wandered onto the sidewalk (stairs and hill right by the Rhine River Cruise) This kid got right in his face and his dad screamed at him. he was not poisinous but he can still bite.

 

No water bottles but they do have a water fountain in the que for Griffon and after a 45 minute downtime the line ended up being for a drink of water!

 

I only rode twice on Sunday (luckily I was assigned the front both times)

I got 15 rides on Thursday night at the VIP party

 

Yes they do Assign rows so good luck on getting the front!!

 

I did write my review of the ride in the official Griffon thread if you want to read it.

 

If anybody wants the high quality full size pic for a wallpaper or whatever just shoot me a PM with your E-mail and what pic you would like.

 

JEFF

[ginzo]

Yes they do Assign rows so good luck on getting the front!!

 

In this situation I sometimes politely ask if I can have a specific row. The ops usually go for it in my experience.

[RiversideMan]

All I have to say is SSSWWWEEEEETTTT great job Jeff. That Northern Black Racer was a biggie lol I bet he finds all the kids food that they drop around the park lol. Does Griffon throw a lot of water out of the splash pool it looks like it does I bet they will get tired of that lol.... I haven't been to BGE in years just because I had been on everything but now its time to go for some serious ride time I'm glad they got the floor less trains on this puppy thats gotta be a sick feeling on that first drop, well thanks again man great job

[carolinacaniac]

Yes they do Assign rows so good luck on getting the front!!

 

In this situation I sometimes politely ask if I can have a specific row. The ops usually go for it in my experience.

 

I did just that and got a front row seat for my first ride on it. I joked with the op asking if she would let me go to row 1 if I gave her $20, she told me someone offered her $600 for one! Some people just go overboard with it, but I told her I understood she had to do what she had to do, and the next thing I know, she says "You can go ahead to row 1!"

 

Sometimes just asking and being nice can go a long way

[coasterguy4]

During the splash, does another train go over it right when the train goes through it? It would suck because you would be drenched if you were going through the hill.

[carolinacaniac]

From what I saw, the closest to that happening would be that one train would be at or near the top of the lift while the slash would happen. More often though, the other train would be about mid-way up

[KingOfNynex2003]

that coaster looks totally amazing! I can't wait till I can go onto it. But at least I can look forward to going onto to the new floorless Sheikra in a few years.

[ECZenith]

Sorry to get a little ot here... but I'm wondering if anyone planning on visiting BGE could possibly pick me up a Griffon pin from the gift shop and possibly send it over? It's the only way I'll get to add it to my collection seeing how my VA trip got cancelled. If you can help please send me a PM. Thanks!

 

Lovin' the pics man!

[the ghost]

Just out of pure curiosity how long do you think we have had to wait at Disneyland in CA to get a new ride. The newest rollercoaster is mullholland maddness which opened a month after california adventure opened

 

 

Nice picks though and a pov would be really cool if you have one

 

 

CJ I really wish I was at Busch Gardens right no Morton

[Gav]

That new dropping floor system looks pretty good, much more refined then the old split and pivot system, which makes me wonder why they didn't implement it earlier.

And pkd coaster, i share your sentiments about the loose items policy, a similar rule was imposed on us when Superman Escape opened...apparently the employees supervising the lockers here copped a lot of abuse.

Its silly, why should guests be forced to pay out of pocket just to avoid breaking the rules? Universal and Disney have a good free locker system on some of their rides and IMO something like this should be used whenever item storage is difficult due to the station set up.

It seems odd though that in the fourth pic down you can see property boxes behind the gates , why put them in and not use them?

[Worm]

i know this is a bit late but i couldn't help but notice!

look at the little kid on the right. he's terrified!!

[ConleyKE]

Awesome Pictures! I really wish I could get over there this summer.

 

I was wondering, do you even get wet while on the ride, because the water splashes up behind the train? And is the water still raining down after the turn around when the train crosses back over going up into the break run to soak you? Otherwise it seems like the only purpose is for the viewers, since you can't even see or get wet by the water behind you?

[haiderodes]

Great pictures. I couldn't help but keep going back to the floor picture and video. Its really cool.

 

At 10 people across, I assume these are the largest cars B&M has ever created. I'd say that's a feat in itself. And then add a moving floor that moves so quickly and smoothly. If you were standing on that middle front platform, I'm sure you'd get launched!

[cfc]

^^If you're sitting on the ends in the very back, you can experience a little splash. And after you make the turn toward the station, you do cruise through a little refreshing mist.

[matteocrepaldi]

That video of the dropping floor was exactly what I was waiting for! It looks pretty cool! I wish I wasn't so far away!!!

[Guest]

Nice piece of metal there i cant wait to make my way down there

[pkdgoer]

so, this means it IS open? I heard they were letting people ride starting the 18th, but I didn't know if it was really open or not. I'm planning on going down there on thursday (day before official opening), can I expect it to be running?

[pkdcoaster]

Yes BGE has said this is preview week and it will be open from now on.

 

One of the trains I was riding in the back far right and right when we hit the water i got a blast of water up my back. and on the left side of the train you get alot of "drip" action heading into the brake run

 

JEFF

[Chadley]

Apparently, snakes like amusement/theme parks too. When we were at BGE two years ago we had to wait to get off the boat while a sunbathing snake was pushed off the dock.

 

And last year at Coastermania we were walking alongside Iron Dragon and spotted a snake slithering along the edge of ID's moat. I remember walking up to a girl and her friends and saying, "Don't move and please don't scream, but there is a snake about 6 inches behind you". Her friends who were facing the moat got these horrid looks on their faces, and she knew for sure I wasn't joking around. But there was no problem...it sat there for 10-15 seconds, then slithered away and back into the water.

 

Man, I hate snakes!!

[TheRealTinkerbell]

Well, Scream at SFMM is almost the same, with how the gate open, and how it[the floor] goes down on the side, but the middle part is just awesome! Great Pics too! That's so cool how it can seat so many in one car! Wow! And the splash! One can't say wow enough!

[gth44331]

Holy Cr@p! Those are some of the best pics I've seen on here in a long time! I don't usually post, but they were amazing. What surprises me is the fact that kids that look about seven years old were riding! Those water sprays look amazing too! (I can't help using exclamation marks so much!)

 

Lucky to see a snake at the parks, not sure what they're like over in the US of A but we see them a fair bit in summer, they pop up lots at school, and you've got half a thousand students crowding round in less than a minute.

 

Makes me want to jump on a plane right now and camp out until it opens! The moving floor thing is crazy, I was expecting something that moved slowly and and locked into place... Wow! Ozlando NEEDS one of these beasts!

 

Again, great pics!

[DRACHEN_FIRE_FAN-BOY]

nice! Great photos, and video of the floor-less action.

 

I had some pictures I was gonna post a couple weeks ago...... I have some nice ones of the water splash, and going under the bridge, and some nice one's of Alpinegiest..... but I suppose it's a little late

 

but, if any one wants to see them, just let me know

 

again, great photos, it's a shame that BGE has that rule now....... maybe we can ask really really nicely, and duct-tape the cameras to our hands?

[griffon]

Yea man, you had some good luck on the skyride on Sunday!

 

Great job as usual with the comprehensive set of photos. I'm looking forward to riding more, but after the VIP event last week with no lines, it will be harder to bear with the monster lines this summer.

 

And as far as the bag policy... if anyone is planning on going to the park. Just buy a pair of Cargo shorts with the biggest pockets you can find. Preferably zipper pockets. That way you can "secure" you're loose articles without having to pay for a locker. It's worked very well for me so far this year.