Photo TR: BGE Sat, 4/25/09

[coasterer]

First off, I have a lot to say about this park. If you don't care to read it, feel free to skip ahead to the pictures, but I'd prefer it if you didn't.

 

Saturday was definitely without a doubt one of the best days of my life. A group of five of us drove down Saturday morning at about 3:30 from NJ, arriving around 8:45. We had been lucky enough to borrow one of my senior friend's $50,000 Mercedes (don't ask me why he let us drive it, I honestly have no idea), and had made the trip down in really good time.

 

About two miles outside the park things got really interesting. While getting off the high way, I discovered I couldn't turn the wheel, and ended up in the on coming traffic lane. If there had been cars coming, we would have gotten into an accident, no doubt. We maneuvered into a parking lot, popped the hood, and discovered there was virtually no power steering fluid. Perfect. We were 6 hours away from home, in a $50,000 car, and now we were going to miss opening (yes, that ranks right up there with the others in terms of priorities.)

 

But, with a call to the local Mercedes dealership, they sent out a guy who came and refilled it for us, tightening the clamps to stop the leak, and writing it down as a flat tire to spare us the $75 surcharge. He was kind of the man.

 

Two hours later, we were back on the road, and at BGE in about 10 minutes. The weather was amazing. Almost 95 degrees, not humid at all, sunshine out the butt and everything. The crowds were a little heavy, but it happens.

 

This park was amazing. The paths just sprawled in these organic trails that wound through the woods and past incredibly elaborate villages, and various animal exhibits. The feel of the park was perfect. The only complaint I have is that this park is not meant for heavy crowds. So many people kind of started to destroy the peaceful atmosphere and injected the park with an air of commercialism that kind of ground against the Busch Garden scenic ideal in a really weird sort of way. But I bet that on an emptier day this park is perfect.

 

We started the day on Griffon of course. I could barely contain myself. The coasters here all looked BEAUTiful!!! The were so well displayed and integrated into the landscape, that they just kind of rose majestically and organically, monolithic firmaments that brushed the sky artfully and gracefully wound around the park's naturalistic terrain.

 

I could look at Griffon all day. The sharp blue track poised importantly over the queue, the supports blending in with the sky, the sun sparkling off the splashdown. The imposing train's yellows and reds stood out beautifully against the deep royal blue, adding to the surreal magnitude of her mere stature. I mean, I could go on all day. It was amazing.

 

The ride itself was fantastic. The first ride we got was in the third row, and was about a 45, 50 minute wait. The airtime in the back thrust your shoulders up and your butt forward in a really fun way that Ive nearly really experienced before. The first drop was amazing, and the light, graceful immelman just kind of rolled out beneath you, the turn into the MCBR tossing you lightly into the sky. And then all of sudden you were moving again, swooping down, and then racing over the water, the sun glinting off spectacularly. It was unbelievable.

 

Alpengeist was next, and on the walk over, the smells from the grill gave the park an aura of summer that was completely irresistible.

 

Alpengeist instantly became my favorite coaster, not only of the park, but out of all 104 steel coasters that I have ridden. I'm definitely a sucker for inverts. It's by far my favorite style of ride, and I've been eying Alpengeist for years and years and years.

 

It was an hour wait almost, but I would wait for that thing all day. I loved everything about it. The theming was awesome. I don't really need an in-depth plot like they're trying to do nowadays, just give me a theme. The lift hill was enormous. I'm not used to inverts going that high. And then the train disengaged from the lift hill, and if you sat in the back left, you were thrown to the side as it started the descent, plunging what seemed like forever in that three quarter turn down into the ravine. That first drop was unbelievable.

 

The nice graceful float off the immelman, into the enormous loop, down into the tunnel at the bottom of the ravine, and then the cobra roll that whipped you around so forcefully, it was fantastic! The only complaint I have was that it took the barrel roll a little slow, but still, a barrel roll is a barrel roll, and it's still probably my favorite element on any coaster. Although those immelmans sure are nice, aren't they?

 

I could have ridden Alpengeist all day. Forceful, huge, a ton of power, an aMAZing first half sequence, and an awesome theme and integration with the landscape. Awesome.

 

BBW was next, and it was pretty nice. Only a half hour wait, if not less, and the line moved quickly. Nothing compared to the big three, but it was fun, as it should be. The village theming was cool and all, but the drop down to the river, as much as I've read about it, was still a surprise. And then you were tossed higher than horizontal, and ripped all the way back up the hill into the brake run. Solid.

 

Apollo's Chariot was awesome too. Waited 45 minutes with a minor breakdown in between. I wasn't expecting too much since it was the first mega, and I've ridden both Raging Bull and Nitro, both of which are ranked fairly well in the world of mega coasters. But I actually preferred it to Nitro (though Raging Bull still came out on top.) I think what I like best about mega coasters is those that have a fresh layout. Nitro's layout is too boring for me, too standard, and the location has much to be desired.

 

I really liked the flat part after the lift hill, it gave you great airtime in the back, although it wasn't sustained all the way down, it was still good. I also liked that the second hill kind of comes to a point. It doesn't start the airtime as early, but it gives you a nice kick in the butt at the top which is neat. And the third drop that twists into the unique little helix around the hillock type patch was really fun. And the return trip provided nice air, as well as a few good turns. Overall, it was just more fun and organic than Nitro. And it utilized the landscape much better. Although, that swamp type ass pond at the bottom of the first drop is one of the ugliest things I have ever plummeted towards.

 

Grover was nice. For a kids ride, I think they all really enjoyed it, as well as the water area, which was getting a ton of use that day, seeing as how I think it peaked at 97.

 

Deciding that we were all too hot, we got on that landing to get splashed by Pompeii, thinking a little water could go along way. Good GOD, I have never seen a larger amount of water rushing towards my face. It wasn't even a question. That wave kicked the crap out of us.

 

Lochness opened as soon as we got there, having been testing for a while. I really liked that path on the water at the bottom of the loops. The ride was nice, the loops were cool, it was a little rough, but manageable. Ummm... how did I have no idea that there was an enclosed triple helix?? That was an enormous shock. But it was cool.

 

After that, we split up, and went our separate ways. Dave and I ended up getting 4 more rides on Griffon, making use of the single rider line, two more on Alpie, and one ore on Apollo.

 

The single rider line only took about 15 minutes, and was really pretty nice. I was lucky enough to get the front left twice, which was easily the best seat. That hang over the drop was insane. And after that, plunging through the tunnel, and being tossed into the sky by the immelman and the MCBR, it was the closest I've ever felt to flying. It was truly amazing.

 

Overall it was an amazing day, but we had to peace around 7:30 to make it back to NJ without dying. It was SUCH a long day, and we were all exhausted, sweaty, disgusting, but completely pleased with how the day had gone. It was truly an amazing day, one that I've been looking forward to for years, and one that I probably won't get to repeat for quite a long day.

 

After this day, my top ten steel list changed quite drastically. Here's how it ended up

 

1 Alpengeist

2 Millenium Force

3 Griffon

4 Raging Bull

5 Medusa (SFDK)

6 Batman the Ride

7 Apollo's Chariot

8 Mantis

9 Nitro

10 Top Thrill Dragster

 

Thanks a ton for reading, hope you made it all the way through.

 

And now on to the pictures.

And... this is how I wish my life was every second of the day. Thanks a ton for reading, I had an amazing time.

This park has an inordinate amount of world-class first drops.

One last immelman shot. I love these pictures where it sticks out over the village.

I don't think I'll ever get sick of looking at this ride.

Haha, nice.

Easily the most impressive coaster I've ever seen.

I don't care if people like Shiekra better, or if maybe it is a little short, this is one heck or a ride.

GOD! It's like a freakin bird! It's more like flying than those dumb flying coasters. It's simply amazing.

There's no keeping my camera away from this coaster. It's just beautiful

The forces on this cobra roll were amazing!

I liked how nostalgic this ride was. It really can't compete anymore with the B&Ms, but it's got a history and it's got a personality, and that certainly accounts for a lot.

This pathway under Lochness' loopage was really somethin else. Not many parks are built like this.

It didn't quite measure up to Raging Bull for me, but I preferred it over Nitro.

Apollo's Chariot looked beautiful from this angle. And it rode just as well as it looked.

Who doesn't have this picture?

LOOK at those flowers. Those are some nice flowers. And that drop over the river was spectacular.

This perfect really was beautiful.

Aww.. I miss you two already.

I loved this ride's station. It made me miss skiing though.

AAAAAaaaaaaa AAaaaaAAAAAaAalllpengeist!

This ride was so worth it.

Check out that guy behind Robin. Priceless.

The first half of this ride was just about perfect. The back side, the butt was fun too.

This lift hill was a monster. I love the ski lift style supports.

It just seemed to drop on forever into this ravine. It was amazing.

Alright Alpengeist, it's finally your turn. This first drop, in all it's splayed out glory, was phenomenal.

I've been waiting to ride this thing since its inception into this world, and it certainly did not disappoint.

I just can't get enough of this inversion. It's absolutely amazing.

If you sat on the left, you would charge through the water dripping off the track above you. I thought that was really fun.

This really is one of the most beautiful, photogenic coasters I have ever seen.

Alright, I'm no Hanno, but still...

I could look at this inversion all day.

This first drop was glorious. Why aren't there more of these?

We'll get to you later, bud.

Best group IVE ever seen...

We could hardly contain ourselves.

UGH! Look at it.

From the queue. This was one of the hardest waits of my life.

This immelman was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. Therefore, there will be a buttload of pictures of it. You have been forewarned.

See how big that sun is? That's how excited I was.

this second drop was a lot of fun, with it's little point thing it had going on.

Apollo from the driveway. After a 5 hour drive and an empty power steering fluid tank, this was one of the most welcome sights of my life.

[netdvn]

Is it just me or did LNM just get a coat of WHITE paint.

[CreditCrazy]

This was an amazing PTR. I can picture thinking exactly the same about this park when I finally get there (which will happen someday). I could look at these pictures all day...of something you looked at all day. The big 3 just look so incredible and I'd love to stand on that walkway on the lake by Loch Ness Monster. I wonder how many pictures I could take at BGE...

 

Kind of sounds like a short rushed trip though. That's too bad.

 

Oh and btw, what rides have a Single Rider line?

[coasterer]

^ Just Griffon has the single rider line. But most of the lines moved pretty quickly, and all of them are certainly worth it.

 

And yeah, it was too bad, we had to get back in time for the two of us to make their Sunday morning 9 am job interviews, and we chose to leave Saturday instead of Friday so that we could use Friday to study (like that actually happened) since most of us have a big computer science test this tomorrow. But it was totally worth it.

[Jds03]

Is it just me or did LNM just get a coat of WHITE paint.

 

lol, I'm, pretty sure that's a bleached out camera shot.

 

 

Regardless of that, I really loved your pictures! your totally right, BGE is amazingly photographable.

[griffon]

Cool report, glad you had a good time at the park. I share your thoughts about Alpengeist, the theming and details really add value to the ride.

 

It's interesting to me that a lot of people who are closer to Great Adventure prefer Apollo over Nitro. But I think a lot of people who ride Apollo all the time prefer Nitro. I definitely think Nitro has a better first half and is better overall.

[redfoot12]

^Yeah, count me in the "I like Nitro more than Apollo" camp.

 

I had a 6-year gap in between my first two visits to BG (went for the first time in 1993, came back in 1999). I just remember being so intimidated and overwhelmed by the sight of Alpengeist.

I was also like "what the hell happened to Drachen Fire? It was here the last time I came!"

[Capitalize]

Nice TR and pics! BGE is really just an amazing park through and through, easily one of the best coaster collections out there.

 

As far as AC vs. Nitro normally I think I enjoy Apollo a bit more. It has such an interesting layout and some really nice ejector airtime on a couple hills. Although Nitro's hammerhead and constant floater air makes it close.

 

I definitely prefer Sheikra to Griffon. Sheikra to me has such awesome theming around it, while with Griffon I feel like they just kind of tossed the water splash in there just for the heck of it. Sheikra has a more interesting layout as well, imo.

 

The one thing Griffon definitely has though is integrating the paths with the first drop and immelman. Thats definitely one thing I wish Sheikra did better.

[Speeddeamon128]

Awesome TR! Did you get on the new Kiddie in the Sesame Place area?

[scottjenkins]

Awesome report, however only one thing missing.............................

 

 

 

 

........................Drachen Fire!

 

 

[coasterer]

^^^ Yeah, Nitro's bland layout is probably the main reason I like Apollo better. And I've never been to BGA, so I've never seen Shiekra, so I can't really compare them. My point is that regardless of a comparison, Griffon is still a pretty quality ride. The way the path winds around the village and over the ride itself to get to the entrance is really cool. That whole area of the park is immersed in Griffon.

 

^^I did ride Grover's Alpine Express, I just didn't take any pictures that were worth including. It was perfectly fine for a kiddie ride, I saw a lot of kids enjoying it. And a number of people, oddly enough, besides myself, that were way too old to justify riding it.

[netdvn]

I haven't been on either Nitro or SheiKra, so I won't compare Apollo or Griffon to those two.

 

Apollo is a very fun coaster. The ride gives really good air towards the back and its my second favorite coaster behind Alpengeist. The theming is nonexistent though. In fact, what is the entire Festa Italia area supposed to be themed to in the first place?

 

Griffon is meh... IMO for Busch standards. I personally think that Busch could've done a MUCH better job incorporating Griffon into the Aquitaine area, but it seems to stick out way too much. The entire area around Griffon seems sparse and could use a lot more trees. The coaster is great, but it could use a lot more theming than a building with chandeliers and flat-screen TV's for theming. A story and some theming need to be added to make the ride better.

 

I think BGW should invest more money into theming the actual ride than just plopping it down in some random spot like SF and CF.

[coasterer]

See, I don't know, the Griffon theming or lack there of really didn't bother me that much. From the front, it's set in the village, which was neat. The first drop and immelman are integrated well into the paths and the atmosphere of the area. Yeah, maybe the back half is a little sparse in terms of theming and scenery, and maybe the second half of the design wasn't given quite as much thought as the first half, but it didn't really detract from my ride experience at all.

 

I don't really need an elaborate story line. Griffon's got an atmosphere and an ambience, and that works well enough for me. I don't need to forget I'm on a rollercoaster, just integrate the ride subtly into a more overarching theme, and I'll be happy.

 

But maybe for BG standards it is a little subpar... I wouldn't even go close to comparing it to Six Flags standards though. It still outweighs a Six Flags theming any day. I wonder if there's any hope of BGE adding more to the theme of the ride over time?

[netdvn]

After seeing some of the theming on Bizarro and Mexico's Dark Knight, I personally think SF is actually trying harder to theme their rides than BGW is.

 

Now I really hope Busch will eventually add theming to the ride over time on top of putting more trees around the ride and adding canopies to the queue. Maybe its because I have higher standards when it comes to Busch parks in general, but after seeng Manta's amazing queue I began to wonder if BGW was too lazy to add a little extra theming around Griffon and AC.

 

Overall the ride is great, but could become even better if more theming was added.

 

PS: Does anybody know what Festa Italia is supposed to be themed to?

[Electerik]

Does anybody know what Festa Italia is supposed to be themed to?

 

The adventures of Marco Polo. So, like, each ride is supposed to be themed to a different county he visited...or something. It's kind of weak.

 

I have no problem with Griffon's lack of theming, though. It fits in well enough. (But I do like SheiKra better.)

 

On balance, Busch Gardens Williamsburg may well be my favorite park. It's just so well balanced.

 

/Now if they could just get a full-service restaurant, and a Tower of Terror rip off to go with their Spidey rip off.

//I use term "rip off" lovingly.

[Big Mike]

I guess I can cross this park off the list for car pooling

 

 

Peace, Big Mike

[snowboard83]

Great TR! I agree with Alpengeist and Griffon. I can never decide on which I like better! Alpie's cobra roll is just phenomenal and is often looked at as rough. It actually used to be more intense before that guy broke both of his legs on the ride, so they put a holding break at the top of the lift to slow the top speed.

 

I am just so lucky to have BGE as a home park. Then again, its a pain because I hold so many other parks to their standards (even though I DO like SFA).

 

Sheikra has a more interesting layout as well, imo.

 

Really? Shiekra more interesting layout than Griffon? Shiekra certainly "beasts" on themeing, but to say it has a more interesting layout...eh, will disagree with you on that all day! haha. I feel where Shiekra falls flat on it's face after the MCBR. all it does is drop, turn, watersplash, limp back to the station. And Griffon...drop, immelman, sharp airtime jab (especially on the left side of the train, but everyone feels it) watersplash, turn, another sharp airtime jab (again, especially left side). The only layout thing Shiekra really has over Griffon is the carousel turn into the MCBR.

 

But everyone is entitled to their own opinion even if you are wrong. (its a joke lol)

 

By the way, doesn't BGE have a full service resturant...nearly under Griffon? its a Bistro. Or did that come out when Griffon went in... my local park and I've never even noticed.

 

And yes, I like Nitro better than Apollo, but not by much. B&M hypers just don't do it for me in general so it doesn't really matter to me either way.

[Jcoaster]

I perfer AC over Nitro. AC is my #1 coaster. I just feel that it's layout is more exciting then Nitro's. After riding Nitro 3 times in a row you realize it has a boring layout and after the MCBR Nitro really dies out. I can ride Apollo all day long and not get bored.

[drachenfirebgw]

Being my home park I feel like I underappreciated BGE. As seen in this trip report. The park is impeccable. It shows the evolution of the theme park from decade to decade, it's absolutely beautiful, and for those us who are there consistently you come find out that the park has several 'hidden' areas that really show off the park's beauty and are just unique.

 

I know I sometimes underappreciated the place, however, I am so thankful this place is my home park. I personally don't mind the lack of theming of BGE's roller coaster because I considering the environment the ride is set in as theming as well as props and such.

 

The Big Bad Wolf and Alpengeist are themed very well with extra props and the artificial environment and such. I think Apollo's Chariot's location just speak for itself. It's massive as the lift ascends toward the sun before the fall back down to earth.

 

I personally like Griffon better than SheiKra having ridden both. I don't mind Griffon's lack of theming because it fits into the area so well. I personally think Griffon has a more interesting layout than SheiKra due to Griffon's second Immelmann and the return trip back to the station after the MCBR where there is a lot of surprising airtime on the two small bunny hops.

 

BGE has caused me to be an Arrow lover for a while now, and therefore I love the LNM and BBW. I am also so frustrated I missed Drachen Fire. I could care less if it was as rough as people said it was, I just wanted to ride this beautiful electric blue monster.

 

I personally like AC better than Nitro, however, my only ride on Nitro was in the pouring down rain. That will change later this month though so we'll see what I think then. I personally like Montu better than Alpengeist, however, I really have a strong appreciation for this roller coaster.

 

Anyways, fabulous photo trip report. Glad you all had a great time.