Busch Gardens Williamsburg (BGW BGE) Discussion Thread

[DrachenfireOP]

That video just confirms that BGW did the right thing by tearing it down.

 

This thing would probably make Anaconda seem smooth.

 

This video isn't really a fair comparison because it was done during testing. Arrow famously tested their coasters with the MCBR completely off to see if the trains could handle the last bit at full speed. While DF was far from smooth, it wasn't this bad when the block brakes trimmed it to a crawl. I have a pov of it somewhere when it was open, I'll see if I can find.

 

I still don't think the park made the right call with that ride. Plenty could have been done to salvage it. Anyone who went on either Flight of Fear with the OTS restraints knows how bad they were and how much better they are now. I think FOF was worse than DF was before they got lap bars. I bet either lap bars or new bogie could have made DF a great ride.

 

Yet, what's done is done. I never minded it, and found GASM and Shockwave worse, but well, they're gone now too.

[RollerManic]

I always thiught that Drachen Fire was d*mn near one of the coolest coasters ever. That abandoned stations keeps intriging me. Ill make sure to ride the train past it.

 

Looks like crowds on weekdays are nonexisistent. Prehaps I will easily find the same on my visit soon? I could really explore the park witha whole week like that... good thing I'm packing my DSLR.

[CPmillenia94]

Crowds were so light the weekend I went so I can even imagine what weeks are like..

[Jcoaster]

^ Crowds on the weekdays are incredibly light, you should be able to get plenty of riding in.

[esvadj]

When did Busch Gardens start selling Miller products? I thought they still had the deal with Anheuser-Busch InBev for exclusive rights to beer sales.

[prozach626]

GREAT trip report. I can't wait for my first visit next Thursday. Do you think one day will be enough to enjoy the park? I know everyone claims the crowds will be light, but we're getting the quick queue unlimited option, just in case. It's worth the peace of mind after wanting to visit this park and KD for so long.

 

How does their quick queue option work?? It looks like a bracelet system like CF Fast Lane Plus, correct?

Edited July 1, 2015 by prozach626

[coasterbill]

Great report, thanks for sharing.

 

I find Apollo fun but middle-of-the road in every single seat except the very back. In that seat it's one of my favorite hypers because thanks to the pre-drop the airtime on the first drop is more Intamin-like than B&M like.

[Jcoaster]

Thanks guys, and my first day there I went from 3:30 to closing and the second day I spent the entire day there. I prefer doing two days there because I like to enjoy the park at leisure and take in all the sights and sounds. As for Apollo's Chariot I agree Bill, the back row provides some serious airtime, especially on the first drop. I gave it a spin in the front row for one of my rides and was catching some serious air as well though.

[DrachenfireOP]

Great TR! It's nice to see the decals are on LNM now. They weren't when I went in May. I really like the new branding and logo, and it looks just as nice on the trains!

 

When did Busch Gardens start selling Miller products? I thought they still had the deal with Anheuser-Busch InBev for exclusive rights to beer sales.

 

I'm pretty sure they started selling more than just AB products the moment the company sold the first time. I think competing domestic beers were added with the Blackstone purchase. I might be wrong, but I don't think the Miller is new for this season. Fortunately, BGW is keeping the old AB tradition alive of allowing beer consumption anywhere in the park except for the bridges! (which is against state law, or they'd probably let you drink on bridges too).

 

Anyhow, I haven't had a chance to convert my 1994 DF footage to digital, but here's a POV of DF from 1993 that shows you how much slower the second of the ride actually was when open. While it was a bit on the rough side, I don't think it was any worse than your standard Arrow. I'd rate is a bit more rough than Vortex, but not as rough as Shockwave or GASM.

 

 

The first half of the ride wasn't bad at all. The turn into the MCBR was really bad in certain cars, not bad in the back, horrible in the front. Going into the two corkscrews was pretty bad, and got worse the further in either direction you were from the middle. They took the first corkscrew out after 1994 to try and fix that, but I think that only made the ride worse. The cutback was pretty fun no matter what seat you were in. The helix was bad in the back, but not so bad elsewhere.

 

Basically, if you held on and kept your feet on the floor, with your head up and out, you didn't have problems on it. But most people don't know or want to know "how to ride" which is why Arrows keep getting the Ax. I still wish they went with their first decision and modified the trains for re-opening. Still a shame they cut it all together.

[Jcoaster]

Fortunately, BGW is keeping the old AB tradition alive of allowing beer consumption anywhere in the park except for the bridges! (which is against state law, or they'd probably let you drink on bridges too).

 

This. Me and my girlfriend agreed that this was one of the best parts about this park. (We both couldn't comment on that before cause we had both hadn't been to the park since middle school) Enjoying some cold beers while on the queue makes the line go way faster.

[RollerManic]

Couple more questions:

1) though I already will have the time to ride every row of every ride, what are he best rows other than the front? Out of "habit" I will give everything a ride in the front by default. I understand Tempesto is good in the back, and Alpengiest in the 6th for smoothness. Griffin is good in the front and back?

 

2) They have a Himalaya here? That's a surprise.

 

3) loose article policy? I expect to wear cargos most days, but obviously I cant pocket my camera.

 

4) they dont have absurd camera policies, ala Six Flags (the latter actually isn't enforced). Would it be disruptive to the park policy if I walk up the exits a little for better shots?

[cfc]

When did Busch Gardens start selling Miller products? I thought they still had the deal with Anheuser-Busch InBev for exclusive rights to beer sales.

 

Nope. While this isn't true in the case of Miller, the beer selection at BGW has improved since AB InBev sold off the parks.

[Ed Farmer]

Couple more questions:

1) though I already will have the time to ride every row of every ride, what are he best rows other than the front? Out of "habit" I will give everything a ride in the front by default. I understand Tempesto is good in the back, and Alpengiest in the 6th for smoothness. Griffin is good in the front and back?

 

I usually recommend the last row on B&M hypers, but especially on Apollo's Chariot and Raging Bull because they're the only two B&M Hypers to have the B&M Dip going into the drop. It's more effective on Raging Bull because there is less of a straightaway between dip and drop, but I think it still makes Apollo's drop considerably better than what it would otherwise be. It's a funky look for a tall ride with a straight drop, but it's a bummer that this was designed out of the type after the first two examples.

[Jcoaster]

Couple more questions:

1) though I already will have the time to ride every row of every ride, what are he best rows other than the front? Out of "habit" I will give everything a ride in the front by default. I understand Tempesto is good in the back, and Alpengiest in the 6th for smoothness. Griffin is good in the front and back?

 

2) They have a Himalaya here? That's a surprise.

 

3) loose article policy? I expect to wear cargos most days, but obviously I cant pocket my camera.

 

4) they dont have absurd camera policies, ala Six Flags (the latter actually isn't enforced). Would it be disruptive to the park policy if I walk up the exits a little for better shots?

 

Curious as to why you are surprised about the park having a Himalaya?

[DrachenfireOP]

1) though I already will have the time to ride every row of every ride, what are he best rows other than the front? Out of "habit" I will give everything a ride in the front by default. I understand Tempesto is good in the back, and Alpengiest in the 6th for smoothness. Griffin is good in the front and back?

 

Most rows are good on all their coasters. LNM is a LOT of fun in the back. It will be the smoothest Arrow you ever go on. I personally avoid car 2 and 5 because they have the chain dogs/roll backs on them, which is super loud, but the ride itself is good anywhere. Apollo is best in the back. Period. Griffon is also best in the back. I'm not a huge Griffon fan (I don't like the new era forceless B&Ms) but the back gives nice air time over the first drop. The front is also a "must try" since it's a dive machine. Verbolten is fun just about anywhere, but you get a nice boost in the back leaving the show building. I only did Tempesto in the front, which I highly recommend. Alpengeist is good anywhere (and my all time favorite B&M). The people who call Alpie rough always baffle me... the only way to get smoother is those new-age forceless B&Ms. The first loop of the cobra roll and the snap onto the MCBR have a nice pop, but unless you're sitting completely limp bodied, it shouldn't be bad at all. The faster it's running (later in the day) the less you'll worry about that.

 

2) They have a Himalaya here? That's a surprise.

They have FANTASTIC flat rides at this park, all worth getting on. They do have a lot of old fashioned flat rides too. Unfortunately they took two of my favorites out years ago (an old Octopus ride that used to be in Oktoberfest and a Sea Ship ride from Festa). Most of the flat rides are in the Italy/Festa and the Oktoberfest parts of the park. The bumper cars are particularly good at this park, since they let you go nuts on them.

 

3) loose article policy? I expect to wear cargos most days, but obviously I cant pocket my camera.

 

They're pretty strict about loose articles on rides. They're one of the parks that will stop the lift to come get cameras etc. We never did it on the Arrows when I worked there, but they did it daily on the B&Ms. I assume they still do, though I don't know for sure. They have lockers for your stuff. Tempesto has been handing out free fanny packs for your stuff that you give back when you're done.

 

4) they dont have absurd camera policies, ala Six Flags (the latter actually isn't enforced). Would it be disruptive to the park policy if I walk up the exits a little for better shots?

 

If you get permission to take something like a go-pro on the rides, they'll let you. Otherwise you can't take anything on the rides. Often they will let you take photos at the exists as long as you are not in the station itself. Sometimes on a crowded day they'll ask you to leave if lots of people are there, but usually they'll let you take pictures as long as you're outside of the fenced off area in the station. (They no longer let anyone, including employees, on the platform when trains are moving these days).

[bert425]

2) They have a Himalaya here? That's a surprise.

They have FANTASTIC flat rides at this park, all worth getting on. They do have a lot of old fashioned flat rides too. Unfortunately they took two of my favorites out years ago (an old Octopus ride that used to be in Oktoberfest and a Sea Ship ride from Festa). Most of the flat rides are in the Italy/Festa and the Oktoberfest parts of the park. The bumper cars are particularly good at this park, since they let you go nuts on them.

 

 

I called it a music express.. basically the same thing, no?

 

the ship is really still there in the Festa part, it's just themed to a battering ram, but it's still the same basic ride.

 

 

 

as to the bunnies, they are a very reasonable $1 rental. . we "shared". . for ex: used the bunny by Apollo to ride Apollo, Tempesto, Roman Rapids, Trade Winds, and Turkish Delight (teacups). . . then retrieved our stuff.

[bert425]

Jcoaster -- that was a great trip report.

 

and how funny that we took a lot of the similar pics . . I guess BGW is just so damn photogenic

 

(my ongoing report, including BGW, I started a separate thread for -- because we did Kings Dominion, as well as some "Culture" things, such as Colonial Williamsburg, the Washington Monuments, the Capital, and the Smithsonian museums).

[DrachenfireOP]

the ship is really still there in the Festa part, it's just themed to a battering ram, but it's still the same basic ride.

 

Actually the battering ram is a different ride! The ride I was talking about was called the "Sea Dragon" and used to be in Festa where Apollo's station is now. Actually, they just re-purposed it's old ride tent for the queue for Apollo. It was a REALLY fun ride, but apparently it was a maintenance nightmare, so away it went never to return :/

 

[bert425]

the ship is really still there in the Festa part, it's just themed to a battering ram, but it's still the same basic ride.

 

Actually the battering ram is a different ride! The ride I was talking about was called the "Sea Dragon" and used to be in Festa where Apollo's station is now. Actually, they just re-purposed it's old ride tent for the queue for Apollo. It was a REALLY fun ride, but apparently it was a maintenance nightmare, so away it went never to return :/

 

 

oh ..that looks like fun!

 

when you said ship, I thought you meant like the swinging ship rides. .

[DrachenfireOP]

Totally get where you were coming from! Also I do enjoy the battering ram. All of their flat rides are good! (Except Europe in air if you count that).

[certifiedcoastergeek]

Fortunately, BGW is keeping the old AB tradition alive of allowing beer consumption anywhere in the park except for the bridges! (which is against state law, or they'd probably let you drink on bridges too).

 

This. Me and my girlfriend agreed that this was one of the best parts about this park. (We both couldn't comment on that before cause we had both hadn't been to the park since middle school) Enjoying some cold beers while on the queue makes the line go way faster.

Unfortunately, this also contributes to a wave of drunks staggering around the park at about 6 PM daily. During my numerous visits over the years, I've found security at the park to be quite lax.

[cfc]

Fortunately, BGW is keeping the old AB tradition alive of allowing beer consumption anywhere in the park except for the bridges! (which is against state law, or they'd probably let you drink on bridges too).

 

This. Me and my girlfriend agreed that this was one of the best parts about this park. (We both couldn't comment on that before cause we had both hadn't been to the park since middle school) Enjoying some cold beers while on the queue makes the line go way faster.

 

Unfortunately, this also contributes to a wave of drunks staggering around the park at about 6 PM daily. During my numerous visits over the years, I've found security at the park to be quite lax.

 

Excuse me, but I have yet to experience roaming herds of drunks at the park after 6:00 pm, and I've been living in Williamsburg since the 1980s. I find your claim to be, at best, an exaggeration.

Edited July 2, 2015 by cfc

[bert425]

Fortunately, BGW is keeping the old AB tradition alive of allowing beer consumption anywhere in the park except for the bridges! (which is against state law, or they'd probably let you drink on bridges too).

 

This. Me and my girlfriend agreed that this was one of the best parts about this park. (We both couldn't comment on that before cause we had both hadn't been to the park since middle school) Enjoying some cold beers while on the queue makes the line go way faster.

 

Unfortunately, this also contributes to a wave of drunks staggering around the park at about 6 PM daily. During my numerous visits over the years, I've found security at the park to be quite lax.

 

Excuse me, but I have yet to experience roaming herds of drunks at the park after 6:00 pm, and I've been living in Williamsburg since the 1980s. I find your claim to be, at best, an exaggeration.

 

we just spent 3 days there and did not see even ONE "roaming drunk"

[DrachenfireOP]

^ As someone who worked at the park for seven years (although not recently, but I doubt it's changed) there ARE drunk people on occasion, but usually security is pretty good at spotting them and escorting them to the back area. The food service people actually have to take bartender training if they're going to serve alcohol so they won't over serve. It still happens, but not often, and again security is great about getting any form of trouble (health, attitude, or otherwise) out of view of most guest. There's an entire network for fire-truck sized service roads behind the scenes that can get any form of emergency service to anywhere in the park pretty quickly.

 

I do actually recall one specific instance well over a decade ago in which a full-on brawl broke out when someone threw beer in someone else's face. Both "sides" had a big group with them and it got ugly. JCC police broke it up pretty quick when they got there since it was a scale too large for security. Of course, now JCC has police on duty in the park at all times these days so I'd be shocked to see something like that go down now. Also, even that one-out instance of insanity was a total of 10 minutes from start to everyone in handcuffs in the back area.

[certifiedcoastergeek]

Fortunately, BGW is keeping the old AB tradition alive of allowing beer consumption anywhere in the park except for the bridges! (which is against state law, or they'd probably let you drink on bridges too).

 

This. Me and my girlfriend agreed that this was one of the best parts about this park. (We both couldn't comment on that before cause we had both hadn't been to the park since middle school) Enjoying some cold beers while on the queue makes the line go way faster.

 

Unfortunately, this also contributes to a wave of drunks staggering around the park at about 6 PM daily. During my numerous visits over the years, I've found security at the park to be quite lax.

 

Excuse me, but I have yet to experience roaming herds of drunks at the park after 6:00 pm, and I've been living in Williamsburg since the 1980s. I find your claim to be, at best, an exaggeration.

I didn't say "roaming herds", I meant that there are a fair number which can be observed, maybe one or two out of every few hundred park guests is wasted at that point, enough to be noticed. And I've lived in Virginia my whole life as well.

Drunk people... drunk people everywhere!

99% sure that the guy in the yellow hat waited until Tempesto launched backwards, then flung himself onto the tracks.