Busch Gardens Williamsburg (BGW BGE) Discussion Thread

[super7]

I hope they are really retaining all of the trees in this video. It will make the ride even better.

[MIAfan88]

I like the air time hills and the helix at the end.

[DoinItForTheFame]

So is this the end of the first "crowd sourced" coaster, we only got to pick the name? As much hype as they put in to that, I kinda thought we would be making a few other choices.

 

Well got to pick the fact that it's going to have a tunnel. That's really important. Probably more important than the name.

[SFOG1991]

White Lightning is actually a very intense coaster, more so than most of the larger GCIs, so I don't really equate height with intensity when it comes to GCI.

 

That being said, this layout doesn't look as intense as White Lightning. I guess it will come down to the pacing and how much airtime those hills pack.

 

As a lover of wooden coasters, BGW is now on my 2017 itinerary!

[Henry M]

now, I am really not saying that family coasters should not have great theming or a story line, but I cannot help thinking they had too much of a build up before they announced it. With all the secrets and mysterious videos, you do expect a little bit more than a fairly short wooden coaster. I feel let down, but it is only BGW's fault in their weird advertising. I hope this does not end up like Thi13teen, however it is heading that way with the messed up ads, and strange name with strange letters.

[Nrthwnd]

I welcome any wooden coaster, that has a short run, but still packs a punch like the bigger guys.

 

That video was pretty awesome, and I caught my breath when we hit the brakes. Truth!

[robbalvey]

It's not the insane ride that we hoped for but it looks like a solid family ride, I'd imagine the height requirement is going to be 46" like White Lightning.

 

Yup, and 46" has already been confirmed.

Dumb. There is no reason for a ride this tame to have that tall of a height restriction. This ride would have made a PERFECT 40" or 42" ride for the park that families could actually ride. If a 42" kid can ride Phoenix and a 40" kid can ride Tower of Terror please explain to me why a kid needs to be 46" to ride this? Especially when the park is totally LACKING in a ride for this demographic of families.

Edited April 19, 2016 by robbalvey

[Mater]

Kinda upsetting to see the GP's response to the ride in Facebook comments. I think thanks to RMC, the public really looks at traditional woodies in an entirely different light nowadays.

[StarWars]

It's not the insane ride that we hoped for but it looks like a solid family ride, I'd imagine the height requirement is going to be 46" like White Lightning.

 

Yup, and 46" has already been confirmed.

Dumb. There is no reason for a ride this tame to have that tall of a height restriction. This ride would have made a PERFECT 40" or 42" ride for the park that families could actually ride. If a 42" kid can ride Phoenix and a 40" kid can ride Tower of Terror please explain to me why a kid needs to be 46" to ride this? Especially when the park is totally LACKING in a ride for this demographic of families.

 

Agreed. I know it was a cg representation of the ride, but it just didn't look like a ride that someone that is 40" or 42" couldn't ride. Perhaps it has to do with the type of car they are using? Also, as it wasn't well represented in the video, I have to wonder if the park keeps as many trees as possible to enhance the sense of speed. I think that would be cool.

[MrSum1_55]

^^Not only that, but don't other, larger GCI's also have a lower restriction than that? Isn't Joris en de Draak a 42" ride?

 

I mean come on, 48" is the height restriction for El Toro and X2. So, to ride this you have to be almost as tall as you would need to ride two of the most extreme coasters on the planet. It is already bad enough that they have one family coaster with the same height restriction as these extreme coasters.

[knaiwear]

I posted this earlier, but yes, Joris is 1.1 m accompanied by an adult, 1.2 m unaccompanied.

 

I doubt RMC has much to do with the GP's tepid response, given that there are no RMCs in the mid Atlantic area. I would say it has far more to do with the fact that BGW hyped up a family coaster as though it was a major thrill ride. Had they just stuck with marketing that targeted kids and families then things would have gone more smoothly.

 

While the ride could deliver White Lightning style thrills (and I hope it does), the layout and POV don't really look conducive to that...

[TheCoasterKid211]

It's not the insane ride that we hoped for but it looks like a solid family ride, I'd imagine the height requirement is going to be 46" like White Lightning.

 

Yup, and 46" has already been confirmed.

Dumb. There is no reason for a ride this tame to have that tall of a height restriction. This ride would have made a PERFECT 40" or 42" ride for the park that families could actually ride. If a 42" kid can ride Phoenix and a 40" kid can ride Tower of Terror please explain to me why a kid needs to be 46" to ride this? Especially when the park is totally LACKING in a ride for this demographic of families.

 

Agreed. I know it was a cg representation of the ride, but it just didn't look like a ride that someone that is 40" or 42" couldn't ride. Perhaps it has to do with the type of car they are using? Also, as it wasn't well represented in the video, I have to wonder if the park keeps as many trees as possible to enhance the sense of speed. I think that would be cool.

[Ccron10]

I don't know, I think the park is missing out on a great opportunity to do more with the terrain on this ride other than just a 85 foot drop into a ravine. After that it is just several turns and a few hills where the bases are kind of far off the ground and into the brakes. It just doesn't seem very GCI to me and it doesn't look like it would be one of their best layouts.

I'd show a little more support if it was a lower height requirement since the park needs something for those who are around 42" but until someone or I ride it, I'm going to have to say that BGW missed the mark.

[ZeroGravity55]

^ I actually kinda like the layout. It's different. No spiral drop and it a lot of the turns on this thing look under-banked, which should provide some laterals.

[RollerManic]

I don't know, I think the park is missing out on a great opportunity to do more with the terrain on this ride other than just a 85 foot drop into a ravine. After that it is just several turns and a few hills where the bases are kind of far off the ground and into the brakes. It just doesn't seem very GCI to me and it doesn't look like it would be one of their best layouts.

I'd show a little more support if it was a lower height requirement since the park needs something for those who are around 42" but until someone or I ride it, I'm going to have to say that BGW missed the mark.

I agree. I think each hill of the ride could have been a little more intense or deeper.

 

This could just be a crappy animation like Storm Chaser's though.

[johnnyknottsville]

^This I am truly hoping this is the case b/c right now IMO a Dragon wagon is looking more exciting than Invadr. Like SF hyping up Rings of Fire as big bad exciting coasters is lame so is the way BGW hyped this is it's just as bad. I know every coaster doesn't have to be a hyper, Giga or even over 100 feet b/c there are plenty of coasters out there proving you don't have to be the biggest to be able to run with some of the best. This thing this thing here looks like absolute crap I can not believe a company as established as GCII could release something like this and not be totally embarrassed. A company known for their twisty turning swooping sexy curves overall beautiful layouts comes with this flat dull triangled hill shallow dropping extremely short kiddy coaster. Then for it to be named something like Invadr wtf is it invading naptime

[Fooz]

I suspect that BGW got an incredible deal on this, and it's only 2-3 millionish.

[johnnyknottsville]

I suspect that BGW got an incredible deal on this, and it's only 2-3 millionish.

 

So what would it take another $1 million or $2 to get a drop creativity thrown in there or what?

[DILinator]

I have to say that I think it looks like a fun little wooden coaster, even from the "crappy" POV! If it's any consolation, I was one of the few people on this site super excited about Storm Chaser after the "crappy" POV, and now that it's built, everybody's super excited about it as well. So hopefully that's a good sign for this coaster's future acceptance!

 

Regardless, it apparently has the approval of my 2 year old son... He watched the POV of the ride on his kindle today for a half hour straight, and wouldn't even let me take it out of his hands to change it to a different POV!

[A.J.]

If a 42" kid can ride Phoenix and a 40" kid can ride Tower of Terror please explain to me why a kid needs to be 46" to ride this? Especially when the park is totally LACKING in a ride for this demographic of families.

It's pretty interesting. Are they basically trying to funnel all the children in the park into Land of the Dragons and Forest of Fun? There are so few rides throughout the park that can be experienced by children outside of those areas.

[King]

I know the fans picked it, but InvadR sounds like a rapist from outer space

[cfc]

^Like this guy?

 

 

Well, it was the best of the three choices.

[michaellynn4]

I happen to think the layout looks like fun but also agree that height restriction represents a missed opportunity. If bigger and badder coasters have lower height restrictions, there's no good excuse as to why this coasters needs to be so high, especially when it's such a need for the park.

[TheCoasterKid211]

^Like this guy?

 

 

Well, it was the best of the three choices.

Love me some MST3K references.

[cfc]

^All will bow to Ambassador Phantom of Krankor!

 

Now there's a character worthy of his own ride.