Busch Gardens Williamsburg (BGW BGE) Discussion Thread

[HCLcoasters]

^^Nice photoshop.

[griffon]

It looks like the park has updated their press release to include a FAQ Section which is good because it probably means they are getting feedback. At least one local news station has a front page article about the closing. I would encourage everyone to send the park a response about this because I think the reasoning is bad, and the timing is bad. It may not make a difference in the fate of the ride, but enough responses may help to keep it open through the end of this season. It's not like something new is coming right away for 2010.

[robbalvey]

I would encourage everyone to send the park a response about this because I think the reasoning is bad, and the timing is bad. It may not make a difference in the fate of the ride, but enough responses may help to keep it open through the end of this season. It's not like something new is coming right away for 2010.

Actually, I would really discourage this. I'm 100% sure the last thing the park wants to hear is complaints from a bunch of whiny coaster enthusiasts telling them why not to take the ride out.

 

Please remember that these guys have been operating a very successful theme park for quite a few decades. I have a feeling they know what they are doing, even if it's a decision many of us may not agree with.

 

You have NO IDEA what their plans are or what uses they may have for that area. Perhaps whatever the intentions are, while they may not be for 2010 (and we don't know this for certain), but the prep work for a future attraction may take a lot longer than you'd think for an attraction in 2011 or even 2012.

 

Better yet, you should just start an internet petition. They always seem to have such great influence on decision makers.

 

--Robb

[Hercules]

It would certainly be a total waste of your time to send a complaint. Chances are will not be addressed, and you will look like a fool in doing so. Have some respect for the company, and yourself. Just enjoy that last days, remember the past. I'm sure they have excellent reasoning for this. They are a business, and their first concern is their bottomline, not a bunch of whiny coaster brats.

[metrock]

Just like the Government knows what they are doing and no one should ever complain or question them.

[Hercules]

Government matters are much more important than a roller coaster. I guess that depends on the person though.

[TheRapidsNerd]

Bummer but understandable. Gonna miss it.

 

Oh, and Beemer, you're on a roll! Born on date?

I'll miss you rhombus trains...

[smells_like_team_disney]

This genuinely breaks my heart . While I do understand the reasons behind the decision. it's always sad to see a world-class ride close. I was planning on a Labor Day weekend trip to Chicago, but now my plans have drastically changed, and for good reason. This is one of those coasters I always saw footage of or was just amazed by while growing up, and I always told myself that one day I would ride it. Well, it's now or never, so come September, I'll be in Williamsburg!

[AmyUD06]

Well, it's probably incredibly difficult to get parts for and keep in repair because arrow doesn't exist anymore and there are only a handful of their suspended's around.

 

Can't get parts for trains? Vekoma trains.

Can't get parts for brakes? Vekoma.

Can't get electronics? Custom.

Can't get parts for the lift hill system? Any halfway decent fabricator could mesh any electric motor to it.

 

The only half-way valid "mechanical reason" they may have is structural integrity, but even that is repairable. Vekoma SFCs use the same gauge track.

 

Everyone says "they understand the reasoning." There has been no reasoning. Just "it's old." Coasters don't have "born-on-dating" or "expiration dates," It's all up to how much effort the park wants to put into maintaining them. And for a coaster with consistently high ridership and no major problems affecting current operations, I can't see why they wouldn't keep this ride. I'd much rather see them spend $10-15m refurbing this ride, if it even needs it, than put up some new B&M. I'm sure I'm not alone.

 

BBW and LNM are the signature rides of this park. When you think about this park, you don't think of Griffon, Alpengeist or...you know, off the top of my head I can't recall any other coasters they have. And that's sad.

 

I'm torn. Part of me really wants to go this year to get a final ride. Part of me wants to give the park the shaft and deny them my business.

 

It looks like the park has updated their press release to include a FAQ Section which is good because it probably means they are getting feedback. At least one local news station has a front page article about the closing.

 

Unfortunately it doesn't answer anything the press release didn't say, except the part about LNM being "safe for now because we can't think of anything better to do with the land."

 

I would encourage everyone to send the park a response about this because I think the reasoning is bad, and the timing is bad. It may not make a difference in the fate of the ride, but enough responses may help to keep it open through the end of this season. It's not like something new is coming right away for 2010.

 

In all likelyhood it won't do much, but it certainly couldn't hurt.

 

Actually, I would really discourage this.

 

What would it hurt? Someone loses a few minutes of their life writing a letter or e-mail.

 

I'm 100% sure the last thing the park wants to hear is complaints from a bunch of whiny coaster enthusiasts telling them why not to take the ride out.

 

I don't mean to sound like an ass, but is there ever a time that you DO feel voicing concerns to a park is appropriate? Negative park experience? "You went on a busy day/had a rare bad experience/should've looked at the website to realize Q-bots are a ripoff before you went to the park/etc." Disagree with ride removal/installation? "They're pros and know much better than you."

 

You seem like a complete apologist and in your mind no park can ever do wrong (unless it's Hard Rock or outside of the US). Makes one wonder about that line at the bottom of every page about being " in no way affiliated" with the companies.

 

Anyway, if it's making the front page of local news there's a lot more than a few websites of "whiny coaster enthusiasts" that are disenchanted about this.

 

Please remember that these guys have been operating a very successful theme park for quite a few decades. I have a feeling they know what they are doing, even if it's a decision many of us may not agree with.

 

And I'd say a large part of their successful formula is NOT removing major rides that still draw large crowds.

 

You have NO IDEA what their plans are or what uses they may have for that area. Perhaps whatever the intentions are, while they may not be for 2010 (and we don't know this for certain), but the prep work for a future attraction may take a lot longer than you'd think for an attraction in 2011 or even 2012.

 

You're right, we don't. What we do know is that there plenty of land available for them to use if they wanted to.

[Maximo37]

I'd much rather see them spend $10-15m refurbing this ride, if it even needs it, than put up some new B&M. I'm sure I'm not alone.

 

 

You're not alone... I said something similar (not as strongly) to this, about not putting up another clone or big brother from another Busch park... I can only hope something completely original fills this space...

[YoshiFan]

Looks like I will never get the chance to try the coaster. I really hope the replacement isn't a flyer. If you are too big for the kiddie coaster and don't like inversions or big coasters there are now no coasters to ride.

[robbalvey]

Here is some Big Bad Wolf B-Roll the park sent me:

 

[coastertube]http://www.themeparkreview.com/coastertube/play.php?vid=BigBadWolf_30o9[/coastertube]

[fisher1095]

I think everyone will miss that second drop right over the water...

[Jew]

Can't get parts for trains? Vekoma trains.

Can't get parts for brakes? Vekoma.

Can't get electronics? Custom.

Can't get parts for the lift hill system? Any halfway decent fabricator could mesh any electric motor to it.

 

Unfortunately it is not that simple. Parks can't just pick whatever suppliers they want. Everything has to be approved by the manufacturer, written into the SOP, and so on and so forth before their insurance companies (and in most cases, state agencies as well) will agree to it.

 

Coasters don't have "born-on-dating" or "expiration dates,"

 

Coasters have un-official expiration dates: guest surveys and ridership numbers, along with maintenance costs.

[STR8FXXXINEDGE]

What a bummer!

Glad I got there this summer to finally ride it.

I remember really wanting to ride BBW ever since the mid 90's when the 3-D Roller Coaster videos came out on VHS. There aren't too many coasters out there that I have been more excited to ride, and BBW did NOT let me down.

This is truly some sad news.

 

Something flippin' amazing better be going there, and it BETTER utilize that hill down to the Rhine.

[cfc]

Oh Sh!t! I have never been on this coaster. They opened it the spring I moved out of the DC area. Looks like I will need to make an emergency trip to Virginia as soon as I get back from Colorado and LA. Hey Chuck, what are you doing mid week around the 20th? Looks like I will be there in your neck of the woods.

 

I should be around, Guy--come on down.

 

I don't miss Drachen Fire. I will miss the Wolf.

[Josh Linn]

What a bummer!

Glad I got there this summer to finally ride it.

I remember really wanting to ride BBW ever since the mid 90's when the 3-D Roller Coaster videos came out on VHS. There aren't too many coasters out there that I have been more excited to ride, and BBW did NOT let me down.

This is truly some sad news.

 

Something flippin' amazing better be going there, and it BETTER utilize that hill down to the Rhine.

 

Yeah, now that I think about it more, this is the first coaster that I've ridden before and thoroughly enjoyed that is being removed. It's a big bummer, it was an awesome compliment to Apollo and Alpie, and some of the people I went to the park with even preferred Wolf over both of those. I wish I could get down there before it closes, and I hope it's predecessor doesn't disappoint.

[AmyUD06]

 

Unfortunately it is not that simple. Parks can't just pick whatever suppliers they want. Everything has to be approved by the manufacturer, written into the SOP, and so on and so forth before their insurance companies (and in most cases, state agencies as well) will agree to it.

 

If the OEM is defunct (like so many people seem to think Arrow is - they aren't) they can. Even if not, they certainly don't need approval of the OEM unless it's still warrantied in some shape or form. If the OEM isn't supporting the product, they have no say in what an end-user does with it. What you're proposing there is like saying that if Ford says you can't use aftermarket parts on their cars, you can't use your car period if you do or that it now somehow becomes "illegal" or "unsafe" from that in and of itself.

 

SOP...what SOP?

 

Yes, insurance and/or government inspectors will still have to look over the ride. What's the big hurdle there? That's what testing is for.

 

I'm surprised it's only been brought up a few times, but the case of Steel Phantom at Kennywood is a prime example of where the "they can't modify it/replace parts) because Arrow isn't around or says it's okay" argument fails. Kennywood is a much smaller park, with a much smaller budget, but have (over the course of several years) re-trained and re-tracked almost the entire ride with Morgan parts. Anyone who thinks BGE couldn't do the same with BBW is insane.

 

 

I'm also quite surprised that there haven't been more arguments of "just be happy the park is still open since InBev once said they didn't want anything to do with the parks," knowing this site.

 

And BTW, Arrow and all of it's assets, including trademarks, patents, and equipment designs were absorbed into S&S. If S&S choose not to supply parts for Model X anymore, then they can't tell parks that they're not allowed to seek parts anywhere.

[HCLcoasters]

Edited February 25, 2010 by Moose

[testtrack321]

 

SOP...what SOP?

 

Standard Operating Procedures

[Coaster Cow]

I feel the obligation to throw in my personal pain and suffering.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!! BBW was my favorite Arrow. I rode it last about four years ago, and so I don't remember much of it, besides the general swoop through the town and fantastic final drop. I wonder why BGW decided to take it out? I know it is valuable land and all, but it was such a classic; a ride you would never expect to see go.

Does anyone have a good quality POV or something?

[Top Thrill Dragster]

^

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7Ax-WuuT5I

[AmyUD06]

 

SOP...what SOP?

 

Standard Operating Procedures

 

Oh, trust me, working in LE I know what a SOP is, I was asking what sort of SOP he could've possibly been referring to.[/i]

[coastercrzyjames]

I'm really sad to see BBW go. It was one of the coasters that just fascinated me when I was becoming an enthusiast many years ago, sad thing is I've never gotten my credit on it.

 

I'm already looking into planning a quick weekend journey out to BGE to get my ride before it closes.

[Fisherman]

Bummer...I'm glad I had the chance to ride it again this year.

 

So...do you guys really think BG might make a whole new park section where Drachie and Wolfie stood? If so...what would it be? A whole new European region? Scandinavia? Spain?

 

-Derek