Busch Gardens Williamsburg (BGW BGE) Discussion Thread

[Vonni]

^ I'd certainly settle for that too

[willthegolfer]

This Park is on my bucket list, and my enthusiasm to visit grows more and more as time goes by! I would love to be able to make it in the next few years! Maybe by the time I get to visit another credit will be added! Hopefully an RMC, but that's probably just wishful thinking...

Fixed

Double Fixed

[gerstlaueringvar]

^ Haha I was struggling between RMC and a Intamin

 

I think the park need something truly intense. RMC coasters are crazy but Outlaw Run doesn't pull enough positive G's. Haven't been on NTaG or iRat though.

[rcjp]

^I don't know about NTaG but, from what I've heard, IRat suits that description.

[cfc]

^ Haha I was struggling between RMC and a Intamin

 

I think the park need something truly intense. RMC coasters are crazy but Outlaw Run doesn't pull enough positive G's. Haven't been on NTaG or iRat though.

 

I'd be happy with an Intamin or an RMC. Looking forward to Water Country's new slide (it's been a few years since Vanish Point opened).

[coasterbill]

I think the park need something truly intense.

 

From an enthusiast's perspective maybe but this isn't Six Flags. They're a family park and I think they're fine with what they have now. If you want a ride that's over the top intense I305 isn't too far away but that's really not what Busch Gardens is all about. They have big coasters but they're rides that still have mass appeal. In a park that's so heavily geared towards families I don't think an over-the-top intense ride is really what they need (though I wouldn't complain).

 

I don't think it would be a terrible decision (Hershey is a family park and they built Skyrush) but they certainly don't need it.

[gerstlaueringvar]

I think the park need something truly intense.

 

From an enthusiast's perspective maybe but this isn't Six Flags. They're a family park and I think they're fine with what they have now. If you want a ride that's over the top intense I305 isn't too far away but that's really not what Busch Gardens is all about. They have big coasters but they're rides that still have mass appeal. In a park that's so heavily geared towards families I don't think an over-the-top intense ride is really what they need (though I wouldn't complain).

 

I don't think it would be a terrible decision (Hershey is a family park and they built Skyrush) but they certainly don't need it.

I don't think BGW has truly intense rides but I think Montu and Kumba are in the truly intense level.

[DJENERGYZE]

so what days do you think that the park will have walk ons for everything? opening day?

[triggernel]

I think the park need something truly intense.

 

From an enthusiast's perspective maybe but this isn't Six Flags. They're a family park and I think they're fine with what they have now. If you want a ride that's over the top intense I305 isn't too far away but that's really not what Busch Gardens is all about. They have big coasters but they're rides that still have mass appeal. In a park that's so heavily geared towards families I don't think an over-the-top intense ride is really what they need (though I wouldn't complain).

 

I don't think it would be a terrible decision (Hershey is a family park and they built Skyrush) but they certainly don't need it.

I don't think BGW has truly intense rides but I think Montu and Kumba are in the truly intense level.

 

Throw Steel Eel and SWO Manta into there as well.

[Vonni]

I've never been on a Dive Machine....are they not intense? They certainly look like they would be...

[cfc]

^Oddly enough, not as intense as some old B&M inverted coasters. You do get some nice airtime in the back seat of Griffon, though (the first Immelman is probably the most intense part).

Edited January 21, 2014 by cfc

[mike541x]

Yeah I didn't find Griffon or Sheikra all that intense, but they're still fun rides.

[gerstlaueringvar]

I think the park need something truly intense.

 

From an enthusiast's perspective maybe but this isn't Six Flags. They're a family park and I think they're fine with what they have now. If you want a ride that's over the top intense I305 isn't too far away but that's really not what Busch Gardens is all about. They have big coasters but they're rides that still have mass appeal. In a park that's so heavily geared towards families I don't think an over-the-top intense ride is really what they need (though I wouldn't complain).

 

I don't think it would be a terrible decision (Hershey is a family park and they built Skyrush) but they certainly don't need it.

I don't think BGW has truly intense rides but I think Montu and Kumba are in the truly intense level.

 

Throw Steel Eel and SWO Manta into there as well.

I don't think Steel Eel is intense actually. But SWSA's Great White is crazy intense.

I've never been on a Dive Machine....are they not intense? They certainly look like they would be...

From the two Dive Machines I've been on, I really think they just looks bigger than they are. Happy Valley Shanghai is ruled by Mega-Lite and Fireball but GP go for Dive Machine because it's the tallest and it goes upside down Chimelong made their Dive Machine unacceptably rough that I personally think Mack's Youngstar Coaster is the best coaster there followed by 10 Inversion Coaster.

Edited January 21, 2014 by gerstlaueringvar

[Vonni]

I just assumed they were intense due to the hold before the drop, and the 90 degree drop. Like I said though, I've not been on one so I can only go off pics and vids at this point.

[coasterfreak101]

^The first drops are really great on all of them, but after that there's never much to 'em. The back row on the new generation ones is absolutely amazing on the drop!

[netdvn]

The holding brake is just there to psyche you out. Nothing much other than that. I have a fear of heights and still sit front row on Griffon (edge seat) if the lines are reasonable. The back is definitely where its at for the ejector air on the first drop and a shorter line, but Apollo has far better airtime.

 

The 90 degree drop is just like any other drop, but steeper. No real biggie there. You still get the butterflies the same way you would on a more gradual drop.

 

Griffon is short and rather forceless outside of the two big drops. It doesn't have Alpengeist's intensity or aggressiveness nor does it have Apollo's length and airtime. The drops do produce ejector, but I prefer Apollo's much more. It's a great step up coaster between Loch Ness+Verbolten and Alpengeist+Apollo.

 

- I'd say if you really wanna go for a steep drop, I'd recommend Fahrenheit. The entire ride (including first drop) is full of airtime and forces from start to finish. It's very intense and doesn't have that one trick pony vibe Griffon gives off.

[EastCoastKid]

I'd say if you really wanna go for a steep drop, I'd recommend Fahrenheit. The entire ride (including first drop) is full of airtime and forces from start to finish. It's very intense and doesn't have that one trick pony vibe Griffon gives off.

 

I remember riding Fahrenheit for the first time. That drop scared the bejeezus out of me!

[rcjp]

^Yeah the drop was awesome. And that last hill before the turn into the brakes gave me some ejector too

[coasterbill]

I'd say if you really wanna go for a steep drop, I'd recommend Fahrenheit. The entire ride (including first drop) is full of airtime and forces from start to finish. It's very intense and doesn't have that one trick pony vibe Griffon gives off.

 

I remember riding Fahrenheit for the first time. That drop scared the bejeezus out of me!

 

Off topic but even though I want to like Farenheit it does nothing for me at all. Besides the lift and first drop it's kind of a snooze fest. Is it just me?

[cfc]

^I agree with this.

 

We now return you to the BGW Discussion Thread, which is already in progress . . .

 

Hey, how about that Griffon, eh?

[Hercules]

I find Griffon to be so controlled, for lack of a better word. There is no wild and crazy factor to it.

[cfc]

I find Griffon to be so controlled, for lack of a better word. There is no wild and crazy factor to it.

 

I think that's the problem with later B&M coasters in general. I enjoy rides like Griffon and Apollo's Chariot, but they just don't have the same thrill factor as, say, Intamin or RMC coasters.

 

But this does make B&M an ideal ride manufacturer for parks, like BGW, that serve a family, as opposed to enthusiast, audience. Their rides tend to have wider appeal, and, as I said, they're usually quite good and B&M can still surprise you (Hair Raiser is a good example here).

Edited January 22, 2014 by cfc

[megametal]

I still find Alpengeist pretty intense. (I know, that's old B&M, but someone stated that the park didn't have any intense coasters.)

 

But for really intense coasters, the only one that I would call frightening is Skyrush at Hersheypark, so...

[cfc]

Busch Gardens has announced the winner of the Food and Wine Festival Facebook poll.

 

 

WILLIAMSBURG (January 24, 2014) – Busch Gardens® is bringing new flavors to this year’s Food & Wine Festival thanks to help from the park’s social media fans. The festival, opening May 23 at the Virginia park, will feature Caribbean-themed selections along with the park’s other European-inspired culinary creations.

 

Busch Gardens’ social media team enlisted help from its nearly 500,000 Facebook fans to help choose a new culinary theme that will join the lineup of geographic regions already represented at the festival. Among the choices provided, Caribbean cuisine cruised to the top of the list, garnering nearly 40 percent of the nearly 1,000 votes cast in the recent five-day survey. The American Southwest came in second with Thai, Indian and vegetarian offerings rounding out the choices.

 

The Busch Gardens Food and Wine Festival offers a variety of culinary dishes not normally served at the park. Guests can sample authentic tastes from around the world while strolling through the world's most beautiful theme park. Individual-sized tasting portions are offered for sale at themed kiosks stationed throughout the park. The Food and Wine Festival opens May 23 and runs Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through June 29.

 

For more information, visit http://www.buschgardens.com/foodandwine.

 

So, I guess we can look forward to jerk chicken, fried plantains, and maybe some fruity rum drinks this summer.

Edited January 24, 2014 by cfc

[CPSFMMCW]

I still find Alpengeist pretty intense. (I know, that's old B&M, but someone stated that the park didn't have any intense coasters.)

 

But for really intense coasters, the only one that I would call frightening is Skyrush at Hersheypark, so...

I did find Alpengeist to be an intense ride. Although half the time while on it I wasn't thinking about what I was riding. I was instead sniffing the smell of Trappers Smoke House which was below. The smell is huge while on the ride. It smells good...

Apollo's chariot is purly a fun coaster, and griffon has the factor of hanging over the drop, but other than that its another "fun" coaster.