Busch Gardens Williamsburg (BGW BGE) Discussion Thread

[viking86]

Great pictures, Tempesto looks like a very nice addition to the park! And with the small footprint and great reviews I'm almost certain we will see more of these being built over the coming years. And from what I gather thats not a bad thing at all....

 

So BGT has five times the fury, BGW has six times the speed.... what will the next be, seven times the....???

[prozach626]

Looks great. Does BGW have any... bad rides? It seems like everything they put together is just solid.

[coasterbill]

Looks great. Does BGW have any... bad rides?

 

I actually thought long and hard about that and... no. No they don't. At least not in my opinion.

[Erik Johnson]

Thanks for posting! I wonder if we will soon be getting a Chuck Fury report.

[Brassinthegrass]

At the park now just finished marathoning Tempesto! Due to the rain it's a one train wait!! Great ride, wonderful addition to the coaster line up here. Hopefully on busy days they will keep the same amount of Boyys working the ride, they were very fast at getting people into the seats.

[nannerdw]

Today was my first trip to BGW. I didn't have many expectations going into it. I just knew the basic layouts of their rides, and that's about it. I like just showing up to a park, walking around without a map, and discovering it for myself. I soon realized that this park was WAY bigger than I was anticipating, and even though they only have 6 major coasters, most of the ride entrances are really spread out. I definitely needed a map, but I ended up spending most of the day just wandering around and sightseeing. The way the rides interact with the surrounding walkways is really fantastic. When I stepped onto the path under Loch Ness Monser, I was kind of speechless. I had seen pictures of this area, with Loch Ness, Alpengeist, and Griffon all in view, but pictures really don't do justice to just how gorgeous that area of the park is, or the sheer scale of the rides towering overhead.

 

Other notable scenic views in the park:

The top of Griffon's lift, and Mach Tower.

The bridge over Le Scoot and Alpengeist

The bridge next to Big Bad 'Bolten's outdoor drop

The inside of Das Festhaus. Their food is great too.

 

I got to the park a few minutes later than I would have liked, and had to wait an hour for Tempesto. It was a great ride, probably even my favorite in the park. It's very smooth, and has some great airtime in both the front and the back. It's definitely not as much of a "showcase" ride as some of their other attractions, since they can't do a lot to make it interact with the path like they did with Griffon and Alpengeist, but I thought it still fit in nicely with the surrounding area. The only thing I didn't like was the restraint. The shin guard is SO close to the seat, For anyone with long legs, you'll probably have to point your toes like I did, just to keep your shins from being crushed when the lapbar closes. The lapbar rested in a really uncomfortable position for me, too, much closer to the knee than most rides, because my legs were angled so far upward. Also, trying to get into the right hand seat is basically equivalent to climbing in through the driver's side of a tiny car and maneuvering around the steering wheel to sit in the passenger's side. You definitely can't stand up straight as you're getting in and out; it's quite awkward.

 

So anyway, it was pretty cold with drizzling rain all day today. I had on 3 shirts under my jacket, and 2 pairs of pants (yes really), and thick winter gloves, and I was still freezing. All the rides that weren't Tempesto had much shorter lines, in the 10-20 minute range. The water rides were all open, but I wasn't about to subject myself to that. Most people left by mid-afternoon, making all the rides walk-ons. I couldn't stand the cold rainy weather for much longer, though, and left the park just before dark. For anyone who managed to stay at the park today from open until closing, I admire your dedication.

[Brassinthegrass]

Dedication noted. I was there too today, 10-10 with my Band Students. Finally back in the hotel, showered and hitting the sack. Great day:

 

Griffin 3x

Alpie 3x

Verbolten 2x

Nessie 1x

Apollo 5x

Tempesto 4x

[nannerdw]

Were you there before opening? Did they do a big reveal or ceremony for Tempesto?

 

I liked how Tempesto would stop in the station at exactly the right spot every time so the train could unload faster, without needing to be "dialed in" to line up with the loading gates.

 

I rode:

Tempesto - 2

Apollo -2

Griffon - 3

Europe in the Air - 1

Alpengeist - 2

Verbolten - 2

Darkastle - 1

Loch Ness - 1

Mach Tower - 1

(in the order that I first rode them)

 

Speaking of Europe in the Air, I once heard someone describe it as "Experiencing what it would be like to forget to bring your glasses on an aerial tour of Europe." That was pretty accurate. lol

 

Also, I would love to get stuck on Griffon's top turnaround. Seriously, that view is just crazy. I thought Dollywood had some of the nicest scenery, but this far outclassed it, IMO.

Edited April 27, 2015 by nannerdw

[rollin_n_coastin]

Chuck, thanks for the media day update.

 

Premier has always made some really cool rides. The spaghetti bowls are still the coolest looking coasters out there I think.

 

I'm really looking forward to trying out Tempesto. My only critique--Tempesto looks to have the figure of a man who loves his prosciutto and bocconcini more than sun dried tomatoes

[Intimidator305]

Still not a fan of the location of the ride at all, but the area itself looks great! I'll be heading to the park when Food & Wine starts up to check it out.

 

It's interesting that the plans for this ride had a 156' inversion and it ended up being 154'. Volcano at Kings Dominion still holds the title for tallest inversion on the east coast at 155'.

 

Thanks for sharing as always, Chuck!

[Paradox]

^I actually think the location is great and with the theming it looks even better! It really adds the vibrancy you would expect from a festival and stands out against AC.

[Philrad71]

I wouldn't mind getting back to the park this year for Tempesto as well as to check out the Food and Wine so we could compare it with the one in Tampa.

 

Thanks for the report, Chuck!

[The Geek Mojo]

Great trip reports and awesome pics of Tempesto. Really looking forward to riding it...Looks like a kick A$$ ride! Been to BGW once before 2 years ago when they added Verbolten. Definitely prefer BGW over BGT. I got plans to make it to BGW again but not until next year. I'll probably just get a SeaWorld/BG pass in 2016 cause they'll be getting two new coasters in Florida that year and it'll make it easy just to go to BGW again and ride Tempesto without all the extra cost. I know a lot of people hated on BGW for their coaster choice but seriously, Tempesto looks like a cool ride. Happy for them!

[super7]

Isn't it nice that Busch practically installed a brand-new flume ride this year, instead of just removing a great ride like they did at Carowinds?

[RoCo]

"As for me, I say that parks needs more Premier Rides!"

 

I could not agree more, Chuck. Great report and Tempesto is one more reason I need to get back to BGW soon.

[VACoasterdude]

I was at BGW this weekend and rode Tempesto. Really enjoyed the ride. Wish it was longer and a little faster, but overall a nice addition to the park. Different ride in the front versus the back, but all seats offer an enjoyable ride with nice air time. The attendants did a great job getting riders in and out, in some cases holding the, "comfort straps," out of the way to expedite boarding. With the one train and limited capacity, I am sure the line will be well over an hour on Saturdays this summer and pushing 2 hours on Saturdays during HalloScream.

[805Andrew]

Even though Tempesto is a more low key ride for Busch Gardens, it still looks pretty good. I need to ride Superman at Discovery Kingdom some time this year to see what this type of ride is like. I agree that parks need more Premier rides. I love Full Throttle at SFMM and its launches, hang time loop, and top hat.

[ferk60]

Looks great. Does BGW have any... bad rides? It seems like everything they put together is just solid.

 

No they really don't. They do everything well. With that being said Tempesto does seem kinda out of character for them. Most of their coasters are well theme, exciting and unique. 2/3 is not bad. I have not rode Tempesto yet but I was shocked that they installed a clone. I think BG operates on the premise that they only build with a purpose and not just to build.

[cfc]

^Well, Europe in the Air and Mach Tower were hardly unqualified successes, but BGW does an an excellent attraction line-up overall.

[Intimidator305]

^ Agreed. The Eiffel Tower at Kings Dominion is a bigger thrill than Mach Tower to me... not to mention it only took two seasons to get the attraction open most of the time.

 

As far as Europe in the Air goes, it never deserved a place in the park - what a disaster.

[dreynolds1982]

BGW is one of my favorite parks. Will definitely have to get up that way to catch a ride on Tempesto.

 

The park itself is absolutely beautiful and their rides are almost always top notch. The only ride in the entire park, IMO, that doesn't fit with the quality of the rest is the Europe in the Air simulator. I liked it better when it was Corkscrew Hill. Though even that ride is fun (in a campy sort of way), especially on a hot summer day.

 

Oh and side note, some of the best non-Disney theme park food you will find. I do miss the beer sampling stations that they used to have though back when they were owned by Busch...

[DrachenfireOP]

Europe in Air... ugh...

 

When Corkscrew Hill first came along, I was so upset. Sure, it was better than King Arthur's Challenge, but that's a pretty low bar to clear. Now with Europe in Air, I almost miss Corkscrew Hill.

 

Considering most of the Questor themeing is still there, I don't see why they can't just make a Questor-like ride. No cartoons, no google-maps themed adventure, just a nice, live action, THRILL ride simulator!

 

Hell, I'd be fine if they just re-shot and brought back Questor verbatim!

[DrachenfireOP]

This is not the first time I've clicked submit once and wound up with a double post... wtf my computer...

[cfc]

 

Hell, I'd be fine if they just re-shot and brought back Questor verbatim!

 

Complete with goofy dinosaur puppets.

[GwaziBSRider1]

I'm not a fan of Europe in the Air, either. I do like that it has transitions between the "destinations," unlike Soarin' that randomly jumps from place to place.