Busch Gardens Williamsburg (BGW BGE) Discussion Thread

[thrillseeker4552]

Could someone please describe to me the difference between the old and new LNM trains? Aside from a slightly different paint job, am I just blind? Usually I’m pretty geeky and can point out small differences, but I’m stuck on this one...

[coasterbill]

We rode it Sunday, I never would have known anything was different.

[A.J.]

Could someone please describe to me the difference between the old and new LNM trains? Aside from a slightly different paint job, am I just blind? Usually I’m pretty geeky and can point out small differences, but I’m stuck on this one...

From what I understand, under the shell, they're no different from the old ones. But they gave them a new outer shell and a variation on the higher-headrest seats found on Tennessee Tornado (with higher side rails too). Kind of like a "Franken Arrow". Image from the park president's Twitter profile:

 

 

Apparently some fans have had issues with ear / head-banging, while others seem to have had good rides in one train but not the other (kind of like Magnum XL-200's mysterious "magic seat").

[Fooz]

As a 6'2 ish rider, I find the new trains more accommodating.

[CoasterAuditor]

How is Busch Gardens on Easter Sunday usually? I am playing with the idea of heading down there Sunday afternoon since I haven't been since 2012 which is insane to me.

[Satans Hockey]

How is Busch Gardens on Easter Sunday usually? I am playing with the idea of heading down there Sunday afternoon since I haven't been since 2012 which is insane to me.

 

I went last year and besides Invadr which just opened the lines weren't bad at all.

[boldikus]

Off topic, but has the England section ever had a fish+chips place? If not, why not?

[cfc]

Off topic, but has the England section ever had a fish+chips place? If not, why not?

 

You can get fish and chips in the Squire's Grill in England. But, yeah, they could use a pub there.

[boldikus]

 

I don't actively remember smelling it but I did have a sudden craving for fish+chips while leaving through England. A nice little pub with some F+C would be perfect.

[cfc]

Yes, I'd like to see them serve traditional British pub food, like bangers and mash and shepherd's pie. But some people just have to have cheeseburgers and Philly cheesesteaks.

[cal1br3tto]

Could someone please describe to me the difference between the old and new LNM trains? Aside from a slightly different paint job, am I just blind? Usually I’m pretty geeky and can point out small differences, but I’m stuck on this one...

This is from an early Instagram post about it: "Taller headrests. More room. Different shade green. No fenders. Removal of the orange stripe. Sharper nose. They’re quite different." @coaster_square

[cfc]

Battle for Eire Media Day

 

Busch Gardens Williamsburg presented its new VR simulator adventure, Battle for Eire, to the media on Friday, March 30. Located in Killarney, the park’s Ireland section, guests will help Addie, the last remaining fairy of Ireland, and her dragon Ollie recover the Heart of Eire from the clutches of Balor, an evil Cyclops, and his horde of Sluagh (insect-like minions). If Balor gets the Heart of Eire, all the magic of Ireland will be destroyed! Oh no!

 

But to do this, you need to be able to see and enter the “Otherworld.” Fortunately, a handy old castle, and the former home of Europe in the Air, Questor, and other simulator attractions, houses a gateway. But you’ll need the proper “Magical Equipment,” first.

 

You enter via a stone-lined path (this hasn’t been changed from past attractions), and pick up an “Emerald Mask,” which is fortunately adjustable (those fairies think of everything). There’s a well-made preshow in a castle hall (complete with a hearth), and you receive more instructions in the “Leprechauns’ Workshop.”

 

After you take your seat and fasten your safety belt, you’ll be told to put on your “Magic Lenses.” These will be in a holder to your right. Just grab the lenses as your would a pair of binoculars and hold them up to your face--magnets in the lenses and masks will grip the lenses and hold them in place. Now you’re ready to fly on the back of Ollie and save Ireland!

 

Battle for Eire is a distinct improvement over Europe in the Air. It’s good to see Irish mythology back in Ireland--it’s been gone since the park removed the Corkscrew Hill simulator. The voice work in the simulation is very good (they used Irish actors), as is the music, and it’s pretty cool to look around and see the wings of the dragon and other sights as the adventure gets going.

 

There are some issues with eyeglasses, though. The park recommends not wearing them as they could get scratched, so everything looked rather blurry to me. (The park is working on making the masks and headsets more “glasses friendly.”) You can can also ride without the VR, as the adventure is projected on the simulator’s big screen. I felt a bit queasy toward the end, but not quite as bad as I did on Europe in the Air or Corkscrew Hill.

 

The ride isn’t open yet. They have some “tweaks” to make, and the park will announce a firm opening date later. I think guests, particularly kids, will enjoy Battle for Eire. They’ve made a few other changes in Ireland, too. Let’s have a look.

They had breakfast and coffee for us in Grogan's Pub--along with this nice little display.

Do not mess with Addie! If you don't love Ireland enough, she'll tear your lungs out, bucko!

Just killing time, waiting for my turn to do the video.

A sign photo for Larry.

Here's the ride's entrance.

Important safety information.

I know some of you are going to ask this. Yes, they do clean the Emerald Masks.

Always listen to the wee folk--except about the glasses, for now, I guess.

Be careful when grabbing your "Magical Equipment."

Yeah, the mask does look a bit goofy.

The preshow room looks much nicer than it did for Europe in the Air . . .

. . . OH MY GOD! What's happening?

Here's where you learn about the Otherworld.

Fairies protecting the Heart of Eire.

Addie is the last of her kind.

Welcome to the Leprechauns' Workshop.

There are "Easter eggs" here from previous attractions. Here's some Jurbillium from Questor.

Do not walk off holding your Magical Equipment! This really irritates the Leprechauns.

Of course, there is merch.

And they've added some more taps to Grogan's. Nice to see more beer choices in the pub.

Grogan's Grill is now O'Tators.

Baked-potato fans rejoice!

"Aye, it'll give me great pleasure to serve ye a wee drop of ale at Grogan's." Thanks for reading.

Edited April 1, 2018 by cfc

[Mrlittle]

The last time I was at BGW, I got pretty tipsy at that bar. Good to see they added more beer on tap.

[ytterbiumanalyst]

Battle for Eire looks really cool! This might be the first VR ride I'm actually excited about. Maybe they've finally found a way to do it right. And equally important, O'Tators.

[CNYCoasterguy11]

So not too change the subject too much since Battle for Eire is the big news this year, but I have seen some reports on various sites that SEAS may be looking to add a third gate to BGW. It appears to be a Sesame Place children's park that would incorporate Forest of Fun into the new park. I do remember SEAS saying they had considered adding two new Sesame Place parks and maybe this is one of their possible locales.

 

I think this would be a neat idea, and could turn Busch Gardens into the next big multi park resort to go along with Busch Gardens and Water Country USA. I wouldn't be surprised if they would even consider adding a hotel or two as well to really keep people on their property. I know they have some experience in that department from the past. Just wondering what other people thought of this and if anyone here had heard of this or received the supposed survey.

[jarmor]

Soooo . . . no one's gonna talk about the proposed Sesame Place park next to the park using the existing forest of fun?

 

More info here . . .

[CoasterAuditor]

^

 

You both posted within a minute of each other. I find it intriguing that SEAS wants to bring a third gate to Williamsburg.

[Canobie Coaster]

With SeaWorld struggling, I'm not shocked the chain is looking for more opportunities to capitalize on the Sesame Place IP.

[CNYCoasterguy11]

With SeaWorld struggling, I'm not shocked the chain is looking for more opportunities to capitalize on the Sesame Place IP.

 

With the struggles of the SeaWorld parks it really would be a good move to open a new park or two that could help generate revenue for them that don't involve animals. That's not too say they wouldn't continue to improve those parks but using Sesame Street would be good for all groups really.

 

And Sesame Place next to Busch Gardens would be great for families that maybe have younger kids who wouldn't get as much out of Busch Gardens, especially if most of their time would be spent in Forest of Fun anyways.

[Philrad71]

A baked potato eatery?

 

I bet one would have a full belly throwing back one of those with a couple of Guinness pints!

 

Thanks for the report, Chuck. I hope that the issue with the glasses gets straightened out as I would be blind as a bat if I had to take my glasses off. Although I usually wear contacts into a theme park, I have been trying to stop wearing them because they irritate my eyes so much.

[cfc]

^I gave up on contacts after wearing them for years; they became too irritating to wear.

[Myself]

Here’s something to ponder...if I’m not mistaken, if this Sesame Place becomes a reality, will Grover’s Alpine Express become the first coaster to leave one park and be added to another without moving an inch?

[CoasterAuditor]

Just got in from a wonderful day at BGW. Rode Nessie, Verbolten 3 times, Tempesto 3 times, and Apollo’s Chariot 6 times. Got denied at the test seats for Alpengeist, Griffon, and shockingly InvadR I was legitimately surprised by that one. I thought I was a lot more likely for that than Tempesto. Ah well such a great park with fantastic operations. The San Marco marketplace is really nice I do wish I hit up the pretzel shop though.

[Canobie Coaster]

^I gave up on contacts after wearing them for years; they became too irritating to wear.

 

Missed the report until now. Sounds like a great improvement. Hopefully the glasses friendly option isn't too far behind.

[bert425]

Just got in from a wonderful day at BGW. Rode Nessie, Verbolten 3 times, Tempesto 3 times, and Apollo’s Chariot 6 times. Got denied at the test seats for Alpengeist, Griffon, and shockingly InvadR I was legitimately surprised by that one. I thought I was a lot more likely for that than Tempesto. Ah well such a great park with fantastic operations. The San Marco marketplace is really nice I do wish I hit up the pretzel shop though.

 

wait.. unless something changed HUGELY since we were there a couple of years back, both Alpengeist AND Griffon have "big boy" seats. I rode both coasters in those seats.