Busch Gardens Williamsburg (BGW BGE) Discussion Thread

[teacherkim]

1 hour ago, coneyislandchris said:

We ended up visiting Busch on Saturday as well! However, we apparently just missed y'all. The original plan was going to be for us to drive down from NJ leaving early afternoon on Friday, hopefully make it to the park in time to grab some night rides on Pantheon, and then do a full day there on Saturday. Needless to say, 95 did not agree with our plans, as per usual. When we realized that even with a best case scenario we wouldn't make it to the park before they closed on Friday night, we made a pit stop at the Applebee's in Ashland, VA just a few miles away from Kings Dominion to grab some dinner.

Ugh. I really should have known better.

Saturday morning, I woke up and felt like absolute hell warmed over. It felt very similar to a bout of food poisoning I got a couple months ago, and so, cursing the shrimp and steak from last night, I retreated back to the hotel bed praying that I wouldn't throw up. Thankfully, the feeling passed after a few hours, I managed to down some solid food, and by 2:30 PM, I was feeling good enough to try for the park. So my son and I hopped in the car and swung by. Obviously at this point our first stop was Pantheon, and at this point, we were greeted with a reported 60 minute wait time. Since we lost most of the morning, we decided to invest in the Quick Queue Plus which included a one-time ride on Pantheon as well as Tempesto and Invadr (honestly, not sure why these two are still single rides only, but whatever). Was pleasantly surprised to see that they honored the discount from our SeaWorld San Antonio platinum memberships, and we ended up getting the QQs for half off!

After a brief bout of planning, we decided on our course of action. We would save the quick queue for the evening, hoping to get a ride on Pantheon with their awesome lighting package we've seen elsewhere. We decided to hit up Apollo and Tempesto first before hopping in that hour-long line for Pantheon. Apollo; still great after all these years. Tempesto; damn you, "comfort collars". Crossing back over to Pantheon, we walked into the queue which was still posting up 60 minutes at the entrance, only to discover that the line was moving MUCH faster than advertised. From us getting in line to getting on a train, it only took about 25 minutes!

At this point, I do want to note something. I'm pretty goddamned blind without my glasses, and so, I've been wearing a strap for them on every ride I go on. Pretty much every park I've been to, this isn't a problem. If someone asks, I tell them and/or show them that I've got a strap, and that's the end of it. Unfortunately, that's not the case with Pantheon. JUST Pantheon. Apollo, no problems. Tempesto, same. Pantheon, even with a strap, they are considered to be a "loose object" and need to be removed. I was a little bit upset about this, but complied, and after the ride was over, one of the employees took some time to discuss the situation with me. Apparently the story is that during the preview weekends, they were allowing people to ride with them, but during opening weekend, reps from Intamin were on hand and they put the kibosh on it. So unfortunately Busch's hands are tied in that regard.

With that out of the way, I want to say that Pantheon is an incredible ride. I haven't been on Velocicoaster yet so I can't really compare the two, but from start to finish, it was absolutely thrilling. Lots of great moments, from the inversion right out of the first launch, to that swing launch with unexpected backwards airtime, to the trio of hangtime from the spike, top hat, and final stall inversion. We ended up riding it three times over the course of the day and it simply didn't disappoint once! I would probably put this in my top five, once I figure out what the hell the rest of them actually are.

After we finished up our first ride on Pantheon, we backtracked through Italy to get to the England skyride station, and took that over to France. By this point in the day (probably about 4 PM?), Griffon was indeed open and serving up screams. We got the middle of the front row and this ride is always a pleasure. I know a lot of people hate on dive machines for whatever reasons, but this still makes me laugh and smile every single time.

From here, we used our single ride on Invadr, which sadly was running a lot rougher than it had felt in previous years. Not bad by any stretch of the means, but noticeably rattly compared to opening season or its past few years. Even though the lines were minimal, we decided to not go for a second ride.

Next up was my favorite invert and my son's 2nd favorite overall, Alpengeist. They ended up moving the Quick Queue entrance point for this so it merges into the station, instead of being around the exit side of things. We did two rides on this and at that point I felt like I had reached my limit. Given my stomach's sensitivity from earlier in the day, I didn't want to push it any further.

From here on out, we made our way over towards Oktoberfest. We did a quick ride on the bumper cars, then noticed that although it was listed as being closed out front, Mach Tower was testing! We hopped on the next cycle and were rewarded with excellent views of the entire park. Then it was over to escape the Black Forest with a ride on Verbolten. As much as I miss the nostalgia of Big Bad Wolf, I really do think Verbolten is a fantastic replacement and a lot of fun.

We backtracked a little bit to Germany to get a ride on the carousel, then with the skyride being temporarily stuck, decided to take the low bridge across the river to get to Loch Ness Monster. This was running surprisingly well this year and didn't have too much headbanging. By this point, the park had cleared out considerably. The sun was setting, temperatures were dropping, and crowds had thinned.

We trekked back to Festa Italia, got our first night ride of the season on Apollo, then used our quick queue for the second ride of the day on Pantheon. At this point it was 8:35, and we decided to try our luck at a third ride before they closed off the line. We ended up riding in rows 4, 7, and 11, and there wasn't a bad spot out of all of them. To be honest, I preferred row 11, mainly due to the height on the spike, but I wouldn't complain about sitting anywhere on the train.

This was also in effect at Pantheon, where Row 4 was the designated QQ lane. But when we were there in the evening, if the row was empty, the ride op on the mic was calling for volunteers to fill in. "Oh, let's give it up for purple sweatshirt and blue t-shirt! Wooooo!" Granted it could have just been because everyone wanted to get the heck out of there earlier, but they weren't sending out any empty rows during the night rides.

For what it's worth, neither Verbolten, Griffon, nor Alpengeist had this rule in effect - you could choose any open row, mainly because the QQs let you into the station rather than through the exits.

All in all, it ended up turning from what looked like was going to be a complete wash into one of the best days we've had at BGW! Fantastic start to our 2022 coaster season.

We must have just missed you by maybe an hour, lol. DANG IT on Griffon, I suspected it would open later but we just couldn't wait any longer, I love that coaster too. 

[dankeykang]

3 hours ago, coneyislandchris said:

At this point, I do want to note something. I'm pretty goddamned blind without my glasses, and so, I've been wearing a strap for them on every ride I go on. Pretty much every park I've been to, this isn't a problem. If someone asks, I tell them and/or show them that I've got a strap, and that's the end of it. Unfortunately, that's not the case with Pantheon. JUST Pantheon. Apollo, no problems. Tempesto, same. Pantheon, even with a strap, they are considered to be a "loose object" and need to be removed. I was a little bit upset about this, but complied, and after the ride was over, one of the employees took some time to discuss the situation with me. Apparently the story is that during the preview weekends, they were allowing people to ride with them, but during opening weekend, reps from Intamin were on hand and they put the kibosh on it. So unfortunately Busch's hands are tied in that regard.

Interesting, I was put off by the glasses policy as well, although to be fair I always have contacts in and ride with non-prescription sunglasses.  It was strange being asked to put them in the bins for a ride that doesn't cross over any guest walkways, but good to hear that they explained the situation to you at least.  But if they're not allowed on Pantheon, then why isn't it a problem on VelociCoaster, Maverick, Taron, etc.  

[AndrewA86]

4 hours ago, dankeykang said:

Interesting, I was put off by the glasses policy as well, although to be fair I always have contacts in and ride with non-prescription sunglasses.  It was strange being asked to put them in the bins for a ride that doesn't cross over any guest walkways, but good to hear that they explained the situation to you at least.  But if they're not allowed on Pantheon, then why isn't it a problem on VelociCoaster, Maverick, Taron, etc.  

The only other coaster that I've heard of where they don't allow glasses even with a strap is Xcelerator at Knott's.

[southpuddle]

5 hours ago, dankeykang said:

 But if they're not allowed on Pantheon, then why isn't it a problem on VelociCoaster, Maverick, Taron, etc.  

Their reasoning is likely because of the backward section. Rather than the forces/wind keeping glasses on your face they could potentially be forced off. And sometimes loose article policies have literally no rhyme or reason, so it could always be that. 

[CaptainUnknown]

1 hour ago, AndrewA86 said:

The only other coaster that I've heard of where they don't allow glasses even with a strap is Xcelerator at Knott's.

I've heard tell of it happening at the Joker kiddy coaster at SFOG. It also happened to me on only one of my dozen rides on SFOT's Batman.

[cfc]

I think they've become stricter with glasses in general. I had to leave mine with the ride operator at Apollo's Chariot--but if you had a strap for them, it was OK. 

[coneyislandchris]

3 hours ago, AndrewA86 said:

The only other coaster that I've heard of where they don't allow glasses even with a strap is Xcelerator at Knott's.

I did not have that issue when I rode Xcelerator back in August, nor on any Californian coaster.

[sauce]

Theming and landscaping aside, BGW just has one of my favorite park layouts. I don't know why but It's so fun to navigate and walk through and I especially like it for Howl-o-Scream

[thrillseeker4552]

I visited this park for the first time last weekend and just wanted to pop in and say I loved this park. Despite the cool temperatures and early-season timeframe, all rides were open and we had a fantastic time. Pantheon had some hiccups as expected but generally operated most of both days we were there after late openings in the morning. What an awesome coaster. It's so unique and has some great elements and lived up to my expectations. It feels like a marriage of Ice Breaker and Velocicoaster with some RMC mixed in. Although on my first ride, somebody's phone flew out on the drop off the top hat and hit the forehead of the person in front of me and nearly hit me. Please secure/don't ride with loose articles guys.... sigh. The coaster also has a pretty decent capacity when both trains are rolling through with no breakdowns. The wait from the entrance sign was often 30 minutes or less.

Big surprise was also Alpengeist. I may prefer it to Montu, it was an absolute blast. The other B&Ms were about what I expected. Verbolten and InvadR were fun too and were also generally better than I expected. Despite their comparable ride lineups it has a completely different feel than BGT. The park layout also took some navigation and getting used to.

I really have nothing negative to say at all, I know there have been some comments about this park lately. I absolutely loved it and they seem to be off to a great start this year now that all their coasters have re-opened. I can't wait to go back.

[Invertalon]

Looking forward to visiting BGE and Dominion next weekend, it's been a long time since I have been in the area. Can't wait to see both parks once again.

I must say, it boggles my mind a bit that the ride was built, sitting/testing for well over a year once complete due to COVID, and they still have reliability issues? You'd think they would work some of those out in all that time they had to prepare/test the ride before it's opening. 

It is Intamin after all, but still. Nothing really 'new' here technology wise that has not been used/tested/implemented elsewhere. 

[CoasterNerd87]

Testing versus park open are entirely different modes of operation. Same reason you tend to have slower operations and downtimes at the start of the season instead of the middle and end. You're dealing with training/human error and the public. 

[cpfanatik77]

^^^

I went on Monday with my boy and one of my college buddies, and I completely agree. It's been almost 15 years since I've been to the park, but I was quickly reminded why I loved it so much. It's a solid coaster lineup, and even the smaller rides are quite enjoyable. Really liked Pantheon, although I liked it better towards the front. The air on the outer bank was much better there. The backwards section was fantastic with some incredible pops as well. Was quite impressed with Verbolten. The indoor section was a lot better than I thought it would be. I really enjoyed Invadr too. Wasn't expecting a whole lot due to its size, but it was just a fun ride.

Maybe my favorite moment of the day, though was on Verbolten. My son had no idea that the drop track was coming and it really caught him off guard. I told him to keep that part a secret for when we come back in the fall with his mom. I'm heading down to FL in 2 weeks to hit SeaWorld, Universal, and BGT and I'm really excited to see how all these new rides stack up to each other. 

[VegasBaby]

Headed to BGW tomorrow, glad to hear that all rides have been running and that Pantheon has been fairly reliable.  I haven’t been to the park in about 10 years, so any advice on a plan of attack would be appreciated.  I am planning on getting QQ Plus since I don’t know when I will be back and want to make the most of the day.

[cfc]

They've been opening the park in phases with Italy opening the earlier than Germany. Definitely get to Pantheon as soon as you can. I recommend riding in the very back or front. You should be in good shape with Quick Queue otherwise.

[dankeykang]

Apparently Pantheon valleyed today…

[cfc]

Busch Gardens has released info about this year's Food and Wine Festival.

 

 

All-New Tastes to Savor and Thrills to Explore at Busch Gardens Williamsburg during Virginia’s Largest Spring Food & Wine Festival Beginning April 28

• 100+ international tastes and sips to savor, inspired by cultures around the world
• 30+ new culinary offerings plus all-new menus inspired by Australia & Greece
• Live local music & entertainment every weekend
• Two new premier beverage experiences now open year-round

 

 This spring, new flavors and thrills are in bloom at Busch Gardens Williamsburg with the return of the park’s fan-favorite Food & Wine Festival. With more than 30 delicious NEW dishes to pair with cocktails, wines, and craft brews, park guests can explore flavors for all tastes at 15 globally inspired food and beverage locations. Guests can create the perfect pairing by enjoying live, local entertainment and rides on their favorite thrills, including the all-new Pantheon the world’s fastest multi-launch coaster. The Food & Wine Festival runs Thursdays through Sundays from April 28 to June 12, plus Memorial Day.

 

This year, guests can take a trip down under at the ALL-NEW Australia Food & Wine location. Featuring decadent dishes like the Snag on the Barbie, a banger sausage with vegemite caramelized onions and Lamington Cake, a sponge cake with raspberry jam, chocolate and coconut. These dishes pair best with the Aussie Mule or Foster’s®, an Australian-made beer.

The global flavors continue with more ALL-NEW tasty bites and beverages, including items inspired by the following countries:

 

 New Location! Greece: Travel to the coastlines of Greece with authentic dishes like the Tirokroketes, fried cheese balls with tzatziki sauce and the Choriatiki Salata, a traditional Greek salad with feta, cucumbers, red onions, tomatoes, and olives.

 New items! Japan: Tastebuds are transformed with the Impossi-Bao, Impossible® meat in a steamed bun topped with Asian slaw and the Spicy Tuna Sushi Cup, sushi rice with nori flakes, tuna, & spicy mayo.

New items! Italy: Sip on Luna Nuda and Roscato, red wines straight from the vines of Italy, while enjoying Fettuccini & Sundried Tomato Alfredo with house made pasta, spinach and kalamata olives.

Enjoy brews and bites from close to home at Virginia, featuring items from across the Old Dominion. New for this year, guests can indulge in an Oyster on the Half Shell, complete with mignonette, cocktail sauce & lemon. Feeling adventurous? Add a shot of moonshine and make it an Oyster Shooter. These Virginia-inspired dishes are paired with local beer and wine, including the new Petit Manseng from the Williamsburg Winery.

A complete menu of the Food & Wine Festival dishes and drinks can be found online.

The best way to sip and sample is with a Food & Wine Festival sampler lanyard. Guests can embark on their culinary journey and save 10 percent with a 10-sample lanyard starting at only $59.00 or extend the savings up to 20 percent with the fan-favorite 15-sampler.

In addition to the Food & Wine festivities, beer, wine and cocktail lovers can indulge year-round at two new beverage locations, BarKastle and La Belle Wine Bar.  Located in France, La Belle offers deluxe wines by the glass or bottle, ranging from sparkling to sweet and everything in between. Cocktail connoisseurs can visit BarKastle in Oktoberfest and partake in cocktails on tap, including the all-new Curse of BarKastle Daiquiri, spiked lemonade and more. The new bar also features frozen cocktails and local craft brews.

 

[rachelmadcow]

Nobody mentioned that the planning people extended BG height approval. 
 

https://www.wavy.com/news/local-news/williamsburg/busch-gardens-looks-to-build-tallest-ride-in-parks-history/amp/
 

are they really about to build Drachen Spire? 
 

if this is still the layout they can keep it.
 

should have gotten a b&m wing 

 

[AmyUD06]

1 hour ago, rachelmadcow said:

Nobody mentioned that the planning people extended BG height approval. 
 

https://www.wavy.com/news/local-news/williamsburg/busch-gardens-looks-to-build-tallest-ride-in-parks-history/amp/
 

are they really about to build Drachen Spire? 

 

Extremely doubtful.  I would predict a traditional giga before that...monstrosity.

[KBrylczyk]

Ugh, I hope not.  With how crazy multi-launch coasters have gotten, not to mention Pantheon being literally RIGHT THERE, Drachen Spire looks extremely uninspired.

[cfc]

"Pointlessness: The Ride."

[JJLehto]

Well tomorrow is my first visit to BGW in 21 years

After some dodgy parts driving down here, looks like tomorrow is totally clear, in the 70s, pay day is tomm in case I last second decide for a past pass. Life is good and I'm stoked! 

[cfc]

^Yep--it was a bit stormy last night, but the weather should be perfect today.

[southpuddle]

14 hours ago, rachelmadcow said:

Nobody mentioned that the planning people extended BG height approval. 
 

https://www.wavy.com/news/local-news/williamsburg/busch-gardens-looks-to-build-tallest-ride-in-parks-history/amp/
 

are they really about to build Drachen Spire? 
 

if this is still the layout they can keep it.
 

should have gotten a b&m wing 

 

I feel like that was a potential design when Pantheon was being discussed. Clearly they went with a far superior layout than whatever the hell that thing was. 

[disownedpear]

Was in the park yesterday for the whole day, if Pantheon had valleyed it would have had to been at the very end of the day, it was running every time I saw it. It was windy though. 

"Rainy days" are perfect at parks imo, half the time it doesn't even rain but the park is still completely deserted. Pantheon was nearly a walk on at a few points through the day and nearly everything was a walk on by 6.

[CoasterNerd87]

20 hours ago, southpuddle said:

I feel like that was a potential design when Pantheon was being discussed. Clearly they went with a far superior layout than whatever the hell that thing was. 

If it was only a potential, they wouldn't have asked for an extension after Pantheon was built...