Busch Gardens Tampa Bay (BGT Discussion Thread)

[BeemerBoy]

WOW, things do move rather fast! I just looked on Busch's site for information about season passes. Apparently they must have already removed the part about a sense of entitlement that comes with owning one.

[CorkscrewFoley]

I just commented...I forgot I had BGT on Facebook. I just wish people could be a hell of a lot more patient.

[live2tell75]

Can I suggest that maybe some TPR members could post some words of support on their Facebook page to help balance out the idiots? Don't yell at the idiots, but at least giving the park some words knowing that there are actually people out there who 'understand' could at least help with their stress levels.

 

Done! We need to try to litter the page with more support than the other crap that is being posted.

[coasterfreak101]

I can't believe the comments they've got littering their page - these people (the complainers) are crazy! I don't think I'd be able to run their Facebook page, I'd lose it and start yelling back!

Can I suggest that maybe some TPR members could post some words of support on their Facebook page to help balance out the idiots? Don't yell at the idiots, but at least giving the park some words knowing that there are actually people out there who 'understand' could at least help with their stress levels.

 

Already did! I went ahead and posted on their wall about how I hoped it would be up soon and that I couldn't wait to ride in January! They even liked it.

Edited May 27, 2011 by coasterfreak101

[nursemelis374]

They should give everyone a free baby cheetah for this outrage!

 

Actually, now that I think about it, I wouldn't want to do that to the cheetah!

[Visioneer]

Two words:

 

Murphy's law.

 

They played right into it. I do support the park, but how could you expect something like this not to happen? If we don't learn from the past, we're doomed to repeat it (i.e other parks same mistake).

 

Waiting to fully open Memorial Day weekend without an intense, real life scenario, soft opening run ... this probably would've happened sooner therefore possibly avoiding today. Better to be safe than sorry. Yes? No?

 

Add the company's communication issue, which is far bigger than today's challenge, and well ... it makes an unfortunate situation worse.

 

This will all blow over if it's up and running this afternoon. There's just a really good chance it could've been avoided. Past is now past. I gotta get over there and ride this thing ... though at later date

[DJeXeL]

Can I suggest that maybe some TPR members could post some words of support on their Facebook page to help balance out the idiots? Don't yell at the idiots, but at least giving the park some words knowing that there are actually people out there who 'understand' could at least help with their stress levels.

 

Done!!

"I love how people think rides just run themselves and should never have issues. This is a VERY complex piece of machinery and I'm positive that Busch is not any happier than the guests about it being down. There's A LOT more to do at the park than just Cheetah Hunt. Just be thankful you're spending a day at a gorgeous park while some people are couped up in an office working!! "

[Inukaza]

Two words:

 

Murphy's law.

 

They played right into it. I do support the park, but how could you expect something like this not to happen? If we don't learn from the past, we're doomed to repeat it (i.e other parks same mistake).

 

Waiting to fully open Memorial Day weekend without an intense, real life scenario, soft opening run ... this probably would've happened sooner therefore possibly avoiding today. Better to be safe than sorry. Yes? No?

 

Add the company's communication issue, which is far bigger than today's challenge, and well ... it makes an unfortunate situation worse.

 

This will all blow over if it's up and running this afternoon. There's just a really good chance it could've been avoided. Past is now past. I gotta get over there and ride this thing ... though at later date

 

To be honest, I'd rather they take a few days to get it up and running and research a permanent solution in case it ever happens again. Even though I have the contest even tonight, if CH isn't open, they did promise in the letter they sent out that there would be gwazi and montu ERT as well......So.....Win-win for myself.

 

Good luck to the park, hopefully they can get it open so guest don't start flipping cop cars in the parking lot.

[BeemerBoy]

Waiting to fully open Memorial Day weekend without an intense, real life scenario, soft opening run ... this probably would've happened sooner therefore possibly avoiding today. Better to be safe than sorry. Yes? No?

You mean like the countless test runs it was required to make prior to today?

 

And, "intense real life scenario?" They're not planning a massive nuclear attack evacuation plan for Tampa Bay. They're opening a new roller coaster.

 

There's a glitch. It's being fixed. Done.

[alpengeist04]

"I love how people think rides just run themselves and should never have issues. This is a VERY complex piece of machinery and I'm positive that Busch is not any happier than the guests about it being down. There's A LOT more to do at the park than just Cheetah Hunt. Just be thankful you're spending a day at a gorgeous park while some people are couped up in an office working!! "

 

 

I totally agree. I'm as big an Intamin fan as anyone, but there are 3 kick-ass B&Ms at the park too. Instead of people posting on facebook from the Cheetah Hunt line, they could/should be riding these other great coasters to pass the time.

 

Of course, that would probably make too much sense for some.

[Ace Of Spades]

And, 'intense real life scenario?' They're not planning a massive nuclear attack evacuation plan for Tampa Bay.

 

BGT was so quick to get things sorted and the ride back up, I'd imagine they could pull that off.

 

Also, in regards to FB, these are the days I really hate social media and the idiots who inhabit 95% of it. BGT was trying to be super nice to them and they gave them nothing but crap. I mean, it'd be a slight pain to wait a few hours outside, but come on, it's OPENING DAY, YOU ALL KNEW WHAT YOU WERE IN FOR!

[jedimaster1227]

https://twitter.com/#!/buschgardens/status/74178283318673408

 

Cheetah Hunt is back up and running! Thank you all for your patience today.

 

Now we can go back to our happy lives...

 

Done.

Edited May 27, 2011 by jedimaster1227

[DJeXeL]

Took them long enough!!!

Glad to hear it!

[ernierocker]

Two words:

 

Murphy's law.

 

They played right into it. I do support the park, but how could you expect something like this not to happen? If we don't learn from the past, we're doomed to repeat it (i.e other parks same mistake).

 

 

Before we get all philosophical here, let's at least wait and see if this ride has more problems and downtime over a longer stretch of time, otherwise it could just be a fluke. Even Disney and Universal have had problems with new rides despite extensive soft openings in the past.

[Wes]

The internet is really stupid.

[JDo217]

So, I might be planning a trip to BGT. I haven't been there in over 10 years so I think it will be worth it as I don't think I've ridden 75% of the coasters there. Just a few questions:

 

In June/July how are the lines? I'm assuming weekdays would naturally be less crowded? I guess a better question might be how are their operations? I have no problem with lines but Six Flags parks have made me realize that having zero shade when the queues are right in the sun is miserable. I don't even remember how the lines were when I went last time

[robbalvey]

Two words:

 

Murphy's law.

 

They played right into it. I do support the park, but how could you expect something like this not to happen? If we don't learn from the past, we're doomed to repeat it (i.e other parks same mistake).

 

Waiting to fully open Memorial Day weekend without an intense, real life scenario, soft opening run ... this probably would've happened sooner therefore possibly avoiding today. Better to be safe than sorry. Yes? No?

 

Add the company's communication issue, which is far bigger than today's challenge, and well ... it makes an unfortunate situation worse.

I've read dumber posts on our forums...but not many....

 

The internet is really stupid.

Possibly the smartest post ever made to TPR's forum!

Edited May 27, 2011 by robbalvey

[TheStig]

Just got back from Busch Gardens and managed to get a ride in on Cheetah Hunt.

 

Let me first start out by saying that despite the INCREDIBLE amount of morons that were there this morning the park did a great job of handling the situation. As soon as we got to the attraction after the ropes were dropped an announcement was made saying there would be a delayed opening. AS SOON AS WE GOT THERE! These spiels were played in the ENTIRE park. People were getting pissed, and one guy even said "lets hear from the security guard!" and was dead serious. That being said the whole Cheetah Hunt crew, and the other Busch Gardens employees around the area were way more informative than they needed to be. Instead of just saying "we are down and don't know when we will open" there were several announcements stating that it would open in the early afternoon. These announcements were made about every five minutes, and it DID open early in the afternoon!!! There was absolutely ZERO reason for ANYONE to be mad, Busch Gardens handled this far better than I ever expected. Major kudos to them.

 

That being said when the ride did open around 2:00 I got in line immediately. I decided to wait it out for the front row, which after a series of small downtimes ended up taking an hour.

 

I LOVED the ride. It is a ton of fun!!! There is nothing overly intense about the ride, but it is still an absolute blast. You get a good amount of airtime going in to the figure 8, and a nice bit of floater airtime coming out of it and in to the trench. The barrel roll is perfectly done and you feel weightless as the train goes through. The twisty section in the back was great as well, it might have even been my favorite part of the ride! It's not neck snapping quick, but it does have very smooth and fluid transitions which make it exciting. The launch in to the hill is great, and you get some more ejector air going in to that. The return run is fun, but nothing overly exciting. It feels a bit like the outrun though, which isn't a bad thing! I also liked the pop of air in to the brakes, it's not much but it's still there.

 

It's smooth, fun, and a decently long ride. Is it the greatest ride in the world? No, but it is still a ton of fun. Tyler told me to expect a California Screamin' type of reaction, and I really liked that ride. I thought Cheetah Hunt was better to be honest! When it comes down to it, this is a coaster I would suggest to a kid who has never been on a roller coaster before. At the same time it is still an exciting attraction that would make a seasoned coaster rider happy.

 

I think this type of ride is exactly what Busch Gardens needed to really round out the park. I highly suggest going and riding.

[Inukaza]

I'm heading out to the Contest Winners event at Busch now!

 

I'll try to get some photos!

[Skycoastin Steve]

Just got back from BGT, definitely thought the ride was very fun! As others have said, it's nothing that's going to blow you away, but I certainly had a good time on it and would definitely ride it again. We got in line just after it reopened around 2 and waited about two hours. Rode in the 2nd row, which had some pretty good airtime in the aforementioned places (entrance to figure 8, the hill after the 3rd launch = OMFG). I wish the line wasn't still two hours when we got off the ride, otherwise I would have tried to get a ride in the back. Regardless, I think the park did the best they could with a pretty crappy situation and with some MASSIVE assholes roaming around all day.

 

On a separate note, I now have 300 credits!

[Saldek]

Those angry idiots even made the local ABC news there.

 

Video footage on the site: http://www.abcactionnews.com/dpp/news/region_tampa/cheetah-hunt-delay-angers-park-guests-at-busch-gardens

 

TAMPA - A chorus of boos reined down at Busch Gardens Friday morning after park goers learned that Cheetah Hunt wasn't ready to ride yet.

 

Cheetah Hunt, which aims to give riders the experience of a cheetah on the hunt, was set to open this morning, but a calibration issue caused a delay of several hours.

 

"This is not uncommon with a new ride. There's a lot of computer equipment that keep the riders safe," said Media Relations Manager Jill Revelle. "Until we can get those calibrated for 5 trains, the ride will be down."

 

Revelle did offer a glimmer of hope for park guests, saying that they "do not know exactly when, but we do anticipate it to open today."

 

Busch Gardens said Cheetah Hunt was up and running without problems by 3pm.

[Fooz]

Wow, that video is just plain embarrassing.

[coasternut]

Wow, that video is just plain embarrassing.

 

Just a bunch of FRIGGIN' IDIOTS Busch needs to put up signs saying "No Whining in Line!" Whining is grounds for ejection from the park with no refund. That will make more room for us that understand.

[Ace Of Spades]

Feed them to the Cheetah.

[Skycoastin Steve]

There were some pretty heinously rude people there today. But I expect that at most parks.