Let's be honest here... Big Bad Wolf wasn't THAT amazing...

[DerekRx]

My first ride on Big Bad Wolf was back in 1999 when Apollo's Chariot opened. It was my most anticipated coaster of the trip, but with the logistics of the park layout and opening times, it was the last coaster I got to visit. Back then in an era in which YouTube didn't exist and online streaming sounded like a fishing term, the only visuals I had of the ride were what I remember being a kid either too small to ride or too afraid back when I was like 8 and visited the park and from what I saw on those VHS copies of coaster videos like America's Greatest Thrill Rides.

 

So as I finally got to ride it I was pretty excited, and as we left the station and slowly meandered our way to the first lift the anticipation kept building, a ride so shadowed in the woods that you couldn't really see anything from the park except for the finale. And when the train approached the first lift and then the brakes kicked in, I couldn't help but to laugh. "Holy crap! This ride has to be insane if they're making it come to a dead stop at the first lift," I thought to myself. As the train released at the top of the lift from the chain and we were dashing wildly through some little Bavarian village scene, flopping back and forth almost reaching out-of-control status I was happy...and then we reached the brakes before the second lift for yet another complete stop. (It didn't take long for me to realize it was to stop the jarring motion of the train slamming into the lift trough and realigning the spines of the passengers, even with the wonderful assistance of rollercoaster newsgroups back then). Then a few moments later, here it was, the finale I've seen before so many times in pictures and vaguely remember watching 10 years earlier and hearing the screams of all those stupid people who decided to ride this evil coaster of Satan. And as we descended towards the Rhine River...more brakes slowed us down...and we continued on, the track turning at the last second and our car swinging high to the left narrowly missing the water, and then to the right swinging between the water and the ravine, and then the left again as we climbed back up the hill, and then...that...was...it. We swayed back and forth for a few seconds from the momentum on our way back to the station, and the whole time I thought "um, that was a bit of a let-down. Hmmm, do I want to ride Alpengeist or Apollo again now?"

 

Sure, Big Bad Wolf was fun, and one of those fantastic rides for the "little coaster conquerer" not yet tall enough for some of the bigger coasters, and it was a real treat to experience at night in darkness, but it wasn't really that thrilling anymore, and the cost to keep it running outweighed its usefulness at the park. Like many of the suspended coasters it's biggest problem was pacing, it tried to be wild and out of control, but it just couldn't happen with it's design and the technology of the time. I think it was one of the average suspended coasters out there (haven't been on Eagle Fortress, that defunct one in Japan, or The Bat) and I think the earliest success story for the style, but I much prefer Vortex, Ninja, and Flight Deck to it. If it was a maintenance nightmare, I would rather see it gracefully retire, giving enough people a chance to get one last ride than for it to unexpectedly pitch a train full of riders into the Rhine River (that would make for a good SyFy movie scene) and never operate again and cause some giant lawsuit closing down Busch Gardens forever. Sure, I got a little teary eyed when I visited this past year and all I saw were the footers in the river, but honestly I never wanted to ride it if the line was outside the station up until it's final season, even if the wait was only going to be like 15 minutes. And forget about it if it had just rained, I don't want dirty water and grease being poured in my lap while I ride!

[OldJJman]

Nothing new here, except perhaps more fodder for those that want to make the ageist jokes about me. That being said:

 

Back in the early/mid 90's I had seen and gotten a hold of "America's Greatest Coaster Thrills in 3-D", the one coaster that had stood out on my wish list was Big Bad Wolf. I finally made it to BGW in 1999, and I really liked the ride. BUT, having Ninja at one of my home parks, BBW was just a tad better AND worse than Ninja. Better, due to the close proximity of the buildings and worse, due to the stops in the action.

 

I've ridden quite a lot of now "defunct" coasters. Yeah, I'm glad I rode them. But, life goes on. The amusement park industry IS a business driven by the dollar, and positive returns on money invested is the name of the game. The Arrow suspendeds truly ARE a dying breed, and rightly so!! With their age, they've pretty much became "money pits" for each park that they are in. In fact, I *think* I've ridden every Arrow suspended coaster. Each one did have some redeeming qualities, IMO. (Even Iron Dragon.) Will I miss them when they're gone - sure. Will they be replaced with something better?? Who knows? That's up to the park, and the opinions of me, Robb, TPR as a whole, will have very little impact on those corporate decisions.

 

Yes, I miss BBW. But, it is NOT a coaster I would have gone out of my way for to ride again. Very few coasters have that distinction. Eagle's Fortress IS one of them. To quote Dave:

 

.... though to be fair EF blew away pretty much every other coaster on the planet.

 

and

 

And I'm someone that considers our ERT on Eagle's Fortress that one night to be the best coaster rides I have ever had.

 

I TOTALLY agree with both of those statements. The ride was simply amazing!! Yeah, Everland gave us night time ERT on an ancient suspended coaster. Whoop-ti-effen-doo! How would 25-30 of us (or however many of us there were) stay on it for more than one courtesy ride?? We had NO idea!! Then we rode it!! Nobody wanted to get off the train!! We came into the station to see Elissa waiting her turn (she was sitting out with KT) and totally thought we were giving her a load of BS!! Yeah, I will miss it, but I'd rather have it gone than to see a makeover.

 

As for the remaining ones, I think it was Eric (EBL) who suggested giving them the Vekoma makeover that Vampire had - HELL NO!! (Sorry Erik P.!) I really thought that Vampire was twice the ride that it is now. Vampire (IMO) is now quite weak, slow and boring. It WAS much better before the makeover! If they've served their purpose, and need to be neutered to continue, then I say "tear 'em down". I'd rather have fond memories, than an emasculated ride. (::coughcough::Revolution::coughcough:

 

My first real "big" coaster was Gold Rusher in 1971. I always give it a courtesy ride when I'm at SFMM. Would I miss it if it was removed - sure. But, time takes it's toll. As for replacing it - Heck, have GCI make a wooden coaster with the exact same layout, and it would probably kick A$$!

 

Things change. Either adapt, or get a new hobby.

 

JJ

[coastercrzyjames]

I had never actually ridden BBW, or let alone attended BGE until the year of the its closure. The main reason is living in the Southwest for most of my life, I never really had the opportunity to travel out to parks on my own until I was financially independant. Up until about 2008 I had only gone to the Orlando parks, so-cal parks, and regional parks in my area. Thanks to TPR especially the tours, I got the feel of actually traveling out to parks on my own and actually knowing people in a park's region to travel and visit with.

 

I'm not going to say that BBW was the most amazing ride around, however I did like it for what it was: a unique, top-notch Arrow Suspended coaster. I do miss the ride, however I'm not at the park enough to really care, and it definitely wouldn't keep me from visiting the park again. If anything the closure of BBW was what finally got me motivated to go and attend BGE, I really wanted the credit before the ride left. I went about two weeks before its closure and rode it a good 8 or 9 times that day.

 

I will miss the Arrow Suspended breed when they're all gone though, and we all know that it is possible that could happen, probably not right now but ten or fifteen years from now, sure it could happen. Being realistic about it all machines either reach a breaking point where the cost to maintain outweighs the benefit and/or they are phased out by new technology.

 

That being said, the ride will hold a memory for me. When I was younger and becomming interested more in roller coasters, BBW was one of the rides that really caught my attention and I'm glad I finally got the opportunity to appreciate and enjoy it. I am really looking forward to it's replacement though!

[Fire2box]

I am guessing we shouldn't be sad when Six Flags removes revolution, gold Rusher, Colossus or even Goliath in say 10 years.

 

From the onride POV's Big Bad Wolf seemed a bit more fun then ninja at SFMM. I can understand why that park closed BBW down, but I can understand why some people are upset. I never got to ride it, nor did I ever get to ride or even see flashback at SFMM. So of course I do have some good reason to be upset, but was I ever going to likely ride it, doubtful.

 

::noms on Gingerbread house wall::

[redfoot12]

I remember TV ads for BBW when I was 8 and the feeling of dread for this coaster they instilled. I also remember hearing about it from friends and siblings. I had a genuine fear for this ride. Trouble was that I never rode it until I was 16 so I had outgrown my fear and never developed the sense of nostalgia for the ride that other people who grew up in the area did. When I first rode it I thought it was a fun, neat ride, but kind of short. I did love night rides on it though.

So when the announcement came that BBW was going away my reaction was "Aww... Oh well." and started imagining what type of coaster was going to take its place. I did pay my respects and I got two night rides in--one in the front and one in the back. When I came back this past summer I had a moment of silence as I was crossing the bridge. I missed it but more in the sense that there was one less ride for me and U2Rox to ride. In recent years though I often visited the park and rode it more out of habit or a sense of duty. Some visits it got overlooked entirely. Its greatest legacy for me now is that I want to ride as many remaining Arrow Suspendeds as possible before they go away, as BBW is the only one I've been on.

[ginzo]

To the topic, I had only one ride on Big Bad Wolf. The line was relatively long (~45 minutes) that day and we were cramming everything in on our first visit to the park. I really enjoyed BBW, especially the drop over the river. I don't remember the first section seeming slow. BBW is the second best Arrow Suspended I've been on. Vortex at Canadia's Wonderland is my favorite. No Eagle Fortress for me . Ninja was closed for repairs the time we went to Magic Mountain.

 

I'd rather have seen Alpengeist go than BBW. But, coming from a corporate background, I understand the need to look at this from a cold, economic perspective. BGW must compete. With the park up the highway installing a major coaster, BGW has to respond. Yes, KD and BGW appeal to slightly different audiences, but Intimidator 305 has surely cost BGW turnstile clicks and dollars.

 

Even without BBW, I'll have a fantastic time on my second visit to BGW whenever that happens. I love how the Busch parks, like the European parks, don't keep rides around that they barely maintain just so they can advertise having more coasters. It may sound odd to some, but I prefer a handful of good, well-maintained coasters to a graveyard of 15 poorly-maintained coasters that beat the crap out of you.

 

I imagine the removal of Pegasus irritated some locals at Efteling because it was their cherished first coaster, first woodie, etc. But now that they've got the superior-in-every-way Joris en de Draak, does anyone care at all? Even the more sentimental local types should see now that Efteling made a great decision to upgrade their woodie offering.

[chadster]

Chris "First Christmas without BBW has just left me so empty" Connolly..

You're in so much depression-level denial you think it's 2009!

I'm going to send him the "Price Desmond ALL NUDE 2011 Calendar." It will help cheer him up.

 

I've got to learn not to read this site right after breakfast...barf

[texcoaster]

What you're dealing with here isn't a lack of fondness for this ride, it's familiarity. Sometimes, you never really appreciate what you have until it's gone. For a lot of folks, BBW was *always* at BG. You kinda took it for granted, it didn't really garner a lot of hoopla because it just WAS.

 

From the standpoint of a "great ride", it wasn't all that. From the standpoint of a "great ride experience" it was all that and more. Arrow suspended coasters have great potential for some wicked visuals and IMHO BBW was the only one to really go full-tilt on that. The village (esp at night) was a great touch.

 

At one CoasterCon during the ERT session on BBW, they turned off all the lights in that part of the park. It was absolutely pitch black and the ride intensity tripled. That remains one of my fondest coaster memories (right up there with Screechin' Eagle in the pouring rain with water sloshing in the car and the Lone Star Coasterthon back in the 90s with ERT on a frozen Giant that had iced over)

 

So YEAH, I mourn the loss of BBW. Not because it was the baddest, bestest coaster around, but because in a sea of clones and parking lot coasters, it was truly unique.

[Electerik]

I'm not saying it's not a bummer that the ride is gone. It is. Given that there aren't many of them left, and especially for those people who have personal memories around it. But I do think people are making a bigger deal out of something that clearly they only found to be "amazing" after the fact. If that wasn't the case, why didn't people rank the ride higher in the polls?

 

Yeah, I think it has more to do with Big Bad Wolf's placement in, and association with, Busch Gardens Williamsburg than with the ride itself. Which is to say, it was an iconic and important part of the park to most of BGW's fans. (And I would included myself in that.)

 

People still talk about how much they miss Wacky Soap Box Racers at Knott's, even if they like Xcelerator better, because it represented something that's missing now. And so it is with Big Bad Wolf. It felt *wrong* for the park to remove it, and I suspect that nothing else they put there will ever erase that idea from the minds of the park's fans.

 

Some things are more than the sum of their parts.

 

Personally, I preferred Top Gun/Flight Deck at (P)KI. But I still loved BBW. And yeah, with the loss of Big Bad Wolf, BGW went from being my favorite park to barely being in my top 5.

 

But we already know how weird my opinions are.

[Philrad71]

Chris " everytime when I read BBW in personal ads, I know they are talking about Big Bad Wolf" Connolly

 

 

 

I think a lot of people that have never ridden BBW would have certainly liked to have tried it at least once in their lives - just to see if it's as good as some people say.

 

Others that have ridden BBW may be somewhat embarrassed to say that they did and they liked it for fear of being ridiculed by those that prefer something more sleek and speedy.

 

Then there are some that have an overall fetish with BBW and will go to great lengths to say they are proud to have ridden it hundreds of times!

 

Others may have had to consume alcohol in order to brave the wild swinging and swaying of BBW at night and then wonder what happened the next morning.

 

Personally, I rode BBW and while I admit that I liked it back in the day, my tastes have moved on. I will be excited to see what they put in her place...I wouldn't mind a ball coaster or a big woodie!!

[HighRoller]

Here's my thesis on the subject (sorry for the kindergarten reading level readers out there - I'm going to use advanced concepts):

 

Amazing =! Great

 

BBW was a Great coaster. It consistently was running at or near capacity, with enough of a line to keep the trains full, barring the occasional single rider seat. The fact that the lines were not 6 hours long is irrelevant.

 

It was not, especially in the last 10 years, Amazing. That designation is probably best reserved for coasters that go above and beyond your wildest expectations for it.

 

Robb, your analogy of selling the car that you lost your virginity in is probably rather apt. In addition, I had been looking forward to getting my kids to 'pop their cherry' (so to speak) on non-kiddie coasters there. When you consider the intensity and height limits of most coasters out there, it was one of the best to make the step up on. Huge amounts of fun, but not so thrilling that it was intimidating. It filled a very important niche in the progression of a nascent enthusiast.

 

I understand the reasons behind scrapping the ride. I really do. That doesn't mean that I can't still consider it a Great ride, and miss it all in the same breath.

[CardCraze]

To be totally honest, I've visited Busch Gardens at least once a year for about five years now. Big Bad Wold was good coaster, but it wasn't even my favorite in the park.

 

I've always preffered Apollo's Charriot to Big Bad Wolf anyways. In fact, it was just this year I understood why everyone loved Griffon so much (I've never cared much for Dive Machines).

 

Was it a good coaster? Yes, of course. But all these people like "WTF HAPPENED TO BIG BAD WOLF!!!oneone11!? IT WAS LIKE THE BEST COASTER IVE EVER RIDDEN EVER!" need to get out of the state of Virginia. Or at least up to I-305.

[robbalvey]

I am guessing we shouldn't be sad when Six Flags removes revolution, gold Rusher, Colossus or even Goliath in say 10 years.

No one ever said people shouldn't be sad or bummed out if one of your favorite rides close. That was never said. Not sure why people keep insisting that was my original comment. In fact, let me paste my original comment here since it's clear people recently posting never read the original posts..

Look, I can see why a lot of the locals would be bummed out. I'd feel the same way about Ninja here at Six Flags Magic Mountain. But let's be honest here, much like Ninja, the ride wasn't THAT amazing! If it wasn't it would have been ranked much, MUCH higher.

 

I'm not saying it's not a bummer that the ride is gone. It is. Given that there aren't many of them left, and especially for those people who have personal memories around it. But I do think people are making a bigger deal out of something that clearly they only found to be "amazing" after the fact.

 

If that wasn't the case, why didn't people rank the ride higher in the polls?

 

Discuss...

 

--Robb

[Wood Dragon 1988]

Dispite the fact that my avatar is still paying homage to BBW (primarily because I haven't botheredto change it since I first learned it was getting removed), I have to agree that it wasn't THAT great of a ride. I mean, I remember as a kid while being spun around those buildings, I thought "wow that was really cool," but after experiencing rides with better theming and ride experiences riding it again was kind of "meh." The last few turns after the water splash did seem very fast and exciting, but it was over far too quickly after that.

 

It seems like the local coaster community will make a big deal out of any coaster being removed. People are still up in arms about Drachen Fire of all things, and wasn't that usually considered a "bad" coaster?

 

I haven't been back to BGW yet after Big Bad Wolf's removal, but I don't think I'll miss it too much. I thought it was pretty lame compared to Vortex at CW as well. If that ride got removed, I think there would be reason to complain, because as of now I think it's the second best coaster in that park.

[netdvn]

I personally thought BBW was the best Arrow at BGW and would've totally traded LNM or heck even Griffon for it.

 

LNM is has terrible pacing and Griffon wasn't really that impressive aside from the airtime on the drops.

 

BBW was my first real coaster and it was a really fun ride. It may not be as big or exciting as the B&Ms but it's still a great ride nevertheless (plus as it's been said before, it's a perfect transition between Grover and Loch Ness). After riding it, I was kicking myself for chickening out of riding CW's Vortex.

 

Look, I can see why a lot of the locals would be bummed out. I'd feel the same way about Ninja here at Six Flags Magic Mountain. But let's be honest here, much like Ninja, the ride wasn't THAT amazing! If it wasn't it would have been ranked much, MUCH higher.

 

So let's go back to Robb's point...

 

The ride isn't that amazing compared to rides like MF, SROS, EF, and perhaps even lesser rides like Alpengeist and Volcano, but I can say the exact same thing about plenty of other coasters. Yes people would be bummed out to see a lesser coaster go (Whizzer is a perfect example). Add a little uniqueness, history, and nostalgia and you've got an outcry on your hands.

 

As an extreme example, suppose Disney decides to get rid of Matterhorn due to rising maintenance/insurance costs and a decline in popularity. You bet people will be complaining and praising the ride to high heaven. Because the ride has a history, has lots of nostalgia, and is definitely a unique ride.

 

And you can say the same about a lot of rides (KI's King Cobra and SFGAm's Shockwave comes to mind).

[mightypotato]

BBW was like most people here, my first "big" coaster when I was a kid. I remember being absolutely terrified of the ride, but loving every second of it. Going through the village was awesome and the second drop was my pretty much my favourite thing ever. But, that was back in the early 1990's.

 

Fast forward to 2007, the last time I visited BGW. I was super excited to ride BBW again, thinking of it like a return to my childhood. By this point, I had already been on a good deal of other rides and had become more knowledgable about roller coasters in general. And you know...it just wasn't the same. The village seemed slow and the brake on the second drop just about ruined it for me. It was like someone took a knife and stabbed my childhood memories.

 

Now that said, it was still fun...but not what I would call amazing or "omg top 10 coaster". I'd even put Vortex/Flight Top Gun Deck over it. Do I miss the ride? You're damn right I do, but it's not because it was the most amazing ride ever, it's because of the memories attached to it. And from what I've seen in this thread (minus people who haven't quite grasped reading comprehension), most people feel the same.

[robbalvey]

As an extreme example, suppose Disney decides to get rid of Matterhorn due to rising maintenance/insurance costs and a decline in popularity. You bet people will be complaining and praising the ride to high heaven. Because the ride has a history, has lots of nostalgia, and is definitely a unique ride.

I'm not sure why people keep trying to compare BBW to rides like the Coney Island Cyclone or the Matterhorn. Those rides have national, and even international popularity where, unless you're an enthusiast, I'm not sure many people outside of a 500 mile radius will even know what BBW is. Granted you could argue that Williamsburg has national appeal as well, but it's not on par with New York City or Disneyland.

[Jmac]

The biggest reason I'm bummed about it is because it was one of those coasters that got me interested in them in the first place. The book I had when I was 5 had pictures of it and it just intrigued me how it weaved in and out of the trees. I know its not like its the world's best coaster or anything but it didn't need to be for me, the picture of the drop over the lake was way more than enough to make me want to travel across the US to go ride it. I didn't care about any of the other rides there, BBW was just one of those rides I really really wanted to ride. I don't have any room to speak never riding it, but for me it 'looked' amazing. None of the other rides at BGW strike me as 'need to ride' or spend money to go to. Id rather spend money on going to another park with more to offer. Don't get me wrong, BGW has alot to offer but it just doesn't seem worth it anymore now that the rollercoaster that got me interested in the first place is gone.

[thrillrider]

I really enjoyed the ride, and I am going to throw my hat in the " I am bummed it's gone" arena.

 

I still love the park(it's one of my top 5 favorite parks), but it left a hole in the park when it was removed. My daughter would have been tall enough to ride it this year had it still been here. My favorite part of the ride was that it went thru the woods past the village, and of course the drop over the river as well.

 

As for other suspended arrow coasters, I have been on Iron dragon, top gun, ninja, and big bad wolf.

[DECoasterNerd]

I don't usually post much on here, but found this topic kind of interesting.......

 

My partner and I made our first "emergency" theme park trip last summer when I found out that BBW was in it's last season. I hadn't been to BGW since my last family trip there in the late 80's. I had to go ride it as an adult as for years, I had told people the story of "the last time my mother rode a roller coaster". I remember being at BGW in 1984, when I was 8 and BBW was brand new and had a 4 hour line. My father and I convinced my mother to ride (she was not much of a coaster fan, other than the Runaway Mine Train at SFGAdv), telling her, "You'll be fine--it doesn't even go upside down". The ride scared her so badly that she held on so tight to the OTSR that she bruised her arms and chest. By the time she got off the ride, she was bawling in tears, walking past the folks who has been waiting in line for hours, making them even more nervous to ride the brand new beast.

 

So we made the trek in August 2009 to ride BBW one more time and for me to experience it as an adult (it was my partner's first trip to BGW). It was very enjoyable, particularly at night. I really enjoyed the free swinging action of the ride, and it's terrain setting in a beautiful park. It was a fun ride, and I do like the uniqueness of the swinging action of the Arrow suspendeds. I miss it, but more for nostalgia than anything else. We had so much fun at BGW on that trip, that we bought 2-year passes this past July and have been 4 times this year (July, September, Howl-O-Scream and Christmastown) even though we live 4-5 hours away. We went to 16 other parks this summer, and BGW is still our favorite, despite them having only 4 coasters right now. I was curious about Iron Dragon at Cedar Point and and Vortex at Canada's Wonderland (my first time at each park this year). After riding Iron Dragon, we referred to it as "Little Red Riding Hood" due to it's major lameness compared to BBW. Vortex seemed to lack the swinging action--the most swinging seemed to occur when the train hit the final brake run.....

 

It's really all about nostalgia. When we were at BGW this summer, as we were entering the queue for Alpengeist, the queue attendant was checking a boy's height who was obviously right on the cusp of meeting the height requirement. The look on his face when he was told he could ride was priceless. I'm sure in 20 years, that boy will have a soft spot for Alpengeist they was so many of us do for BBW.

 

I grew up in South Jersey, and frequented SFGAdv quite a bit. I remembered riding GASM in it's opening year, waiting in eternal lines to get on. When I found out they were closing it, we made another "emergency" trip, and we were even part of the nostalgic idiots who bought seats on the very last ride of GASM. Was GASM impressive in 1989? Yes. Did anyone really want to ride it anymore? No. Obviously BBW was more enjoyable and less painful than GASM, but like every other park, BGW needs to keep adding and changing, or people will stop going.

 

I'm sorry to see it go, but I look forward to the replacement. BGW is my favorite park--they do almost everything extremely well. At least parks now announce it before they tear down a ride--giving the enthusiasts and those with fond memories an opportunity for one last nostalgic ride. I'm glad I had the opportunity to ride BBW and GASM one last time before they were gone. Change is inevitable, and with steel coasters, usually always for the better. We all can probably agree that the Intamins and B&M's of the 21st century are much better than the Arrows and Vekomas of the 1970's and 80's.

 

RIP BBW--but we look forward to what comes next to an excellent, world-class theme park.

[Chroniq]

Chris " everytime when I read BBW in personal ads, I know they are talking about Big Bad Wolf" Connolly

I think a lot of people that have never ridden BBW would have certainly liked to have tried it at least once in their lives - just to see if it's as good as some people say.

Others that have ridden BBW may be somewhat embarrassed to say that they did and they liked it for fear of being ridiculed by those that prefer something more sleek and speedy.

Then there are some that have an overall fetish with BBW and will go to great lengths to say they are proud to have ridden it hundreds of times!

Others may have had to consume alcohol in order to brave the wild swinging and swaying of BBW at night and then wonder what happened the next morning.

Personally, I rode BBW and while I admit that I liked it back in the day, my tastes have moved on. I will be excited to see what they put in her place...I wouldn't mind a ball coaster or a big woodie!!

 

Best. Post. EVAR.

 

Thanks for getting the joke.. I laughed, frequently and often.

 

 

 

Chris "Just liked the familiar BBW smell and touch" Connolly

[netdvn]

As an extreme example, suppose Disney decides to get rid of Matterhorn due to rising maintenance/insurance costs and a decline in popularity. You bet people will be complaining and praising the ride to high heaven. Because the ride has a history, has lots of nostalgia, and is definitely a unique ride.

I'm not sure why people keep trying to compare BBW to rides like the Coney Island Cyclone or the Matterhorn. Those rides have national, and even international popularity where, unless you're an enthusiast, I'm not sure many people outside of a 500 mile radius will even know what BBW is. Granted you could argue that Williamsburg has national appeal as well, but it's not on par with New York City or Disneyland.

 

Rides like Matterhorn and Cyclone are much easier to point to because of their large appeal ... But on a more regional level, Whizzer at SFGAm had this exact same thing happen (as did plenty of other defunct coasters for regional parks like KI"s King Cobra, SFGAm's Shockwave, and Steel Phantom). I've seen people praise all kinds of defunct generic coasters like they were the best coaster ever plenty of times.

 

In contrast, coasters that don't last like SFGAdv's Shockwave are forgotten because, chances are it wasn't there long enough to warrant appeal/nostalgia like BBW did (two seasons I believe).

 

The same goes for TV shows, movies, and plenty of other things we grew up with.

[Gutterflower]

I'm not sure why people keep trying to compare BBW to rides like the Coney Island Cyclone or the Matterhorn. Those rides have national, and even international popularity where, unless you're an enthusiast, I'm not sure many people outside of a 500 mile radius will even know what BBW is. Granted you could argue that Williamsburg has national appeal as well, but it's not on par with New York City or Disneyland.

 

The Nail on the head.

While you are correct, we are however a group of enthusiasts and therefore the nostalgia is magnified 10 fold.

As a group we feel the nostalgia for BBW that the general public would feel about the Cyclone.

[kdman76]

I never thought there was much to BBW. I will miss it, but if it has to go to make room for something else, so be it. What I don't like about this whole situation is the park's comments about the reason. It doesn't add up. If it was getting old and the supports were failing and would cost too much I could understand. But this whole Arrow told us 25 year service life and that's it is BS.

[PayneTrain]

The difference between the closure of the Matterhorn from the Wolf is that while one ends up on niche fan sites, the other one gets on AOL and probably hits the AP wire.