Page 2

7/28/2009 11:36:25 AM

Everyone I know who has been on X says it is pretty rough, even with the new trains. Plus, it is unreliable, as are the S&S air launchers. I think Busch is probably always going to look for reliable capacity machines, which is probably one of the reasons they keep going back to B&M. I agree that flyers are pretty boring, though. But, I do hear the new one at Sea World is great.

omg coaster nerd talk

7/28/2009 1:06:16 PM

there's just no really big awesome drop on the BBW. just g forces really.

what was good about it was that if you had little kids with you, they could ride what was likely their first "grown up" roller coaster.

oh and Griffon was awesome. pretty sure thats the one where they let you kinda hang there for a second at the first drop...

7/28/2009 1:21:28 PM

Quote :

"there's just no really big awesome drop on the BBW"

it's not huge, but that drop down to the water was awesome imo

and bbw was good for kids and adults alike. i loved it. doesn't have to be super awesome new technology stuff to be fun.

7/28/2009 1:29:55 PM

^

7/28/2009 1:32:51 PM

we're heading back up to BG probably in late August. I'll be sure to ride this fossil one more time. Then I'll go ride Griffon, Apollo's Chariot and Alpengeist the rest of the day.

7/28/2009 1:58:09 PM

Big Bad Wolf > Griffon IMO

Maybe.

7/28/2009 1:59:19 PM

i guess i haven't been since they added this griffon that you speak of

7/28/2009 2:01:27 PM

7/28/2009 2:03:40 PM

it definitely seems that busch as a company really likes B&M coasters. what's the last one that wasn't built by them? gwazi? (which prolly would've been if B & M did woodies)

i've never really been bothered by rough coasters so I'm sure I wouldn't have a problem with X. Granted I also rode flight of fear 15 times in a row before they went to lap bars and rode son of beast in the back car before the "improvements" without having any issues. (so maybe i'm not the best person to talk to in regards to tolerable roughness)

i know hypersonic was notoriously unreliable (i think it broke when I was on it on 3 separate occassions) but IMO it was some of the best 18 seconds that could be had on any coaster (although i'm sure top thrill and kingda ka trump it) Hopefully S & S will have all the issues worked out by the time ring racer opens so that other parks will start building them. 0-130 in 2.5

either way it's all pretty irrelevant as I'm sure BG will go the conservative route with a B & M Flyer.


Also, what are the latest rumors regarding king's dominion's new coaster? they could really use AT LEAST a hyper but preferably something bigger and not launched...

7/28/2009 2:09:11 PM

It's a giga. Beyond that no one knows. It looks to have a pretty twisted layout. They are announcing it August 20th, then the Carowinds hyper August 26th.

It's gonna be weird as hell having a coaster there that is going to be taller than the Eiffel Tower (perhaps by as much as 100 feet!)

7/28/2009 2:12:30 PM

B&M? giga? Some of us aren't coaster nuts. What do these terms mean.

7/28/2009 2:26:26 PM

I'm pretty bummed by this. I'm a regular at Busch Gardens Tampa, but haven't been to Busch Gardens Williamsburg since they opened the Alpengeist. I stood in line for an hour to ride at the front, and it was awesome in every sense of the word.

Still, I left the park thinking BBW was my favorite ride. It just has a uniqueness to it -- almost quaintness -- that seems to be disappearing from the majority of modern rides. Not big or fast, but memorable without a doubt.

[Edited on July 28, 2009 at 2:29 PM. Reason : ]

7/28/2009 2:29:28 PM

b & m - bolliger and mabillard - coaster manufacturer. examples include: alpengeist, apollo's chariot, griffon, incredible hulk, kraken, dueling dragons, top gun (afterburn now), dominator, montu, kumba, riddlers revenge, batman etc.

hyper - 200-299 ft tall
giga - 300-399 ft tall
strata - 400 ft+

7/28/2009 2:42:44 PM

For novices: The Kings Dominion ride will be a similar style to Millennium Force at Cedar Point, but probably a good bit taller, and hopefully a much better ride.



The Carowinds ride will be a similar style to Apollo's Chariot at Busch Gardens Williamsburg, but significantly larger and POSSIBLY with a launched start. It will be a record breaker of some sort, but that could simply mean biggest coaster in the southeast or something.



The Busch Gardens ride, coming next year or 2011, MIGHT be (unconfirmed) a flying coaster, where you are laying down. This would be similar to Manta at Sea World Orlando.



I guess I will be resurrecting my roller coaster thread next month

7/28/2009 3:21:09 PM

I used to love roller coasters and used to learn all about them.

BBW is way too old. Loch Ness is also old, but I'm told by an insider that nothing could ever replace it and it is still popular enough to cover its maintenance costs.

7/28/2009 4:20:59 PM

Popularity has nothing to do with it. There are tons of coasters in the world of a similar style to Loch Ness, and parts are readily available.

Big Bad Wolf on the other hand... There are like 5 in the world, and it sounds like the others could be near the end of their lives as well.

I think the maintenance thing is mostly an excuse, though. The truth of the matter is that Big Bad Wolf blocks the area where Drachen Fire used to be (which is one of the reasons why Drachen Fire was never successful to begin with), and the park wants to take the ride out so they can have a large piece of land to put a new country into.

7/28/2009 4:28:12 PM

I rode this coaster 8 times in a row once. We were there late, they were closing soon, no line at all...so my cousins and I rode the damn thing 8 times in a row. It was great!

I'm sad.

7/28/2009 4:36:49 PM

Quote :

"b & m - bolliger and mabillard - coaster manufacturer. examples include: alpengeist, apollo's chariot, griffon, incredible hulk, kraken, dueling dragons, top gun (afterburn now), dominator, montu, kumba, riddlers revenge, batman etc."

I can't claim to be a rollercoaster expert, but i've ridden the majority of these and loved all of them -- especially Dueling Dragons. What a badass rollercoaster that is, especially from the front. I also think the kumba is underrated as hell.

7/28/2009 4:54:51 PM

B&M has made many a quality coaster. i've sent my resume to them numerous times with no response.

7/28/2009 4:58:45 PM

B&M is basically the Cadillac of coasters.

They don't really push the envelope with their rides, but they are smooth, reliable, and comfortable as hell for the most part.

7/28/2009 5:07:02 PM

Quote :

""

This makes my stomach churn

7/28/2009 5:15:27 PM

mine too, but in a good way!

7/28/2009 5:22:28 PM

i love the big bad wolf....

we took my niece on that ride last year (first roller coaster ever - she was 6 )

7/28/2009 5:30:56 PM

Quote :

"B&M is basically the Cadillac of coasters. They don't really push the envelope with their rides, but they are smooth, reliable, and comfortable as hell for the most part."

this pretty much sums it up.

also i definitely agree about dueling dragons. ice in the front FTW. hulk is also pretty epic as well.

7/28/2009 5:59:19 PM

my favorite ride was removed from King's Dominion a long time ago.. it wasn't a coaster, it was a waterslide-type ride where you sat on a plastic sled and dropped down at a very steep angle. you weren't strapped down at all, so I have no idea how it could have been safe. probably why it's not there anymore

7/28/2009 8:51:36 PM

I know what you are talking about. Those rides are fun as hell. Carowinds removed theirs a while back too. I think Water Country USA had one when I went in like 2000, but I bet that one is gone also.

7/28/2009 8:54:02 PM

^^ torpedo, splashdown, and riptide. torpedo was my favorite ride when it was in operation. IIRC you didn't really get wet.

also found this link
http://timelines.home.insightbb.com/pkd_years.htm

[Edited on July 28, 2009 at 10:36 PM. Reason : ]

7/28/2009 10:35:05 PM

I liked the Big Bad Wolf, but it always gave me a headache... the Loch Ness Monster was by far my favorite, with either Alpengeist or Apollo's Chariot in a close second

7/28/2009 10:59:57 PM

Quote :

"The truth of the matter is that Big Bad Wolf blocks the area where Drachen Fire used to be (which is one of the reasons why Drachen Fire was never successful to begin with), and the park wants to take the ride out so they can have a large piece of land to put a new country into."

That would make sense. It'd be a shame if they tore down all those nice trees though

7/29/2009 12:38:43 AM

BobbyDigital !

YEP YEP... we're old.

8/2/2009 4:37:29 PM

http://www.intimidator305.com/

Track Length: 5,100 feet
Maximum Height: 305 feet
Lift Hill Angle: 45 degrees
Length of First Drop: 300 feet
Angle of First Drop: 85 degrees
Fastest Speed: Excess of 90 MPH
Ride Time: 3 minutes
Airtime Humps: 6 including S-curve transitions
High Speed Turns: 3 at ground level
Investment: $25 million

8/20/2009 10:18:42 PM

Missed this thread the first time around.

I'll add +1 to the "gg BobDigi" comments.

8/20/2009 10:41:41 PM

aww damn

this was the one I always said I'd ride if I rode roller coasters, but I'm too wussy for them

I vowed to try this one in my lifetime, but I guess it's too late

8/23/2009 9:20:29 PM

^ You have a few weeks. Don't be a pussy!

8/23/2009 10:11:26 PM

I remember when BG williamsburg only had big bad wolf, lochness monster, and drachen fire.

8/23/2009 10:24:57 PM

http://www.buschgardens.com/BGW2/Explore/ParkMap.aspx

9/7/2009 2:37:52 PM

fuakwer/211

[Edited on September 7, 2009 at 3:51 PM. Reason : double post i need to go to bed]

9/7/2009 3:47:09 PM

^^^please. drachenfire was relatively new. what, like, 93? 94? I recall well when it wasn't there at all.

[Edited on September 7, 2009 at 3:51 PM. Reason : ddddd]

9/7/2009 3:51:13 PM

Went up there and rode it a few last times a couple weeks ago. My pictures and somewhat pathetic coaster nerd take on it: http://www.jonathanhawkins.net/bgw2009.php

9/8/2009 12:45:28 AM

Quote :

"my favorite ride was removed from King's Dominion a long time ago.. it wasn't a coaster, it was a waterslide-type ride where you sat on a plastic sled and dropped down at a very steep angle. you weren't strapped down at all, so I have no idea how it could have been safe. probably why it's not there anymore"

I remember riding that as a kid. There was nothing really to keep you from falling off the side and dropping like 40 feet back in the day. It was scary as piss the first time I rode it.

9/8/2009 9:51:07 AM

cyclone is closing

9/8/2009 11:17:37 AM

I'm not sure what Cyclone you are referring to, but if it is Coney Island, no it's not. Eventually they are going to do a major makeover of that whole area, but the Cyclone won't be going anywhere. It is an official National and NYC Landmark.

9/8/2009 12:03:36 PM

Bye Bye Wolf

I went there about a month ago. I rode the wolf twice. I'm going to miss it so much.

9/8/2009 5:26:33 PM

That park needs a serious wooden coaster. Something like Thunderhead that takes advantage of the terrain would be awesome where BBW was.

9/10/2009 11:40:21 AM

11/30/2009 12:41:51 PM

11/30/2009 12:42:24 PM

I wish they would relocate it to be a shuttle from the OFF KAPLAN area to campus...Like you could get on it at Melbourne Road and ride to the brickyard.

11/30/2009 1:29:57 PM

That is some lonely looking track.

11/30/2009 5:07:08 PM

those pics make me sad

11/30/2009 9:52:21 PM