Big Bad Wolf

Wikipedia Drachen Fire and read about the history. Its fairly interesting.

.....and not totally accurate...

Just curious, from a business standpoint why would they want to get rid of BBW? I have not been down there in awhile but on last visit a couple of years back it seemed to have a healthy ridership. Also never heard of it being a maintenence issue.

I would imagine that maintenance costs wouldn't be something they broadcast to the public.

Why would BBW have outrageous maintenance costs over any other suspended steel coaster? I don't get it. I have never once heard of suspended coasters being maintenance nightmares. This ride is exceptional...I can't believe we are even talking about the possibility of removal.

The ride used to be exceptional. What I and my family experienced today was exceptionally bad. Six of us rode it: my parents, both 70; sister, 41, and two nephews 9 & 11. There were many moments of extremely violent forward/backward jerking, throwing you into the OSTR then immediately back onto the headrest.

Great ride? Yup...it absolutely used to be. It blew me away when I rode in 1994 and 2001. But it wasn't today. I know this'll piss some people off but if this is the state of BBW I wont shed a tear when it's removed.

More details in my formal trip report, to be posted soon.

That's pretty sad to hear, as I absolutely loved the ride when I rode it in 2002. If it is indeed gone after this year at least I have a good lasting memory of it.

:(

Mamoosh said:

More details in my formal trip report, to be posted soon.

Hmmm.. This ought to be interesting :)

Mamoosh said:
The ride used to be exceptional. What I and my family experienced today was exceptionally bad. Six of us rode it: my parents, both 70; sister, 41, and two nephews 9 & 11. There were many moments of extremely violent forward/backward jerking, throwing you into the OSTR then immediately back onto the headrest.

Great ride? Yup...it absolutely used to be. It blew me away when I rode in 1994 and 2001. But it wasn't today. I know this'll piss some people off but if this is the state of BBW I wont shed a tear when it's removed.

More details in my formal trip report, to be posted soon.

I have grown up with this coaster. Now, its not fair for me to say what you experienced, but I can say that the ride has not gotten any rougher over the years. Its pretty much the same exact experience it was in 1984, in 1990, in 1999 in 2004 and so on...

I "think" it could be that newer coasters now are just smoother and when you go back and ride something years later, it seems very different. I have experienced that on certain rides that I don't get to that often too.

Martling said:Why would BBW have outrageous maintenance costs over any other suspended steel coaster? I don't get it. I have never once heard of suspended coasters being maintenance nightmares. This ride is exceptional...I can't believe we are even talking about the possibility of removal.

I think the forces imparted to the structure and supports from those uber-heavy trains and the speeds they run are extreme, and the swinging probably means that the forces are not that similar to those on other types of coasters. The fact that Eagle's Fortress (which has been called "insanely fast") has also experienced some significant downtime, combined with the all-new design for suspendeds seems to imply that there is something to the argument that the old-style suspendeds are going away...most forceful rides first. The old adage about "live hard, die young" seems applicable.

Dan said: "...the ride has not gotten any rougher over the years. Its pretty much the same exact experience it was in 1984, in 1990, in 1999 in 2004 and so on...

I "think" it could be that newer coasters now are just smoother and when you go back and ride something years later, it seems very different. I have experienced that on certain rides that I don't get to that often too.

Dan - Keep in mind it wasn't just me but five other family members who experienced the same thing. Of the six of us only my dad is an enthusiast but he doesn't travel to ride like I do. I'm the only one with the "comparative" perspective you cite. My last visit coincided with ACE Con. I rode BBW for hours during an ERT session and I think I'd remember if it was that violent.

I am not sure what anyone thinks has "changed" with this ride. I was just at BGE myself 3 weeks ago and it performed just as I remembered from a previous visit 4 or 5 years earlier. First half was full of speed and great swinging, then the hard braking prior to the second lift, and then the out-of-control drop and S turn heading over the lake and back up the hillside. It is not only a great ride but a true "classic" in all sense of the word and still performs as it always has.

I think the best news is the restraints are still "seat-belt free" on BBW and LNM unlike all the Arrow coasters being converted at Cedar Fair parks...so ridiculous and frankly stupid killing the operations of those coasters. I pity those ride crews!

I really believe a lot of you are becoming numb to experiences because (A) you have ridden so many coasters and (B) anything relatively new in the past 5-10 years is going to put any steel coaster older than that too shame due to better design, construction and ride performance.

Right, ok...so it's all in my head. And my dad's head. And my Mom's head. And my sister's head. And my two nephew's heads. Big Bad Wolf is smooth as silk and we just imagined our heads being violently thrown forward and back.

Thanks oh so much for clearing that up.

I believe you, Moosh. :)

It was running great when I was there last month. The only thing I did not like was the trim on the drop over the water.

I think it runs better than top gun(ki), and any other suspended coaster I have been on.

Sorry to disagree with ya moosh.

No worries. Having ridden Top Gun a few weeks earlier we'll just have to disagree, I think Top Gun is the better performing ride (but not the better layout).

Dan - Keep in mind it wasn't just me but five other family members who experienced the same thing. Of the six of us only my dad is an enthusiast but he doesn't travel to ride like I do. I'm the only one with the "comparative" perspective you cite. My last visit coincided with ACE Con. I rode BBW for hours during an ERT session and I think I'd remember if it was that violent.

As I said, I can't dispute what your experience was, but I can say that the ride is no different than it was years ago. BGE has always taken very good care of their rides. I don't think anyone ever thought the LNM would last over 30 years! (changing subject slightly here) But I remember years ago that Ron Toomer once thought they would get maybe 15 years out of their coasters.

mlnem4s said:
I am not sure what anyone thinks has "changed" with this ride. I was just at BGE myself 3 weeks ago and it performed just as I remembered from a previous visit 4 or 5 years earlier. First half was full of speed and great swinging, then the hard braking prior to the second lift, and then the out-of-control drop and S turn heading over the lake and back up the hillside. It is not only a great ride but a true "classic" in all sense of the word and still performs as it always has.

I think the best news is the restraints are still "seat-belt free" on BBW and LNM unlike all the Arrow coasters being converted at Cedar Fair parks...so ridiculous and frankly stupid killing the operations of those coasters. I pity those ride crews!

I really believe a lot of you are becoming numb to experiences because (A) you have ridden so many coasters and (B) anything relatively new in the past 5-10 years is going to put any steel coaster older than that too shame due to better design, construction and ride performance.

I agree with this post 100%.

Mamoosh said:
Right, ok...so it's all in my head. And my dad's head. And my Mom's head. And my sister's head. And my two nephew's heads. Big Bad Wolf is smooth as silk and we just imagined our heads being violently thrown forward and back.

Thanks oh so much for clearing that up.

No one said its smooth as silk, it IS an Arrow after all! lol

I am just saying the ride has not changed any over the years. I will estimate that I ride the BBW about 100 times or more a year...

As with the coaster, maybe your just getting older? *wink*