Big Bad Wolf

Anyone know how busy the park is during the weekdays this week? Is it still busy are more manageable time to visit and get a lot of rides in??

18 of the 24 spots are filled on the last ride of BBW..

Im floored that someone has bid $1000 for the top 2 positions already. WOW.. Now thats dedicated to a ride..

I would love to see a mine ride in that location to, super7, maybe resembling Adventure Express at KI (in terms of ride, not theme of course). From what I gather, BG is not going to replace BBW with another family coaster though. If what I hear is correct, it will be another high intensity coaster that only the big kids and adults can ride.

If I owned the park, I would get S&S on the phone to build another suspended coaster in that spot, and I would give it a clever name that reminds people of The Big Bad Wolf's legacy. (Kind of like what Dorney did with Herc.)

LostKause said:
From what I gather, BG is not going to replace BBW with another family coaster though. If what I hear is correct, it will be another high intensity coaster that only the big kids and adults can ride.

Considering BBW isnt going to be removed until early next year, thats going to be an interesting feat.

mlnem4s said:
Anyone know how busy the park is during the weekdays this week? Is it still busy are more manageable time to visit and get a lot of rides in??

I was there last Wednesday (08/26) and crowds were extremely light the whole time we were there.

^^But didn't the official announcement say that guests would be able to watch BBW's dismantling during their end-of-the-season visits?

I have read and reread your reply to my post, ridem, and I can't figure out what you mean. I didn't say anything about when BBW was going to be dismantled, or when the replacement was going to be installed. I just commented on the kind of attraction that I have heard will replace it when they decided to build a new attraction in that spot.

Or did I miss something else in you post? :)

Dan.

They cant dismantle it fully due to the fact that Howl-o-scream is in some areas where they would need removal cranes. So for that reason it didnt make sense to do it while public was there. Then Christmas Town is their focus. So early next year is their plan.

Not sure where you read the dismantle schedule.. its not on their official press release. But this is their current time line as we speak.

LK. - I would just verify your source. My point is they havent even got all the details of removal, let alone actual plans for replacement, in that particular area anyways.

Unless of course you are just stating this as pure speculation.. In that case speculate away. :)

I have no real source on this issue. I have, however, picked up on quite a few tidbits here and there. I suppose that it is just speculation, but I have a strange feeling that the park already knows, or at least has an idea of what they are going to build in that spot in 2011.

Sure.. Lots of parks have ideas every day.. Its what keeps a park moving forward.

I could probably say $PARKNAME is thinking of building $FEATURE_RIDE_TYPE in a few years and probably be right, but unless something is put into a contract with feature ride company, its all just speculation, hopes and visions.. Subject to change based on budget/market and impact study (ROI, Land Usage, etc).

Just seems like a lot of the back channel "I hears" typically are what enthusiasts desire more than what parks are even remotely considering. But theres always exceptions to the rules I suppose.

Is it just me or does it seem odd that if they are not going to remove BBW until early next year why not do a huge "one last time" event with it for Halloween? The ride theme lends itself perfectly to create a sensational PR event during Howl-O-Scream. Who doesn't want to travel at "the speed of fright" during Halloween??!?!

Missed business opportunity in my book, especially during a difficult economic climate for parks this year.

ridemcoaster said: I'm floored that someone has bid $1000 for the top 2 positions already. WOW.. Now thats dedicated to a ride..

That's a lot of money to pay to get banged around! ;)

mlnem4s said:

Missed business opportunity in my book, especially during a difficult economic climate for parks this year.

Missed business opportunity? Do they charge per ride all of a sudden?

Halloween will draw people regardless of BBW. That being said.. Griffon and Apollo's is Busch's highest exposure unit ride for this operating season, so I doubt the fact that BBW being non operational during that time will affect the park enough to be a blip on the financial radar.

Moosh:

For a second I had to check the names of the people who paid $1K because I had a sneaky suspicion it may have been you ;)

edit: Highest bid is $1500 now.. I would say this is certainly not a missed business opportunity, and goes to a great cause.

ridemcoaster said:
...so I doubt the fact that BBW being non operational during that time will affect the park enough to be a blip on the financial radar.

Yeah, but obviously there is interest in the ride.

It being non-operational is little more than a negative blip, but it being operational for a few more weekends may have had the possibility of being a very positive financial thing...like the auction.

I get what minem4s was saying - the auction would have been just as successful at the end of the season and the park could have milked the BBW farewell tour through Howl-O-Scream and really played off the theme and made it seem like something extra special. The potential is there to win twice, not just once.

(although I'm sure I'm wrong for some reason ;) )

Just like I am for above reason ;)

What you take out of the equation is the cost to run the ride for a few more months vs the (lets use the auction value for example) <$4000 generated for one time event.

We could labor this on for ever though.. How about Christmas.. Oh.. oh how about 1 more year.. Then they wont have the image of removing rides when KD is adding.. When does it stop.

They picked a milestone and kept with it. Personally I dont see the ending now less financially viable then later if you factor in other things it take to run it. But what do I know right? :)

So we're both wrong?

Posting is hard and stuff...

I edit in between your humor. whoops.

No, that makes sense too.

I suppose the chosen milestone seems odd, that's all. And honestly I wouldn't have thought about it if minem4s hadn't said something, but the BBW farewell during Howl-O-Scream really does seem like a no-brainer.

But yeah, I get what you're saying.

Agreed. Does have an ominous theme potential.. But financially September is the end of a FY Quarter. Going into Oct would start them into a new one. I suspect that factored into it, instead of having a financial concern for just 1 month into the next one.

But im just guessing :)

Gonchar gets my point.

The one thing I took away from my experience working at Target was analyzing daily successes and missed opportunities throughout the business. To me I look at the big picture of removing BBW; they knew it was going to ruffle the feathers of coaster fans as well as fans of Busch Gardens Williamsburg in general. After all, it IS a big part of what makes BGW the great park it is. I can't think of a more perfect attraction to build a HUGE PR campaign sending it off into the history books...while at the same time building a Halloween event around it for one season. The tag line "speed of fright" and the concept of the Big Bad Wolf spells it out for you right there that it was MEANT to be kept through their Halloween event. Throw in some thick fog, add some theatrical lighting and some additional sound effects; you have one inexpensive and easily hyped ending to a major attraction! It could have been history making...wouldn't the Big Bad Wolf meeting its untimely end on Halloween make perfect sense?

I am sitting here listening to the soundtrack from Francis Ford Copolas "Dracula" and the orchestra music would be PERFECT to enhance the BBW experience for its final days during Halloween......sigh : (

Williamsburg if you are listening I think you should reconsider your decision and change the closing date to October 31st.....it is NEVER too late!