Busch Gardens Williamsburg announces retirment of Big Bad Wolf

I agree about what has been said about a lack of coasters for people under 54"

There is also the issue of someone over 54" who doesn't like inversions or big coasters like Apollo. Grover is a family coaster that most older kids won't want to ride and then I have heard that if you are over 54", it is up to the op if they want to let you on the coaster or not.

They are almost running into the same problem at the Tampa park in the mid 90's where every coaster in the park at the time (Scorpion, Montu, Kumba, Python) had inversions. So at the time I wasn't up to trying an inversion and I couldn't even try 1 coaster at the park.

A flyer is a bad choice for that reason, they really need something that is bigger than a kiddie coaster but still not too intense. I think a Morgan or Vekoma mine train would be a good choice for a replacement.

Short of keeping the thing, my other suggestions would be for I know a (gasp) wooden coaster from GCI or GG (I know dream on,) a mine coaster wouldnt be too bad, or because they are Busch and could pull this off an indoor Premier like the Mummy at Universal.

The mine train idea has seriously got my imagination running wild! Rolling over that terrain would be awesome!

Would a new family coaster get as much publicity or be as popular as a giormous B&M?

I wish they'd hurry up and announce what they were going to replace it with, and then build and open it by next season, just to appease MY curiousity. That will probably not happen though. :)

Horrible!! Just plain horrible. I will begin to take the antidepressants now.

This was a super-cool ride, it will be missed. It was also one of the most visually appealing coasters to look at; it's funny, even in the pictures which were provided in an earlier post, Busch kept it looking great. I'm sorry they can't keep it going forever. I have many fond memories of riding this coaster, more so than any of the other coasters in the park.

Busch won't be the same without it. :(

RLRCSTR FAN said:
....Busch Gardens Enterprises buyers. (that's the parent company that's for sale right?)

BEC.. Busch Entertainment Corporation.

ridemcoaster said:
Sweet.. One less person in front of me in line. No love loss there ;)

Not really. I wouldn't have gone either way. So it's exactly the same number of people in line in front of you. ;)

Awww. Pitty. Really it is.. ;)

Given this closure, I've got to wonder what life is left in a lot of the older Arrow steel coasters. Obviously BBW is going out, but what about some of the similar vintage arrows, the Anacondas and vipers of the world. They are similar ages, and may all be suffering from difficulty in obtaining parts. After all, Arrow has basically been gone for around 10 years now.

Arrow loopers have a whole lot less parts, are a whole lot more plentiful and much less prone to break downs then suspendeds. Heck, look at how long the Space Mountain MK trains lasted, and CCMR is 40 years old and still running with the same trains. I doubt the loopers are going anywhere anytime soon because of maintence issues.

Cork Screw and Loch Ness has been running for over 30 years now. With respect to Loch Ness there is no sign of removal anytime soon, not to mention Nessie inherited parts from Python that keep it going strong.

^They better not, if BBW and LNM were to go that park would loose a lot of magic to me.

Naw. They'll paint it white & black, cover it in wool, and called it....

"A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing!"

BOOO!! ;)

"I doubt the loopers are going anywhere anytime soon because of maintence issues."

Tell that to Worlds of Fun (re: Orient Express).

Why are you bringing up headache: the ride?

Seriously though Im pretty sure that wasnt the reason they closed it.

Why else would they rip out one of their signature attractions that still had a high ridership? Everyone seems to only remember OE's last couple of seasons where it had gotten rough "again". The ride was completely refurbished in 1990 for its tenth anniversary (after becoming very rough) and it was then hella smooth. Just like Timber Wolf, it needed some major refurbishment again, but it was scrapped instead.

Maintenance was also cited for removing Zambezi Zinger, which ironically is still operating in Columbia today 12 years since Cedar Fair deemed it at the end of its service life.

Orient was a walk on the two times I went there when it was still open (while Mamba, Timber Wolf and Boomerang had much longer lines) and I dont know if my expectations were raised due to the way it looked like LNM but it was one of the roughest Arrow Loopers Ive ever ridden (right up there with Drachen Fire and Shockwave.)

Again, it had become rough around that time, BUT it wasn't always that way and remains one of my favorite steel coasters of the 400+ I've ridden. If you never got a ride on it when it was great, it's a shame. Anyhow we're getting a little too off topic now.

I don't think the trackage is the issue for these suspendeds is the issue it may have been for OE or Schockwave when I rode them. For the suspendeds, it seems to be more about support structure. Glad to have ridden the ones I have ridden, and to get this one (last - more?) shot at the Wolf. Chessington's Vampire will be weird for me with the new trains.

As for Eagle's Fortress - congratulations to those who did get to ride it in it's heyday, sounds like it was completely insane. I still wouldn't vote for it in any poll, though, since I haven't ridden it myself. ;)

Rather than close on a down note... much thanks to BGW and the Wolf for 25 "rocking" years...and do consider my Red Riding Hood for a replacement, LOL... :)

Hey thanks Ridemcoaster. I knew my brain wasn't working right. O.K. now to my opinion. BBW was the first suspended coaster I rode back in 1985. I think that it is/was the best suspended. I haven't made it to Korea to ride EF :( As for a replacement for BBW a high class woodie would be nice, but improbable. The mine train idea does sound interesting. Anything terrain hugging would be a plus. I was surprised with Griffon not really utilizing the fantastic elevation changes availible to ride designers. Well, I'm glad I got a chance to ride BBW last Sept.