Busch Gardens Williamsburg retiring Davinci's Cradle

BGW is a great park, but some of their flat rides do have some weird a** names.

Be right back, gotta get in line for my turn on The Battering Ram. Although I may stop for a Turkish Delight on my way if I have time.

I love Zierer Flying Carpets. One of my favorite flats, although Busch never did run theirs correctly. I assume they did a new control system at some point, so the ride didn't run the way that the manufacturer designed. (Swings weren't the same height, no stop at the top, etc.) It was still a fun ride and I'd take a lap whenever I was there.

Looks like Wild Adventures in Georgia is the only remaining Flying Carpet in North America (assuming Marineland Niagara is permanently closed.)

Always loved this ride. Aesthetically. Riding it usually made me want to vomit.

BGW opened the Italy section in 1980 which included Da Vinci's Garden of Invention. It contained rides "themed" to inventions or concepts from Leonardo Da Vinci. The rides were Battering Ram (Pirate), Flying Machine (Orbiter), and a kiddie balloon ride. In 1983 Da Vinci's Cradle (Flying Carpet) was added. Part of its promotion was a placemat at McDonald's (they also offered coupons). The tag line for the Cradle was "It Will Rock You". The description on the placemat read, "Imagine a huge cradle lifting you four stories into the air before plunging you earthward with a negative force of 2-G's, then suddenly sending you skyward with a positive force of 2-G's, all at a rate of twenty revolutions per minute. This is Da Vinci's Cradle, a ride you've never seen or experienced before. It will rock you." It was a nice promotion for a flat ride.

The Cradle was a great ride and nicely themed. It's sad to see it go.

I was reading about this yesterday.
I really want to go back to this park one day soon. It is an amazing place.

I do vaguely recall riding Da Vinci's Cradle as well.

Let’s not forget Gladiators’ Gauntlet, a Vekoma Canyon Trip. Now, there was a terrible ride.
BGW has had some fun and interesting flats. One I really miss was the Mack Sea Storm- I think the structure for that one now serves as the entrance to Apollo.

Canyon trip was lame. Can’t understand who decided that would be a good purchase, unless they bought it on spec. I loved the Mack Sea Storm

BGW hasn't really been in the business of adding non-extreme flats of late. This was a a great (and at this point, unique) ride that I hope they will find a suitable well-themed replacement for. Da Vinci's Garden is a wonderful design for a park, like something I might have built in RCT back in the day. In any case, it would be a crime to leave that pad empty for too long. It's not Great Adventure, after all.

Bummer. The ride was perfectly and ornately themed to the area, and a family favorite when we went. Just fun.

I guess from what kpjb said (above), no one makes these anymore making replacement parts hard to come by? Just seems like an odd closure, but all good things...