Today Busch Gardens announced that after 25 years of traveling at the speed of fright, The Big Bad Wolf, the iconic steel suspended coaster, will take its last cycles through Busch Gardens’ Bavarian village on September 7, 2009. The Park had rendered the ride simply reached the end of its service life. The announcement was made at this time to allow fans some time to ride the “Wolf” one last time before the attraction closes. Busch Gardens is acknowledging they are reviewing several design concepts at this time for a new park attraction to replace The Big Bad Wolf, but currently do not have an announcement. The Big Bad Wolf celebrates its 25th anniversary this season.
For more information please visit: http://www.buschgardens.com/bgw2/CP/?page=BigBadWolf
Boooooo!!!! This I think is a crazy move by the park. Especially, how Big Bad Wolf really changed the map with BGE. I understand it's older, but people still love it! It's a great step for younger kids wanting to ride something bigger.
Did InBev weigh into this: "Take care of refurbishment ourselves, in house and subcontracted? No!!!"
You mean a chain other than Cedar Fair is doing away with popular (old) rides?
Guess it is time to start a boycott of the Busch parks.
I'm upset since I never got to ride this and I've always wanted to. And that I know of, I can't think of a more popular coaster to be removed from a park. I am surprised by this move despite the talk that it would happen.
They BETTER replace this coaster with a comparable coaster... That's like taking out Viper at Darien Lake this year because it has "run its course" - and actually, they are planning to keep it for a loooooooong time.
I am disheartened by this news story. The Big Bad Wolf is an iconic ride, and much beloved by Busch Gardens patrons. I fear that this may be a poor business decision.
If Busch Gardens is run like some other parks I know, they look at a cost per rider relationship, and Big Bad Wolf's was not favorable. We knew this was coming for a couple months now but it is still sad. I hope this does not signal the start of the death of the suspended coaster.
Awwww, farewell to an incredible coaster. One of my favorites - even though it was not the highest or fastest by today's standards, it was a truly fun ride. Its going to be hard to imagine BGW without this ride, being such a classic and a big part of the park's image.
I do commend the park for announcing that the coaster will be closing ahead of time instead of just shuttering it with no comment on the ride's future.
^Amen to that, Duke!
The suspended coaster started dying when the Bat closed. This too bad for all of the BBW fans.
I had my terrified first ride on this coaster in 1991. I considered myself lucky to get a one,two punch of Eagle Fortress and Big Bad Wolf in the same month in April 2007. I realized BBW still had some wild swinging kick to it near the end. I believe I had my peace with the ride. Watching videos on Youtube refine my memories of it.
I was at BGE today and an employee was telling me that they were closing down THE BIG BAD WOLF!!
It sad, not only because its a great ride,but its also part of the BGE landscape.Has it really done its time?AND Are they really going to bulid something in its place? IN-BEV or BGE has cut 7,000,000.00 out if its operating budget this year...look around LESS FLOWERS,SALAD ON TINY PLATES,AND LESS EMPLOYEES WITH TINY RAISES.For the first time in YEARS, BGE did not win " MOST BEAUTIFUL PARK"...Thanks for cutting the budget and Quality..Pretty soon our beloved BGE my look like the bad years at Kings Dominion...
We all need to complain to BGE Management that they need to stay with what made the park what we all loved!I will ride BBW everytime I go to the park, its gonna be missed..
It sad, not only because its a great ride,but its also part of the BGE landscape.Has it really done its time?AND Are they really going to bulid something in its place? IN-BEV or BGE has cut 7,000,000.00 out if its operating budget this year...look around LESS FLOWERS,SALAD ON TINY PLATES,AND LESS EMPLOYEES WITH TINY RAISES.For the first time in YEARS, BGE did not win " MOST BEAUTIFUL PARK"...Thanks for cutting the budget and Quality..Pretty soon our beloved BGE my look like the bad years at Kings Dominion...
We all need to complain to BGE Management that they need to stay with what made the park what we all loved!I will ride BBW everytime I go to the park, its gonna be missed..
Thank you.The employee, said she had just come from a staff meeting and that they won the Cleanest Theme Park.If they won Most beautiful, that would be awesome,But the park is not as nicely landscaped as in the past.
While I do understand that a park is a business, and sometimes businesses have to do things that make the most sense for the bottom line (Carowinds just did it last year with Saturator, and I'm in no way comparing the two coasters), I will greatly miss BBW.
Although I won't miss having to climb into the cars anymore that Ron must have been on drugs when he designed them. Ron, would it have killed you to make a little opening on the sides so we could walk into the car?
*ducks the fanboys that will attack me*
p.s LOL at Busch sending me an email "WE DO NOT RESPOND TO RUMORS!!1!1!". Um, yeah.
Its the end of a very fun rides career, but I do understand why they are removing it. Aparently it has to do with the cost of maintaining the coaster more than ridership, as refurbing train on a 25 yr. old coaster that new parts basically have to be custom made or changed to fit gets expensive..Maybe I will try to go Labor Day Weekend for its farwell song.
I remember Orient Express had a problem with its track and had a mishap before it got removed. I could imagine the stress on certain areas like the bottom of the river drop. I hope the new attraction has a river interactive element like a pretzel loop. The river is just as cool as the SFFT quarry.
It sad, not only because its a great ride,but its also part of the BGE landscape.Has it really done its time?AND Are they really going to bulid something in its place? IN-BEV or BGE has cut 7,000,000.00 out if its operating budget this year...look around LESS FLOWERS,SALAD ON TINY PLATES,AND LESS EMPLOYEES WITH TINY RAISES.For the first time in YEARS, BGE did not win " MOST BEAUTIFUL PARK"...Thanks for cutting the budget and Quality..Pretty soon our beloved BGE my look like the bad years at Kings Dominion...
We all need to complain to BGE Management that they need to stay with what made the park what we all loved!I will ride BBW everytime I go to the park, its gonna be missed..
http://www.napha.org/nnn/Portals/0/N...ase%202008.pdf
Did not mean to start a contest...Just sad, but do understand the coaster has done its time.
A few of things:
1) The flower budget has been cut,There are places in the park that always had flowers but for the first time in years does not.
2) The employee told me of cuts and what not and she may be mis-informed.I did not ask her that, would have been really rude.
3) I have loved BGE from way back when it was the OLD COUNTRY,I even tell my kids about the Fun House ( Turvey Manor ) that used to be where Corkscrew Hill is.It is one of my favorite parks anywhere in the world.....Always thought it was beautiful.But $7,000,000 in budget cuts cant be hidden,and it is not hidden and can be seen by guests that have been going since it opened way back in the 70's.
I love Busch Gardens as well as you, I just want it to keep its edge it has always, had as well as its high quality standards
From BGE's Facebook page:
the bat closed because it was designed poorly. the track was not banked so it caused undue stress on the trains. Same thing with Alpen Flung. The Messershmidt company wanted to keep costs down so they went against Werner Stengels recommendation that the track be banked.
This is freaking stupid. Big Bad Wolf is a terrific coaster and an iconic piece of amusement park history. It is without question the most thrilling suspended coaster in North America and it is the only true family coaster at the park. This is a terrible business move. Boooo to InBev for not understanding the value of the classic roller coaster.
Damn. This year will bring about the death of both my First Coaster (Big Bad Wolf) and my First Wooden Coaster ( Starliner)
Glad I have a Busch Gardens Europe Trip coming in mid August.
R.I.P to both the Big Bad Wolf and the Starliner.
I rode BIg Bad Wolf for the last time yesterday and waited an hour to ride in the front row for the last ride. Its such a fun and unique ride, it's sad to see it go after only 25 years. It has more swinging than any other suspended coaster in the US and its not even close. Its Busch Garden's most prominant family ride so it puzzles me why they are removing it. They better be planning something big to replace it. Theres a whole lot of land back there now.
It would be cool if they put in a Woodie. PTC trains are still in production and most of the coaster's parts are available at Lowes or Home Depot's lumber dept. I know I sound like a hopeless broken record but why not Starliner?
YouTube - DC TALK - My friend So Long
So long my friend. The last day is today.
We got one last ride on the Big Bad Wolf this morning. I have been going to BGE since it opened but never rode it until today. I wish that I hadn't waited so long...
Since we're doing musical tributes:
YouTube - Goodbye AUDIO ADRENALINE
One of our fans on our Facebook page was at the park yesterday and did a photosynth of the ride. You can view that here. Big thanks to David Rushnock!
Sorry for my late response. I just got back from my sister's in Norfolk. From what I could tell from my two visits to BGE while I was up there, EVERYONE in the Hampton Roads area knew the Wolf was to be retired. I was only able to get three rides due to the lines on both days, however I'll remember them well. Over all, I only have four rides on the Big Bad Wolf. After seeing how good the old coaster looked, and how fun it is, I really question why they would retire it. To me the coaster seemed to still have many years left in it. Its a shame its now gone.
Farewell, Big Bad Wolf, you were my first, and will forever be one of my favorites.
For real my first brush with an agressive coaster. I think I tally three rides total: '91-92ish(I couldn't tell you if Drachen Fire was there as I was so pre-enthusiast), 1999, and 2007