Busch Gardens Williamsburg (BGW BGE) Discussion Thread

[QueerRudieFull Fledged Meat Enthusiast!]

Sorry to throw water on your parade Rudie, but CF accepted $2.5 million from Intamin in 2005. (Things that make you go Hm...).

That's news to me- Where do you have evidence of this? I'd be curious to see if it was a contract payment- or rather a reliablity clause (More plausable) for the downtime that TTD experienced.

[Thom25Don't let this donkey melt you with its laser eyes!]

It was in their annual report and didn't go into specifics as to what the check was for. One can assume there was a clause in their contract for Intamin with TTD that Intamin would pay if they built a clone in the US, or at least that's how I interpreted it. We'll never see the TTD contract, so it's anyone's guess, but the payment was disclosed on their financials.

[QueerRudieFull Fledged Meat Enthusiast!]

It was in their annual report and didn't go into specifics as to what the check was for. One can assume there was a clause in their contract for Intamin with TTD that Intamin would pay if they built a clone in the US, or at least that's how I interpreted it. We'll never see the TTD contract, so it's anyone's guess, but the payment was disclosed on their financials.

I'd be mighty suspicious if Intamin did that; it simply doesn't make business sense- for anybody...

Let me give you a little history here of why exclusive contracts end up being a bad idea- and in some cases, changing history:

In 1932, Boeing Aircraft Company owned United Airlines (In 1934, all manufacturers divested holdings in airlines, this went for Lockheed as well) and decided that United needed a new plane to one-up the competition. Being foresighted, they created the model 247- a single-winged all steel plane that seated... a whopping 10 people. It bested the competition by 50 MPH, and flew longer legs than other planes. TWA, before being owned by Howard Hughes, went to Boeing and wanted to purchase 50 of these new planes- and Boeing, being short-sighted, turned them down- saying that production of the new plane would be exclusive to it's own United Airlines for the first four years.

TWA, not one to give up, went to Long Beach- and Douglas Aircraft co, with a similar specifiacation: Only make it 4 seats larger, and make it with better design: The DC1 is born. Further improvments that the 247 wasn't able to replicate were done to the DC1, creating the DC3- the world's best selling (And longest lasting; nearly 1000 are STILL flying today) airplane. The DC3, which came out in 1935, seated 21-28 people, flew 100 mph FASTER than the 247, and could go much farther in better comfort. It was SO good... that United after being divested from Boeing bought the DC3 as well- not to mention the 14,000 Douglas produced for WWiI, and the 4500 the Soviets made themselves (the Li2). Boeing, having lost their pants on the 247 didn't produce another airliner for mass sale till 1946- the Stratocruiser- and then later the Jet 707. The rest is history from there.

In the amusement industry, it would be suicide to sell only one of a ride when you have quite a bit of competiton. There are quite a bit more builders of large-scale rides now than 15 years ago, and now there are more breaking into the market every decade: Look at PAX for example, or Zierer now building large-scale rides (The ESC coasters, for example).

I think when it comes down to it, there isn't an exclusive contract on I305, Intamin and KD, but rather: A better price was offered by Zierer- and in turn the choice of Mack for Manta at SWSD.

[Thom25Don't let this donkey melt you with its laser eyes!]

Rudie - I installed a Dunkin' Donuts within the Central Intellegence Agency in Langley VA. I understand contracts and know how billion dollar organizations work. It is a FACT CF cashed a $2.5 million check from Intamin, and in my opinion, makes a TON of sence that CF would protect themselves as Intamin drives their business. We can just agree to disagree, since neither of us will ever see the contract in question.

[Stevo1091I Guess Donkeys Are Okay]

Rudie - I installed a Dunkin' Donuts within the Central Intellegence Agency in Langley VA. I understand contracts and know how billion dollar organizations work. It is a FACT CF cashed a $2.5 million check from Intamin, and in my opinion, makes a TON of sence that CF would protect themselves as Intamin drives their business. We can just agree to disagree, since neither of us will ever see the contract in question.

To me that just doesn't make sense, I'm with Rudie on this one.

[T-BONDIcoasterkidI wrote the book about donkeys!]

So many contracts... hurts my eyes

[kingadam719Can I park my donkey here?]

^ Same here! I honestly don't care either!

[AndrewRnRBeware of the Magic Donkey at Lotte World!]

While it is hard to ever "prove" the contracts rumors there have been a few others:

- Busch parks having an exclusively clause for dive machines in the US
- Paramount Parks having an exclusively clause for the flyer coaster by Vekoma. The story goes Paramount Parks helped fund the R&D for the concept and in turn got a contract hoping to install them at their other parks. They weren't thrilled with the results of Stealth and dropped the contract - giving SF the chance to build X-Flight which ironically ended up at Kings Island afterall. (Some rumors even go so far as to claim as X-Flight was already in production for Kings Island or another Paramount Park when they decided to give up on the project - giving SF a chance to snatch up a coaster already in production - hence why X-Flight was announced later in the off-season and the construction started very late).

Those are just some rumors/word on the street I have heard over the years- can't say if they are completely true but good stories non the less. Exclusively clause isn't bad business, rather I would say its smart business. Other industries do it - for example most band's concert contracts with venues restrict them from playing another venue within so many miles within a date range from their show at that venue.

[BG Noeit AlShe turned me into a donkey! I got better...]

I think everyone is loosing sight of the main topic, this isn't the contract forum, lol, this is the Busch Gardens Williamsburg forum. I think we need to try to shift back to that.

Anyways, I think BGW wouldn't need an exclusivity clause or what not seeing that there is only 1 park nearby it and they don't seem to care about making similar coasters. I'm just saying KD seems to just want fast and tall rides. But we all know being faster or taller doesn't mean you are better. But yeah, I don't think BGW needs anything like that.

BGW News -

1) Mach Tower is still testing. Late night work hasn't been going on for a while now, it just seems to be daytime testing. Hopefully, that is a good sign.

2) 2012 Coaster (Rumored: Verbolten) seems to be going well. There is still a big hole in the ground and some footers have been poured from what I have seen, I still need to go back and see what else is new there.

3) Howl-o-Scream is starting off, sorta. We know Monster Stomp Revamped is back. There is a spider/chainsaw scare zone in New France and 13: Your Number's Up is a maze from the first year of Howl-o-Scream is coming back to Ireland in the Europe in the Air Queue. So no more EitA during Fall. The latest rumors going around is that the Pompeii maze is being re-done to make way for a new Subway Zombie themed maze. Also, the next this to be revealed is a maze which I am assuming by my hypothesis is to be located in France. A new show called Dig it up is also rumored to replace Mix it up in San Marco. Here is a list I complied so far:

HAUNTED HOUSES:
3 *CONFIRMED* 13: Your Number's Up (Ireland, Killarney, EitA Queue)
4 *Guessed* Royal Palace Theater Backstage?
6 *Guessed* Drachen Fire Queue Building?
10 *Rumored* Clown Fair (Italy, Festa Italia, "Cursed" Area)
12 *Rumored* The Dead Zone (Greece, Pompeii, Pompeii Warehouse)
SCARE ZONES:
2 *CONFIRMED* Widow Makers (France, New France)
7 *Guessed* Germany, Rhinefeld Area?
9 *Rumored* Clown Zone (Italy, Festa Italia)
11 *Guessed* Wild Reserve Area?
SHOWS:
1 *CONFIRMED* Monster Stomp Revamped (Ireland, Killarney, Abbeystone Theater)
5 *Guessed* Jack is Back?
8 *Guessed* Das Festhaus Show?
13 *Rumored* Dig It Up (Italy, San Marco, Teatro Il San Marco)

Anything about this list sound interesting, let's all talk about it.

4) Christmas Town is not looking anywhere near ready. All we can say is Rejoice was taken off of last years map, so maybe the map was updated a little bit. The latest rumors going around is Rejoice is not returning and A Sesame Street Christmas will be replaced with a new show.

I do plan on visiting the park as a guest sometime soon and I hope to get pictures fro everyone

Now you may resume to your regular Busch Gardens Williamsburg talk and rumors.

[T-BONDIcoasterkidI wrote the book about donkeys!]

When I went to BGW on July 19th Mach Tower was testing, but when I asked Danny (netdvn) if it was still testing as of the 22nd he said no. I am confused, is it testing or not?