Busch Gardens Williamsburg (BGW BGE) Discussion Thread

^I totally agree with you. A drop tower is usually one of my favorite rides in a park.

Especially if it's an Intamin.

Aside from the drop tower conversation, it looks like Apollo will be getting a new lift motor! At about 10:50 Sunday morning, we noticed some strong vibrations that were even felt through the cement station floor. We called the ride down, maintanance looked at it for 3 hours, and decided to call it closed for the day. There are cranes on site at the moment, and it should be back up in a week or so. (Hopefully)

Just a heads up if you're planning on coming to BG soon

^ Was there today. I was sad to see my #4 coaster sitting idle...

BTW, can you comment or speculate over the location or designer of the proposed BGW drop tower (a.k.a. Der Fallinfast!)

There's no way they build an Intamin drop tower with another one just an hour away, is there?

Stranger things have happened...

How for away from Great White did they build Goliath?

Knott's built Silver Bullet more than a year after SFMM's Batman debuted.

There MUST be an example that doesn't involve a B&M invert.

--Robb

^SFA built Joker's Jinx 90 minutes away from Flight of Fear, although I highly doubt that many members of the GP even realize it's the same ride.

I hope there is a good bit of theming to help differentiate the ride from KD's tower.

Does anyone know what's going on with Apollo's Chariot? It's been closed down since Sat/Sunday.

Look back at the last page, and you will find your answer.

^ Was there today. I was sad to see my #4 coaster sitting idle...

 

BTW, can you comment or speculate over the location or designer of the proposed BGW drop tower (a.k.a. Der Fallinfast!)

I wish I could

Apollo should be up in 5 days. Key word: SHOULD

^It was running today--and very well, I might add.

Based on BGW's "copying" of Spider-Man and Soarin', I was really hoping this would be more Tower-of-Terror-ish.

I'm kinda disappointed that it's probably going to be some sort of drop tower, I'm just not that huge of a fan. I feel like BGW could've come up with something better, unless it's going to amazing and make me eat my words... I was looking at the Tampa thread and it looks like they're getting a new coaster so hopefully a sister coaster will make its way to Williamsburg soon!

http://www.tradingmarkets.com/news/stock-alert/tol_kingsmill-deal-said-to-be-near-1007608.html

With a deal expected in about a week, speculation is running high on who will buy Kingsmill Resort. Kingsmill residents report that low-level employees are saying Blackstone is it. The Gazette reported June 9 that Blackstone was the front-runner over Marriott and Toll Brothers.

 

Not so fast, says John Gerner, managing director of Richmond-based Leisure Business Advisors, which offers guidance to tourist attraction developers and operators, from resorts and museums to amusement parks and zoos. Gerner knows Busch Gardens, having worked his way up in the 1970s from a ride operator and ending in the finance department after graduating from the College of William & Mary in 1980. A couple of stars are misaligned for a Blackstone bid, he believes. First, were Blackstone interested it would likely have picked up the resort and spa at the same time it bought 10 theme parks from Busch. "Blackstone has the money to do what it wants," he said Monday, noting that the company would not have delayed the Kingsmill buy because of finances. Instead, company execs likely weighed Kingsmill at the time and decided against it.

 

Gerner hedged. "I wouldn't be surprised if they were the buyer," he said. He acknowledged a trend in the theme park industry to associate hotels with the parks. Blackstone reportedly also wants to take Busch Gardens year-round.

 

Blackstone also owns at least seven resorts in the chain Center Parcs Europe, as well as all of Center Parcs UK, so the company knows the resort market.

 

Finances will be the deciding factor, Gerner said. And despite the proximity to Busch Gardens, Kingsmill isn't a given for Blackstone. "It comes back to if they feel that would be of value to them," he said. "I would imagine Blackstone would not be uncomfortable with someone else owning it." He believes it's more likely the resort will pass to an entity that is centrally focused on resorts.

 

That keeps the door open to Marriott, which despite sharp losses because of the recession is showing signs of recovery (see box). Marriott also owns the hotel outside the front gate of Kingsmill as well as a big timeshare resort at Ford's Colony.

 

Whoever buys Kingsmill Resort will have to share with the homeowners association the cost of the 24-hour security force as well as maintaining and repairing the three main roads of Kingsmill, Mounts Bay and Wareham's Pond. Residents are responsible for their own neighborhood streets, but are prepared.

 

Edgar Brown, who chairs the Contingency Planning Committee for KCSA, reiterated in an interview Monday that the homeowner association has sufficient reserves to cover the $400,000-$600,000 needed annually to keep up the streets. The capital expense budget for roads extends three years out and fluctuates depending on need, he said. Brown added that the closing of the sale will clarify all agreements and deeds involving the roads, gatehouses and other matters over the years. "When everything is documented, it will memorialize that which we have done historically," he said.

 

Locally, Blackstone seems to be most focused on Busch Gardens itself, having just received a height waiver for a new tower attraction.

 

"I think that's a good sign," Gerner said. "It shows a level of commitment. Busch is very well regarded. The feeling a year ago was that the best thing that Blackstone could do was leave them alone."

 

There was some initial fear that the investment group would focus solely on the bottom line to the loss of quality, then flip the parks. "That obviously does not seem to be the case."

Blackstone reportedly also wants to take Busch Gardens year-round.

I would brave the cold to go ride coasters in our off season

^ Sadly Griffon is the only coaster that can brave below 44 degrees... (It closes at 40*)

^Interesting. Christmas Town extended the park's "season" all the way until the end of December last year. I'm not sure how well this would work during the rest of the winter. Colonial Williamsburg lays off quite a few employees from Janaury until March because of reduced hours and business. Williamsburg does tend to be pretty quiet until the spring, when the school groups start arriving again.

^ Sadly Griffon is the only coaster that can brave below 44 degrees... (It closes at 40*)

And considering how cold last winter was, even that won't be open many days.

I kind of have an idea, like how on i305 they have the wheel-coolers, but they could install mini-heaters on the wheels, or the tracks, to keep the track at a good temperature...

Blackstone reportedly also wants to take Busch Gardens year-round.

 

I would brave the cold to go ride coasters in our off season

I'd be willing to drive 6 hours for coasters in January or February. I have ridden coasters in the low 40's with somewhat strong wind in October and there are some warm days once in a while in the winter.

I don't think year round would be practical. They may be considering the idea of going to year-round after the extreme popularity of Christmastown... BUT, The January to March period would be a money wasting stretch. BGE doesn't have winter attractions. I think the operating schedule they are currently using is quite effective. (March-October) (Late November-Late December)

I'm with KDCoasterMan on this one, Busch open year round wouldn't work. Nowhere near enough business during the cold season to justify it being open. And as others have said, temperatures wouldn't be high enough to run rides a lot of days anyway.

I kind of have an idea, like how on i305 they have the wheel-coolers, but they could install mini-heaters on the wheels, or the tracks, to keep the track at a good temperature...

Drachen Fire had those because it failed its first test run (stalled going into the Wraparound Corkscrew) to allow it to run when cold.

I think it's stupid how they won't run coasters below 40 degrees. I've been up at SFNE during there closing weekend and it had to be below freezing and S:RoS at the time was hauling.

^Same with me at CP. I was riding Millennium Force while it was 35 degrees and snowing. That was a really weird ride.

I remember riding all the coasters at SFOG on one of their Fright Fest nights when it was around 28-29 degrees,being from Florida I loved riding the coasters in the cold and getting off with your face feeling like an ice cube.

I rode Big Bad Wolf during a snow storm once . . . oh wait, can't do that anymore. I know that if the temperature drops below 42 degrees, they can't run Alpengeist or Griffon (I imagine the same applies to Apollo's Chariot). Griffon was running during Christmas Town, if it was warm enough.