Big Bad Wolf

**Big Bad Wolf** was a suspended roller coaster in the Oktoberfest section of Busch Gardens Williamsburg. Designed by Arrow Dynamics, the roller coaster opened to the public on June 15, 1984. The ride was in service for more than 25 years before closing permanently on September 7, 2009. The footers, queue line, and station were re-purposed for Verbolten, a roller coaster that was introduced in 2012.

## History

Prior to the construction of Big Bad Wolf, Anton Schwarzkopf had designed a prototype ("Flying Coaster") for the park. Even though three-quarters of the new ride had been built, the ride was never completed, and was later completely scrapped. Busch Gardens then handed the contract to Arrow Dynamics, who built the ride known as the Big Bad Wolf.

After the failure of The Bat at Kings Island, Arrow Development/Arrow Huss refined its own suspended roller coaster concept and opened XLR-8 at Six Flags Astroworld in 1984. Big Bad Wolf was supposed to open on March 18, but it got delayed. Despite this, it was completed and opened shortly thereafter in June. XLR-8 continued to operate until the closure of Astroworld in 2005.

On July 24, 2009, it was announced that the Big Bad Wolf would be retired after 25 years of operation. It officially closed on September 7, 2009. The land once occupied by Big Bad Wolf was cleared afterwards to make room for the construction of Verbolten, a new roller coaster that opened at the park in 2012.

While the Drachen Fire roller coaster was in operation from 1992 to 1998, guests waiting in its line queue could view the Big Bad Wolf's village-themed area of the ride, as the pathway was situated nearby and offered a viewing area. Access to the viewing area was closed following Drachen Fire's demise in 1998. The final drop and turns were still visible to guests on the Rhinefield Bridge area of the park, which continues to provide unobstructed views of Verbolten.

## Ride experience

Following a safety announcement and recorded departure message, "Thank you and enjoy traveling at the speed of fright!", the track would start out with two small dips out of the station, turning left and right before ascending the first lift hill. It would then travel down the first drop. After this, the train would steer its way though a mock Bavarian village, narrowly missing houses and shops. The ride completed three turns, first to the left, then the right, then the left, each of approximately 180 degrees. After the third turn, riders hit a straight piece of track, then headed towards a helix through a wooded area adjacent to the village.

The train then entered a set of block brakes. Following these, it turned right and began to ascend a second lift hill, which climbed towards the park's mock Rhine River. At the top of the 100-foot (30 m) lift, riders turned 90 degrees to the left, before traveling down a 80-foot (24 m) drop, barreling straight towards the river at 48 miles per hour (77 kilometres per hour), swooping to the left in close proximity to the water.

Originally, mist machines were used to enhance the effect that the train was too close to the water. In the early 1990s, however, those machines were removed. After passing by the mist machines, the train made a 180 degree turn up and to the right, followed by a straight section where the trains would swing freely, before a final 180 degree left hand turn into the final brake run, which then returned riders to the boarding station.