Farewell Big Bad wolf 64 photos HERE at Flickr. At the time of this writing (around 10 PM on September 7), the Big Bad Wolf at Busch Gardens Williamsburg has taken its final ride ever (unless a few park officials or construction workers decide to sneak in one last one). In late July the park officially announced the removal, which had been rumored in the months prior. On August 27 I went to the park to get in some final rides. As I headed for the Wolf, it was hard to pass up a ride on Apollo's Chariot. This is still one of my favorite roller coasters; probably my second or third favorite steel. Awesome airtime, fantastic pacing, and to me the best setting of any hyper coaster. The park was celebrating the 10th anniversary of Apollo's Chariot. They were also celebrating the 25th anniversary of Big Bad Wolf. And what a way to celebrate it. To put up these signs while plotting the destruction of the coaster is a bit of a slap in the face. 25 years is not that long of a life span for a coaster. It is hard to believe that they cannot get more years out of it. According to the park, the ride has taken more than 29 million riders. With that, the question has to be asked: Why is Busch Gardens removing Big Bad Wolf? The official statement from the park is that it has "reached the end of its service life". It's hard to doubt that there is validity to that. By nature suspended coasters are tough to maintain, and Arrow Dynamics no longer exists to manufacture parts for them. There will only be five Arrow suspended coasters operating in the world with the removal of Big Bad Wolf. However, I believe there is a much more significant reason why Big Bad Wolf is being removed. It can be traced back to the Drachen Fire roller coaster, which was constructed behind Big Bad Wolf in 1992. The coaster's life span was very short, as it closed in 1998, and was destroyed in 2002. The ride had very low ridership, in part due to roughess, but also because of the location behind Big Bad Wolf. The ride was not visible to guests and the one path leading to it was in a corner of the park. The result is that there is a large piece of land behind Big Bad Wolf that is difficult to use due to the suspended coaster being in the way. Suddenly the decision to remove the coaster becomes a bit easier. Once Big Bad Wolf has come down, the large section of land I have marked on this satellite image becomes available. The longest running and most logical rumors are that a new country, Spain, will be added, along with a B&M flying coaster. Spain makes perfect sense as it is the largest Western European country unrepresented at Busch Gardens. The flying coaster is also logical due to the relationship Busch has with B&M and the fact that Sea World Orlando (a Busch park) just built a B&M flyer this year. The potential for a new land and new coaster is great; it really could be a wonderful addition to what is already one of my favorite parks in the world. But, is it worth sacrificing Big Bad Wolf? In my opinion, no. There has been an uproar over the Big Bad Wolf's removal that is really unlike many ride removals I have ever seen. It is not just coaster enthusiasts up in arms, but the average park guest as well. The announcement has received a lot of media attention and buzz. For many people, this was their first coaster. It is the only ride at Busch Gardens that can truly be enjoyed by the entire family. Apollo's Chariot, Griffon, Alpengeist, and perhaps Loch Ness Monster are all a bit too extreme, and Grover's Alpine Express is targeted only to children. It is a well known ride as well. Long before I ever went to Busch Gardens for the first time, I remember watching roller coaster specials on television that featured the Big Bad Wolf, with it's huge drop skimming the lake and swooping turns through the Bavarian village. There is really no other ride like it in the world. As I mentioned above, there are five other Arrow suspended coasters operating, but none really have the character of this ride. The woods that envelop the coaster are the result of 25 years of growth. The hillside drop and turn over the water is one of the greatest signature moments of any ride in the world. With so many cookie cutter coasters and cloned rides around the world, Big Bad Wolf stands out as something truly unique. So, that is why the Big Bad Wolf cannot be replaced. A new country and a new roller coaster may be amazing. I will be excited to see what is announced for the site, and I'm sure it will be done well, because that is the only way that Busch does things. But, no matter how good it is, it won't make up for removing such a unique attraction. I also have a hard time believing that a new roller coaster will make as good a use of the terrain and landscape the way Big Bad Wolf does. At the time of this article, I have been on well over 300 different roller coasters. Big Bad Wolf was number 14, and I was 12 years old when I first rode it. It fascinated me the first time I took the trip at "the speed of fright", and it still did when I took my last ride on this day. In fact, I would put it right up there with Alpengeist and Griffon, its more modern neighbors. I made my way around the rest of the park during the day, which was very light on crowds. Curse of DarKastle is still an excellent dark ride. Alpengeist is one of my favorite inverted coasters. I still like Griffon a lot as well. I suspected it would not have as much staying power as the other rides, but was wrong. Loch Ness Monster shows its age much more than Big Bad Wolf, but it is still a unique ride (the only coaster left in the world with interlocking loops). I have never been bored at this park, despite having been quite a few times, even on days where there are low crowds. While there are not as many coasters or rides as a lot of other parks, there is a focus on quality, and there is more to do than the rides, such as see and interact with animals. Also, pretty good food as far as amusement parks go. It is just overall a fantastic park. I have been to around 70 different parks, and Busch Gardens is still one of my favorites. That makes the decision to remove Big Bad Wolf that much tougher for me to accept. Before, they were one of those rare parks for me that could really do little wrong, but now not so much. This is a black mark, even though I can understand where they are coming from in a business perspective. Rides get removed from parks every year, and I hardly even notice. This one is different, though. I am a Busch passholder, and I am not sure how much interest I have in going to the park next year to see a bunch of dirt on the hillside where the coaster was. There will definitely be a void in the park's ride lineup until they replace it. I am glad that the park at least announced the closing date in advance so that everyone could make plans to ride one final time. I would have been much more angry if I had not made it out to the park this year and then suddenly it was gone. The view from the long bridge over the Rhine River is going to look very different, that's for sure. If a new coaster is put in, it would be a crime for it not to take advantage of the terrain like Big Bad Wolf does here. So, there it is. The end of an era at Busch Gardens Williamsburg. The replacement of this ride will probably be the most critical thing the park has ever done, because they have a great opportunity with the amount of land being opened up, but will also be facing more scrutiny than ever since whatever they do comes at the expense of a favorite ride. I am sure the park recognizes this pressure and is aware of the number of people upset over the removal. There will likely be a lot of excitement next year or whenever the plans are announced for that area, but for now it is all about the Big Bad Wolf, which was a great ride until the end, and now joins an always growing list of legendary lost roller coasters. Return Home Content copyright Jonathan Hawkins