Who said old Arrows were rough and uncomfortable? Well many of us have, and I have countless times as well thanks to some traumatic experiences, especially on a particular snake a few miles North of Busch, but let’s not talk about that horrid ride. But somehow Busch Gardens manages to be home of two mind-numbingly smooth and unique Arrows which still are some of my favorite coasters to this very day despite their age. While my least favorite of the two, the Big Bad Wolf is widely considered to be arguably the best suspended coaster anywhere thanks to the awesome atmosphere, thrilling ride, and absolutely amazing finale, and I really can’t complain after my stellar rides on the wolf.
Located in the park’s stellar Germany section of the park, the Big Bad Wolf is almost entirely hidden from view, awaiting its prey in the depths of Busch’s lush forests. But what can be seen is absolutely awe-inspiring and jaw-dropping. From the bridge linking Italy to Germany, one can gaze upon the highly-praised and legendary final plunge over the Rhine River. While the height is nothing compared to newer, more colossal coasters, seeing each car swing parallel to the lake is simply an amazing sight and definitely made me anticipate one of the most highly-rated coasters anywhere even more. I had seen this glorious picture so many times in videos and images, but nothing can at all compare to the real thing.
So how are lines for this famous coaster? Thankfully the park wasn’t overly crowded while I visited Busch a few years! My wait equated to about 15-20 minutes; however, the attraction was plagued by slow dispatches due to the ride’s incredibly long length. Granted, that’s not necessarily the park’s fault, but if Wolf could safely operate an additional train, it would definitely help with lines on far busier days. Also, I may have just caught this on a bad day, but there were a few minor breakdowns and technical glitches that caused some pretty bad stacking in addition to already slow dispatches. In addition, I definitely recommend waiting the extra few minutes for the front seat at least once because the visuals and added sense of danger really enhanced my experience significantly.
Following the first and shorter of the two lift hills, there was a modest plunge that wasn’t that intense at all, but it did however establish plenty of speed, leading to some great swinging occurring throughout the first half. And boy was the swinging great, as it was not only thrilling, but it was also incredibly disorienting thanks to the ride’s close interaction with the very nicely themed village that surrounds the attraction. While often Wolf’s second half receives all the acclaim, the first half is very good in its own right as it sets the tone for what will follow.
But the second half really is the highlight of the attraction. Following a very long and slow lift comes the legendary plunge over the Rhine. Now while I said it doesn’t look all that tall off ride, it feels almost twice as big hanging over the drop and its easily one of the most intimidating drops I’ve ever experienced. The speed built up is insane, even with the trim brake, and there even is a tiny pop of air in the back. While the drop is good, it’s the wild turn immediately after taken at breakneck speeds that really won me over. And just as it had appeared, I really did become parallel with the river! However, following that turn are a few more tight turns that are just as intense just before hitting the brake-run. What a finale! Heck, even after hitting the brake run, the cars remain swinging for quite some time thanks to the ferocious speed the finale is taken at.
The Big Bad Wolf was my first and currently only suspended coaster, but despite this I can tell that very few out there could possibly triumph this gem of a coaster. Not only is it incredibly thrilling thanks to the insane swinging featured throughout, but the entire ride is glass-smooth from beginning to end with absolutely no bumpiness or roughness. Really the only negatives I can think of were the aforementioned breakdowns. Now back in ’06, this was the worst of the park’s four coasters, but that’s simply more attributed to the sheer quality of Busch’s other coasters as well. Definitely save some time for this rip-rollicking journey through the woods!
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