Problematic Roller Coasters - Big Bad Wolf - The Lost Legend of Busch Gardens

👟 Click the link vessi.com/ELTORORYAN and use my ELTORORYAN for 15% off your entire order! Free shipping to CA, US, AU, JP, TW, KR, SGP.
Big Bad Wolf was a relatively short lived legend. It operated at Busch Gardens Williamsburg from 1984 to 2009, and was quite an awesome roller coaster! In this video, we explore the ride's history and upbringing, ride experience, and operational quirks and flaws!
Comment below your experience with Big Bad Wolf if you got to ride!
Loch Ness Monster Problematic Coasters - • Problematic Roller Coa...
Drachen Fire Problematic Coasters - • Problematic Roller Coa...
Check out the ElToroRyan Merch Store!
teespring.com/stores/eltorory...
Follow the channel on Social Media!
Facebook - / eltororyan
Instagram - @ElToroRyan / eltororyan
Twitter - @ElToroRyan / eltororyan
Discord Server - / discord
Channel artwork designed by Casie Jo Johnson! @blockbrakes
Closed Captions by Pineapples Foster Media Services allmylinks.com/pineapples-foster
Video Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
01:32 - The Old Country
06:18 - Competition
09:24 - Construction Drama
18:55 - Opening Drama
22:02 - Ride Layout
24:19 - Opening Year
29:29 - Block Zones, Control System, and Operations
36:09 - More Modifications
39:59 - Incidents
42:03 - Why Did the Ride Close?
Video Sources:
Scott Shellstrom - • Busch Gardens - The Bi...
DrachenWolf (Supposed to be WTVR CBS 6) - • CBS 6 Video Vault: 198...
13News Now - • From 1984: A bumpy sta...
13News Now - • Second Look: Invasion ...
13News Now - • From 1984: Vincent Pri...
13News Now - • Michael Jackson - Thri...
13News Now - • From 1984: The officia...
13News Now - • 13News Now Archives: 1...
Hbvideos - • Busch Gardens Williams...
Screamscape - • Big Bad Wolf - Busch G...
Net38 - • Roller Coaster Thrills...
Sean Flaharty - • Big Bad Wolf - The Fin...
Themeparkfanatic - • Remnants of the Big Ba...
shanehuish - • Arrow - Big Bad Wolf
shanehuish - • Arrow - Loch Ness Monster
shanehuish - • Kings Island The Bat
Bionic Disco - • Busch Gardens 'Old Cou...
The Media Hoarder - • Kings Dominion commerc...
Billy Hott - • Busch Gardens, William...
homemoviedepot - • Busch Gardens, William...
robatsea2009 - • Kings Dominion Amuseme...
KDGoldenYears - • -Kings Dominion 1982- ...
WAVY TV 10 - • WAVY Archive: 1980 Ope...
ThemeParkArchieves - • Kings Dominion 1979 Th...
Coaster Jeff - • Big Bad Wolf at Busch ...
CoasterNick3157 - • Grizzly At Kings Doimi...
CoasterNick3157 - • Big Bad Wolf at Busch ...
CoasterNick3157 - • Drachen Fire At Busch ...
Gigidag77 - • [1978] "Shock Wave" at...
CBS 8 San Diego - • Magic Mountain 1978
Peter Wood - • The Official Video of ...
Kings Island - • Fly with The Original ...
Kevin Hulme - • The Bat (Kings Island)...
Kevin Hulme - • How did they do That? ...
Michael Foster - • XLR8,
CoasterForce - • Big Bad Wolf Front Sea...
Michael Jackson - • Michael Jackson - Thri...
Lori Bradley - • Video
Coasterrider - • #Shorts - Chain Dog vs...
Menachem Piekarski - • 2 different povs big b...
BGWFans - • Big Bad Wolf
BGWFans - • Big Bad Wolf's Final Day
Josh Reeves The Global Reality Channel - • America Screams (1978)...
Canada's Wonderland - • Official POV - Vortex ...
Brian Knight - • Cedar Point Trip 1987
Chessington World of Adventures - • VAMPIRE at Chessington...
Busch Gardens Williamsburg and Water Country USA - • Official Verbolten POV...
Music:
Mystery Documentary Cinematic Music by cleanmindsounds
70s Cop TV Show Funk - Frank Perez
Music by Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio

[@ElToroRyan]

👟 Click the link vessi.com/ELTORORYAN and use my ELTORORYAN for 15% off your entire order! Free shipping to CA, US, AU, JP, TW, KR, SGP.

[@TheTotallyRealXiJinping]

@Maddox2021 - Comedy and More Alternate man makes free videos for us. Let him make some cheddar you hater

[@TheTotallyRealXiJinping]

@Maddox2021 - Comedy and More Alternate Cry more about creators making money little kid. Your opinion is shit

[@joanaguayoplanell4912]

When will European rides get covered? I'm dying to see Dragon Khan or Furius Baco get covered, and ESPECIALLY Stampida, wich got significantly less enjoyable after they swapped the trains.

[@pamelaharnage]

Do you know what happened to the Sandblaster a rollercoaster that was once at Six Flags over Georgia?

[@HockeyGUY66871]

Purchased a pair of these a few months back and love em. I have decided i will only buy vessis from here on out forever

[@tufab3494]

If there's a roller coaster that deserves a 50-minute documentary, it's definitely the Big Bad Wolf. RIP to this legend.

[@shaggyhopkins]

All the OG rides at BGW are amazing. Loch Ness, Big Bad Wolf, Drachen Fire. They're my holy trinity of roller coasters and the ones I grew up on.

[@stalefish1873]

Probably not, but there's a 50 min tutorial about block zones on ever one of his videos.

[@woody72691]

Oh For Heaven's Sake it's been gone for years please get over it it's gone

[@tufab3494]

@@woody72691 bro, what?

[@tufab3494]

@@stalefish1873 and for those who are unfamiliar, a block zone is a section of track...

[@roberttysec4122]

“A few centimeters” and “Many centimeters” are without a doubt the best measurements in one of Ryan’s videos ever. 😂

[@rebeccasteinke4357]

Also "lots of kg" 😂

[@TheWASHINGMACHINEBOY]

jokes aside, i think he did it because he didn't know the exact metric distance in centimeters or he was too lazy to do it in his head

[@ElijahRock92]

I'll be honest. I rode Verbolten very bitterly with my arms crossed. But when we hit that surprise drop and rolled out to the iconic river drop, I smiled and accepted it as a worthy successors. I still miss BBW though. It was my favorite ride at BGW second to Apollo's Chariot.

[@Syclone0044]

“Very bitterly with my arms crossed” 😂 👏🏼

[@scarletgoldenthorn]

It kills me that they got rid of Escape from Darkastle to put in yet another new coaster. Totally agree with you on Apollo’s Chariot, it’s my favorite.

[@Goliath146]

@@scarletgoldenthornever done pantheon

[@iKyuubi1995]

​@@scarletgoldenthorndarKoaster is pretty good though. Yeah its complete darkness but that aside it was a good ride for families

[@seancamp2703]

@Elijah I was the same way at first because The Wolf was such a legendary coaster. But that surprise drop on Verbolten helped me get over things.

[@Artbyhurricanyounot]

Woohoo!!! I’m glad you covered this, this was my very first roller coaster, at just 4 years old in 2001. I know that sounds SUPER young, but I have the photo my mom took of me as the train left the station. My dad bamboozled me into riding it and I was TERRIFIED. It took another 4 years for me to try it again, and I’m glad I did! I will forever miss this ride ❤️

[@juatin2020]

This was my first rollercoaster too! Rip big bad wolf :/

[@wesmcquillen]

Also my first coaster when I was 4... in 1985! I was actually on park staff running this coaster in the late 90s.

[@carport5814]

It was my first big roller coaster. I was barely tall enough (also at the age of 4) in 2009 right before they shut it down!

[@Hajimimashte]

it was my first coaster because i didnt want big drops and my friends were able to lie to me and say there werent any because the drop over the hill was hidden lmao

[@Artbyhurricanyounot]

@@Hajimimashte that is LITERALLY what my dad told me! Why did they do us dirty like that?? 🤣

[@mtfan]

If there’s one coaster I regret not getting to ride, this one is it. It was my mom’s absolute favorite coaster. I love Iron Dragon, and the Wolf was like 3x more intense.

[@ashleighelizabeth5916]

I've ridden a lot of different styles of coasters in my 50 years on the planet and nothing is quite like an Arrow Suspended coaster. I wish somebody would bring this design style back in a modern form.

[@ardzye5374]

@@ashleighelizabeth5916 Crazy fun fact. They were actually designed to be able to invert.

[@bretton_woods]

@@ashleighelizabeth5916 As a Brit, I never got to ride Big Bad Wolf but the closest I have got is the Vampire at Chessington World of Adventures (just outside of London) - also made by Arrow. And still operating to this day.

[@alexbedel6320]

The one I regret not getting on is Son of Beast.

[@rebeccasteinke4357]

Iron dragon was my first coaster ❤ I still love it. I was lucky enough to grow up less than an hour from cedar point

[@billsskiefc]

For all those watching…. Watch the back car on the last drop, being in the back you would swing out on the left turn and keep swinging all the way down the drop along with being yanked it was such an amazing sensation. The arrow suspended model will be my favorite retired coaster model. Thank you so much for making this video Ryan I’ve been waiting for it. As this being my home park Big Bad Wolf was my first roller coaster and I miss it so much 😢

[@staringcorgi6475]

Unrelated but i’m disappointed that on rct the arrow suspended has no banking

[@pokemonfanwsbgalt8574]

@@staringcorgi6475just go to planet coaster or TPT2

[@73gr]

Big Bad Wolf is gone, but not forgotten.

[@WarriorCat235]

Which is why I love how Busch Gardens still sells merchanise for Big Bad Wolf

[@diamondd8017]

@@WarriorCat235 they used to actually have wolves in a enclosure off to the side years ago as a nod to the ride. not sure if they still do but it is definitely a staple in the the 757 VA.

[@WarriorCat235]

@@diamondd8017 They still have the wolves for I saw them back in February ^^

[@va.cracker9318]

As my home park being 53 years old I was lucky enough to experience this park from day one of the doors opening. The wolf was an all time favorite and much wilder before the drag brakes were added on the final drop. Will never forget this awesome ride.

[@atn_holdings]

"Intamin would essentially act as the project manager" okay that perfectly confirms my intuition that a lot of early Intamin coasters are basically B&M coasters in disguise, since the Bolliger and the Mabillard had worked for Giovanolla and took off with the track and train design when they left

[@BliXXardStorm]

As someone whose home park is Busch Gardens, I loved learning more about this legendary attraction. I never knew it had this many problems! Like Ryan, I was once scared of roller coasters, but utterly fascinated with them. I never got to ride this coaster, but it looked awesome and I think it’s replacement was worthy of avenging the wolf. RIP 1985-2009!

[@thomasxl200]

I was so enamored by the video I forgot to comment just how much this means to me. Big Bad Wolf was my first roller coaster. I used to travel with my family down to Busch Gardens Williamsburg on a yearly basis, and that park is where I hit most of my major first coaster milestones. My first coaster, my first looper (Nessie), my first hyper (Apollo's Chariot). Really crushed they took this ride out because not only was it a sentimental favorite, but it really was a great ride.

[@Justin.Franks]

That drop at the end followed by a sharp curve over the river that really sent the cars swinging was such an incredible element. That and the excellent theming made Big Bad Wolf an outstanding coaster that I dearly miss.

[@MrAwesomeCC]

This one hit me hard because it was my first roller coaster ever. As you said in the video the low hight requirement made this one of the only rides for me at the age of 5. Even Lochness Monster's height is 48". I am currently an employee at BGW and I found out more about this coaster from this video than anyone else who works there. I now know why we play our clear track tone everytime we come up from a shut down and learning about the Big Bad Wolf incodent where Pop Brown lost his life. Also I never realized that verbolten payed tribute to Big Bad Wolf with its original concrete supports and the twists at the end. Thanks for bringing back some good childhood memories and informing me in the proccess. Excelent research and a great video.

[@Ihledome1]

It also pays tribute with a special license plate on one train.

[@skrounst]

YES! I loved this roller coaster. The lochness monster, and big bad wolf were my first coasters! I m PUMPED to watch this! Edit: I appreciate the research you put into this. The first 15 minutes with the newspaper articles, and other sources. Intamin initially being the manufacturer was stuff I didnt know at all. Also that old Intamin catalog you pictured at 10:26 would be a cool thing to have.

[@stoppropaganda2573]

For what its worth, I wish they kept Big Bad Wolf because it was a great ride and I could always take the younger kids in my family, giving them a thrilling roller coaster experience!

[@jamesliu7970]

Beautiful research and presentation as always. I’m wondering what other problematic coasters videos are coming up? IMO these would make great videos: - X2 - Lightning Rod - Volcano - Hypersonic XLC - Steel Curtain - Phantom’s revenge - Xccelerator - Superman: EFK - RMC raptors - Skyrush - Vekoma GIBs

[@thomasxl200]

He has mentioned X2 is coming so get excited

[@boltgaming248]

has he done for top thrill dragster

[@clubstep8244]

I would love to see one of Phantoms Revenge

[@vixen4327]

Volcano 😔

[@SubZeroYT]

@@boltgaming248 no but the Kingda Ka video applies

[@laurendisney]

This was the only roller coaster I would ride for YEARS. I remember it vividly, from the departure script to the scenery of the first half of the ride. I was so sad that it closed during a period of my life when a trip to Busch Gardens was not an option, and I live in hope that a similar coaster may rise one day (and that Verbroken will stop breaking down so much so I can get that drop towards the Rhine River again!)

[@ashleighelizabeth5916]

Sit back and enjoy ride at the speed of FRIGHT! Ride Ops were so great on on this coaster!

[@mandachaos]

Big bad wolf was both mine and my brothers first roller coaster with our now deceased mother. My family has worked for BG for a very very long time and when they took down Big bad wolf I stood on the Italy bridge watching and cried my eyes out.

[@kyleh0122]

I was fortunate enough to ride the Wolf on two occasions, once in 2003 as a 12-year-old, and again in 2009 during its farewell season. Both times, the ride blew me away. And I have very fond memories of riding it, including that time my dad lost his sunglasses in the rhine river during the big drop. The first time, it was my favorite ride at the park. The second time, Griffon and Apollo’s Chariot took the top spots, but the Wolf still hadn’t lost any of its luster on that last trip. I haven’t been back to BGW since, so I haven’t had the chance to experience Verbolten, or any of the other new coasters at the park. But Big Bad Wolf still holds a very special place in my memory as one of my all-time favorite coasters.

[@johnf9710]

Riding BBW in back car was fantastic. The intensity of the swing from whipping around the turn at the top of the river drop (contrast being gradually lowered at the front) was one of my favorite coaster experiences.

[@mcloughlinguy4127]

I'm assuming that the maintenance issues huffed and puffed and blew the coaster down.

[@stormygirl84]

Yep. A friend of mine's husband used to work maintenance on the coasters at Busch. He said it was miserable trying to keep it running towards the end.

[@Juuchan17]

The Big Bad Wolf is such a fun coaster for me, especially since I remember experiencing it during summer camp in my childhood. Nowadays when I go to BGW, I'm not surprised that there's still merch being made to commemorate this ride, even this many years later. This video uncovered some lost childhood memories for me. Thank you for making such a wonderful tribute to a legendary ride.

[@squillz8310]

I'm grateful to have been able to ride both "The Bat" and "Iron Dragon." These Arrow Suspended Coasters are such a unique ride experience, and I've never had a bad ride on them, aside from maybe a longer wait time due to mechanical reasons. Also, I love the transition into the ad. So absurd it made me laugh. Thank you Ryan lmaoo. This was probably the most effective Vessi ad I've seen. All the others use the stock footage, but watching you drench them actually moved my opinion some

[@gingernutmeg8628]

Great video! Always happy to see Vincent Price getting involved in things. I am 95% sure though, that the commercial clip that is highly circulated (the only one I can find?) is not voiced by Vincent Price, unless they did horrible horrible things to his voice. Which would defeat the purpose of hiring him in the first place, as his voice is pretty iconic. It could just be that other TV commercials/radio commercials are just lost to time somewhere (a shame) since the News host in the extended version of that clip mentions it as well. Some fantastic films he's been in are House of Wax, The Fly, and House on Haunted Hill, (and many many more) He has a great video that he hosted called "America Screams" about rollercoasters and rollercoaster history in the late 70's

[@lauracontino269]

Yeah thats definitely not Vincent Price’s voice.

[@sunnyplace729]

Came here looking for this comment. Also, I felt ancient when he explained who Vincent Price was. I thought VP was part of our collective knowledge.

[@Tay_Sports]

As someone who isn't a huge fan of verbolten, I really wish they gave Big Bad Wolf the Hulk treatment. Since I love The Bat at Kings Island, I'm sure I would've loved this ride too.

[@Kipasaur]

I went on this ride back in 2004 or 2005 as a kid. This was literally the only coaster I wasn't super afraid to ride thanks to it not being a very tall coaster (heights are scary). This is one of the best coasters I've been on- even now as I explore more and overcoming the fear of heights.

[@jzckvsn]

Big Bad Wolf being one of the most legendary arrow suspended coasters, it sucks that it’s gone but at least verboten is somewhat a good replacement

[@shishsquared]

I'd rather have big bad wolf 🥲

[@Howlingburd19]

@@shishsquared a lot of people would. They really shouldn’t have gotten rid of it :P

[@reg1m0nz83]

i would've loved to see footage of the "air wolf" riding the track during maintenance. sounds badass!

[@Syclone0044]

Reminds me of the freight railroads’ LORAM Rail Grinder lol

[@MrJamieBattle]

Never expected less from you, Ryan. I was lucky to even ride the BBW 3-4 times.

[@blackmage471]

I'm glad I got to ride Big Bad Wolf before they tor it down. It was a breathtaking monster.

[@ijustwatchytman]

If I had a time machine, this is one of the coasters I wish I could go back and ride. It was closed back when I was still young and long before I started my coaster enthusiast journey. It's at least in my top 5 coasters I wish I got to ride along with Dueling Dragons and Volcano the blast coaster. May these legends rest in peace.

[@colindavidch]

I wish I was able to ride big bad wolf it looks like it was easily the best suspended coaster ever built. I think suspended coasters offer such a cool sensation that newer coasters have not matched since.

[@Hoodwinkle]

This was my very first roller coaster. Only one I was tall enough to ride. My uncle has a sign that used to hang inside the queue that he got when they were getting rid of things, it’s really cool. I’ve been going to Busch Gardens my entire life and I might be biased, but it’s so underrated in the theme park world. Things have fallen off a little bit these past few years there, but I hope to see them bounce back soon. This ride really means a lot to me and will always be close in my heart, it was such a joy to see someone spend the time and effort to give it the love it deserves. Thank you!

[@Syclone0044]

Whatttt! That sign sounds so cool!!!

[@PFMediaServices]

Thrilled to see this video at last! I'm having a little trouble reviewing the script 'cause I keep watching the footage instead. There's already something so beautiful about how roller coasters move; adding suspension simply mesmerizes me. EDIT: Those metric conversion jokes are pretty funny. Wonder where you came up with the idea? 😆 Great job, Ryan!

[@mikewalker4950]

I got to ride this (and drachen fire) on a school field trip in I think '97 or maybe '98. I don't remember much of it, but I do remember that drop and it was pretty epic at the time. Wish I could ride it again as an adult. Anywho, good stuff as always.

[@deluxedoorman]

Any memories of drachen fire?

[@ashleighelizabeth5916]

Drachen Fire was closed by the middle of 98 (but still standing) so if you rode it that year it had to be in the Spring. I went that year in the Fall and I remember the fencing erected to cover the Apollo's Chariot worksite and sadly not being able to ride Drachen Fire. She was sitting there in all her glory with one of the trains halfway up the lift hill but not open. Such a disappointment since I was still young enough not to care if a roller coaster had a reputation for being rough.

[@CoasterQueen8799]

I missed Big Bad Wolf by three years, but I'm grateful that my home park (Kings Island) still has a coaster of the same type (The Bat, 1993). I love the inclusion of little-known facts such as the weight of the trains and the purpose of the flag plates (I always wondered why the rear-most wheel assemblies look different from the rest!). Big Bad Wolf is one of a handful of defunct coasters which I wish I'd had the chance to ride, and while the current Bat at Kings Island isn't quite as big or famous, it's still quite fun and I will cherish it for as long as possible!

[@Earth1218]

In the Summer of 1986, The Loch Ness Monster was the first roller coaster I ever rode. The Big Bad Wolf was the 2nd. It was so cool how the individual cars would swing out to make it look like you were going to hit a building or tree. And when you bottomed out on the 2nd drop, water sprayed underneath the cars to make it feel like you hit the river. It was such a great coaster. I’m sad to see it is gone.

[@3dcoaster]

Your defunct-problematic coaster videos are always great and give us some new info we didn't know before. Keep up the great work!

[@NagiOki]

It breaks my heart to know the Big Bad Wolf is gone. It was such an iconic coaster, it made the park.

[@laurenn9047]

The Big Bad Wolf was the first roller coaster I ever rode! I live near BG, so I rode it many times over the years. I was really sad when they announced they were dismantling it. It was a super fun ride!

[@eaglescout1984]

A few other ways The Big Bad Wolf lives on in Verbolten: (spoilers for the attraction building ahead) -It reused BBW's ride station. Obviously all the technical parts were rebuilt for the new ride and the theming was changed. But, you still enter and exit the exact same way, including over the track as you exit, as you did previously and the train direction is the same. -Each of the trains feature European style license plates with references to the ride (one says "BLK FRST" for Black Forest). The plate on the [appropriately] red train is "WLF XING" (wolf crossing). -There are different themes used in the attraction building which are selected at random. One of those themes incorporates wolf eyes in the dark and howls and growls of wolves.

[@stormchaser419]

Thankfully rode it in 1992. The best! No suspended coaster ever matched it.

[@elicash233]

My favorite coaster of all time. Like so many have said no other coaster deserves a treatment like this video. Excellent work.

[@joelmoore886]

That was an amazing documentary! I am impressed with how you were able to find so many wonderful details about an older coaster like this. I am an older enthusiast and had the pleasure to ride the Big Bad Wolf in the summer of 1987. I absolutely loved it!

[@rottenchickennugget9005]

Truly an amazing documentary, Big Bad Wild has quite the story

[@CrazyDiamnd76]

I rode this as a child in the late 80's, it was completely different than anything I have ever ridden, and to this day remains on of my favorites. The 2nd half is one of the most memorable experiences to this day.

[@AngeloGiles]

Excellent video Ryan, I look forward to your Volcano: The Blast Coaster episode in the future!

[@yourmom182412448]

My family used to visit Busch Gardens every summer because my grandma lived in the area. Even though I live in NY, BGW feels like my home park. I don't know exactly when I first rode The Big Bad Wolf (some time in the early 90s), but it was definitely my first big coaster and largely responsible for making me the enthusiast I am today. Glad you got to ride it too! Thanks for putting this documentary together! It is super thorough.

[@christina.kleman]

So fortunate to ride this rollercoaster! RIP Big Bad Wolf but I love Verbolten a little bit more💛💚💙

[@wesmcquillen]

I was gonna make a comment of insider info as someone who operated this coaster about the diaper bags and chain dogs because I thought it was a secret but you covered it! Impressed! You even knew how long it took to evac from the safety brakes, the worst place for a breakdown when I was working it in the late 90s. You knew about the AirWolf. What we found in those bags the most often was these little P-shaped thin wire clips from the anti-rollback system, not the bigger chain dogs. On every train that came in the station, you popped the diaper bag from below with your hand while peeking inside to see if anything was in there. I think we were allowed to find 5 of those clips before they wanted to shut it down to put some back, if I recall correctly. It always felt sketchy to me but the engineers all said it was fine. Working dispatch on this coaster was so fun before the recorded messages, because you got to howl on the mic at the riders. Seriously impressed by how much you researched about this coaster's foibles! Despite them all it was such a great flying sensation and track layout, never to be recreated. I was in the park the day George Brown was struck, it was Scouts Day in the park, we were in the bumper cars area and they made us leave because they were afraid we would see the paramedics walking in.

[@DDSmols]

Boy am I glad to have had the chance to ride Big Bad Wolf. Rest in peace, you wonderful, nasty boy.

[@Josephdavidson]

Hey I know you probably won't see this but my home park is Busch Gardens. And though I'm too young to have ridden Big Bad Wolf (as it was decommissioned before I was born) but I have herd a lot about it and know people would did ride it. A story I heard was on opening day of the coaster. Someone on the coaster had just gone down the Rhine River drop when a bolt came loose and hit that person on the knee. They reported it to the ride operators who closed the ride down for the rest of the day. I heard that story a long time ago but I heard some thing crazy relating to that story. After I came back from a day at Busch gardens I was talking to my friends Dad about my time there when he told me he was at Busch gardens on the opening day of Big Bad Wolf. And he was siting next to his friend on the coaster when he heard him scream and watched as a bolt bounced off his knee. So yeah. The name of the person who was hit is named Drew Floyd.

[@werecoth]

I was a kid when I road the Big Bad Wolf, yet still remember. Verbolten is a fair replacement in its own way. Bushgardens is a great park still, despite the change in ownership a while back causing it to lose some of its character in events like Hallo scream for a more "family friendly" aspect.

[@MisterGoose]

I remember going on this coaster as my very first one. After the first time my family and I got on again and again until my parents said enough. It's a shame that it's no longer operational, but I still have the memories.

[@Vehrec]

This was actually the first roller coaster I ever rode upon, despite the warnings of my parrents, neither of whom liked coasters. It was back when Drachenfire was still the hot new coaster at the park, so the line on BBW was short and I got on quickly, and had the time of my life! Sadly, that was my one and only ride on the coaster, and I never got to really compare it with others. Still have many fond memories of the Big Bad Wolf.

[@VBshredder]

That 2nd drop has to be the scariest 80 foot drop there ever has been. You were up there, coming off the lift, turning left, cars swinging a little, brakes making noises, and it felt like miles up, and down you went into that kick ass, very intense, turn at the bottom. That drop lives up to the hype, retrospectively

[@RomanJockMCO]

Thank you so much for doing BBW justice with this wonderful video. You certainly go into the deepest depths on all the videos you make. BBW will always have a very special place in my heart as it was the first "big" coaster I rode (1987) and with my sister no less. It lit a lifelong passion for rollercoasters. I was terrified while riding it and the big plunge toward the Rhein River below almost made me scream. Swinging violently during the finale was exhilarating for this 13 year old. I don't remember how many times we rode it that day but I was excited each time. The last time I went to BGE was in 1997 just after Alpengeist opened. The last few rides was at the Speed of Fright as I preferred it to anything else in the park. To this day it's still my all time favorite rollercoaster. X2 certainly is scarier and Kingda Ka is taller and faster but I just long for just one more ride. I was devastated to learn that it had closed in 2009. I would have made a special trip just to ride it all day long. While business decisions must be made I feel that if AB never sold to InBev then BBW would still be running to this day. DaVinci's cradle is also gone....

[@BadPenny3]

Big Bad Wolf had to be one of my absolute favorite coasters I've ever ridden. The first time my family ever went to Busch Gardens was 2000, and as awesome as Apollo's Chariot, Alpengeist, and Loch Ness Monster were, BBW was my favorite. I have a wonderful memory of having it as my last right of a night when fireworks were going off, and it was so exhilarating! We did Busch Gardens a few times in my life, but I was heart broken when I found out they closed it. Thanks for a great trip down memory lane.

[@griffin4173]

I’ve ridden Verbolten but not Big Bad Wolf. Yet Big Bad Wolf looks like the cooler ride through video.

[@mhtube01]

I've been waiting for a video on this ride! I only got to ride Big Bad Wolf once back in 2006 but it was a very memorable ride. The only other Arrow suspended coaster I've ridden is The Bat at Kings Island (the "new" one) which was much more recent but I didn't find it as thrilling as the Wolf. I remember the Wolf having more intense swinging and that final drop and finale was awesome. Too bad it met it's fate the way it did. Gone but not forgotten. Great video!

[@mikalmos369]

Bravo Ryan, bravo... Without spending weeks combing through your back video catalog again to be sure, my first impression is that this is the best video you ever put out. Not only is coverage of this particular coaster specifically desirable as a preservation of history for a gem that will not be forgotten, but your coverage of it is it's about as best as anyone could do covering this coaster. I have to say that you're editing, pacing, and research here are second to none. I'd also like to specifically comment on how much improved your verbal delivery has gotten. I'll be honest and say that I've often found your delivery letting down your excellent scripting, by being flat, monotone, and monotonous. I have never once said anything about it as your content was so excellent and your passion so evident that I just couldn't bring myself to say that I often had to struggle through the longer videos that you must produce to cover the subjects properly because everything else about your presentations has always been good growing to excellent always never being a waste of time. The one thing that never seemed to develop much at all was your verbal delivery, but I have noticed lately and in peticular here, a vast improvement. While this area of your presentations does still need a decent amount of work no offense, it is clear that in this video to me there is no hindrances to that continued improvement. Despite my extensive background in educational verbal presentation (see thumbnail for a hint), this still is my opinion and like all opinions are extremely subjective no matter how hard you try not to be. I'm not saying your verbal presentation is bad in general, but I am saying is that it's not nearly as good as the rest of what you're putting out and specifically maybe 1/4 of how good it could be well at least until this video which is definitely an improvement above that. This feedback is given with as much love for you as the rest of what I state in this posting which I think is pretty evident. You Sir are a hero to the roller coaster fan community and to roller coasters themselves. Even if you were to stop doing this work tomorrow you would be remembered as one of the greatest roller coaster and theme park historians of all time. I can't express my thanks enough for covering such an important individual coaster but also a coaster type that sadly looks like it's going to be lost to history, something that cannot be understated, most especially considering that you did it right. Please forgive me if you've already done so, but I'd love to see similar coverage of the korean located similar type suspended coaster Eagle's Fortress. Aside from BBW, it seems to be the only suspended coaster of this school that receives universal love without thoughts or comments of disappointment despite like all similar type coasters being maintenance and engineering nightmares. I am unaware of any other suspended coasters to get such love. If someone out there has heard differently, please let me know. That said I can't think of a better person to answer such a question than ElToroRyan.

[@PizzaPony]

When I was little, I was afraid of roller coasters too. On one trip, when the rest of my family wanted to ride Big Bad Wolf, they couldn't just leave me by myself, and this conversation happened right at the entrance to get in line, where the employee who held the measurement stick stood. He offered to watch over me while my family rode, so we did just that. While waiting, he asked if I wanted to try holding the measurement stick up for a bit, which I did. When my parents came around to get me, he gave me $1 as thanks, which I thought was super cool. This was back in I think 1998 or so. Now a days, I'll ride anything. If that employee happens to watch this video and see this, thanks again, its something I'll never forget. (and speaking of never forget, dont forget about the t-shirt that was thrown and caught on a tree branch right before the big drop for years)

[@MrPopsfreshnmyer]

Thank you for all of this hard work and dedication, Ryan!

[@UKThemeParks]

Shocked that more of these weren't converted like Vampire. Still riding it today, the trains don't swing as much as the original, but this helps the stress on the track. Whilst a few supports were modified for the trains, no track replacement has happened yet still.

[@Bchop999]

Bravo another amazing video!! I appreciate all the time and love you put into these. I actually look forward to them so much! I rode BBW in the 80s as a kid and it still stands out as one of the most unique coasters. Sad to see it gone.

[@Rustaceann]

I like how the guy showing off the Vessi shoe was worried about getting more than a light sprinkle on it, but was impressed by the shoe's ability to resist a light sprinkle

[@lucz1499]

I just discovered your Problematic Roller Coasters videos. I've watched them all. I'm so happy to see this upload today!!!

[@starryagent9936]

I just missed Wolf’s last year of operation, as my first visit to Busch Gardens was in 2010, one year after it closed. Though I’m sure it was a great ride, Verbolten is a great ride in its own way and a worthy successor

[@Captain-Cosmo]

I was a musician at Das Festhaus next door to Big Bad Wolf for several years. We loved hopping over after our shift in the evenings for a couple of quick rides. Even after Drachenfire opened, we preferred Wolf, and probably rode it more than a hundred times in any given season.

[@OrigamiPhoenix]

I love how the coaster community makes local history international history. I only rode the Big Bad Wolf once, in 2007, and I remember the second chain lift being especially loud. The big final drop was absolutely beautiful. I think the closest experience to free swinging I've gotten since then was on a Zipper ride.

[@sarmstrong44]

This was my very first coaster that wasn't a tiny kids coaster. I grew up in Cincinnati, so naturally, we went to King's Island frequently. Our family went to Busch Gardens in Williamsburg on a vacation in the mid 90's right when I was getting to an age where I could fit on larger coasters. My parents lied to me about the coaster and said it had no hills and wasn't very fast and I was shocked when we plunged over the second drop towards the river. This coaster broke my fear of coasters and I've never had a problem since then. I wish I got the chance to go back and ride it as an adult. Overall, it left a large mark on my theme park/coaster fandom.

[@KatieKatDuzArt]

I think it’s so cool that one of the three random themes you could get on verbolten is themed to a wolf hunting you down. Such a cool reference to Big Bad Wolf for people who are into theme park history

[@jaball77]

38:45 It's crazy how much the track moves there. And the train is barely moving!

[@ReplyBy]

Yeeesssss! I've been waiting on this!!!! Thank you! Can't wait to watch after work.

[@conman366]

I remember riding the wolf over and over again with my family on a childhood visit. So fun. I also went a few years ago and rode Verbolton over and over again with my wife’s family which was also a blast. Circle of life I suppose. At least it pays homage which is more than most classic replacements can say.

[@bernhardwieser9433]

What a great video! Thank you so much for all the efforts you put into creating such great high-quality content. I wish I could´ve experienced the Big Bad Wolf myself. It really broke my heart as they announced closing it for good.

[@Jennamm111]

This was awesome!! I can't imagine how much went into creating this. Thank you thank you!! Thoroughly enjoyed. 😊

[@pretzelrides3748]

I honestly would rather ride this then anything that’s currently at the park. The Story, theming and ride was interwoven into one of the Best Coasters ever!!

[@mothydusky8769]

Great video! Really enjoyed learning about this ride. Thank you for covering these awesome rides!! ❤

[@Dogwatern00b]

I appreciate all the work you put into this series. Thank you

[@snidegrrl]

Thank you so much for this amazing retrospective. I loved every detail!!!

[@Thegonagle]

I just wanted to tell you how much I’ve been enjoying your Problematic Roller Coasters series since I came across your channel. While it’s clear you have a great passion for roller coasters, you seem to have a knack for writing and producing good documentaries too. Well researched and put together in a way that keeps the story interesting on technical and historical levels. Nice work, and may you live long and prosper.🖖

[@Red-mb3lz]

Great video Ryan! I miss this rollercoaster so much it was my absolute favorite it was unique an was a great fit in the park R.I.P. Big Bad Wolf

[@maggiepena6425]

ElToroRyan… I just love the way you do ads in your videos. Props to you for not making them annoying AND also doing sponsorships for products it seems you ACTUALLY enjoy and would endorse.

[@Jippa_33]

I’m hooked on these videos. These bring back great memories of my Mom being a trooper & going with me on all the rollercoasters when I was a kid.

[@sellophanesun]

Dude, Yr videos are so watchable, information seeps in easier over these longer films, I'm old but I try to remember this stuff, it's absolutely fascinating - thanks man!

[@mfraye12]

The Vortex at Canada's Wonderland is another one of these types of Arrow Suspended coasters, I'm surprised to see so few people mentioning it in the comments as it looks almost the exact same. It opened in 91 and is still in operation. It is the tallest and fastest of these rides as well, since it actually goes over the park's iconic mountain structure and down over the lake.

[@ericwilson5203]

Haven’t watched yet but I’m so pumped for this! Been a long time coming! Thank you!

[@davidbonatz1275]

This was my first rollercoaster as a kid because of the lower height requirement. I loved that it did not have any loops and was a very mild but still thrilling roller coaster. It was a great rollercoaster for younger kids to get them into rollercoasters.

[@haurvajan]

side note, i appreciate immensely the care and attention you put into making sure the captions are accurate. so many big channels don't bother or use automated captions which suck. i'm hard of hearing and it's an absolute breath of fresh air when a youtuber puts forth the effort to include me and people like me. you are a class act all the way

[@jricedrums]

I'm very surpised to hear they were planning on refurbishing the ride.It's even more wild to think that around 10 years later refurbishing steel coasters has become more common place! An excellent video as alwys! Keep them coming!

[@ashleighelizabeth5916]

I think if they tried to pull Loch Ness out of the park at this point it would cause a riot so I'd say it will be damn likely it will get a major refurb when the time comes.

[@UberBeavis]

Thanks for another fantastic video. This brought back a lot of memories; as Big Bad Wolf was one of the first coasters that I got to ride that wasn't in my home area.

[@larrackell]

That was the smoothest ad transition I have ever heard.

[@erickuentz1388]

Big Bad Wolf was my first coaster ever. Definitely memorable. Thanks for this video. Keep up the great work!

[@applescruff88]

Gone but not forgotten. I was grateful to make it to Busch Gardens once more the year they closed it down. I still have merchandise with the Big Bad Wolf on them - a long sleeve shirt, and a "fear the four" pool towel. I still use/wear them, the pool towel is badass looking despite being somewhat faded after all this time.

[@matthewbayman8024]

Whoa! That was the fastest 49 minutes ever! Fascinating detailed history of a ride I wish I could’ve ridden! Thanks for knocking it out if the park again!

[@djtomt]

I worked at Busch Gardens the summer of 1988 as a Festhaus performer. On Saturdays the park stayed open late. We would go ride the Big Bad Wolf after our last show in the dark. It was a great ride - the big drop at the end was magnificent! I was very sad to hear of its demise.

[@DK-zt5oo]

Love how informative your videos are. Entertaining history lesson.

[@Backyardwoodworks2014]

I was lucky enough to be a cast member assigned to the wolf in the summer of 1992. (that summer I watched them build and was on the commercial train with the Knights for DraconFire) Your information was spot on in so many ways, but you might not know that the voice over of instructions which used to be manual was changed to automatic because operators would sometimes yell into the mic at night and that would echo off the rhine river amplified into the Kingsmill Neighborhood. By automating riders instructions they could set the max volume.