Busch Gardens was great! I'm still flying on Apollo's Chariot!!!

[theSurlyMermaid]

Wheee!!!

Well, I could ride Apollo's Chariot forever! You know, I haven't been to Busch Gardens in a long time and I had forgotten how lovely the park is! Great theming, second only to Disney, of course!

The food was good too! We ate at Grogan's in Ireland and then had some wonderful European desserts in France. For dinner we actually ended up going to a lovely seafood place in historic Williamsburg...

And for coaster freaks like me...Apollo's Chariot is just a sensational ride. However, I feel like I can definitely take more...I'm pestering DH about Cedar Point because I want to ride Millenium Force...it looks like the perfect coaster to me.

I was terrified on Alpengeist though....something odd happened to me on that coaster....right before the drop I blacked out or something, because when I came to we were going downhill and I was like, "Where am I? Alpengeist, yeah!!" I think I was a little dehydrated. Weird.

Anyway, all in all, what a great experience...it was extremely crowded too....without a doubt the most I've stood in line for a long, long time.

Anyone who hasn't ridden Apollo's Chariot...BACK ROW, furthest seat to the left...and put your arms up. It really is like flying!

 

[Cruise04]

Glad you had a great time. Alpengeist is my FAVORITE coaster at BG. I really didn't care for Apollo but probably because I'm larger and it was a very uncomfortable ride for me. I also still love Lock Ness - the very first really big coaster I ever rode. Last time we were there dd and I rode on it 2 times in a row and the time before that I think we rode it 3 times in a row and then one more time before we left. I just love that ride!!!!

 

[theSurlyMermaid]

Originally posted by Cruise04
Glad you had a great time. Alpengeist is my FAVORITE coaster at BG. I really didn't care for Apollo but probably because I'm larger and it was a very uncomfortable ride for me. I also still love Lock Ness - the very first really big coaster I ever rode. Last time we were there dd and I rode on it 2 times in a row and the time before that I think we rode it 3 times in a row and then one more time before we left. I just love that ride!!!!

Cruise, speaking of Loch Ness, we waited in line for the front row and we were the next people up....and it broke down!! I told DH we'd come back later....I sure didn't want to be the first test coaster up!

We did come back and do it later....it's such a wonderful classic. DH had never been on, but I told him when I was a child, this was the single most terrifying ride I ever took. One doesn't forget that!

One think we were unable to see (one of the theatres broke down) was Corkscrew Hill. I couldn't wait anymore in the other line and I regret not seeing it. We went on Apollo's Chariot 4 times instead

 

[Annette_VA]

Oh, I love Apollo's Chariot. It's such a smooth ride.

BG is such a nice theme park. We didn't get season passses this year (since we're going to WDW) and I'm missing it!

 

[Cindy B]

Originally posted by theSurlyMermaid
Wheee!!!

Well, I could ride Apollo's Chariot forever! You know, I haven't been to Busch Gardens in a long time and I had forgotten how lovely the park is! Great theming, second only to Disney, of course!

And for coaster freaks like me...Apollo's Chariot is just a sensational ride. However, I feel like I can definitely take more...I'm pestering DH about Cedar Point because I want to ride Millenium Force...it looks like the perfect coaster to me.

I was terrified on Alpengeist though....something odd happened toAnyone who hasn't ridden Apollo's Chariot...BACK ROW, furthest seat to the left...and put your arms up. It really is like flying!

You need to go to Cedar Point if you enjoyed Apollos Chariot.

Mellenium Force is wonderful.. My six year old loved it! The hill is fantastic--and the rest of the ride is fabulous.

And Top Thrill Dragster is such a Rush!

 

[theSurlyMermaid]

I told DH we are going in August (after he takes the VA bar). Millenium Force just looks like the perfect roller coaster to me.

I also want to ride TTD, but DH is not too excited about that one. He is actually utterly terrified of it. But once you do that, I'm sure you feel like you could do anything!

 

[Tina]

I was terrified on Alpengeist though....something odd happened to me on that coaster....right before the drop I blacked out or something, because when I came to we were going downhill and I was like, "Where am I? Alpengeist, yeah!!" I think I was a little dehydrated. Weird.

That's interesting. My neighbor experienced the same thing. She blacked out on Alpengeist and now will no longer ride ANY roller coasters. Isn't that strange that it happened to more than one person on the same ride? I wonder how common that is.

 

[damo]

I was so thrilled that there was a single rider's line for Apollo's Chariot. We rode and rode and rode. I prefer it to Millenium Force and bigtime over Magnum.

 

[theSurlyMermaid]

Originally posted by Tina
That's interesting. My neighbor experienced the same thing. She blacked out on Alpengeist and now will no longer ride ANY roller coasters. Isn't that strange that it happened to more than one person on the same ride? I wonder how common that is.

Well, I was reading around on this and apparently, at least on Millenium Force, people have blacked out before. One person even blacked out on the entire ride. I think it's to do with the fact that the G-forces push the blood from your head to your legs. Many people say that if you relax on an intense roller coaster (like MF or Alpengeist) it's more likely to happen to you. It's better to be tense and keep the blood in your head! Also, I've heard it's important to stay hydrated.

I wonder if your neighbor blacked out on the same part I did? It was so odd....it's never happened to me before.

ETA: OMG! Apollo's Chariot is now part of my tag!!!!!

WHEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!! Oh, thanks Tag Fairy!!!

 

[NC Belle]

What was on Grogan's menu? I am thinking maybe this fall a trip to BG and stay with some local relatives. DH loved Alpengeist when we went in 1999. I glad that you had an awesome time.

 

[100%Disney]

What day of the week did you go? We are going at the end of July.

 

[N.Bailey]

I know most people probably pay no attention to the view, but the view from the top of Millenium Force was breath taking. There you are, high above anything looking out on Lake Erie, absolutely beautiful! Of course, the ride begins after that.

 

[Tinkbell]

Originally posted by theSurlyMermaid
Well, I was reading around on this and apparently, at least on Millenium Force, people have blacked out before. One person even blacked out on the entire ride.

It's funny you should mention that. I swear the first time I rode Millenium Force, I saw "stars" as I went over that hill. Guess I was too relaxed.

 

[theSurlyMermaid]

Okay! Questions answered:

Grogan's menu: They had baked potatoes stuffed with all sorts of things as well as these great sandwiches on Irish soda bread with turkey and ham. Also, they had chicken salads and ham salads.

We went on a Saturday, although I WISH we had gone the next day. Sundays are always slower attendance-wise and the weather was beautiful!

Now, on Saturday, the lines were long, but they went by very quickly for Apollo's Chariot (except for the front row, but trust me, the back is better!). The longest was for Roman Rapids and the log flume Le Scoot, as well as Corkscrew Hill, but that was only because one of the theatres was broken. Saturday was very hot and humid, but the park is wonderfully landscaped...there are plenty of trees to shade you and I never felt exhausted or irritable.

I guess what I'm saying is there is probably no "bad time" to go. I would say we picked the absolute worst time in terms of heat and crowds and we still did everything we wanted to do multiple times (except Corkscrew Hill, but again, broken).

Tinkbell, I don't know how much I buy that "you can't be relaxed!" on a coaster, although many coaster enthusiasts swear it's true. For one thing, I was nervous and tense on Alpengeist, and I still blacked out! For another, it seems so WRONG that one's reward for remaining calm would be passing out!!!

 

[Blondie]

We try to get to BG every year, haven't gotten there yet, but plan to soon!

I love Apollo's Chariot too, such a smooth ride and I love those drops! Loch Ness Monster is my second favorite. I won't ride Alpengeist, no way!

Too bad you missed Corkscrew Hill, it's really cute! You'll just have to go again!

 

[100%Disney]

We are going to try a week day, hopefully it will help. I used to go there every summer, but I haven't been in 13 years. We are staying with my Aunt and Uncle. I can't wait....

 

[theSurlyMermaid]

Originally posted by Blondie
Too bad you missed Corkscrew Hill, it's really cute! You'll just have to go again!

What happens in it? We got to the part where the simulator starts up and the audience is in the box...it JUST started and then the theatre broke.

 

[Blondie]

I don't want to ruin it too much for you, but "you" get shrunken down small enough to fit into a match box and are carried horseback through the woods, etc. while the seats move (I really felt like I was on horseback!), you get sprayed with water, things like that and it all fits into the storyline. It's a cute, at least I think so!

 

[theSurlyMermaid]

Originally posted by Blondie
I don't want to ruin it too much for you, but "you" get shrunken down small enough to fit into a match box and are carried horseback through the woods, etc. while the seats move (I really felt like I was on horseback!), you get sprayed with water, things like that and it all fits into the storyline. It's a cute, at least I think so!

It sounds great I'm really bummed we missed out on it...several others told us to be sure not to miss it, but after going through the first time when it broke, and the second time when the line was so long nobody moved for a half hour, we just couldn't. We'll definitely catch this one when we go back!

 

[2BigKIdz]

Does anyone know if Alpengeist and Kraken are the same design? Just wondering as they are Busch parks and seem like the same type of ride. I have ridden Kraken and loved it, strangely enough I live only 2 hours from BG Williamsburg and have not been in 19 years!