Date Ridden : 6-24-2007 Times Ridden : 2 including front row far left (the best seat on the train I think) and back row far left.
This was the final stop of our Golden Ticket Top 10 Steel Coaster Tour. When we planned this trip out in late 2006 we knew BGE was necessary due to Apollos Chariot. We had already knocked out Montu at BGA, Goliath at SFOG, Nitro at Great Adventure, Superman ROS at Agawam, Millie, Maggie and TTD at CP, and Phantoms Revenge at Kennywood. Alas GeForce overseas will have to wait until later. Getting Griffon was a bonus, particularly for me since I loved Shiekra down in Florida.
First, by all means, if it is operating use the single rider line. When we were there the regular line was backed up to about a 1 hour wait. We rode twice in 15 minutes using the SRL!! The first time we sat right beside each other on the front row in the two far left seats. The second time we were on the same train again and my buddy got the front row far left seat that I got the first time. I was placed in the back row far left seat. Using the single rider line you are virtually guaranteed a seat in the outside part of the train since most people just get on and board all the way down whatever row they are in. Use the single rider line to your advantage to get on quicker and in a better seat.
Like Shiekra, Girffon is smooth as silk. I absolutely love the feeling of hanging over the side and looking straight down 205 feet. I know these rides are short, but for some reason they are extreme thrills for me and I always leave them with my adrenaline pumping. AC and Alpie are probably better overall coasters here, but they just do not pump me up the way Griffon does once the ride is over. It was the same way for me with Montu being a better ride down in Florida but Shiekra really being my favorite of the two.
How does the coaster rank? It gets a 9 from me (you’ll see lots of 9’s and 8’s in my reviews…..only 4 coasters deserve a 10 in my opinion…I’ll get to them later or you can check out my top 10). Dive machines are heavily critiqued as gimmick rides but if dropping me straight down at a 90 degree angle 205 feet is the gimmick then I guess it gets me. Griffon is a great ride but will probably lose out to Maverick for best new ride of 2007. That takes nothing from a great experience. I hope to get back up there and get a couple of more laps on later this year. Just remember to use the single rider line!!! 
|