My first roller coaster. Some of the other ones are more fun but this is still my favorite. I love the village and the final drop. Best seats are towards the back. I miss the wolf howl.

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!

This ride was soooooo much better than i thought it was going to be. It seemed to be a family coaster until i got on this beast.

I enjoyed the wolf. It is the best suspended coaster that I have been on, so far. The forested surroundings make the ride feel far away from civilization, reminiscent of the Beast at Kings Island. The part near the river gives beautiful views and the drop is pretty intense. A solid ride.

I had a cool experience on Big Bad Wolf in 2007, and really have even more respect for it now. It was actually my first coaster at BGW back in 2000, and even back then I remember being amazed by the village themeing and the cool swinging that constantly takes place on the coaster. I rode with a qualified "BGE nut" in 2007, who basically forced me into riding the front seat; a place where I would have never waited an extra 5 or 6 cycles (with slow loading) for normally. However, the front seemed totally worth it, offering great visuals for an outstandingly landscaped roller coaster. This is probably the best landscaped coaster Ive been on, and it really seemed like we were out in the middle of nowhere by the second lift. The rides upkeep seemed top notch: it wasnt rough at all, (and its a 20+ year old Arrow!) the themeing looked very nice, and the trees were not too overgrown and certainly not undergrown. Quite honestly, I felt I got my best ride ever on this BGE classic in 2007. The first hill may be very small, but the ride seemed a little intense throughout the first few turns. Again, the village is such a great touch to this ride. First time riders that are not expecting it should be amazed by the attention to detail of the many themed buildings seemingly in the middle of a forest! The swinging is good too, and with the added intensity (most likely from sitting in the front seat), the layout seemed just as effective as a modern inverted coaster with inversions. However, the rides big pit fall was that it is split in two, as so many of Buschs rides are. If I remember right, the train completely stopped before the second lift. Granted, we still had a great view and a much taller second hill to look forward to, but I simply do not like stopping in the middle of a good coaster! The second drop seemed very fast from the front seat, and I finally got my dose of the "Rhine River Effect" sitting up there in the front. Unfortunately, a trim brake dragged the train down this drop, or it would have been one of my favorite drops ever. The next few turns were better than the first, but there are fewer turns in the second half. I also like the double swing at the end, where the train swayed one way, centered out, then swayed the same way again, when it seemed like it should have gone the other way. Kind of a little trick up the wolfs sleeve. Basically, this ride IS MY classic steel coaster. This is what an old steel coaster should be. I may ride it more, and even rank it higher in the future. I was thinking "7 pushing 8" after I got off, and now that I realize my only complaints were the trim brake on the second drop and the two-half thing, its looking more and more like an 8. No matter what, it is very, very fun, and I definitely recommend the front seat, even though I cannot speak for the others.

"Prepare to travel at the speed of fright!" Hahha, i thought thaty was funny when i heard it over the loud speaker prior to riding the Big Bad Wolf. This was a very fun roller coaster. The first lift hill into the many twists and turns is cake walk compared to how fast the turns are on the second drop. The scenery is also very cool in this ride. You will see what I mean. The whole park is actually very
pretty when it comes to scenery. Its nice to see not all roller coasters on plain flat land, but ones that drop off cliffs and run along rivers.

The view and wild swinging makes this ride. Man, the air smells so fresh when you go through the leafy forest area. The views of colliding buildings is great. Gets pretty intense swinging you left and right. The 2nd half is the most intense. The actual ride is short since most of the ride is going around and up lift hills but the view makes it a great coaster.

Makes you feel woozey, but the detail is good and the last drop is sweet

Along with Loch Ness Monster across the river, Big Bad Wolf is one of the best old Arrow coasters, imo. There is not much in the way of theming in the queue, but the amount of theming on the ride more than makes up for this. The ride begins with a leisurely trip through the woods to the 1st lift hill. After climbing only a short way, you crest and drop down a small drop toward some buildings. This is when the ride really takes off, and surprisingly so, given the short length of the initial drop. I imagine that the trip through the town is a gradual downhill the whole way, because you continue to pick up speed the whole way so that by the end, youre really flying along. You then slow down and approach the 2nd lift hill (ironic that both BBW and LNM have 2 lifts, huh?). This lift hill is a good deal taller, but you really arent that far off the ground as you climb, since you flow with the terrain and are moving up above a natural hill. Only once you get near the top do you realize that the ground drops away on your left and plunges straight towards the river! You know that inevitably your fate awaits you below, and you descend the small bump before the main drop. This "small bump" seemingly catapults you around the turn towards the water, and before you know it, your plummeting straight towards the water some 70 or 80 feet below. Just before you get to the water the track banks off to the left and youre whipped out and around a huge turn right above the water, only to rise up and tear through the trees in a whirlwind finale. Whew, who would expect such a great ride from the same company that built such notorious coasters as Python @ BGT and Iron Dragon @ CP? I rode this coaster twice, once during the day, the other at night, and if you thought it was good in the daylight, wait until it gets dark. The ride is essentially a 10 at night, with the town lit up and the forest so dark you can virtually see nothing at all. Great coaster, deserving of its reputation, and a true masterpiece.

This is one of my favorite suspended coasters that I have ever ridden. The theming for this ride is great. The lift hill is surrounded by trees and you have no clue of what lies ahead. You dive into a Bavarian Village with buildings and it appears as if you are going to hit things if youre sitting on the right side of the train. This ride swings back and forth like crazy then you climb the second lift hill and go over the lake/river at an incredible speed. Its alot better at night because you cant see anything. Its a must ride for all enthusiasts. The Big Bad Wolf is a steel sit down roller coaster and it was built in 1984. It is 100' tall, 2,800' long, it travels at speeds of 48 mph, it lasts around 3:00. It is fast, fun, rerideable, it has a large capacity, and a long duration.