Out of the Loop: One man's video tribute to The Big Bad Wolf coaster
By Andy Guinigundo
As I was scouring the Internet for stories for the recently released Winter issue of Orlando Attractions Magazine, I came across a press release announcing the closing of a fan favorite at Bush Gardens in Williamsburg, Va., the Big Bad Wolf. The press release was a few months old, July 24, 2009, but for some reason, it caught my attention. The Big Bad Wolf celebrated its 25th anniversary, and perhaps a bit sadly, the end of its service life. It closed on Sept. 7, 2009.
The Big Bad Wolf was the first suspended roller coaster. At the close of the first decade of the 21st century, the ride was no longer the biggest, fastest, nor longest of its type. But it was a fan favorite, having carried more than 29 millions riders in its 25 years.
The Arrow Dynamics ride was an innovative design that fully utilized the beautiful Virginia landscape situated in the Oktoberfest section of the park. Arrow Dynamics incidentally, was the company that designed The Matterhorn at Disneyland and The Magnum XL-200 at Cedar Point, but unfortunately went bankrupt in 2002. They also designed the transport systems in a few rides you may have hear of in Disneyland: Pirates of the Caribbean, It’s a Small World, and The Haunted Mansion.
Unfortunately, I was never blessed with the opportunity to take on the Big Bad Wolf. That actually was also true of media producer Rob Warren of Rockford, Ill. I say, “was” true because when the same press release flashed across his computer screen, Rob decided to do something about it – two words: road trip! The resulting 13 minute, 28 second video embodies the passion that many of us feel toward roller coasters and amusement parks. Enjoy.
Video posted with permission from Rob Warren. You can find out more about him by visiting his Web site.
• Andy Guinigundo is the author of the Out of The Loop column in “Orlando Attractions Magazine”. Out of the Loop keeps you up-to-date with attraction news outside of Central Florida. Andy lives in Cincinnati, Ohio with his wife and three daughters. He grew up frequenting theme parks around Ohio and making trips to Orlando with his family. While for most of the year, he’s out of the Orlando loop, he tries to visit Florida at least once a year.
