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Sep 23, 2009
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I'm looking for information about the old rides (Gladiator's Gauntlet, The Sea Dragon) any old rides that seem to have been forgotten. There are a couple reasons I'm looking for this info. Obviously nostalgia is one, but also so I can fill out the Wiki at little more.

Help me out if you can!
 
Here's a ton of links on the Sea Dragon.
The mannufacturer's site with info on the ride type:
http://www.mack-rides.com/lang-en/c140/default.html
A few pics of similar rides:
http://www.flatrides.com/Ride Index Pages/seastorm.html
A forum disscussing the ride. Including info from previous riders:
http://coasterbuzz.com/Forums/Thread/42233.aspx

Hope that's enough to get someone started. Btw, as I was researching I noticed that the Katapult was relocated from Festa Italia to it's current location.
 
Does that mean that Katapult/Catapult went from Festa to Hastings to Oktoberfest? I've never heard that before...
 
Anyone remember the spider that used to be in Oktoberfest? What was it named? I always called it the spider, but I'm sure it had some German themed name.

Here's a picture:
 

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Swiftman said:
Does that mean that Katapult/Catapult went from Festa to Hastings to Oktoberfest? I've never heard that before...

Yeah, I'm not sure that Katapult was ever in Festa, I think maybe the person that wrote that in the CoasterBuzz Forums was mistaken.
 
I'm not positive, but I'd say that Gladiator's Gauntlet was an older version of a Mondial SuperNova: http://www.mondialrides.com/ie/products/supernova/index.html I don't have any evidence other than the fact that it is the only ride that I could find that looks anything like Gladiator's Gauntlet. I assume that the moving arms where added to the SuperNova to replace the bar that allowed the two sides of rides like Gladiator's Gauntlet slide together and apart (allowing the side to side movement). Anyone know more?

Pictures: [Via Google]

This is Gladiator's Gauntlet:
Scan10014b.jpg


And this is another one like Gladiator's Gauntlet. (The only other one I could find.)
DSCN2619.jpg
 
Gladiator's Gauntlet was actually a Vekoma Canyon Trip... hopefully the last Vekoma product to ever go into BGW.

It looks like the Mondial vehicle stays together and the arms move instead of the vehicle separating.
 
Chris said:
Anyone remember the spider that used to be in Oktoberfest? What was it named? I always called it the spider, but I'm sure it had some German themed name.

Here's a picture:


It was where Katapult is now.

It was called "Die Schwarze Spinne" Or Black Spider in German. :)

Also,I remember when they first opened the Gladiators Gauntlet that it was raining one evening and a lady fell down and hit her head on the edge of the GG car...broke her neck but did not kill her.

Also, a man jumped off the skyride once over the La Mans cars.
 
Do you remember when it was removed from the park Nora? Was it right before Katapult was moved there?
 
Chris said:
Anyone remember the spider that used to be in Oktoberfest? What was it named? I always called it the spider, but I'm sure it had some German themed name.

Weird. My friends always called it "Monster". German themed sounds much better.

Chris said:
Yeah, I'm not sure that Katapult was ever in Festa, I think maybe the person that wrote that in the CoasterBuzz Forums was mistaken.

Agreed. Katapult used to be where Dine with Elmo is until 2001, I believe, when Hastings was converted to Ireland. Castle O' Sullivan opened with Ireland in 2001, when it was moved to Oktoberfest. For some reason I remember Katapult always being in Oktoberfest though, but I do know for a fact that it was in that building ages ago.
 
how 'bout the petting zoo? It isn't exactly a ride but that thing is to me what the Wolf is to Nora. I have some of my oldest memories from that thing. I think that it was a victim of busch's success. The park was transforming from a small local gem, to a full blown national attraction. Nationals just don't have those kind of things. I would much rather see the area be used as a petting zoo once again than to have it turned into the pimple on the face of Busch that the Forest of Dumb.
 
Fur Dozy said:
how 'bout the petting zoo? It isn't exactly a ride but that thing is to me what the Wolf is to Nora. I have some of my oldest memories from that thing. I think that it was a victim of busch's success. The park was transforming from a small local gem, to a full blown national attraction. Nationals just don't have those kind of things. I would much rather see the area be used as a petting zoo once again than to have it turned into the pimple on the face of Busch that the Forest of Dumb.

Yeah, I had a lot of childhood memories from the petting zoo also, I used to love going in with the goats. Good times. I think you're too young to remember the playground they used to have in New France, Eagle's Nest, that was also a spot that held a lot of my childhood memories.
 
Fur Dozy, did you know the petting zoo used to be in Germany (Rhinefeld) back when the park opened? It was where Land of the Dragon's is now.

Busch Gardens used to have Bison and a great deal of wild animals that were also housed near the train ride so you could see them grazing while riding on the train. I diffidently recall real Caribou too. They were located in that long boring area of nothingness from Festa to France on the train ride.

I have a photo... I'll have to dig it out of one of my souvenir books.

I have heard rumor that this "Animal" attraction will be returning to the park in the same location. Not sure of the animals, but in the same vein. Yay to returning to the golden years!

Yeah it was weird when the park opened. No Big Festhaus, No Oktoberfest. In fact, the "Festhaus" used to be in the building in Rhinefeld with the cool mechanical clock. The fountain in front of it was introduced later.

The bridge by the way that is getting an overhaul is the bridge connecting the England Parking lot to the park. From what I have been told - you really did not want to see what the wood looked like underneath. I have heard the bridge looks great - but is not made of the old wood materials.

Chris, as for the year the spider was removed - I am trying to look for process of elimination. It was there in 1987 but not in 1997 - that is all I know.. I am on the hunt though. "The game is afoot!"

The original Catipult was in Hastings in the building where the Enchanted Laboratory was for a couple of years (this ride was amazing cool; literally as the air conditioning was a good as Darkastle. It also had special effects, sounds and you felt the ride would almost slam you in the walls. I recall there were ships and battlements of a castle wall and the ships would flash lights like canon fire as you came close... it was just awesome. The art on the walls looked as if the battle was taking place with a rather howling storm with high waves and dark lightening clouds. I also remember there were lines on the floor that gave the distance marker of how far the cars would go; I assume that was for safety. I also know I had a roller skate tool that was exactly the same as the key to open the doors and I carried it with me to speed up getting on and off the Catipult and the Flying Machine. It was a tool used to tighten my toe-stops on my skates. (Yeah - I was a competitive roller skater for 12 years)... nerd that I am to carry my own ride key.

Then it moved to Festa Italia, then Germany where the spider was - and then again when they moved the swings to where the spider was - and then the Katipult to the location of the swings. I have no idea why they did this. The swings looked awesome in the old place and I loved the feel of flying over the trees. My only guess is to make the view coming into Oktoberfest from the San Marco bridge more photogenic as the swings are directly dead center.

[/quote]

Yeah, I had a lot of childhood memories from the petting zoo also, I used to love going in with the goats. Good times. I think you're too young to remember the playground they used to have in New France, Eagle's Nest, that was also a spot that held a lot of my childhood memories.
[/quote]

Chris,

I do have a souvenir book from 1984 I think - has some great pictures. I am going to cut images (via photoshop - not that I would ever literally cut them up!) if you would like to add them to your Wiki Page and History pages. :)
 
Yeah, that's right, it was where the swings are, I remember the concrete was done in a black & grey web design. I have been confused for years about the location because I didn't realize they had moved the swings.

And I'll definitely use those pictures Nora.
 
BTT_Racheal said:
Chris said:
Anyone remember the spider that used to be in Oktoberfest? What was it named? I always called it the spider, but I'm sure it had some German themed name.

Weird. My friends always called it "Monster". German themed sounds much better.

Chris said:
Yeah, I'm not sure that Katapult was ever in Festa, I think maybe the person that wrote that in the CoasterBuzz Forums was mistaken.

Agreed. Katapult used to be where Dine with Elmo is until 2001, I believe, when Hastings was converted to Ireland. Castle O' Sullivan opened with Ireland in 2001, when it was moved to Oktoberfest. For some reason I remember Katapult always being in Oktoberfest though, but I do know for a fact that it was in that building ages ago.

I rode the Katapult when it was in that building. It was in the 80's sometime, and what I really remember about it was that it was a wild ride inside.
 
Yup' The Katapault was way cooler indoors. they had light effects and the walls being so close made all the difference, it was even pinted to look like wood, (i.e. a Catapault).
 
does anyone have any pics of Grimms Hollow? I was the place for kids. I used to love it but for some reason I can't remember where it used to be located. I think it was where Land of the Dragons. Thanks!
 
It was indeed where LoD is now, here's a pic:

 

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