Project 2025/Holzfäller: Big Bad Wolf 2 (B&M Family Invert)

[Zachary]

There's a lot to be excited about assuming plans hold.

Still firmly believe that this is the wrong coaster for the location and time, but, all signs point to the idea that BGW planning to make the very best out of what they've been given.

 

[Jonesta6]

If they correctly market it (not call it a swinging coaster when it's not) as a successor to BBW with homage to the former attraction in the theming and story of it much as it appears they're doing, I think that'll spur a lot of nostalgia visits.

However, while also not discounting a desire for another high thrill attraction to evoke nostalgia for DF (though apparently the ride experience wasn't enjoyed by most), I think they need to focus on indoor and/or medium thrill family attractions instead for awhile... At least as far as new attractions go.

Overall, the park really should be striving to retain the AB era soul of the park even if some elements are not immediately profitable (employ more staff in many positions and pay/treat them better than other local jobs, increase live performance budgets and make theater shows a more integral part of the experience, work to better integrate theming to everything - looking at you, Festa and Pantheon, etc). But who am I kidding, private equity group ownership of the chain forces all concerns to be based around immediate ROI.

 

[CoasterAuditor]

I personally disagree. I’m nostalgic for Drachen Fire, and I believe the park still needs a halo insane attraction. Giga, RMC Hybrid, Something. I’m bored and burnt out. Looking like a 2025 KD pass is the move.

The fuck? I didn’t say it was going to be like Top 100 in the world? A ride can still be “fun” it doesn’t have to be elite to be a worthy addition to a theme park. If you’re still salty about the axed RMC, that is understandable, but it’s not reality anymore. Embrace the things that don’t suck when they don’t.

 

[Burnouts]

The fuck? I didn’t say it was going to be like Top 100 in the world? A ride can still be “fun” it doesn’t have to be elite to be a worthy addition to a theme park. If you’re still salty about the axed RMC, that is understandable, but it’s not reality anymore. Embrace the things that don’t suck when they don’t.

I didn’t attack Anything you said, I said, I personally disagree.

You should get used to people disagreeing with you, you’ll be better for it

 

[Nicole]

I’m not sure I understand how your comments about wanting a high thrill ride would lead you to disagree with the proposition that the ride might be better than anticipated. @CoasterAuditor didn’t make any judgement about whether it would be great or even highly desirable, just that it might not suck as much as previously thought. Both can be simultaneously true and certainly aren’t mutually exclusive. A ride can be a let-down and still be not be as bad as people had feared.

 

[qdeathstar]

These are the same group of fellas who poo pooed a 400ft tall coaster because it wasn’t a complete circuit. Grain of salt.

 

[ciffar]

BGW seriously needs a moderate intensity family coaster with a low height requirement, a step up from Grover's. Kids could get bored marathoning it especially with its surprisingly substantial line and this is somewhere their coaster lineup falls short. You can have excellent, simple coasters with a low height requirement and immersive theming - just look towards Dollywood's lineup.

 

[CoastersRUS]

I personally disagree. I’m nostalgic for Drachen Fire, and I believe the park still needs a halo insane attraction. Giga, RMC Hybrid, Something. I’m bored and burnt out. Looking like a 2025 KD pass is the move.

While your initial sentiment is valid, I really think this is one of those rides that is going to have to be judged more when it’s closer to done. Yeah, KD is building a wing coaster, but wing coasters are arguably the most hit or miss ride that B&M builds. Just from initial plans, even through its a B&M family coaster, this seems like something that is going to be a unique experience. Especially if the theming that’s in the plans stays. Furthermore, a modern ride with multiple lift hills is worth watching because that’s rare in this day and age. If they treat this project with the similar love that they did with LNM, they could have a sleeper hit on their hands. We’ll just have to wait and see.

 

[CoasterMac]

I am now of the opinion that this is going to be more fun than what our initial precreation depicts. Since we made that, newer-filed plans show that MANY foundations have slightly changed locations and spacing. Perhaps the initial plans we worked off were an unfinalized version, or perhaps the ride's final shaping was changed later on. Either way, it's still largely the same layout, but it potentially could be much more dynamic than what our collaboration shows. Combine that with several buildings & possible theming pieces, and a genuinely insane amount of proposed landscaping, I am actually excited to see what this becomes.

Insanely interested to see what they name this thing, too.

 

[Zachary]

What @CoasterMac said. I've been very slowly working on a follow-up article with a bunch of new information that I think really highlights that there's a lot to be excited about—and BGW seems to be intending to pour their heart and soul into it.

 

[Nicole]

Insanely interested to see what they name this thing, too.

This actually worries me a bit. I really hope they don't dial it in with something generic like "Revenge of BBW" or "Son of BBW." They have an established folk tale to work with and several characters and story components to base the successor on. If they fall back on overused naming conventions it will seem lazy and unimaginative, especially if they move forward with real theming. Let's not call it "Big Bad 2."

 

[Mushroom]

Personally, I’m expecting them to just call it Big Bad Wolf. If I had to bet, I’d expect the marketing to be focused on “Busch Gardens is bringing back the Big Bad Wolf” and things like that.

As a longtime lover of the park, I hate that. But if I were in charge of marketing and my sole goal was to drive excitement for the ride, that’s what I’d do.

 

[VB06Hokie]

Bigger Badder Wolf...er.

 

[Noostrul]

Bigger Badder Wolf...er.

Funnily enough, there is a sign in Verbolten's queue that translates to "Bigger Badder Wolf". I'm not extremely worried, busch gardens USUALLY does a pretty good job with names, although the 'sequel' ride names (Darkoaster,Iron gwazi) haven't been as good IMO.

 

[warfelg]

Schwarz Wolfsrudel would be the rough translation of Black Wolf Pack - which could make for a great theme story to the ride the the wolf from BBW retreated into the Black Forest and has emerged with a full pack of wolves returning to terrorize the town.

 

[AIR]

From a branding perspective, Phoenix wouldn't even be bad considering it's built on the Drachen Fire site and built as a sister to Phoenix Rising. I don't normally like branding attractions (Batman, Goliath etc.) but in this instance the name would fit pretty nicely considering the lineup of major attraction names for BGW of mytical creatures and whatnot.

Big Bad Wolf was the Big Bad Wolf. This is not that. I know it was controversial at the time but they did a very decent job making Verbolten a replacement for the Wolf. Replicating it with B&M somewhere else is not the answer to satisfying nostalgia. It won't be the Big Bad Wolf. How could it? It was torn down 15 years ago. I would be very disappointed if this "new wolf" really is an attempt at that. Unfortunately, everything I'm hearing seems to be going that direction, however.

 

[Nicole]

We have been using "Holzfäller" specifically because it ties in with the folk tale and is in German, but focuses on the Woodcutter rather than the Wolf. We also thought "fall" feels kinetic and invokes coaster-movement, particularly.

​

Edit: @Zachary reminds me that the Woodcutter was added by the Germans, making the focus on him appropriate for the Hamlet. Additionally, we like the idea of the Woodcutter chasing the Wolf as the sequel to the original ride.

(We spent some time doing research and brainstorming ideas, before we published the original article.)

 

[horsesboy]

Construction update for 7/31

 

[horsesboy]

August 5th construction update.

 

[Bring Back Questor 87]

I nearly forgot about this with all the Rapterra craze. Excited to know more!