Sesame Place Williamsburg

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belsaas said:
I think the biggest thing for me is parades. I love parades, and it's not really something BGW is equipped for dealing with, geographically or character-wise. Sesame Place could be built from the ground up for these sorts of things! It's exciting to think about!
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I didn't even think of things like that!

I think building from scratch one really cool thing that they could do is make sure there's enough space in the main neighborhood. HersheyPark used to have a screen on LR before Boardwalk went in, and usually they did a firework show in that area. But once in a while they did a 'movie in the park' showing on the screen and you could sit out on the lawn. I would love if they built a SPW for them to have the space to do something like that.
 
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I don't have little ones anymore, as my kids are now in the roller coaster phase of life, but I remember how hard it was to maneuver in there. And like someone said before (I forget), given the financial situation, it would be better to expand. But does that raise ticket prices for those who won't use it? It's hard to say what to do. I live in PA, so I have been to Sesame Place, and each time we were there, all three kids would come home with a stomach virus. So, that stopped that. lol.
 
From reviewing the concept art, it looks like Sesame Place Williamsburg would have a seperate entrance all together and the existing forest of fun would be walled off from the rest of Busch Gardens. With that information in hand, an increase in price depends on your point of view... If you are planning to visit both Sesame Place and Busch Gardens would you have to pay more? Probably, since you would need to have a ticket to both parks, but I wouldn't be surprised if BGW does some sort of special or deal like they have in the past with the Fun Card and you get free access to Sesame Place or something similar. Now, if you never plan to visit Sesame Place ever and only visit Busch Gardens would you have to pay more? This would seem unlikely to me, but I am sure that some of the cost burden of Sesame Place construction will have to be spread to Busch Gardens as well. The park has historically increased ticket prices every year or two to some degree so it's difficult to say if future price increases will be in response to construction cost recovery of an adjacent park or just normal market increases. I guess we really won't know the answer to that question until BGW announces if they are going to build the park at all or until future ticket prices roll out at that time.
 
I would love if they split the parks.

Maybe then BGW wouldn't feel this overwhelming urge every year to add something that is "both thrilling and good for the family" and we can just get these rides at their full potential.

Think about it for a second. What if Bolt was built with 0 consideration of being a family coaster. Would've been possibly one of the best coasters around here, Volcano level.

There is some potential if they decide to make a thrilling attraction with the same effort and dedication they put forth on their big time family thrills since their only recent attempts have been things they went to the market for and just bought stuff off the shelf. Which can be good, but things like Mach, Temp, and the upcoming swing are not going to make people want to go to your park when they can ride things like that (possibly better versions) elsewhere.

Maybe they have already figured all this out and Madrid is the first sign of times a-changing.
 
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I don't think that that's going to be the case here. BGW has, for me, never been trying to occupy a Cedar Fair sort of location. Kids who are are riding Verbolten (and adults—as I love the coaster), aren't the prime audience for a Sesame Place park.

While I think the split parks would change the demographics of who all is in BGW at any given time, the fact remains that InvadR and Verbolten hold appeal for a wider audience than something like FoF or I305 do. BGW will continue to be a family destination with amazing design, shows and rides. Adding Sesame Place as a second ticket just furthers this goal.
 
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belsaas said:
I don't think that that's going to be the case here. BGW has, for me, never been trying to occupy a Cedar Fair sort of location. Kids who are are riding Verbolten (and adults—as I love the coaster), aren't the prime audience for a Sesame Place park.

While I think the split parks would change the demographics of who all is in BGW at any given time, the fact remains that InvadR and Verbolten hold appeal for a wider audience than something like FoF or I305 do. BGW will continue to be a family destination with amazing design, shows and rides. Adding Sesame Place as a second ticket just furthers this goal.
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I couldn't have said it better myself.
 
I’ve got to add (warning: mini rant):

I’ve never understood the “not built to fullest potential” thing. What does that entail? These rides (especially one offs like Bolt and Mach) aren’t sitting on a shelf and someone is asking for it minus X, Y, and Z. They put a big out there asking for someone to show what they could do with this idea at a certain budget. I’d be quite confident in saying there’s no “super Invadr” or “super Bolt” sitting somewhere in the design phase that got left on the table.
 
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warfelg said:
I’ve got to add (warning: mini rant):

I’ve never understood the “not built to fullest potential” thing. What does that entail? These rides (especially one offs like Bolt and Mach) aren’t sitting on a shelf and someone is asking for it minus X, Y, and Z. They put a big out there asking for someone to show what they could do with this idea at a certain budget. I’d be quite confident in saying there’s no “super Invadr” or “super Bolt” sitting somewhere in the design phase that got left on the table.
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Bolt was designed with family in mind, and the fact that they were limited by the manufacturer.

I think the main handicap for Bolt, though it is still fun, is that Intamin did not construct, nor should we have expected them to given relations and price tag at the time.

Mach is pretty much an off the shelf since it is pretty simple. Just spins around like most, rattles a little at the top and the drops. It isn't that bad, it just has significant downtime and I think most people expected something as cool as Falcon's given it is Busch Gardens.
 
I really wonder when a decision will be made or announced about this? It will obviously take quite a bit of time to plan and build. If 2021 were the goal i would think they'd need to get started this year.
 
tursiops said:
I really wonder when a decision will be made or announced about this? It will obviously take quite a bit of time to plan and build. If 2021 were the goal i would think they'd need to get started this year.
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I could see this being announced right alongside Project Madrid to be honest. Maybe next Spring?
 
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But why is Bolt “handicapped” if that’s what BGW wanted in the first place? That’s what my rant is. They wanted that. There’s no “handicapped” because of who built it. There’s no “left something on the table” or “untapped potential”. That’s what the park wanted and that’s what they got.

Being disappointed as an enthusiast is something completely different.
 
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Sorry @Ice729 this isn’t directed at you. It’s a gripe I have with the community in general. And it’s started a long time ago (the gripes with StormRunner being short). Enthusiasts feel like every project has to be built to their standards and top what came before. Like there’s a coaster site that HATES Storm Chaser because the “second half sucks”. But I know plenty of people that love the same ride because of that second half and not every moment is filled with some huge exciting new element.
 
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warfelg said:
But why is Bolt “handicapped” if that’s what BGW wanted in the first place? That’s what my rant is. They wanted that. There’s no “handicapped” because of who built it. There’s no “left something on the table” or “untapped potential”. That’s what the park wanted and that’s what they got.

Being disappointed as an enthusiast is something completely different.
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The park got what they wanted, yes. They wanted the ride they got. All I am saying is had they had better relations with Intamin and they built the ride with the exact same thoughts in place, the same family appeal and same design of the ride, I think it would've been executed better. Bolt has developed a rattle and a lot of it has lost its punch in a short amount of time, and I feel that is a result of Zierer, though the park is to blame for special effects.

I totally agree the ride gets too much hate. I love it and find it super original. I just wish they went all in and really wanted to make this thing special, because the concept really could've been something amazing if the park really went all in on it.

But we are proper off topic now
 
lce729 said:
The park got what they wanted, yes. They wanted the ride they got. All I am saying is had they had better relations with Intamin and they built the ride with the exact same thoughts in place, the same family appeal and same design of the ride, I think it would've been executed better. Bolt has developed a rattle and a lot of it has lost its punch in a short amount of time, and I feel that is a result of Zierer, though the park is to blame for special effects.

I totally agree the ride gets too much hate. I love it and find it super original. I just wish they went all in and really wanted to make this thing special, because the concept really could've been something amazing if the park really went all in on it.
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Intamins develop terrible rattles too. Fahrenheit and Storm Runner boarder unridable for me anymore.
 
But as for this. I think it would have little impact on how either park operates. I think a discounted “hopper” pass is almost a given at that point too.

The current Sesame area has always felt like an afterthought tack on area to me anyways and not a really well integrated part of the park. Having a SPW would let them explore that more and not have it look like an afterthought.
 
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As long as I don't have to pay extra to ride the best Zierer ever made, I am happy. Bring on Sesame Place
 
Leading off what @Mandylou said. My kids, now grown, were more than satisfied with Land of Dragons and it's charm. One of the best memories they have. Neither would take their kids, when it comes time, to the corporate sterility of the Sesame area. We would play throughout LOD dragons with them, climbing, sliding, and getting wet. Or we'd rest in the copious shade, absent in the "Forest" of Not-Fun, watching them play. How much can a parent really do WITH their child in FOF? Plus, that freaking huge Elmo glaring over the trees has always seems like a giant evil Stay-Puff monster invading Busch.
 
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