Dr. Julius Money Ed.D said:
I love the park because of the environment. I'm a big fan of immersive escapism, and Busch Gardens, at various periods, has done a great job of creating that type of setting. I never have been much for the rides. I mean, it's nice to have something to actually do at the park, but the rides aren't what bring me through the gates.
The food, the theming, the illusion.
This, except I really love the rides, as well. But BGW through 2007 was a transport to another, wonderful place. Immersive, transporting, transformative. Beautiful, serene (even with people screaming overhead on Alpengeist or hearing that lovely clacking of the anti-rollback dogs on Nessie or BBW), adventurous (as Hoopla said, always a great experience, whether you rode rides, saw a show, watched people leave because of rain but stayed yourself and had a blast in a quiet park). It was fun always discovering new details, like the small sculptures atop the buildings in Germany. Or finally tearing myself from the rides and discovering some amazing shows, like Imaginique and Irish Thunder, and some fun shows, like the animal shows and Starlight Orchestra. As Nora said in another thread, something in the park called to your spirit, your soul.
It's still a great place, and miles above most other parks in cleanliness, with still a decent collection of rides and some decent shows. But the service attitude of the staff and the cohesive themeing and attention to detail are missing, and the park doesn't call to me any more. But this thread is about what you loved -- so that was what I loved. And why I still miss that, some 5-6 years later.
And, finally, what did I love? The Big Bad Wolf. As good as Vbolt is, it just doesn't match the visceral experience of actually twisting and swinging through the village, then dropping to the Rhine. I watched some POV video of the Wolf last night and remembered that that was a big reason why I loved the park. The Big Bad Wolf.
