Busch Gardens: the Old Country, now known as Busch Gardens Williamsburg, was looking for a new one of a kind thrill ride barely any other parks had. Busch wanted something thrilling and unique, like another ride in the park, the Loch Ness Monster. Aside from a collection of Schwarzkopf twisters and a kiddie coaster, Busch Gardens Williamsburg looked at a rare kind of ride, never built anywhere else.

Busch headed back to the designers of their famed Loch Ness Monster ride, Arrow Dynamics Inc. for one of their suspended coaster models. Though back in 1983, the suspended coaster was a flop, after numerous maintenance problems with Paramount’s King’s Island’s coaster the Bat (defunct). But, Busch and Six Flags decided to give the concept another chance in 1984 as Six Flags built XLR-8 for Six Flags Astroworld and Busch Gardens Williamsburg’s classic and one of a kind thrill, Big Bad Wolf.

Busch had to remove the Die Wildkatze coaster for this ride, which was a Schwarzkopf Wildcat ride. But, what makes this ride so special? Many things, including the fact that the cars swing around on this ride, the unseen theming, and lastly, one of the most intense drops found on a coaster of its type. You just have to ride it for yourself to see why this has made many enthusiasts’ top ten best thrills. Are you little piggies ready to brave this ride?

Park guests go through the parks Oktoberfest section and be greeted by a wooden sign with a ferocious looking wolf. Going through the waiting areas and the lush landscape of Busch Gardens Williamsburg. Shadowed behind that landscape comes an intense suspended coaster experience with red and gray track. Soon after, the station comes and you board the seven car, two across trains, pull down the over the shoulder restraint, and dispatch out of the station. The train makes a double dip element and turns left, the midway vanishes behind you and all you see are woods. You then turn right and then into the first lift at a mere fifty feet. But wait, suddenly you drop down, gain lots of speed and swing through a German village. One of the most intense portions of the ride, the trains swing so much that they near miss the buildings. Twisting and turning through the village, suddenly you make a left downward helix into the mid course brake run. You certainly thought the wolf was bad enough, but it will get bigger and badder.

After the brakes, riders turn right into the second lift, this time at 100 feet in height. Up at the top, you encounter the rides most intense moment, the eighty foot drop down. Yes, it’s a big drop, but the drop takes you to a near dive of the park’s Rhine River. At the end of the drop, you twist leftwards at the very bottom, producing high G-Forces and swinging parallel to the Rhine bellow. After the river drop, you go through more turns back into the woods before encountering the final brake run and back into the station. The ride lives up to its name to this date, though not as big as Apollo’s Chariot or as bad as Alpengeist, but still remains one of the most unique suspended coasters in the world.

Legendary designer Ron Toomer brought another masterpiece of what made the Arrow Dynamics company unique. Big Bad Wolf still remains a hit and a classic at the park and one ride any enthusiast should not miss out on. If you are a little piggy wanting a challenge, take a ride on the Big Bad Wolf, only at Busch Gardens Williamsburg, it would certainly leave you wolfinated.

NOTE: Big Bad Wolf was closed down forever on September 7th, 2009 and was subsequently demolished.