The Griffon is...

...totally awesome and incredible and awesome. And incredible.

The photos below are not mine, I found them online here.


Kurt and I went on a date night last night out to Busch Gardens for a few hours and then out to dinner. At Busch Gardens, we did NOT go to the Land of the Dragons. We didn't even stop to look at any kiddie rides. We had no strollers to push, we didn't even have a bag with us. It was surreal. I kept having the feeling like I was forgetting something.

Anyway, since it was just us, we could ride WHATEVER we wanted, mainly, the coasters. It has been a while since we have been on a coaster since we always have the kids with us.

The Griffon is the new coaster at BG and it is really unlike anything I had ever ridden. It was incredible. You sit in a row of 10 seats (stadium seating so all 3 rows have a fantastic view) and there is no floor to the "car". AND, since Kurt and I were in the far right seats, there was never any track under us either.


Griffon takes you up and gets you ready for a 205 foot drop, which is incredible. Once you get up to the top, it starts to go down over for the NINETY DEGREE drop, yes, straight down, 90, and then as it starts to go over, it STOPS and hangs at the top, with your arms and legs and hair hanging down for FIVE SECONDS. Incredible.




Then it releases you. Let me tell you, there is the feeling of loosing your stomach on a hill, but when it is literally 90 degrees straight down, it gives you a completely weightless feeling. It was AWESOME.



The second hill on this coaster is the same height as the first hill on Alpengeist, another coaster at BG, and is also a 90 degree drop.

I would recommend EVERYONE to ride this. If anything, just to experience the weightlessness. It looks like a scary ride, but it is over way too quick and really, all you have to worry about is the first drop. The rest of the ride is pretty tame, although it does have a loop.

Anyway, it made for a great evening.

Here is a video montage I found...


Busch Gardens Europe Gives A Sneak Peek Of Griffon To News Media - video powered by Metacafe