Sometimes easy and simple is better. As Busch Gardens Williamsburg proved with InvadR a couple of years ago, a theme park doesn’t have to break records (or make up new ones) or build the largest or fastest version of a ride to be successful. The Williamsburg, Virginia park has added another comparatively diminutive ride to its lineup that's sure to draw crowds and quickly become a part of the park’s iconic landscape.
Finnegan's Flyer is an S&S Screamin’ Swing that upon reviewing the statistics, would appear to be worth no more than a courtesy ride or a passing glance on guests’ race around the west side of the park to get to Griffon. However, even though this installation of a popular and reliable flat ride found at theme parks around the world is slightly smaller than most, the decreased size and speed are barely noticeable. This ride makes up for its shortcomings through location.
Finnegan’s Flyer is positioned near the Killarney Bridge right at the entrance to Ireland. The ride's platform utilizes over 800 yards of concrete to bring it level with the nearby paths, meaning that riders are swung out over the edge of a ravine and the water below. It's not quite as extreme or awe-inspiring as the Giant Canyon Swing at Glenwood Caverns, but the swing over the ledge, particular for the riders that face straight down into the ravine, dramatically accentuates the experience.
As with many other S&S Screamin' Swings, Finnegan's Flyer uses two arms mounted to a tower that utilizes pneumatic power to quickly accelerate riders. Within three swings back and forth, and guests are beyond horizontal and catching loads of airtime. Each of the arms holds 16 riders for a capacity of 32 people per cycle with molded seats and ratcheting lab bars that should accommodate most guests that meet the 48-inch height requirement. To expedite ride cycle times, S&S has added a magnetic braking system built into the loading platform to more quickly decelerate the ride and stabilize the arms during the loading/unloading process.
Theming on the ride is pretty minimal with the towers painted to resemble the brick work on the adjacent Killarney Bridge. However, the visual of swinging over the edge of the ride platform more than makes up for the minimalistic theming, and the ride complements the surrounding area quite well. The most important aspect of this new attraction is that it provides another ride for guests to experience on the west side of the park. A majority of the park’s rides are on the east side of the park (left turn at Scotland), so with the addition of Battle for Eyre last year and Finnegan's Flyer this year, making a right turn will be more attractive for guests entering the park. Finnegan's Flyer is a solid addition to Busch Gardens Williamsburg, and should keep thrill seekers satisfied until the park adds to its already impressive coaster collection.
If you are visiting Busch Gardens Williamsburg, we invite you to rate and review Finnegan's Flyer and the park's other rides and restaurants on our Busch Gardens Williamsburg page. And if you need tickets to the park, please check the discounts an packages on our Busch Gardens Williamsburg tickets page.
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