I'm new here and just stumbled across the news that the log flume is gone
I just went to Busch Gardens yesterday (Father's Day, a Sunday) and the overall crowds were probably a 5 out of 10. Apollo's Chariot, Griffon, and Alpengeist had very short lines. Longest wait times for any of them were 10 minutes. Alpengeist was walk-on all day, AC was walk-on until around 5pm.
What had the long wait of the day?
The Log Flume.
We waited 25 minutes to ride it. To queue spilled out of the maze and up the hill (and this was for one of the worst log flumes ever made!!)
I know that bringing in a first rate B&M coaster is really what Carowinds needs to remain attractive in the national picture, but darned if these park operators aren't losing focus of what makes the parks so special. Bigger, bigger, bigger is great, but there are plenty of us coaster fans who want some variety. I am pretty upset about the gondola skyride not running at BGW this summer, and predict its doom in the face of the removal of the one at KD and WDW. Rides like that, the log flume, smallish coasters are what set these parks apart from ordinary traveling fairs.
I'm sure that the leaky log flume was costing a lot to operate and maybe putting a lot of chemicals into the ground. In the face of having a water park in the gates and the Rip Roarin' Rapids, the log flume seemed redundant and not worth the effort. However I fear that the parks are becoming just kiddie-land + megacoasters with nothing in-between.