Hey guys sorry if this isn't in the right forum but I need to ask for opinions. Two friends and myself will be at Busch Gardens in April and we will be doing the roller coaster insider tour. It sounds pretty neat because of the front of the line access, the privilege of going up to the top of Griffon and walking around, and tours of maintenance bays.

What I want to know is if anyone here has participated in this tour previously? Did you enjoy it? Worth the money? Any other thoughts or comments about it would be appreciated.

Never done that particular one, but I have done several tours similar to that. It's always interesting to see these things from a different perspective and to learn new things. If you have the opportunity to do so, go for it! YOLO!

I love going on backstage tours. Definitely puts a different perspective on things. Having worked at Coney for 13 seasons, entering my 14th, I have a good appreciation what goes on in an amusement park to make a guests day fun. Few people realize all the work that goes on behind the scenes to make their day of fun happen.

This will be my first formal tour I have ever done so I'm pretty excited. Can't wait to see what it has to offer

I've done it twice and I would say it is worth the money (even though I was paid to do it both times). It's very cool to see Lochness Monster's old blueprints and computer room, as well as walking around the top of Griffon for a few minutes.

Let me know who does your tour!

heres a youtube video

Indeed. Well worth it.

Terp, who has been in every kitchen (at the time) at Universal, accompanied by Disney's then head chef. "It's A Small World...". (Always tell the truth, people will never believe you). Also under the then Medusa's operating floor at NJFTP, in the tunnels at Disney before paid tours were offered, atop the...(no...I think I'll stop there). ALL with park permission, without exception.

That looks like an amazing tour. i would love to go on that tour myself!

Guess it sounds like we picked a winner to do!

I did the Verbolten Insider tour, which maybe is now folded into the Roller Coaster Insider. It was incredible, and with pass-holder discount, something like $12? All that they did is walk you into the ride's pitch black show-building and allow you to watch trains launch by and then show you the facilities behind. But it was so worth the money and great fun. Hopefully that's now an element of the Roller Coaster Insider Tour, which I see includes "behind the scenes look at the mechanical areas of ... Verbolten." Because it's so neat to see the different light programs that correlate to the three dark ride scenarios.

EDIT: From the video, I looks like they take you behind the building, but not inside. Ah well. I hear the rest of the tour is phenomenal.

I looked at the tours and noticed two options. What's the difference between the "participant" and "observer" tours?

We are a participant. An observer does almost everything except going up Griffons evacuated trolley.

Well darn, the Tempesto announcement bums me out a little bit since we will be there before it opens.