Griffon is the signature dive coaster at Busch Gardens Williamsburg in James City County, Virginia — a Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M) creation that hangs riders over a 205-foot precipice, holds them there, then drops them straight down at a full 90 degrees. Since opening on May 18, 2007, it has become one of the most photographed and most feared silhouettes on Busch Gardens’ skyline.
This guide goes beyond the basic stats to answer what people actually search for before they ride: how tall you need to be, how long the hold at the top really lasts, how fast Griffon actually goes (the park’s own marketing and the enthusiast databases don’t fully agree), which seats and times of day are best, how it stacks up against other B&M dive coasters, what its safety record actually looks like, and what to know about Quick Queue and planning your visit.
Quick Answer
Griffon requires riders to be at least 54 inches (137 cm) tall, with no maximum height or weight restriction beyond fitting the individual over-the-shoulder restraint. The ride pauses for several seconds at the 205-foot, 90-degree edge before releasing into a freefall — enthusiast databases have long clocked the top speed at 71 mph, though Busch Gardens’ official ride page currently advertises up to 75 mph. There is no dedicated single-rider line, but Quick Queue skip-the-line access is sold separately.
Height Requirement and Who Can Ride
Griffon’s minimum height requirement is 54 inches (137 cm), consistent across Busch Gardens’ official ride page and third-party ride-restriction guides. There’s no maximum height or weight limit published — the deciding factor is whether you fit the individual over-the-shoulder restraint, which the ride operators test at boarding.
Riders are secured with individual over-the-shoulder restraints rather than the vest harnesses used on newer dive coasters like Cedar Point’s Valravn, so guests with larger body types should expect the standard B&M shoulder-restraint fit check rather than a seatbelt-style test. There’s no single-rider queue for Griffon, so solo riders wait in the same standby line as everyone else, or use Quick Queue to bypass it. The ride has wheelchair-accessible queuing and an elevator to the station for guests who can’t climb the stairs — Busch Gardens publishes full details in its accessibility guides, available through guest services.
How Fast Is Griffon, Really?
This is one of the more confusing stats about the ride: enthusiast databases and long-standing ride historians list Griffon’s top speed at 71 mph, the figure recorded at its 2007 debut. Busch Gardens’ current official ride page, however, advertises the drop at up to 75 mph.
The discrepancy likely comes down to measurement point and marketing rounding rather than a physical change to the ride — either way, Griffon is unambiguously one of the fastest dive coasters ever built, and the difference isn’t something you’ll notice mid-freefall.
The Ride Experience: The Hold, the Drop, and What Comes After
Griffon’s 205-foot lift hill deposits its floorless train at the very edge of the drop, where it stops for several seconds, perched at 90 degrees with nothing but air — and, thanks to the floorless design, a clear view straight down — beneath riders’ feet. That pause is deliberate and is the single most talked-about moment of the ride.
The release sends the train into a vertical freefall that bottoms out under heavy G-force, straight into the first of two Immelmann loops — a half-loop, half-roll inversion — followed by a second drop and a splashdown that throws water over the lagoon below. The full circuit covers 3,108 feet of track and runs about three minutes. Griffon’s trains hold 30 riders across three stadium-style rows of 10, with each row raised above the one ahead so even riders in the back get an unobstructed view over the edge, and the splashdown routinely soaks the front row, so plan accordingly if you have other attractions right after.
Best Seats and Best Time to Ride
Because each row seats 10 across in stadium-style tiers, seat choice matters less on Griffon than on most coasters — even middle and back-row seats get an unobstructed view over the edge during the 90-degree hold. That said, riders consistently point to the far-left and far-right outer seats in the front row as the most intense, since nothing but air is visible in your peripheral vision during the drop.
Like most major coasters, Griffon’s wait times are shortest earlier in the operating day and build steadily toward mid-afternoon, easing off again in the evening. Riding shortly after park opening or during evening hours typically means a noticeably shorter line than the midday peak.
How Griffon Compares to Other B&M Dive Coasters
Griffon set the bar in 2007 as the tallest and fastest B&M Dive Coaster in the world and the first with floorless trains, but the genre has since grown well beyond it. SheiKra at Busch Gardens Tampa (2005) is a close cousin at 200 feet and about 70 mph. Cedar Point’s Valravn (2016) topped Griffon at 223 feet with three inversions and switched to vest-style restraints. Canada’s Wonderland’s Yukon Striker (2019) later took over as the tallest, fastest, and longest dive coaster — but that record has since moved again: Six Flags Over Texas’s Tormenta: Rampaging Run, which opened July 9, 2026, is now the world’s tallest (309 feet), fastest (87 mph), and longest dive coaster, with five inversions.
Even so, Griffon remains the tallest roller coaster at Busch Gardens Williamsburg — taller than Alpengeist (195 feet) and Pantheon (178 feet, though Pantheon’s 73 mph launch nearly matches Griffon’s top speed) — and its floorless-train format still gives it a rawer, more exposed feel than most of the coasters that have since surpassed its records.
Is Griffon Safe? Incidents and Track Record
Griffon has operated since 2007 with a safety record typical of B&M-built coasters, punctuated by a handful of publicly documented stoppages. In August 2010, a wind-blown balloon prop struck the track and caused a collision that led to several rider injuries. In June 2021, 28 riders were safely evacuated by park staff and local fire crews after the train stopped mid-course, with no injuries reported. Most recently, on July 26, 2024, 28 riders were stranded roughly 205 feet up for about two hours after the ride stopped mid-run before staff tested the ride and brought everyone down safely, again with no injuries.
None of these incidents reflect an ongoing safety concern — ride stoppages and evacuations of this kind are a routine, if uncomfortable, part of coaster operations and are typically the ride’s safety systems doing exactly what they’re designed to do rather than a mechanical failure. They don’t indicate the ride is unsafe to ride today.
Planning Your Visit
Busch Gardens Williamsburg operates on a seasonal schedule, generally running select days in early spring and late fall and daily through the summer, with operating hours that shift throughout the year — always confirm the current calendar before you go on the official Busch Gardens Williamsburg hours page.
Standard park admission includes unlimited rides on Griffon during operating hours; there’s no separate ticket needed. For shorter waits, the park sells tiered Quick Queue passes — a one-time priority pass, an unlimited-access pass, and a higher “Plus” tier that also covers other headline rides — through the official Quick Queue and priority access page. Tickets, season passes, and current pricing are available directly through the official Busch Gardens Williamsburg ticket store, which is the most reliable source for up-to-date prices.
Griffon dive coaster rider guide FAQs
How tall do you have to be to ride Griffon?
You must be at least 54 inches (137 cm) tall. There’s no published maximum height or weight limit — riders just need to fit the individual over-the-shoulder restraint.
How fast does Griffon go?
Enthusiast ride databases have long listed Griffon’s top speed at 71 mph, based on figures from its 2007 debut, while Busch Gardens’ current official ride page advertises up to 75 mph. Either way, it’s one of the fastest dive coasters in the world.
How long is the hold at the top of Griffon?
The train pauses for several seconds at the 205-foot, 90-degree edge before releasing into the freefall — long enough that it’s become the ride’s signature moment.
Is there a single-rider line for Griffon?
No. Griffon doesn’t have a dedicated single-rider queue, so solo riders use the standard standby line or purchase Quick Queue for faster access.
Does Griffon get you wet?
Yes. The splashdown at the end of the ride throws water over the lagoon and routinely soaks riders in the front several rows, so plan your other plans accordingly if you ride early in the day.
Is Griffon still the tallest dive coaster in the world?
No. Griffon held that record when it opened in 2007, but it has since been surpassed, most recently by Six Flags Over Texas’s Tormenta: Rampaging Run, which opened July 9, 2026 as the tallest (309 feet), fastest (87 mph), and longest dive coaster. Griffon remains the tallest roller coaster at Busch Gardens Williamsburg.
Has Griffon ever had a serious accident?
Griffon has had a handful of publicly reported stoppages and evacuations over the years, including incidents in 2010, 2021, and 2024, but none reflect an ongoing safety issue — these were routine safety-system responses, and the ride has continued normal operation afterward.
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