TopThrill182

^ Yes, unless the standby line is shorter, there’s a ~25 minute wait from SV’s FL merge point in my experience this season. The left metal detector path is shorter than the right one (physically).

I know I’m late to the party, but may I complain about SV’s queue? I don’t like it, and it detracts from my enjoyment of an amazing coaster. Firstly, I feel like the ride offers bad Fast Lane value. The FL merge point is too early in the queue—guaranteeing a substantial FL wait (unless the standby line is nonexistent). And in my experience, the standby line rarely exceeds the merge point by much to begin with. Secondly, the locker/metal detector area always feels chaotic to me—with poor traffic patterns and people generally not understanding what they’re supposed to do or where they’re supposed to go. Thirdly, I hate how the two lines to the station are usually different in length and flow—meaning that I often watch someone who was behind me in line get on a couple of trains before me. While I appreciate CP’s investment in the innovative locker system, I wish they’d continue playing with the overall queue to improve it.

I’m shocked by this news. After CF purchased the land, I really thought they were committed to CGA long term. (Then again, I probably should've learned my lesson after Geauga Lake…) I’ve only visited CGA a couple of times, but I still have a lot of good memories of the park, and I’ve always thought it’s very attractive—particularly the entrance. Beyond losing this specific park, I hate the idea of amusement park chains being in the business of permanently closing parks. It makes me feel pessimistic about the future.

As a fair-skinned former ride operator, Emperor’s lack of a station roof makes me cringe… That said, I like the look of the ride’s layout! Yes, it’s shorter than some of the other dive coasters, but I totally agree that the pacing seems much better without a MCBR placed two elements in.

^^ Yeah, super interesting, thank you!

Thanks for the report! Swinging out over the lake seems pretty awesome. Two questions from someone who’s only ever ridden SkyHawk: Am I seeing correctly that there aren’t seatbelts? What are those things embedded in the ground under each arm?

What’s the worst in your opinion? MF’s FL line really bugs me. I don’t understand why the park doesn’t simply stop filling the entire ramp to the station, which seems like a simple way to provide a better value for FL guests.

I also have to jump in and say how awesome CP’s closing policy was pre-COVID (at least as a guest, I realize many employees were less enthused). I have so many great memories of hopping in line for one last ride 5 to 10 minutes after park close, and as a night owl, I loved it when the line was long. Now, until the park proves otherwise, I definitely recommend people ride everything they want to as early in the day as possible, since ride lines close unpredictably in the evenings—especially when the park is busy.

As others have said, I don’t recommend trying to visit SFMM and Knott’s in the same day—especially not with flights as bookends. (Time aside, I personally find the 5 freeway between LA and Knott’s to be very stressful!) Ride closures aside, I personally think SFMM is a much better choice for a same-day “layover” visit. You can hop on and off some coasters without missing too much. Knott’s, on the other hand, is such a rich park, I think it deserves to be savored in a more relaxed state of mind. In particular, I wouldn’t want to sit down to eat at Mrs. Knott’s Chicken Restaurant at 6pm knowing I have to be at the airport less than two hours later…

Thanks very much for the insight! I was confused by all the “the neighbors won’t allow this” comments given that, as you say, my vague understanding is that individual homeowners can’t do much to block a land use that is a) legal and b) supported by the larger community as represented by a city council. (Neighborhood councils exist in LA; are they not a thing in OC?) I also don’t see why Knott’s would waste anyone’s time or money designing improvements for un-improvable areas, so I assume the park thinks this can work (perhaps with reasonable noise mitigation efforts in an effort to be a good neighbor). Of course, whether Knott’s ultimately wants this coaster is another question. I’m trying not to get excited until the coaster is actually announced, but I’m happy the park is at least contemplating what we all want, and what would be a FANTASTIC addition to the park!

Please let the renewed giga rumor be true! I know roller coaster fans want gigas everywhere, but I sincerely think a traditional out and back giga (or hyper) makes a lot of business sense for Knott's. The park is highly attended, with a large thrill seeking base, and I think a tall, inversion-less, out and back steel coaster is a marketable hole. Plus, I think another high capacity B&M (presumably) coaster would really improve the overall guest experience on busy days. And a parking lot layout seems to render the "loss of charm" concerns moot. Separately, I like PE's new paint job. I think it gives the ride a more natural look, which has always been what I enjoy about the ride (that it really feels like riding a horse through a western terrain).

@tndank Did that actually happen?! Bummer! MF seemed to be up and down all day. I got in line for it around 6:30pm (after it had just reopened from being down), only for it to go down again as I approached the station. I finally got on after a 40 minute delay, but I was nervous the entire time that the empty test trains wouldn’t make it through the course given the relatively cold and windy weather. Despite a similar experience with SV, I ultimately got to ride everything I wanted to, and I really enjoyed closing day 2021. It definitely beat the dreadful closing day 2020!

Is COVID Halloweekends any different from before? I’m mostly wondering if the scare zones and/or mazes have changed at all from an operations perspective.

^ Thanks for the insight! Other than “laziness,” is there a reason why the ride went down to two trains after the refurbishment? And are two always in service, or does the ride reduce to one train ops during the off season for maintenance reasons? For such a busy year-round park, I’m surprised CF wouldn’t have invested in three trains if it could’ve meaningfully helped. Even CP’s converted Rougarou got three new trains, which is two too many most days. Still, even before Ghostrider’s refurbishment, the line always seemed to crawl to me.

Great to hear the park is continuing to tweak the SV queue setup/flow. Not flooding the pre-locker tunnel and both station staircases with standby guests is a big improvement for FLP users. Hopefully the park finds a way to make that stick. To me, the best option is still to keep the tunnel clear but keep the (longer) right staircase filled with guests so seats don’t go out empty.