PhillyGirl Posted July 5, 2006 Share Posted July 5, 2006 I am flying to the west coast for an event on 7/9, so I decided to spend 7/7 and 7/8 visiting two of Southern CA's finest, SFMM and Knott's. Since this will be my first time visiting one of the parks, and its been 8 yrs since I went to the other, I thought I would seek some advice. Is it possible, to get through all of the coasters at SFMM in one day (Friday or Saturday) without a Fast Pass? If not, is it possible with a Fast Pass? Are there rides whose lines are usually short? Is it possible, to get through all of the coasters at Knott's in one day (Friday or Saturday)? Are there rides whose lines are usually short? I'm going by myself, are there any pointers for single riders? Thanks for all of your assistance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbalvey Posted July 5, 2006 Share Posted July 5, 2006 Is it possible, to get through all of the coasters at SFMM in one day (Friday or Saturday) without a Fast Pass? If not, is it possible with a Fast Pass? Are there rides whose lines are usually short? On the days you are going, probably not. Especially if you want to ride X without waiting 2-3 hours. Here is what I would reccomend. Purchase your ticket online if possible. Get to the park by 9:15am (this is very, VERY important!) Try to be one of the first people at the entrance gates. As soon as they open the entrance gates GO DIRECTLY TO X. Do not stop to get FastLane, do not stop to get a locker, go RIGHT TO X. Once you do that you can head to Deja Vu. If you can get these two coasters out of the way fairly early, you can hit most everything else with little wait or with your FastLane passes. I'd say make the rounds at hit the coasters that DO NOT have FastLane: Superman, Ninja, Gold Rusher, Batman. Go get your FastLane passes and use then on Tatsu, Riddler's, Goliath, and Colossus or Scream. Viper and Revolution rarely get a long line even in the middle of the day. But basically, get there early and get on X. That's the most important tip I can give you. If you end up hitting X later in the day I guarentee you a 2-3 hour wait minimum. They were running 1 train this weekend and I'd say the line was more like 4+ hours. I hope that helps. --Robb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USRoadTripper Posted July 5, 2006 Share Posted July 5, 2006 ^ Do the lines for X get shorter towards the end of the day, like lines do at other parks? I'll be there one evening then the next morning...I'm wondering if it would be smarter to clean up as many small wait credits there as I can, then wait in whatever line X has at the end of the night. That way we could run for Deja Vu or Tatsu the next morning when everyone else runs to X. Thoughts? -Julie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ECZenith Posted July 5, 2006 Share Posted July 5, 2006 I went to SFMM on a Saturday in May and they cut the line off an hour before the park closed. It was about 2 hours all day, so I'd say it was still very busy by closing time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoasterFanatic Posted July 5, 2006 Share Posted July 5, 2006 If you go to SFMM and all the coasters are operating (sans Flashback) you should consider yourself lucky and go home a winner. Seriously, like Robb said, head straight back to X. Don't stop anywhere! After X pick up some Flash Passes from Guest Services and then try to get as many of the low capacity rides out of the way as possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
therooboy Posted July 5, 2006 Share Posted July 5, 2006 The park closes off the line before closing time and runs X until all in the queue have ridden. You can sometimes sneak another go in right at the end of the day with only about a 30-45 minute wait, but that depends on the day. But as previously stated the "morning run" is best. Last time i was there, 1 person collapsed and another couldnt stop throwing up upon the opening run up the hill to X.So bring good running shoes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlmereStars Posted July 5, 2006 Share Posted July 5, 2006 The park closes off the line before closing time and runs X until all in the queue have ridden.You can sometimes sneak another go in right at the end of the day with only about a 30-45 minute wait, but that depends on the day. But as previously stated the "morning run" is best. Last time i was there, 1 person collapsed and another couldnt stop throwing up upon the opening run up the hill to X.So bring good running shoes. omg, a whole sprinting marathon why don't we have that in holland! oow that's right, we don't pack the whole park full with people and phillygirl, good luck running your ass off Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElBlufer Posted July 5, 2006 Share Posted July 5, 2006 Another hint (That my friends never allow me to try, but I believe it should work)... get lunch at around 11 A.M., fore not many people eat that early. That way, you will both save the lunchtime rush, and you will be able to ride rides while people are spending an hour trying to eat lunch! EDIT: Or, you could just eat lunch at about 3 (inbetween lunch and dinner). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verticalzero Posted July 5, 2006 Share Posted July 5, 2006 Get there early and go on the rides which are at the back of the park. I did this at Walibi World in Holland and had "Robin Hood" Wooden coaster to myself for almost 20 mins Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suave1226 Posted July 5, 2006 Share Posted July 5, 2006 Also a tip use the single rider line at Deja Vu. I have never waited more than 5 minutes in that line and me and all my friends use it when we go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbalvey Posted July 5, 2006 Share Posted July 5, 2006 ^ Do the lines for X get shorter towards the end of the day, like lines do at other parks? I'll be there one evening then the next morning...I'm wondering if it would be smarter to clean up as many small wait credits there as I can, then wait in whatever line X has at the end of the night. That way we could run for Deja Vu or Tatsu the next morning when everyone else runs to X. Thoughts? -Julie It's possible, but not usually likely. I've heard many many stories of people "getting to X before the line is closed off" and it takes them until an hour or two after the park is closed to run it out. Don't worry about running to Tatsu. Get your FastLane passes for it and you're set! --Robb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhillyGirl Posted July 6, 2006 Author Share Posted July 6, 2006 Thank you all for the SFMM advice....I will adhere to the great information. Do you have any tid bits for navigating Knott's Berry Farm? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbalvey Posted July 6, 2006 Share Posted July 6, 2006 Do you have any tid bits for navigating Knott's Berry Farm? Get in and out of there as quickly as humanly possible! --Robb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhillyGirl Posted July 6, 2006 Author Share Posted July 6, 2006 Get in and out of there as quickly as humanly possible! lol......Is that not a great park any longer? If you had a choice would you go there or Disneyland? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SharkTums Posted July 6, 2006 Share Posted July 6, 2006 FYI Deja is down today. I will post my SFMM order list again: X Deja (if open) Batman (since only running one train) Riddler Superman Ninja Goliath Scream Colossus Only after getting all of these can you stop for food. If Goliath is too long of a line, turn around and save it for fastlane later. After a LATE lunch: Revolution Viper Tatsu (with Fastlane) Goldrusher Kiddie Coasters Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lapseofreason Posted July 7, 2006 Share Posted July 7, 2006 ^What kiddie coasters are you allowed to ride there? I haven't figured that out in 4 years, especially since I glanced at the height sign for Goliath Jr. last time we were there and noticed we were too tall to ride. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gnome Posted July 7, 2006 Share Posted July 7, 2006 Get in and out of there as quickly as humanly possible! lol......Is that not a great park any longer? If you had a choice would you go there or Disneyland? Knotts is a fine park. But it comes a time when you've gone there 50 billion times that you get board of the place and you start critiquing everything about it. Its not the best park in the world, but at the same time its not the worse. If you didn't grow up with the park, I doubt you would find much wrong with it. But basically just get a map and look at all the rides that you want to go on. Make a plan on what order your going to ride them in. Usually when I go with friends who don't go to Knotts hardly at all I go on La Revolution, Montazooma's Revenge, Silver Bullet, Ghost Rider, Xcelerator, Supreme Scream, Boomerang, Rip Tide, Big Foot Rapids, and sometimes the Log Ride. More recently I have also been going on the Calico Mine train, but it sucks because you can't hear a damn word that the tour guide is saying. Anyways, just go on those, you can throw in Perilous Plunge if you must, but you should be finished with the ride list by early afternoon if you get there right at opening. That gives you time for re-rides on Xcelerator, Ghost Rider, and Silver Bullet. Although I personally like re-riding Montezooma's Revenge because its such an awsome loop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbalvey Posted July 7, 2006 Share Posted July 7, 2006 Knotts is a fine park. But it comes a time when you've gone there 50 billion times that you get board of the place and you start critiquing everything about it. Its not the best park in the world, but at the same time its not the worse. If you didn't grow up with the park, I doubt you would find much wrong with it. Speak for yourself! I know many people who have been there over the past few years for their first time ever and HATED it! Coasters that don't open with the park or are just closed, TERRIBLE operations (worse than SFMM), all the charm of the place been removed, Ghostrider runs like crap now. IMO, of all the major parks that claim to be of "resort status" which Knott's claims it is, it's one of, if not THE worst. Save yourself the headache and go to Disney. --Robb "I'm not critiquing it, the place just sucks now. Period." Alvey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Sabo Posted July 7, 2006 Share Posted July 7, 2006 Ouch! I guess I'll scratch KBF off my list now..lol I think the last time I been to that park was in 1988 and CF did not own it then (right?). I remember riding the corkscrew coaster (forgot the name) over and over and the soap box derby-racer(s) were there too and it was actually a fun day (except when one of my former classmates ate some bad food and got food poisoning and throwing up in parking lot (and locked her keys in the rental car..lol). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Director_Guy Posted July 7, 2006 Share Posted July 7, 2006 So, what about MM without Flash Pass? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guttermouth Posted July 8, 2006 Share Posted July 8, 2006 Speak for yourself! I know many people who have been there over the past few years for their first time ever and HATED it! Coasters that don't open with the park or are just closed, TERRIBLE operations (worse than SFMM), all the charm of the place been removed, Ghostrider runs like crap now. IMO, of all the major parks that claim to be of "resort status" which Knott's claims it is, it's one of, if not THE worst. Save yourself the headache and go to Disney. --Robb "I'm not critiquing it, the place just sucks now. Period." Alvey Robb, do you think this because of the way Cedar Faire has changed things? Because I "was" a season pass holder there from 95-98 and always had a good time and I was thinking about going again very soon. I haven't been there since GR was built. Montezooma's Revenge is still my favorite coaster ever and wanted to visit my old baby again, but maybe not.........hrm.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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