Photo TR: Chuck's Long California Weekend

[cfc]

Hello, Fellow TPRites,

 

I spent an awesome King Day weekend on the Left Coast. Anytime hitting the southern California parks is usually good, but my thanks to the Alveys and the good folks at Six Flags Magic Mountain for making my visit to that park (my first in about 30 years) extra special--the backstage tour, the extra perks, and the party were great.

 

But my first stop was Knott's.

 

My god, what has happened to this place? Cedar Fair hasn't bled all the charm out of the park yet, but it's not for lack of trying. When I was a kid, KBF was usually the Campbell family's first stop--for a nice chicken dinner and a fun evening in the park (back when they still had the Parachute Sky Jump and the Wacky Soapbox Racers). I think my symbol for all that's wrong with KBF now is Silver Bullet. It's not a bad inverted coaster, just a mediocre one, but it just seems so out of place here in how it dominates the skyline as you walk in. And the way it's shoehorned inbetween Ghost Town and Camp Snoopy is just wrong. Placing it at the back of the park would've made for a better fit--but does it really need to be here at all?

 

I really miss the Roaring 20s and Roaring 20s Airfield, too--this generic boardwalk theme just doesn't cut it.

 

This was basically an afternoon credit stop. Here are the coasters that were new to me, from best to worst:

 

Xcelerator--This is my second-favorite Intamin launched coaster (next to Storm Runner at Hershey). There's some nice air over the high hat, and it has a few more tricks up its sleeve (than, say, Stealth)--a nice layout. I like the dragstrip themeing, too.

 

Silver Bullet--Yeah, I'm not crazy about where Cedar Fair put this ride, but it's an OK inverted. Too bad that it just sort of meanders through it's course (SFMM's Batman stomps all over this one). I just hate how it screws up the skyline of Ghost Town.

 

Ghostrider--I wished that I had ridden this woodie when it was new (and still great, from what I understand). I gave it a spin in the front car, and thought it was OK, if rather rough. (I shudder to think what the ride in the back was like--I didn't have the heart to try it.) Still, there are some pops of air here and there.

 

Sierra Sidewinder--Now here's something I think Cedar Fair did right. This is a solid family coaster, and it spins just about enough. It fits in well with Camp Snoopy.

 

Boomerang--Oh, god in heaven, where's my crowbar and cutting torch? Uncomfortable, painful, and I was quite a knucklehead for even trying it. Never again.

 

It was all one-train operation, too, but the crowd was so light that it didn't matter much.

 

Still, there are few touches of the old Knott's left--like the Mine Train and the (closed for major rehab) Log Ride. Jaguar is still a decent family coaster, and Montezooma's Revenge still kicks butt the old-fashioned, Schwartzkopf way. The boysenberry pie is still good, too.

 

Here are the pics.

Stupid Boomerang! And stupid me for riding it! More to come from KBF.

As you can see, this is a highly popular attraction.

Aw, crap! Boomerang's open!

Yep, it's pretty good for a "wham, bam, thank you mam" Intamin rocket coaster.

Xcelerator is definitely open for business.

Pay no attention to the random trash can in front of the entrance.

OK, time for the best ride of the day. I like Xcelerator quite a bit.

Where's my stinkin' mountain? Still, it's a nice little ride.

OK, this sign has promised me a mountain, dammit!

. . . Christmas decorations in January.

It just seems as out of place as . . .

Silver Bullet, which is hardly faster than a speeding bullet.

I think the people in the front will be reasonably happy; as for the suckers in the back . . .

My last visit to KBF was for Haunt in 2001, and the line for this sucker was over 90 minutes. My group stuck to the Haunt stuff.

On the left, the "old" Knott's--on the right, the "new" (Silver Bullet).

This TR will answer the musical question "Is Knott's worth a can of chicken corn chowder plus $19.99?" Yeah, I guess. (It was a promotion for the Orange County Foodbank.)

[cfc]

And now, a look at some of the "old" Knott's that remains.

Oh, man, I gotta go so bad. Donde este los banos? (Or something like that--SFMM is next).

Note to Cedar Fair--Snoopy could use a nice power wash.

This didn't seem all that "supreme" to me--just an average drop ride.

. . . with a pretty cool queue.

Jaguar is still a nice family coaster . . .

And here's the old Bottle House; of course, Silver Bullet rumbles right over it.

Why, there's even the old cigar store Indian (PC be damned).

You can still feel this dude's heartbeat when you stand on his grave.

There's still a wee bit of Boot Hill, next to the Pony Express site. (This ride, if it's themed nicely, would be a good fit for Knott's, I think.)

But don't be expecting a show at the Bird Cage Theatre--it's more of an "exhibit" now, I think.

At least some of the Ghost Town is intact.

Here's all that's left of the Roaring 20s (except for the Wheeler Dealer bumper cars).

I don't know which makes me sadder--the sorry state of the Log Ride, or how much Silver dominates Calico Square.

Shore is purty, ain't it?

After subjecting myself to a throbbing, Boomerang-induced headache, I went in search of the "old" Knott's. The Mine Train is still fun (and they were running two trains, believe it or not).

[ebl]

Glad you had some fun out here in our neck of the woods, Chuck.

 

And stupid me---I didn't even greet you at Robb and Elissa's. Saw you, but...

 

Eric

[SharkTums]

We were at Knotts last Tuesday, and I too noticed Snoopy's need for a scrub down.

 

Nice TR, your feelings about Knotts are very similar to mine.

[arrowfanman]

Great start to your PTR Chuck! I agree with you on everything about Knott's--except for Sierra Sidewinder. I just didn't seem to care for it when I rode it a week ago. I think I gave it a smile, but nothing beyond that.

 

Look forward to the next installment!

 

-Jahan

[RIP Psyclone]

Chuck's summaries of his new credits are unmatched. Seriously. And that's before you get to the photos and the often hilarious captions, Whenever I login to TPR I'm hoping to see one of 3 things, an "official update," an update to Shane's Attic, or a cfc PTR.

[cfc]

That's OK EBL--I didn't notice a warthog at the party, or else I would've said hello.

 

Last Saturday, January 19, 2008, marks the first time I had set foot in Magic Mountain in about 30 years. Yes, I was a rather rotund lad of 17, and the park still had trolls for mascots and a crafts area called Spillikin Corners, if memory serves. I thought the Great American Revolution was, indeed, great; enjoyed the Log Jammer and Jet Stream; and thought Gold Rusher was OK. Other than that, the park hadn't made much of an impression on me.

 

Well, I'm happy to say that I most likely won't let another 30 years go by before visiting SFMM again. I had a great time, and the park bent over backwards to make sure that everyone in our group did. My thanks to Jay Thomas, Tim Burkhart, Neal Thurman, and everyone else at the park--as well as Robb and Elissa--who worked so hard to make this day a memorable one, and worth a flight out from the East Coast.

 

We started out with some ERT on Tatsu--and some surprise ERT on Viper, then rambled about on our own until our excellent Italian buffet lunch at Mooseburger (featuring items not offered on the regular menu). Then came the backstage tour of the Flashback destruction zone (with some hints as to the site's future), the Thomas Town area (which promises to be pretty cool), and, of course, X (where Tim told us about the ride's redesigned trains). This was followed by Jay Thomas (the park's president) and his presentation about improvements to SFMM's operations and facilities, some more from Tim about X and Thomas Town, and the premiere of the latest TPR DVD in the Magic Moments Theatre.

 

As for the coasters, here they are, from best to worst (in my opinion, at least):

 

Goliath--Yeah, I'm a sucker for these hypercoasters, and Goliath didn't disappoint. Plenty of air in the first half and, of course, the insane helix of death in the second. Good stuff.

 

Riddler's Revenge--I'm not a big fan of standups as a group, but this one is great, with its twisty, surprising layout (and relative smoothness).

 

Batman: The Ride--The Batman series never disappoints (even when it's called "Diavalo" in Japan).

 

Tatsu--I can't imagine a better setting for a flying coaster than the top of Magic Mountain. Spectacular views for a spectacular ride, even if the pretzel loop did make me a bit sick (I was a little under the weather the whole weekend, actually). I've found that most flyers are at their worst when you're flat on your back.

 

Ninja--This suspended coaster is fun, but I prefer Euroburg's Big Bad Wolf--at least the Wolf's second lifthill takes you to a big drop and not just back to the station.

 

Scream--Another good B&M floorless, but a bit on the rough side. I think it's about as good as Medusa in New Jersey, but not quite as good as Kraken in Florida.

 

Colossus--Again, this is another coaster I wished I had ridden while it was in its prime. Still, I thought it was an OK woodie--but it rambles when it should roar.

 

Viper--This was a somewhat pleasant surprise. When I first saw it, I had flashbacks to Great Adventure's wretched Great American Scream Machine, but Viper actually gives a pretty good ride in the front car (only banged my ears once). Nice new paint job, too.

 

Revolution--I just had to check this one out with the OSRs; yes, it would be a better ride without them. Sigh . . . Still, I didn't think it was horrible.

 

I missed out on Gold Rusher (well, I'd ridden back in the day), Superman (break down), and Deja Vu (I'm not that into "boomerang" type Vekomas--especially after Knott's).

 

I've droned on long enough. Here are the photos.

"Suggestive? Who cares? Just saddle up and ride!" More to come.

Hmm--am I the only one who finds something moderately "suggestive" about these banners? "Bigger, Faster, Louder"? Hmm . . .

Hmm--I don't look like a "colossus" here. Merely like I really need to take a dump.

"Hurry, Robin! There's no time to lose!"

"Begorrah, Commissioner Gordon. We're too incompetent to handle this one. Best be callin' in the Caped Crusaders!"

"Meanwhile, back at this seemingly innocent, yet sinister local gas station . . ."

"Riddler! You giggling ghoul! You and your cagey conundrums!"

"Correct, Boy Wonder! By the way, you fail at taking pictures of my ride!"

"They toss one cigarette overboard and make the boat a cigarette lighter!"

"There are three men on a boat with four cigarettes and no matches. How do they manage to smoke?"

I can just hear Frank Gorshin giggling around here somewhere: "Riddle me this, Batman!"

Why is KidTums smiling? Because she just knocked out Ryan!

Not a bad ride in the front, actually. I'd rather ride this than KD's Anaconda.

Happy, smiling TPRites on Viper.

. . . even if the pretzel loop nearly cost me my oatmeal.

It is one beautiful looking coaster . . .

I'm glad that I didn't eat a huge breakfast before tackling Tatsu.

"And you are ready to pay $15 to park!"

[RIP Psyclone]

I'll admit Viper is hardly one of the best credits I have. It was one of my first "big" ones, though. I guess I got a soft spot for it, so I'm glad you didn't hate it like GASM.

[cfc]

Thanks to everyone who has chimed in and commented so far. Here's some more from a great day at Six Flags Magic Mountain.

Robb stakes out the best seat in the house for Tim's talk about X. More to come--including the party.

The X station is getting a new paint job like the rest of the ride (red and charcoal gray)--now all it needs is new trains.

Here's the group at the site of Thomas Town. Goliath Jr., a kiddie coaster which is still there, is going to be rethemed to match the new area.

. . . Rest in Pieces.

I, of course, have never ridden Flashback, so all I can say is . . .

Looks like the Metro won't be returning. (Scott, best break out your black armband for a monorail lost.)

Tim Burkhart discusses the demolition of Flashback, and hints at possibilites for the area. (One hint is provided by what's in the background.)

Jay Thomas starts off the backstage tour.

Once again in Ryan's clutches, KT looks for a suitable weapon to render the lad senseless.

Bob, aren't you glad I didn't use that picture of you scratching your nose?

I'm don't remember what Guy is describing here, but being as it appears to have something to do with "length," that's probably for the best.

I could only finish about half of this chocolate cake.

And who could forget the moose dance? I'm sure Ryan won't.

You know, the moose looks like he could really use the mens room about now.

You know, I was expecting a mere Mooseburger, but was pleasantly suprised with the very good Italian buffet we got instead (nice work on the chicken Alfredo and the desserts).

[cfc]

I'll admit Viper is hardly one of the best credits I have. It was one of my first "big" ones, though. I guess I got a soft spot for it, so I'm glad you didn't hate it like GASM.

 

I was fully expecting to hate it, but it seems to run reasonably well.

 

Here's the last set from Magic Mountain--including the party afterward.

Aw-w-w-w, Guy was sleeping so sweetly, we couldn't bear to disturb him. Next up--at day at DLR.

Considering all the sugar-laced caffeine at this table, nobody here appears to be all that active.

An extra added attraction: Patch Jacket Jeff Johnson!

Here's what's left of the awesome spread. (I wasn't feeling hardy enough to try out Robb's wings, though.)

Here are the proud owners of pieces of Flashback track, courtesy of SFMM. (Everybody there got a section of a Flashback wheel, too.)

Damn it! If somebody steals my piece of Flashback track again . . .

These folks so want to win those Disney bags--you can just tell.

By the looks in their eyes, I'd say that these folks have been possessed by this demonic bag of Tostitos!

Party time--who will win this stylish bag of Tokyo Disney bags? They can be yours if the Price is Right!

Good night, Six Flags. Thanks for a great day.

Being as Lex Luthor had slipped Superman some Kryptonite, we decided to pay homage to Anton Schwarzkopf instead.

A Super-robot, perhaps?

Look at all those cracks. No wonder Krypton exploded.

At least we got a look at its nifty Queue of Solitude.

Bob and I decided to check out Superman--sigh . . .

If you squint, you might be able to make out a train in this shot.

Nice queue, though.

I'm afraid I fail at taking pictures of Ninja.

You get a nice new of Goliath from the Thomas Town construction zone.

Oh, man--you mean we gotta stand here all by ourselves for a whole hour?

Here's the ride I was most looking forward to--and it didn't disappoint.

[mcjaco]

I can't believe you gave them a can of Chicken Corn Chowder. I'm soooooo disappointed in you. Maybe a can of Italian Wedding, but Chicken Corn Chowder?! The shame of it, Chuck.....the shame.....

[TheStig]

Hey, I felt bad giving them cans of "spicy red chili", but hey you can't beat the price! Plus a can-date with Robb was all worth it.

 

Great stuff, Chuck. It was good seeing you again! And I want that recipe for the pecan pie thing!

[cfc]

I was hoping to being a can of "Food Club" something or other from my local Ukrop's store (it's a chain in Virginia), but there is that problem with bringing liquids in carry-on bags.

[Jayjay719]

Chuck awesome PTR. I wish I was there for Six Flags and the party. It looks like yall had a great time! Though I've never been to Magic Mountain, RIP FlashBack.

[yankees15]

Awesome photos Chuck! I really want to get out west to try KBF sometime.

 

Why was there a trash can in front of Xcelerator's entrance? Did Cedar Fair put too many in the park that they can only fit them in front of entrances now?

[BeemerBoy]

Looks like the Metro won't be returning. (Scott, best break out your black armband for a monorail lost.)

And they think they're going to improve the park with plans like this? Pfft, good luck.

 

Entertaining and imformative TR as usual, Chuck.

[cfc]

Well, being as I'm stuck at home, sick with what appears to be the flu, I may as well finish this TR before I puke all over the keyboard.

 

I finished up my long weekend with a day at DLR, hanging out with Jeff Johnson (sans patch jacket). Being as it was a Sunday on a three-day weekend, the place was fairly busy, but manageable enough with a Fast Pass here and there. My two main objectives, strangely enough, were the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage and the Pirate's Lair over in . . . Frontierland? . . . New Orleans Square? (It's kind of hard to tell.)

 

The line for Nemo was long (all the way back to where the Fantasyland Autopia used to be), but only took about an hour. As for the ride itself, I'd call this one of Disney's most elaborate "C" (maybe "D") attractions. The video effects work beautifully (especially a bit featuring some lava), but I really think the Epcot version of this ride is better, thanks to the presence of real fish among the video fish. Still, the Submarine Voyage is a unique attraction, and I'm glad that the lagoon is active again.

 

The Pirate's Lair on the former Tom Sawyer's Island is actually pretty cool. The little surprises and effects in the Dead Man's Grotto (formerly Injun Joe's Cave) are a lot of fun, and the rest of the island is tricked out with all sorts of new pirate stuff, such as wrecked ships, hidden treasure, and talk tubes (the better to harrass people with). This is definitely worth a look the next time you visit.

 

We spent most of the day at Disneyland, but did sneak in a couple hours at DCA--the building for the Toy Story (Midway?) Mania looks great.

 

Here are the pictures.

Can ye not see the scurvy pirate raft off the starboard bow? Thar be more to come, sez I.

Argh! Belay that Tom Sawyer talk! This be just Pirate's Lair!

Everybody is just so hot to see Tom Swayer's Pirate's Lair!

I haven't seen a line like this for the island rafts in years.

Wow! I dreamed of a corn dog in a foil bag--and it came true!

And for Scott, a working monorail. Only one-train operation today, though--but they'll be testing the new trains soon.

Jeff looks out in awe and wonder at the splendor that is the Finding Nemo Submarine voyage.

Fast Pass time for Space Mountain. Yeah, this is still my favorite of the bunch, but Tokyo has a cooler spaceship.

Darth Maul, however, deserves all the butt kickings he can get for that stupid make-up job.

Jeff needed a smoke after Nemo, so I checked out the Jedi Academy show. Poor Darth Vader. I actually feel sorry for the poor dope, going from the master of the Dark Side to some poor guy who gets his butt kicked by rugrats at Disney.

"Mine? Mine? Mine?" for a full hour.

Yeah, this is smaller than most of the other Disney castles; however, as Jeff pointed out, it was built brick-by-brick, not prefab like the others.

Here we see the cunningly camouflaged Indy show building. This is the first time I've ever walked into the park via Downtown Disney.

I was promised marbles on my walk from the Holiday Inn to Disneyland, but this button so did not deliver.

Time for a true Breakfast of Champions: a piece of Knott's boysenberry pie (still pretty damn good) and a cup of Extended Stay America coffee.

[cfc]

Part 2 of a good day at DLR.

. . . and the majestic Matterhorn. Part 3 to come.

We had some time to kill before our Indy Fast Passes were good, so we hit two mountains: Big Thunder . . .

"He's Captain Jack Sparrow! His name is Jack Sparrow! So we call him Jack Sparrow! 'Cause that's his name--Jack Sparrow!" (Cool song, eh Casey?)

You know, as much as we like Thunder Mountain, Jeff and I both kinda miss the Mine Train Through Nature's Wonderland.

And they left all this treasure behind! Well, lucky they are that we be here to "mind" it for them, like.

Hmm--t'would seem that the crew 'o' this vessel ran tinto a wee bit 'o' hard luck.

Argh! Blast that lubber Mike Fink fer not takin' better care 'o' his craft!

Ahoy! The Mark Twain is becalmed! Grab yer cutlasses, get a boat, and prepare to board!

This chest be mine, sez I!

Curse you, Jack Sparrow!

If ye seeks treasure, ye has to work for it, swab! Get to pumpin' the bilge!

Turn to, mate! I've got me eye on ye!

Here beats the heart of Davy Jones.

Ahoy! I be a dead man! Hope ye enjoys me grotto!

So, ye dares to plumb the depths of Dead Man's Grotto, eh?

[cfc]

Part 3--finishing up at DL and DCA.

 

Jeff, thanks for taking time off from the playoffs to hang out--it was a great day.

. . . and a nighttime ride on Splash Mountain, which had but a five-minute wait on this rather chilly evening (go figure). That's all--thanks for reading.

Then it was back to DL for a bit of Dole Whip . . .

I snagged another ride on Screamin' during the Electrical Parade (which seems so out of place at DCA).

Maybe it's just me, but I actually prefer DCA's aircraft-hangar themeing to Epcot's neon-lined concourse. I also find this ride very relaxing.

Jeff had to head out, so I took advantage of the single-rider line at Soarin'.

. . . and a little education in the proper technique for eating broccoli cheese soup, courtesy of Jeff.

. . . a little airtime on Tower . . .

. . . a wee taste of Hollywood after dark . . .

. . . a little Screamin' . . .

Off to DCA for . . .

I think I give the edge to the Tokyo version, but DL's is pretty damn good, too.

Look closely--there are bats in here! (Actually, bats fly around my neighborhood in Williamsburg on summer nights.)

At last, it's time for my favorite attraction at DL.

[robbalvey]

Yeah, this is smaller than most of the other Disney castles; however, as Jeff pointed out, it was built brick-by-brick, not prefab like the others.

I always think it's "cute" when the So Cal locals grasp at straws to defend their mini-castle!

 

The line for Nemo was long...I really think the Epcot version of this ride is better

You're my hero Chuck!

 

Great Photo TR! I'll get this on the front page soon!

 

--Robb

[mcjaco]

As per usual, an excellent TR Chuck.

 

I think you should of finished with a picture of you puking on your keyboard.

[RaptorBoyASU]

 

The line for Nemo was long...I really think the Epcot version of this ride is better

You're my hero Chuck!

 

Great Photo TR! I'll get this on the front page soon!

 

--Robb

 

Selective quoting........ he also mentions that the Disneyland Space Mountain is the best. Which is so true. I love the Florida Parks, but until the Florida version of SM gets some sort of soundtrack or is a bit more immersive, the Cali version totally wins.

[BeemerBoy]

[

Selective quoting........ he also mentions that the Disneyland Space Mountain is the best.

Hmmm, let me try to work out the math on this one.

 

Monorail pic: +100

Wrapped monorail: -50

Not being Chuck's fault that it's wrapped: +25

Liking DL's Space Mountain over WDW's: -76

An overall cool report despite being sick: +2

 

Well, you finished in the black, Chuck....despite that SM slip-up.

[cfc]

^^Unlike Fox News, I am truly "fair and balanced." And, hey, I don't feel like I'm going to puke anymore, so things are looking up.

 

^You're too kind, Scott.

 

And thanks, Robb--selective quotes and all.

[robbalvey]

Selective quoting........ he also mentions that the Disneyland Space Mountain is the best. Which is so true. I love the Florida Parks, but until the Florida version of SM gets some sort of soundtrack or is a bit more immersive, the Cali version totally wins.

I have heard that an audio system was tested in Florida, so that ride may someday get similar enhancements.

 

I do agree that the effects on the CA version is amazing, and I can see why someone would prefer California's version if you've only ridden the US versions of the ride. Personally, my current favorite version of Space Mountain is Hong Kong's which is the California track layout and audio with *MUCH* better effects.

 

I do prefer the airtime filled track layout of Florida's Space over the "west coast" version (meaning all the versions that use that layout), but it does lack something without the audio and FX. If those ever get added, it will be VERY hard to beat a souped up version of Florida's Space Mountain.

 

Although if Paris' Space was ever re-habbed so it didn't beat the crap out of you, it would be hands down IMO the best Space Mountain...even with the pathetic Mission 2 makeover.

 

I'm actually not as big of a "Florida biased" fan as everyone thinks. While yes I feel that Florida's resort is FAR superior than California (but that was Walt's intention), I usually prefer the international versions of most Disney parks and rides over their US counterparts.

 

--Robb