Rollerman87 Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 My advice = go somewhere else (SFMM or DL). The place is a dump. Screw you. There is only one problem with Knott's. Location. Its nestled next to a world reknowned THEME park and one of the largest Thrill parks in the world. The park as its own is great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnottsDisneyFarm Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 My advice = go somewhere else (SFMM or DL). The place is a dump. Is it really that bad? No! I don't get why people think that! The ONLY thing that sucks (and smells) is the water in the Log Ride and Rapids. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hauntme23 Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 Can I ask some slightly different advice? Heading over to So Cal for second year in a row in August. Was at SFMM last year but fancy KBF this year for a change and cos it is closer. My fiancee doesn't like theme parks so have 2 options - A) Go on my own first thing in the morning, get round the park then head home earlier or B) Go to Soak City for the day then hit the park at night so she can go with the friends we are with and I can get on the rides then. Questions - 1) Is it better at KBF first thing in morning or late at night? 2) If going at night what time do I need to get in the park to get round it all? 3) Will all the rides still be running at night? Will be my one and only trip there so want to get round it all. I'd definitely recommend your plan B. Austin [FitchCoaster] and I did that yesterday! We spent the majority of the day at Soak City and then spontaneously decided to take advantage of the after 4p.m. pricing and hit up Knott's. Crowds were super light and we really enjoyed it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stellaclose Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 ^ThanksMy advice = go somewhere else (SFMM or DL). The place is a dump. Is it really that bad? It isn't that bad (Actually the Knotts hotel next door is more of a dump). But on the bright side they put on a great halloween event, in fact its one of the best in So Cal!!!! I just found the place to be a let down and full of mediocre coasters (Silver Bullet most boring invert ever, Ghost Rider pain, Pony express pointless....the list goes on and on. (Xcelerator was closed on my visit so can't comment on that) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZeroG001 Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 Six Flags is the dump out here in Socal. When was the last time you went to SFMM? Having visited both Knott's and Magic Mountain within a week of a each other last month, it was a lot easier for me to make a comparison. SFMM is the CLEAR winner out of the two. I think SFMM, DLR, and Universal are all better parks than KBF, no contest at all. If you haven't been to Knott's before, I'd say you should go just to check it out. But you don't need to spend a whole day there, because if you go early in the morning, you can ride everything within the first 2-3 hours the park is open. At night is probably better, though, because it's cooler. Just don't go with high expectations. I guarantee you, you will be disappointed if you do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stellaclose Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 Six Flags is the dump out here in Socal. When was the last time you went to SFMM? Having visited both Knott's and Magic Mountain within a week of a each other last month, it was a lot easier for me to make a comparison. SFMM is the CLEAR winner out of the two. I think SFMM, DLR, and Universal are all better parks than KBF, no contest at all. Agreed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bolliger&Mabillard Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 ^I beg to differ. What exactly is it you all feel would make Knott's a better park than the "fail" you all think it is? What is so depressing and unfufilling about a park that has a bitchin' launch coaster, "decent" invert, fun shuttle looper, cool drop tower, and interesting atmosphere? In proportion to MM, it even has a better assortment of flats, a better kids area, and more "intermediate" rides that entire families can do together. Now let me make this clear, as I don't want to seem like a fanboy (For the record, I don't even really care for the park) but to those here who ask about the park here that may visit for the very first time, it's not a bad place to spend a few hours. It's a clean park, the rides are ran efficiently, and there's more to do than just coasters. Since when does that make a a park a "fail"? Is it as great as it once was? Well that depends on who you ask. Some say it lost its charm and glory, Others say its propelling itself to new heights. In either case, it's a fun place to chill, and for some reason it gets a bad rep In other words, Give credit where its due. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itnotfair Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 I think SFMM, DLR, and Universal are all better parks than KBF, no contest at all. I will agree except for Universal. That place is whack-tastic. Everything there is subjugated to the needs of the studio. Therefore, all three (count 'em, three!) rides are crammed indoors to prevent the screams from disrupting filming. There is only one coaster, the Mummy. The Simpson's ride is fun, and Jurassic Park is cool. Everything else there is a tired show or a crappy new show. King Kong is dead, and...what else...oh yeah, they don't sell "Bort" license plates at the Simpson's gift shop! Among its MANY rides, Knott's has Xcelerator, arguably the best coaster in California, Montezuma's revenge, the only Schwarzkopf shuttle loop on the west coast, and Perlious Plunge, the best drop on a water ride I've ever experienced! I tire of arguing the obvious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Top Thrill Dragster Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 When was the last time you went to SFMM? Having visited both Knott's and Magic Mountain within a week of a each other last month, it was a lot easier for me to make a comparison. SFMM is the CLEAR winner out of the two. I think SFMM, DLR, and Universal are all better parks than KBF, no contest at all. The last time I went to SFMM was June 15. X2 was running 1 train with the line all the way down the bridge. Restrooms were horrendous. A lot of places in the park looked abandoned. Rowdy line jumping teens. Rides understaffed, and operations were sluggish. Terminators audio was not working, neither was the fire. Food service was slow, took me 20mins to get pizza with only one person in front of me! Saw at least 10 employees on cellphones. ect. ect. I beg to differ. What exactly is it you all feel would make Knott's a better park than the "fail" you all think it is? What is so depressing and unfufilling about a park that has a bitchin' launch coaster, "decent" invert, fun shuttle looper, cool drop tower, and interesting atmosphere? In proportion to MM, it even has a better assortment of flats, a better kids area, and more "intermediate" rides that entire families can do together. Now let me make this clear, as I don't want to seem like a fanboy (For the record, I don't even really care for the park) but to those here who ask about the park here that may visit for the very first time, it's not a bad place to spend a few hours. It's a clean park, the rides are ran efficiently, and there's more to do than just coasters. Since when does that make a a park a "fail"? Is it as great as it once was? Well that depends on who you ask. Some say it lost its charm and glory, Others say its propelling itself to new heights. In either case, it's a fun place to chill, and for some reason it gets a bad rep In other words, Give credit where its due. 100% agree! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snoflake15 Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 Thanks for all the advice - I hadn't planned to start a cyber squabble! I think my plan B will be put in place - go to Soak City and enjoy the sun (we don't get any of that in Scotland) then hit the park after 4pm and get round everything. May even try to persuade my fiancee to try some of it. The other attraction is the park at night as most parks in the UK shut before dark. Really want to try Xcelerator but have horrible feeling it will be down when I'm there - it doesn't sound the most reliable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rollerman87 Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 Really want to try Xcelerator but have horrible feeling it will be down when I'm there - it doesn't sound the most reliable. Might surprise you then. They fixed it up recently and it's actually been running more reliably. Still cross your fingers of course, and hope that if it does brake down, it's when you're on it and experiencing a rollback Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bolliger&Mabillard Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 ^^Don't blame yourself. The "Knott's vs. Magic Mountain" squabble is quite the recuuring problem here, so it's nothing you said. I just wanted to make sure your opinion was unbiased going in so you would not miss out on a decent park. And from what I hear, Xcelerator is reduced to one train right now (red train) due to mechanical issues. From what I've noticed as a former operater of the ride it tends to run into less problems with one train operation, and since the load time of 65-70 seconds (IF the crew is good) for a 22 second ride, one train operation isn't noticably worse than with two trains. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snoflake15 Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 ^^ or sticking on the top of the top hat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 Xcelerator is reduced to one train right now (red train) due to mechanical issues. From what I've noticed as a former operater of the ride it tends to run into less problems with one train operation, and since the load time of 65-70 seconds (IF the crew is good) for a 22 second ride, one train operation isn't noticably worse than with two trains. Was at Knotts yesterday, Xcel and Sierra Sidewinder were running one train. Sidewinder had a huge line and the other train was nowhere to be seen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnottsDisneyFarm Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 ^^ or sticking on the top of the top hat. That's impossible since after the launch, it's all gravity from there on out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Team Thriller Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 ^ I've seen video's of Top Thrill Dragster, Kanonen, Hades, among others stuck on either a top hat or a hill. And aren't they all gravity run also? --James Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emiroo Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 Yes, all of them can (and have) gotten stuck at the top of the top hat. Though if you want to really nitpick it, they aren't getting stuck by anything. They're gettting balanced by gravity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doh91105 Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 Definitely subject to taste as you can see from the discussion above. Both MM and Knotts are fun but really for different reasons. Obviously MM has all the huge roller coasters which, after you've done a couple, get kind of boring (how many different ways are there to get flipped upside down?) I find the B&M's all kind of similar and too sort of "glidey" to be thrilling; they just sort of meander around the track (except Batman, which pretty much hauls ass). Knotts is much smaller and easier to navigate; and despite their rides not being as technically impressive, in my humble opinion, they are quite a bit better than MM's. Xcelerator is worth the entry fee alone and I'd try and get as many rides in on that as you can. Ghostrider is a great layout with fantastic drops and turns, but unbelievably brutal--just brace yourself well and you'll be OK. Pony Express is a kiddie coaster although I don't think it was meant to be--as is Jaguar. The only difference is that Jaguar has a long circuit and is pretty rough as well. I never understood the Silver Bullet hating on here--it's not as forceful as Batman, and despite a crappy waste of a first drop, it's a pretty relentless ride--makes me dizzy every time due to the lack of block brakes. The weird flip thing, the zero-g and the corkscrew / spin part are all awesome. I prefer it to Riddler's, Tatsu, Scream et al. Sierra Sidewinder I find to be more intense than it looks and is definitely worth a ride. Montezooma's is fun, very much like the old Thunderlooper at Alton Towers. There's a great, nippy little log ride. Supreme Scream is cool (although not as intense as it looks). Perilous Plunge creeps me out (it just doesn't look or feel safe!) And then there are a ton of smaller flats and other cool things to do. As mentioned, the line for Ghostrider can be awful. And if you have to wait any more than 30 minutes for it, by the time you get on you'll be especially pissed at how bad it kicks your ass. If the line is out of the building switch backs, you'll be there for a while. Again, both are fun parks, and if you've been to MM before but not Knotts, I'd go there. I had family here from the UK last year and I took them to both and they all preferred Knotts' coasters to MM's. I wouldn't expect to be disappointed at all--it's a great, fun place. but I might be biased as I personally find smaller coasters such as Space Mountain and Sierra Sidewinder far more thrilling than MM's monsters. Size apparently isn't everything! Have fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bolliger&Mabillard Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 Sidewinder had a huge line and the other train was nowhere to be seen. The storage area is under the station....just so you know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnottsDisneyFarm Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 Yes, all of them can (and have) gotten stuck at the top of the top hat. Though if you want to really nitpick it, they aren't getting stuck by anything. They're gettting balanced by gravity. They were balancing it on PURPOSE. It can't do that if they launch it normally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snoflake15 Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 ^^^thanks mate - that's a very detailed and helpful analysis. Don't get me wrong MM is my favourite park ever with my 2 favourite rides ever (X2 and Tatsu) and would love to go back but I just fancy a change of scenery. There appears to be enough good coasters and rides to justify a trip to KBF particularly as it will be much easier for me to get to from OC. There's also a bit more chance on getting my fiancee on a couple of the tamer rides whereas she would never go on anything at MM. Can't wait to go! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Top Thrill Dragster Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 They were balancing it on PURPOSE. It can't do that if they launch it normally. No they weren't. http://www.themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=51052&highlight=kanonen+stuck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snoflake15 Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 ^If they did the operator is a terrific shot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-Force! Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 Back to some KBF discussion.... In regards to Xcel, it is now back to a 2 train op. Honestly, it does better with only one on the circuit though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnottsDisneyFarm Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 When I was there it was a one train op. and the line for the front car took FOREVER! Even though I favor the front car, I was too impatient to wait for the front car. The back and middle cars are still pretty fun though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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