larrygator Posted March 28, 2010 Share Posted March 28, 2010 I love how you implicate Bob for being excited about Charo, when we know it was you who was upset that the flyer was 30 years old. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dandaman Posted March 28, 2010 Share Posted March 28, 2010 Was this just before or after Cam made a witty comment followed by strains of The Who? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexb8891 Posted March 28, 2010 Share Posted March 28, 2010 Great photo TR! One of these days, I'll figure out a way to make it down to Magic Mountain.. It'd be a blast! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZeroG001 Posted March 28, 2010 Share Posted March 28, 2010 This was a really fun photo TR, Chuck! Seeing your photos of Disneyland makes me want to go back there sooner than later. I'm glad you enjoyed your first WCB, too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfmman2000 Posted March 28, 2010 Share Posted March 28, 2010 Great TR Chuck! I agree just about 100% with all of your ride reviews. But I am curious, why do you like the left side of Goliath more than the right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LcHg5265 Posted March 28, 2010 Share Posted March 28, 2010 OK, can anyone tell me what the heck this stuff is? I have seen the two taller looking ones before. They were being used to hold and transport SLC trains without dissasembling them. Since there is no SLC at SFMM, maybe it is for Deja Vu? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfc Posted March 28, 2010 Author Share Posted March 28, 2010 I love how you implicate Bob for being excited about Charo, when we know it was you who was upset that the flyer was 30 years old. We were both disappointed equally. What did you think of Scream? Did you ride it? I've ridden it before, but not this trip. It's my least-favorite B&M ride next to Vortex at Carowinds (just kind of rough and boring). Great TR Chuck! I agree just about 100% with all of your ride reviews. But I am curious, why do you like the left side of Goliath more than the right? Because it's kind of cool the way you're hanging over the edge on the ride's banked turnaround on the left side--rather scary. Advice on X2 (next time you ride): The inner seat rattles far less than the outter seat. I've had my best (smoothest) rides in the second to last row of the train, and generally the back seems to be a better ride than the front. Also, I think the left side delivers a more interesting ride, in my opinion. That's where I sat both times. Did the same at Fuji-Q, but it didn't seem to matter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfc Posted March 29, 2010 Author Share Posted March 29, 2010 It was a long haul for a short sleep after we finished West Coast Bash Day 1 at Six Flags Magic Mountain. Good thing that traffic in the wee hours of the morning is pretty light between Valencia and Anaheim, where our hotel was located. (Thanks for doing all the driving and setting up the lodging, Matt.) So, fortfied by, maybe, four hours of sleep, Matt, Erik, and I made the short drive to Buena Park for WCB: Day 2--and what an excellent day it was! Knott's Berry Farm had big shoes to fill following SFMM, but fill them they did: tours of the "roundhouse," where they maintain the old steam locomotives, and the Calico Mine Ride (which is as old as I am! ); morning ERT; lunch (with, of course, boysenberry pie); a hilarious and informative Q&A session; and evening ERT. I was especially grateful for the look inside the old mine ride, as I've liked this attraction ever since I was a kid. I have one suggestion for making this tour even better. As I understand, there were two groups touring at one time--one group was taken up to the top of the lifthill where the cavern room is, while the other got to check out "the world-famous Glory Hole." In the future, I think the two groups should be allowed to switch after, oh, ten minutes, so that everyone gets to see both sections of the ride. But this is a minor quibble--my thanks to Knott's for giving us this exclusive look at the Calico Mine Ride and roundhouse. I'd also like to give extra thanks to the gentlemen (whose name escapes me--sorry about that) who conducted the roundhouse tour; he obviously loves his job and was very informative. When I last visited Knott's in 2008, I was a bit under the weather. The WCB day was much better, even without Xcelerator (my favorite coaster there)--plus, I was able to get one new credit (Pony Express). Here's how I rank the coasters I rode during WCB: Silver Bullet--I must admit that in 2008, I didn't care much for this ride; however, in 2010, it was running much better (the helix was especially forceful). Although this is not my favorite invert, it may have moved up a space or two. I still find its location in Ghost Town a bit overpowering though. Montezooma's Revenge--I'm glad this old Schwarzkopf creation is still alive and kicking. It packs quite a punch into a small space. Sierra Sidewinder--This spinner is a solid family coaster, and a good fit for Camp Snoopy. Pony Express--Jeff Johnson mentioned that he felt this ride ended right when it started to get interesting. I agree (the bit in the covered bridge is pretty cool). Jaguar--This meandering family coaster is OK for what it is--which isn't terribly exciting. It does have a very nice, rather large themed queue. Ghostrider--Rough, rugged, and painful. I actually rode this twice. In the morning, it was "Son of Beast" nasty all the way through. At night, the first half was OK, but the second half was not. Still, I prefer it to . . . Boomerang--Yes, I rode this again to keep Matt company. He needed the credit. Afterward, we both needed Advil, a massage, and a spine realignment. Timberline Twister was available during morning ERT, but our group was denied for being "too tall." (Oh, well--such is life.) The log ride was up and running again after its rather lengthy rehab, which was still going on when I was here in '08. It's still my favorite flume ride, thanks to its still very good theming and hidden drop in the dark. Before we go to the pictures, I would, once again, like to thank Knott's for working with TPR and Rideworld to put on an excellent event. I appreciate the park management's sense of humor during the Q&A, as well as the sneak peek at their new Haunt maze, "Fallout Shelter" (should be a good one). I hope Knott's Berry Farm remains a part of future West Coast Bashes. There it is, rising up through the fog, a major source of pain: Ghostrider! Silver Bullet dominates the KBF skyline. It's not a bad ride, but it does tend to dwarf the park's entrance and Ghost Town. Look how Monty has to "compensate" just to be noticed. Is it sponsored by the makers of Viagra? Yes, today, we enthusiasts belong to Knott's. They even gave us a special keepsake map--nice touch. Unexpected stationary bobsled ERT! We struggled through the fog to find the meeting place for our roundhouse tour. (Hmm--looks like the Calico Mine Ride is "compensating" a bit, too.) These poor souls had been wandering in the fog for days. They were fortunate to find us. Yes, this is definitely Matt's moment, as we are about to check out . . . . . . a train! "You know, Matt likes trains." "Really?" "I hadn't heard." "I come in peace." If you're a big train fan, get out your tissues. The steam was condensing on the roof of the roundhouse, so there was a constant drizzle inside. Hmm--in some ways, trains are much like people. We all need to be "drained daily." "I really, really like trains, I must say." "OK, anybody here like trains?" "In this shop, we all adhere to a strong Code of Honor." "Here's what's left of the last guy to break it!" I've ridden in Knott's big steam engines, but I've never been on this one. Next up, a look at . . . . . . "the world-famous Glory Hole"! "We been a'sawin' on this here timber fer nigh on ta 50 years." "Your fellers shore are earnin' a powerful lot 'o' overtime on that there hunk 'a' wood." You know, I have no idea what this is. More Glory Hole, I guess. Looks like a volcano erupted, or something. "Tonight on Ghost Hunters: Will TAPS solve the mystery of the Glory Hole's self-propelled ore cars?" "GOD! THE EM LEVELS HAVE SPIKED . . . oh, wait, they dropped again." Looks like they tapped into a rich vein of rocks. Time for morning ERT. Jeff guides us through the nearly impenetrable labyrinth that is Jaguar's queue. These old Schwarzkopf shuttle loops still rule. Yeah, Monty may be the oldest coaster in the park, but it still packs a whallop. Did I mention that Matt really likes trains? Just wanted to make that clear. OK, why am I doing this? Because friends don't let friends ride Boomerangs alone . . . . . . although they probably should. He's Jeff Johnson, Vampire! I think he and Count Dracula were in the same bowling league. More to come. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dandaman Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 Once again, we see Cam looking 15 years younger than he actually is. By the way, all my tissues have now run out thanks to the loco roundhouse pics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Electerik Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 Great stuff, Chuck! Almost makes me miss the west coast. (But only "almost.") Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfc Posted March 29, 2010 Author Share Posted March 29, 2010 One last look at WCB, Knott's Berry Farm style! As opposed to "Pony Express: The Walkthrough Attraction." It's brief, but fun. "OK, you riders--mount up! That there mail ain't gonna deliver itself." "Yee-haw!" "It's alright if we pick a little fight, BONANZA!" "OK, everybody needs to clench and squish extra hard to accomodate Snoopy in the group photo. After all, he does have a rather large, overstuffed butt." Oh my God . . . It stopped briefly on the lifthill, so I thought God had smiled on us. He hadn't. Anybody know a good chiropractor? "I'm going to stay here the rest of the day." All he needs is his "Donkey" costume. "Hello, there! Welcome to the Calico Mine Ride. I'm a piece of theming. I hope you enjoyed me." "Heh! I just totally farted." "GAWD! He totally did!" "Hello. I, too, am a nice piece of theming. Enjoy!" "Yep--I been a'workin' up here fer 50 years now. Never even been in the Glory Hole. Guess I ain't worthy." It's great to see the Calico Log Ride in operation again--a true classic and my favorite attraction at Knott's. Yes, there may be taller, more intense rides here, but nothing tops this one. LUNCH! At Knott's, you have to round up, catch, and kill your own chicken dinner, just as our frontier forebears did. I actually helped Snoopy move a trash can out of his way, for which he blew me a kiss. Kind of disturbing, actually. "Don't mind me. I'm just killin' time until Haunt." We rode the train in Matt's honor because he likes trains. Did you know that? Well, now you do. We also checked out Mystery Lodge, which was, um, "interesting." And look--at the giftshop, you can buy "THE SHIRT"! Yes, women just can't resist a dude in a three-wolf shirt. "Whoa, Nelly! This is harder than it looks!" It just dawned on me how much Eric (EBL) looks like Mr. Wilson from the "Dennis the Menace" comic strip. Silver Bullet by day . . . . . . and by night!" Backstage at Piers's photo shoot. "OK, Piers--now think about trains! Oh, yeah! That's so fancy!" Vampire Johnson strikes! Whew! What a great day! Good night, Knott's. Thanks for reading. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ebl Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 "It just dawned on me how much Eric (EBL) looks like Mr. Wilson from the 'Dennis the Menace' comic strip." And I can probably yell at people just like him, too. One thing I thought was really cool were the custom signs that Knott's put out (the ones directing us to the tours, etc.). To me, that's going the extra mile. Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Montezooma's Revenge currently the only operating Schwarzkopf shuttle in the U.S.? And as a bonus, it's still in its original location. That ride just never gets old. I'm sorry that I only took one ride on it during WCB. But since I live out here, I can ride it almost any time. Eric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy T. Koepp Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 Such an awesome TR Chuck. I am so sad I missed this weekend. Grrrrrrr! Stupid Jobs not happening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcjaco Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 I like trains... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfc Posted March 29, 2010 Author Share Posted March 29, 2010 ^You do? Happy Birthday, Matt! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MollyG Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 As always, Chuck, a great TR! But stop lookin' up those skirts, naughty boy. MollyG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nln00b Posted March 30, 2010 Share Posted March 30, 2010 I learned Ghostrider was rough 2 weeks ago......ouch. I also realized Monty is the 4th tallest coaster I've ridden so far. I love Monty! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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