The Knott's Berry Farm (KBF) Discussion Thread

[Bolliger&Mabillard]

So...Today was the first day (that I am aware of) of the trial "Fast Lane Pass" at Knott's. $50 gets unlimited front-of-line boarding to GhostRider, Xcelerator, Silver Bullet, Montezooma's, Pony Express, Bommerang, Supreme Scream and Bigfoot Rapids. Not sure how long this will be in effect, but they were on sale and in use as of today, just so you all know.

Edited November 20, 2011 by Bolliger&Mabillard

[chadster]

While I am a huge fan of them trending in this direction, but front of line for PE and Boomer? Seriously?

[susie zueck]

So...Today was the first day (that I am aware of) of the trial "Fast Lane Pass" at Knott's. $50 gets unlimited front-of-line boarding to GhostRider, Xcelerator, Silver Bullet, Montezooma's, Pony Express, Bommerang, Supreme Scream and Bigfoot Rapids. Not sure how long this will be in effect, but they were on sale and in use as of today, just so you all know.

Sounds like a pretty good deal. I wanted to ask if Knotts Merry Farm will be crowded from December 26 to the 30th?

[DallasAlvey]

^ Most likely, that's about right in the middle of everyone's Christmas break.

[Bolliger&Mabillard]

^^However, Toys-For-Tots should be over on 12/17. And even if they do what they did last year and extend it all the way up to Christmas Eve, it still would be managable after Christmas. Will it be empty? I doubt it, but will it be as bad as the two TFT weekends? No. And Don't forget to stop by Log Ride when you go!

[rcdude]

Okay, random Mini-TR. Despite the prediction of poor weather, I decided to visit Knott's today with my family as this was our last chance before the Veterans promotion ended. We were at the park from opening until about 3 P.M. or so, and during that time I managed to get on most of the major rides that were operating (Xcelerator did a couple test shots, but never opened, and Montezooma's is down for maintenance). It was mostly drizzle until 3 P.M., when it started to rain really hard and we left since everything was closing.

 

A few comments:

 

-I noticed a catwalk on Sierra Sidewinder next to where the second train holds that I hadn't noticed before. Is this new, or have I just not seen it in the four years the ride has been there?

 

-Saw new queues set up at a few attractions for the Fast Lane pass, and the signs looked semi-permanent (they weren't just a portable stand or anything like that). Didn't inquire about it, but I doubt many people were using it today.

 

-While Knott's closes most major attractions in the rain, most of the smaller rides (flats) as well as Supreme Scream and Boomerang continued to operate throughout the day. The water rides were all open and running, even with very few riders (never saw more than four at once on Perilous Plunge).

 

-Not a fan of the new music in the park, but I don't usually notice it much unless I stop somewhere. However, I really wish they would at least leave Windseeker's soundtrack alone, as it now plays the same music as the park instead of the much better film scores it had before.

 

-I got to see a Jaguar rollback twice. The first time, I was in line for Sierra Sidewinder and the rain was picking up (this was a little after noon). Jaguar kept sending trains, and eventually one of them slipped on the second lift and rolled backward. It went around the turn and all the way back to the pass through Montezooma's loop before stalling and heading forward, barely making it back to the bottom of the lift where it shuttled a couple times and then stopped. I later saw employees unloading the train at the base of the lift, and the entire incident led to the following five GP comments (that I heard, from smartest to dumbest):

 

1. I don't think Jaguar's supposed to go backwards.

2. That looks fun. Let's do it next.

3. I'm not getting near that thing! It's totally unsafe.

4. When did they upgrade Jaguar to run in reverse?

5. OMG, those people are so screwed.

 

The second incident was as I was heading back to Sierra Sidewinder and the ride tested. It failed to climb the second lift and valleyed in the low spot between the loop pass through and the turn to the second lift. I don't know how often this happens, but I'm not sure if I've seen it before (I've certainly never seen a loaded rollback on Jaguar).

 

-Said Hi to TPR member Bolliger&Mabillard when I went to ride Elf Mountain (creepy Christmas overlay of the log flume). I like the ride, but unlike Disney (where I prefer the Holiday Mansion and Small World), regular Timber Mountain is better.

 

-Finally, we went on the Hat Dance in the pouring rain right before we left. It is difficult to spin those things when the wheel is slick, but the ride is still a lot of fun and very wet. In fact, I think that's the most fun I've had on the ride. I'm just gonna say it right now...if it rains at the Knott's Day of WCB 2012, we need a Hat Dance Takeover.

 

Overall, a good day at the park, although a bit short and lacking Xcelerator.

[DJeXeL]

Thanks for the TR. Boomerang is a hell of a lot of fun in the rain.

[Bolliger&Mabillard]

^What ride isn't?

[DisneyWizard]

I saw Raffi Kaprelyan on a Sunday night in the pouring rain.

 

From a guest's perspective pros & cons:

 

Pro:

They didn't close when the torrent started (which emptied the park and must have been expensive to keep everything open, payroll-wise.)

 

Con:

They didn't let me bring my rollerblades into the park. Theme Music in each land was retro 80's roller disco. WTF? I'd rather hear no music at all than replace the well themed area music with unrelated crap.

 

Like concrete for wood:

Walt Disney told Walter Knott "You son-of-a-bitch!" because he'd been tricked thinking the line was short when he thought he could just walk right on Calico Mine Train on opening day and instead passed the ticket shack and waited through the switchbacks (now standard in ALL theme park attraction queues) hidden behind it. Well now that iconic shack is a figment of history, demolished and paved over like much of the sound and soul of ghost town will be. You see, the wooden boardwalks will be replaced with cast concrete slabs. Portent of Haunted Shack to come.

[DJeXeL]

^What ride isn't?

 

Goliath

[X2coasterfreak]

^My friend on this site, chickenbowl, has an on ride photo of us in the pouring rain. It was very fun, but you can see the pain we felt. Xcelerator in drizzle has the same effect.

[Someotherguyuser]

I saw Raffi Kaprelyan on a Sunday night in the pouring rain.

 

From a guest's perspective pros & cons:

 

Pro:

They didn't close when the torrent started (which emptied the park and must have been expensive to keep everything open, payroll-wise.)

 

Con:

They didn't let me bring my rollerblades into the park. Theme Music in each land was retro 80's roller disco. WTF? I'd rather hear no music at all than replace the well themed area music with unrelated crap.

 

Like concrete for wood:

Walt Disney told Walter Knott "You son-of-a-b****!" because he'd been tricked thinking the line was short when he thought he could just walk right on Calico Mine Train on opening day and instead passed the ticket shack and waited through the switchbacks (now standard in ALL theme park attraction queues) hidden behind it. Well now that iconic shack is a figment of history, demolished and paved over like much of the sound and soul of ghost town will be. You see, the wooden boardwalks will be replaced with cast concrete slabs. Portent of Haunted Shack to come.

That's a shame, really. I hope this new GM doesn't do the same thing with ghost Town as he did with that shack. As much as I want a megalite or anything like that, I don't want all of Ghosttown to be demoed for the sake of such a ride.

[RAWKIN_coaster38]

^What ride isn't?

Bizarro at SFGAdv in torrential rain. I think we were actually in the front row too..It felt like bullets to the face so bad that we couldn't even keep our eyes open long enough to notice all of the special effects they added.

 

But it would have probably been equally painful or worse with any coaster in rain like that.

[fatdaddy]

It felt like bullets to the face so bad that we couldn't even keep our eyes open

 

That's the fun part!

[WFChris]

^What ride isn't?

 

Goliath

 

Touche. Goliath in the hail, media day, February 2000. That was an incredible morning.

[Jew]

Was the ticket shack demolished, or pulled out for restoration? They have been doing a pretty good job restoring ghost town lately...hope this is part of that.

[DJeXeL]

It's not coming back. In the words of James Hetfield "Sad but true."

[UberBeavis]

Has it been confirmed by the park that it's not coming back? A bunch of foamtards swore up and down that Goldie's Place was gone too, and the park did an excellent job rebuilding it.

[6flagsbrad]

Does anyone have pictures of what the mine ride entrance looks like now?

[DJeXeL]

[SoCalCoasters]

I cringed looking at that photo...

 

I think the booth made the ride seem more "classic" and nostalgic.

[Someotherguyuser]

Does anyone have pictures of what the mine ride entrance looks like now?

Funny you asked that since you're from Knott's Berry Farm.

[6flagsbrad]

^ I know, I haven't been in a while.

They should add a new ride sign near the entrance.

[Bolliger&Mabillard]

Or perhaps rocks or something....something that would add to the rides ambiance...

[COASTER FREAK 11]

The shack kinda served as the rides entrance sign (though there wasn't really a big sign) and I think that's what were really missing here. We are so used to it being there that it just looks odd without it, however, I do agree, they need something to to tell guests "Enter Here". Be it a sign or anything that draws your eye to that area.