The Knott's Berry Farm (KBF) Discussion Thread

[SoCalCoasters]

Very sad day for the park. Windseeker had become an icon for the park that many people had come to know, and considering all the headaches they had to go through to put it in, it's very sad that it lasted such a sort time.

 

I really enjoyed Windseeker, it was honestly one of my favorite rides in the park because of the unique experience it gave. I guess I'm one of the few who got to ride it. :/

[adamd]

Ok so I guess now comes the guessing game of what will replace Windseeker. My guess and keep in mind you have that room, they can use the pathway to the right of it, some of the water and if really need be could move the merry go round. I'm going to guess not a flat ride but either a small Eurofighter or an el loco. They would have time to open it next year.

[805Andrew]

On Friday, spokespeople from Knott’s Berry Farm and Worlds of Fun confirmed that the Knott’s Berry Farm WindSeeker would be moved in the off-season to Kansas City, where it will begin service at Worlds of Fun, renamed the SteelHawk.

 

I guess we all better get our last rides in at West Coast Bash

[Jerome]

Does anyone know more as to what Cal/OSHA's problem with the ride actually was? I know people have posted something about a ladder not being in code...

 

And shouldn't Mondial take some responsibility for this whole fiasco? Correct me if I'm wrong, but when they manufacture a ride, shouldn't said ride be in code for the place to where it's being delivered / assembled? I can't help but wonder if this will amount to some sort of lawsuit against the company.

I posted about it pages back. IIRC The employee said when Osha was looking at the new evac system they signed off on it...But they didn't like a ladder inside the tower...Why they didn't say that the first time they closed it I don't know.

This is just what an employee told me when it first happened. Screamscape reported a different reason. But it looks like the employee may have been right.

[kbfbest]

Does anyone know more as to what Cal/OSHA's problem with the ride actually was? I know people have posted something about a ladder not being in code...

 

And shouldn't Mondial take some responsibility for this whole fiasco? Correct me if I'm wrong, but when they manufacture a ride, shouldn't said ride be in code for the place to where it's being delivered / assembled? I can't help but wonder if this will amount to some sort of lawsuit against the company.

I posted about it pages back. IIRC The employee said when Osha was looking at the new evac system they signed off on it...But they didn't like a ladder inside the tower...Why they didn't say that the first time they closed it I don't know.

This is just what an employee told me when it first happened. Screamscape reported a different reason. But it looks like the employee may have been right.

 

 

^its the ladder inside and outside they didn't like.

[Angry_Gumball]

On Friday, spokespeople from Knott’s Berry Farm and Worlds of Fun confirmed that the Knott’s Berry Farm WindSeeker would be moved in the off-season to Kansas City, where it will begin service at Worlds of Fun, renamed the SteelHawk.

 

I guess we all better get our last rides in at West Coast Bash

 

We can all marvel over KBF's concrete ornament for a final time anyway next weekend

[Jerome]

Does anyone know more as to what Cal/OSHA's problem with the ride actually was? I know people have posted something about a ladder not being in code...

 

And shouldn't Mondial take some responsibility for this whole fiasco? Correct me if I'm wrong, but when they manufacture a ride, shouldn't said ride be in code for the place to where it's being delivered / assembled? I can't help but wonder if this will amount to some sort of lawsuit against the company.

I posted about it pages back. IIRC The employee said when Osha was looking at the new evac system they signed off on it...But they didn't like a ladder inside the tower...Why they didn't say that the first time they closed it I don't know.

This is just what an employee told me when it first happened. Screamscape reported a different reason. But it looks like the employee may have been right.

 

 

^its the ladder inside and outside they didn't like.

Oh okay, thanks for clearing that up. I didn't know it's the outside ladder also.

[robbalvey]

Oh, and CalOSHA is fine with Xcel snapping cables once or twice a year during 80+ MPH launches... but Seeker is way too unsafe to run?

This is a very irresponsible and stupid thing for you to post. Xcelerator has not been "snapping cables once or twice a year." And posting erroneous comments like this gives TPR and our members a terrible reputation. I won't tolerate it.

 

Think before you post and if you post something like this again, we will ban you forever.

 

Got it? Good.

 

--Robb

[JonnyRCT3]

Ok so I guess now comes the guessing game of what will replace Windseeker. My guess and keep in mind you have that room, they can use the pathway to the right of it, some of the water and if really need be could move the merry go round. I'm going to guess not a flat ride but either a small Eurofighter or an el loco. They would have time to open it next year.

 

I doubt anything like that would be put in that spot anytime soon.

 

I'd laugh if Knott's put in a SkyScreamer though.

[The49er]

It's a shame, because this one had a snazzy paint job, but I think this will open up some new opportunities for Knott's. I'll just have to wait and see.

[B:Code]

Something tells me that Mondial bit off more than they could chew with these windseeker rides. I mean If you look at Mondial's resume they were mainly experienced with portable flat rides prior to these windseekers, with just a handful of permanent versions at parks like Lagoon. Mondial knows how to make effective rides that spin like the Top Scan but they never had they attempted to go beyond 300 feet (or 100 feet for that matter) until they designed the Windseekers and wouldn't you think Cedar Fair/Knotts should have taken that into account? I don't think the Windseekers are a failure but I think Mondial was much too ambitious with these rides. Producing so many of them without the proper experience of companies like Intamin/Huss have with these types of rides was probably a bad idea on Mondial and Cedar fair's behalf.

 

Having said that I'm sad to see Knott's get rid of Windseeker since I only rode it once and I enjoyed it. Hey maybe we can get the Hammerhead AKA the Zamperla Rotoshake to replace it? Okay maybe only in my dreams...

[robbalvey]

I'm not so sure this is really more Mondial's fault than California's. it's been we'll known that California has some crazy, if not unrealistic requirements and you often hear that it's the state most frustrating for ride manufacturers to work in.

 

Clearly there was something with the ride that needed to be re-designed. Fair enough you could point the finger at Mondial if you wanted to. But obviously whatever change they made was approved by several different states and two different countries inspection agencies, so in this case I would blame California.

 

Perhaps it just made more sense for Cedar Fair to cut their losses, pack it up and move on, than spend even more money making further changes when the same money could be spent dismantling and moving the ride to give another park a new attraction.

 

I'm sure something will eventually go in Windseekers spot, and considering how many people claimed the ride was "not thrilling" and not that great when it opened, is it REALLY that big of a loss?

[PKI Jizzman]

If I went to Kings Island, Cedar Point, etc and the Windseeker was gone; I wouldn't notice at all.

 

Oriol and I rode Cedar Point's Windseeker, thinking that it would better being on the beach but no, we agreed our conversation was more enjoyable than the ride.

 

The fact that Kings Island's Windseeker on a crowded dad has a 5-10 minute wait makes me think that it wasn't a good investment. It never seems to have line.

[itsasamccormick]

This whole situation really irritates me... As a PR student with ambitions to one day work in the amusement park field, I'm going to post a few of my rambles...

 

First I feel that Worlds of Fun could have been much, much more effective when talking about the rides relocation, and the reasoning for the ride's troubled past. Would I have mentioned that CalOSHA wouldn't approve the ride? No. Would I have highlighted the extensive effort behind Cedar Fair's work to make sure they're safe? Absolutely.

 

I feel that even if the park would have been given 30 seconds to speak of how the evacuation procedures were reviewed and changed it would have made them look 4000% better. They could have highlighted how new platforms were designed, and how the "bug" in the computers (at least appears) to have been fixed. I would have highlighted that no park this season has had issues with the ride stalling out.

 

I feel that the name change is a great idea, as it one day will get that one ride away from any judgement based solely on the ride's named. In my opinion, I don't think sharing similar names on any ride is an effective plan anywhere. If each park had a different, unique name for the ride then the name with the troubled ride wouldn't get around too easy. Take that statement for what it's worth, if it even made sense.

 

A part of me honestly wonders what is wrong with CalOSHA. (Please don't let that be taken the wrong way- I fully understand the importance of keeping us, the riders, safe.) If no other state-led organization has kept the ride shuttered, then why is Knott's ride still being kept closed? Did the park not thoroughly prove that they handled this to the best of their abilities? If the new evac platforms aren't safe and effective, why hasn't Ohio (who has two WindSeekers) or any other state stepped in to close the rides? In my opinion, the rides are safe and CalOSHA needs to reevaluate what they think defines a safe ride.

 

I think that moving the ride was the only option left for Knott's and Cedar Fair. As long as the park doesn't have any problems with the ride, then I feel that it will be well-received by the patrons of Worlds of Fun.

[JeromyL]

 

I'm sure something will eventually go in Windseekers spot, and considering how many people claimed the ride was "not thrilling" and not that great when it opened, is it REALLY that big of a loss?

 

but I haven't had the chance to experience it myself yet

 

hey, theme parks are still a business, and i'm sure Knotts didn't just jump to a conclusion of removing the ride without reason...

[JeromyL]

 

I'd laugh if Knott's put in a SkyScreamer though.

 

That would be funny!

[Top Thrill Dragster]

Could you imagine if Knotts did re open Windseeker and it got stuck again? It would be a PR nightmare.

 

 

 

I'll miss the pretty lights, but that's about it. It was a mediocre ride at best.

[Canobie Coaster]

I really enjoyed Kings Dominion's Windseeker when I rode it last year. Worlds of Fun is getting a good ride and I'm glad that the ride will be able to run somewhere instead of being nonoperational.

[itsasamccormick]

Could you imagine if Knotts did re open Windseeker and it got stuck again? It would be a PR nightmare.

 

Great point, however, if the new evac procedure was really as effective as they claim it to be, they would be able to get the ride down quickly. I feel like the first few times they were so unprepared. (leaving them stranded that long tells me nothing they had previously planned for had been effective.)

 

If they were able to get the riders down within 20-30 minutes, the media would (I pray ) be less inclined to tell the story since it would be nothing more than a standard evacuation that could happen on any ride.

 

I do understand how bad the ride really looks and sounds to those in SoCal, but even the worst public images can be changed with work.

[Guy T. Koepp]

^I agree. Look at Miley Cyrus. She went from Disney sweetheart, to less than stripper trash in mere seconds.

[Jerome]

I'm not so sure this is really more Mondial's fault than California's. it's been we'll known that California has some crazy, if not unrealistic requirements and you often hear that it's the state most frustrating for ride manufacturers to work in.

 

Clearly there was something with the ride that needed to be re-designed. Fair enough you could point the finger at Mondial if you wanted to. But obviously whatever change they made was approved by several different states and two different countries inspection agencies, so in this case I would blame California.

 

Perhaps it just made more sense for Cedar Fair to cut their losses, pack it up and move on, than spend even more money making further changes when the same money could be spent dismantling and moving the ride to give another park a new attraction.

 

I'm sure something will eventually go in Windseekers spot, and considering how many people claimed the ride was "not thrilling" and not that great when it opened, is it REALLY that big of a loss?

I agree 100%. Disneyland also has trouble with calosha.

[TPDave]

I'm not sure this is entirely unexpected! I wonder if the person at CF who decided not to go with the starflyers still has their job

[Jew]

Only time will tell who is wrong: once they actually have to do an evacuation with guests at one of the parks, California will either be vindicated or look really stupid. Demonstrating the procedure with park employees (who I am sure have practiced it a whole bunch) is one thing, but using it with actual guest may prove to be something entirely different.

 

...Or maybe CalOSHA just knows the average Californian would never be able to use it safely?

[TopThrill182]

It's been we'll known that California has some crazy, if not unrealistic requirements and you often hear that it's the state most frustrating for ride manufacturers to work in.

 

And California wonders why it's losing businesses.

[Gnome]

.

 

...Or maybe CalOSHA just knows the average Californian would never be able to use it safely?

 

Californians, more specifically the average Knotts attendee

 

 

Still a shame though, for what it was worth, I enjoyed windseeker and it never had a very long line all the times I rode. Lets see what else Knotts comes up with. My vote is Beer Garden! Mexican beer for everyone!