The Knott's Berry Farm (KBF) Discussion Thread

[cfc]

I think the real question is this: Is a Hyper or a Giga appropriate for Knott's?

 

No! A giga would be too much for Knott's (in my opinion).

 

My dream would be for Knott's to build a Verbolten-style ride with a cool story, launch and showroom with a vertical drop.

They could easily theme it to Ghost Town, but if it were up to me I would create the story around a Native American legend like Mystery Lodge or put it in the corner of the park and theme it to Bigfoot!

 

I agree with this completely.

[TroyWD98]

I think the root of our desire is we all just want something with a lot of strong powerful airtime. Though I wouldn't argue a verbolten style ride. Might even be more appropriate given the parks demographics.

 

Yeah, my two dreams for Knott's have been for them to get an airtime machine and fix up Ghost Rider. Heck, if they added these 2 things, I'd definitely visit the park more than I visit SFMM. It's a much more pleasant park to go to, but there isn't enough there thrill-wise for me to keep coming back as of now. Though, I always make sure to go at least once a year for Xcelerator.

[beatle11]

I think the real question is this: Is a Hyper or a Giga appropriate for Knott's?

 

No! A giga would be too much for Knott's (in my opinion).

 

My dream would be for Knott's to build a Verbolten-style ride with a cool story, launch and showroom with a vertical drop.

They could easily theme it to Ghost Town, but if it were up to me I would create the story around a Native American legend like Mystery Lodge or put it in the corner of the park and theme it to Bigfoot!

 

I agree with this completely.

 

Maybe a smaller version of a Hyper or a Giga, like something the height of La Ronde Goliath or Walibi Goliath would make more sense. I can't see a 200+ ft coaster being the right fit for Knott's. A Verbolten style ride makes even more sense though.

[Guy T. Koepp]

I personally want to see an Intamin Megalite in and around the Bigfoot Rapids area.

[Sir Clinksalot]

Considering Verbolten was one of our favorite rides on our trip last year I'd be totally for that. But a Mega Lite would be amazing as well.

[chickenbowl]

I greatly prefer a Mack family launcher to Zierer, but I think Knott's has enough launching coasters as it is, Xcelerator, Montezooma, and Pony Express.

 

I would much rather prefer an airtime machine, anywhere from Megalite size to La Ronde's Goliath! Either B&M or Intamin!

Edited September 3, 2013 by chickenbowl

[Koasterking48]

^ I think that too. While I haven't rode Verbolten yet, Manta was just plain fun! I'd love to see Knotts put in a coaster like that! Mega Lites are good with me too!

[Top Thrill Dragster]

I just want a new big coaster, I really don't care what it is.

 

Its been 10 years since Silver Bullet, its time for a big new attraction.

[Sir Clinksalot]

^ I disagree that the park needs another big coaster.

 

If you talk to any fans of Knott's (to which I include myself) the general consensus is that the park is in a MUCH better place today than it was the day Silver Bullet opened. Why? Because they are concentrating on the complete park experience vs. just adding coaster after coaster after coaster.

 

The opposite could be said of SFMM who was doing a good job of maintaining the park and adding some variety before they realized their GP clientele doesn't care about anything other than coasters.

[chickenbowl]

^ I do agree about the park being better than 2005! But I believe the argument can be made in getting a new thrilling coaster. Look at what they've added in the past 10 years, one "thrilling" ride, Windseeker, which isn't even there anymore!

I think a decent option, and one that would further enhance the park experience, is replacing Boomerang with some sort of airtime coaster. And instead of merely plopping it down, infuse it into the park atmosphere in an organic manner (Like GhostRider).

[Jew]

Count me in the add another nice coaster category. The charm of the past is dead. It's nice they are doing what they can to bring some of it back, but they were already way past the point of it being repairable. I'd love a nice compact intamin mega coaster snaking around the boardwalk to finish the revitalization of that area.

[Sir Clinksalot]

^ Don't get me wrong, I'm totally not against another coaster. I meant another park destroying coaster like Silver Bullet. Anything in the Boardwalk or Wilderness area would be amazing. Even in and around Silver Bullet would be fine.

[Top Thrill Dragster]

^ I disagree that the park needs another big coaster.

 

If you talk to any fans of Knott's (to which I include myself) the general consensus is that the park is in a MUCH better place today than it was the day Silver Bullet opened. Why? Because they are concentrating on the complete park experience vs. just adding coaster after coaster after coaster.

 

The opposite could be said of SFMM who was doing a good job of maintaining the park and adding some variety before they realized their GP clientele doesn't care about anything other than coasters.

 

 

The park is in a better place? I disagree.

 

GhostRider has gotten worse and worse. I would take 2004 GhostRider any day of the week over what it is today.

 

Incomplete paint job on Xcelerator.

 

Kingdom of The Dinosaurs building still sits abandoned.

 

A year round park, closed only 1 day of the year, eliminating annual passes in favor of season passes that go up in price as the year progresses.

 

The park is covered with grime. Look at Silver Bullets trains, they are disgusting.

 

Many of the parks hand rails are rusting and in need of paint. My last visit (last week) when ever I used a hand rail to walk up and down stairs, I had to visit a restroom afterwards to wash off rust residue.

 

Guest service has not improved since 2004. Its still about the same, which is mediocre to say the least.

 

Eliminating themed area specific music for 80's and 90's pop music.

 

 

 

With that being said, what they did to the Log Ride was fantastic! They took a ride that I thought was extremely over rated and turned it into a ride that lives up to its reputation. I really, REALLY hope that the Mine Ride is next.

 

I also like that they are replacing the blacktop pathways with cobble stone or brick paths.

[TopThrill182]

The in-park improvements Knott's has been making are certainly nice, but I have serious doubts as to whether anyone (or a significant enough number of people, anyway) is inspired to visit the park based off of ambiance alone. Ambiance upgrades are excellent as supplementary additions, but not, in my opinion, as primary ones.

 

If the park wants to remain relevant to thrill seekers (which, I'd argue, is an important demographic for the park's profitable Halloween Haunt), I don't see how it can get away without adding a new roller coaster / thrill ride for much longer. No major new roller coaster has been added in ten years, and, moreover, the park has lost two signature thrill rides in that time (Perilous Plunge and now Windseeker).

 

To say that a major roller coaster addition will suddenly liken Knott's to Six Flags Magic Mountain is, I think, overly dramatic. There is a large gap between the current strategy at Knott's (which seems to pour money into landscaping and fountain renovations) and that at the Mountain (which leaves little money to spend on anything other than a yearly gimmick coaster). Each park, I'd argue, would be well served to find a happy medium.

 

In short, I think Knott's is due for a large new thrill ride of some sort.

[Angry_Gumball]

Something I found quite hilarious this morning when I received an email from the Knott's hotel (regarding my stay there during WCB)

 

We are delighted that you have chosen to stay with us and look forward to your arrival. We invite you to take your thrills to new heights with Windseeker, an all new ride at Knott’s Berry Farm that takes you 300 feet into the air and spins you around like no other. For the younger children you may find Camp Snoopy the ideal place to spend your afternoon.

 

News flash KBF Hotel... Your Wind Seeker has been SBNO for a year and will no longer be running at your neighboring property

[Top Thrill Dragster]

^They still haven't updated their website either. You would think with the announcement that Windseeker will not re open at Knotts, they would have removed it from their list of attractions by now.

[adamd]

AHHHHH I LOVE this page! What I have been preaching. TEN YEARS for ANY "thrill park" is too long to go between adding a major thrill ride. Yes it's a thrill park as they still have thrill rides, if they don't want to be labeled as a thrill park transfer all the thrill rides to the other CF parks. I am NOT ripping on what they have done with all the family additions, BUT not a SINGLE thrill attraction in a decade is a little too long. I am not saying every year they need one, BUT every couple years would be nice. I'd be happy with a giga, BUT I will say I think a Euro Fighter or a ride like Maverick would fit the park better. I agree what they have done looks VERY good, but it WONT hurt them for just one year to add a thrill. 2013 they had the boardwalk, 2014 add the thrill ride, 2015 AND 2016 add more family attractions just BALANCE it out at least a little bit.

[Manic Monte]

Simple solution to all of this...

 

FIX GHOSTRIDER!!!

[DBJ]

Knott's sure doesn't have much luck with rides with the name "wind" in them.

 

Imo, Knott's needs some kind of coherent 10 yr. plan going forward. The restoration work so far has been great, but the last several ride installations have been very questionable. Knott's aimed way to low with the boardwalk area, of all of the available family rides out there, the choices they made were uninspired. I feel that is a trap that SF and CF get into, their version of family rides tend to be so basic and visually dead. Just zipping around the LA Fair, you see flat rides with lighting packages and creative, themed out paint jobs that are better than what you find in most CF and SF parks. Then comparing to one of those amazing European fairs, it is even worse. So for the next family ride from Knott's, would like to see them aim much higher than what they did this year.

 

I agree that a coaster of some size is long overdue for Knott's. I don't think they need to go crazy tall, but a longer coaster experience would be great. Something like a longer version of the mummy at Universal, just so neighbors don't complain about the noise. A thrilling coaster that can cross the age brackets pretty well.

[cfc]

Count me in the add another nice coaster category. The charm of the past is dead. It's nice they are doing what they can to bring some of it back, but they were already way past the point of it being repairable. I'd love a nice compact intamin mega coaster snaking around the boardwalk to finish the revitalization of that area.

 

A Mega Lite would be perfect--much of the punch of a hyper or giga, and it would work very well in the boardwalk section.

[svcitizen]

Speaking of dark rides, any word on the rumored refurb of Calico Mine Ride?

 

Garner Holt let it slip at his ScareLA workshop that his company is currently working on animatronics for the Calico Mine Ride refurbishment. As far as I know there hasn't been an official announcement yet. If it follows the same timeline as the Timber Mountain Log Ride refurbishment it will be officially announced at the end of the year, the attraction will close in January, and then it will reopen around Memorial Day in 2014.

 

I'm excited to see what Knott's and Garner Holt Productions will come up with for the Calico Mine Ride. The Log Ride refurbishment was incredibly well done, but due to the speed of the flume there isn't much time to enjoy all of the sets. Of course, the Calico Mine Ride won't have that problem. I hope the refurbishment also includes a new on-ride audio system for each train. The current audio system is terrible and causes the narrator to be inaudible.

[gisco]

Count me in the add another nice coaster category. The charm of the past is dead. It's nice they are doing what they can to bring some of it back, but they were already way past the point of it being repairable. I'd love a nice compact intamin mega coaster snaking around the boardwalk to finish the revitalization of that area.

 

A Mega Lite would be perfect--much of the punch of a hyper or giga, and it would work very well in the boardwalk section.

 

I would go for a Mega Lite anywhere, not just at Knott's. But you're right, that would be a great addition to the park.

[cfc]

I would go for a Mega Lite anywhere, not just at Knott's.

 

Exactly!

[The Westate]

Anybody want the Carowinds' Windseeker?

[chadster]

Knotts Berry Farm wins Turnstile Golden Ticket Award for Timber Mountain Log Ride thanks to its amazing rehab! Go Knotts!