The Knott's Berry Farm (KBF) Discussion Thread

[joshfreund]

I dont get it, whats wrong with Silver Bullet, looks fine to me and a hell of a lot better than say, Scream

[joshfreund]

Oh, and a monorail for a tiny park like Knotts? Please.Even from the hotel to the entrance of the park is .3 miles,

Edited May 1, 2017 by joshfreund

[TheCoasterKid211]

I dont get it, whats wrong with Silver Bullet, looks fine to me and a hell of a lot better than say, Scream

I agree, but comparing Silver Bullet's paint job to Scream's is like comparing silver to aluminum foil.

[joshfreund]

I dont get it, whats wrong with Silver Bullet, looks fine to me and a hell of a lot better than say, Scream

I agree, but comparing Silver Bullet's paint job to Scream's is like comparing silver to aluminum foil.

 

 

Oh paint is the issue, i thought we were talking placement here

[WestCoasterKing]

Speaking of Silver Bullet, I read an interesting comment on Knotts Network the other day saying that SB should be repainted and rethemed. It's not really part of Ghost Town but more part of Fiesta Village. What does anyone else think about that?

[TheCoasterKid211]

I dont get it, whats wrong with Silver Bullet, looks fine to me and a hell of a lot better than say, Scream

I agree, but comparing Silver Bullet's paint job to Scream's is like comparing silver to aluminum foil.

Oh paint is the issue, i thought we were talking placement here

We were, oops. Brain fart, sorry.

Speaking of Silver Bullet, I read an interesting comment on Knotts Network the other day saying that SB should be repainted and rethemed. It's not really part of Ghost Town but more part of Fiesta Village. What does anyone else think about that?

I'm all for it, but I don't really think a repaint is necessary. It already looks very "Fiesta," IMO.

[thrillseeker4552]

Even though Silver Bullet is highly visible from all areas of Fiesta Village, it is definitely placed in Ghost Town as per the station/queue. I think the theme and colors are fine (it's actually one of my favorite color schemes ever), although I'd be thrilled if they painted the ugly all-red lift hill the same colors as the rest of the layout. I never understood why they did that.

 

Also, according to the webcam, the boardwalk pool is totally drained, faded, and peeled. I don't remember them waiting this long to repaint it last year, but it makes me wonder if the new ride will take some of that space. The entrance to the bridge protrudes pretty far into the walkway. I wonder if they will trim back the bridge a little bit to have more space to work with in the Boomerang spot. Just pure speculation, but it seems logical being they're so tight on space.

[The49er]

So the LA Times is trying to make some more guesses about the 2018 project...

 

Is Knott’s getting ready for a major new roller coaster?

By BRADY MACDONALD

APRIL 5, 2017

 

It’s been more than a decade since Knott’s Berry Farm added a serious steel roller coaster, but that could be changing soon.

 

Knott’s officials have declined to comment on speculation about a new coaster, saying only that an announcement will be made this summer about new attractions planned for 2018.

 

But a series of recent signs point to the likelihood that the Orange County theme park may be starting construction soon on a major new coaster.

 

In 2016, Knott’s removed a stomach-churning Chance Trabant flat ride known as Wipeout and a head-spinning Huss Top Spin ride called Riptide from the Boardwalk section of the park. In recent weeks, the park announced that the adjacent 1990 Vekoma Boomerang looping shuttle coaster would be closing April 23.

 

The combined footprints of the three rides form a continuous one-acre swath of land stretching from the Sky Cabin observation tower to Johnny Rockets restaurant. The space would be ideal for a large coaster along the Boardwalk midway. Ground clearance has already begun between the Boomerang coaster and the Boardwalk Ballroom.

 

Knott’s went through a coaster boom at the beginning of the millennium with Xcelerator (2002), Silver Bullet (2004), Sierra Sidewinder (2007) and Pony Express (2008). Since then, the park has added only the Coast Rider wild mouse family ride in 2013. Over the last decade, Knott’s has steered clear of major new thrill rides, positioning itself as the family-friendly alternative to the coaster-centric Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia.

 

The Silver Bullet, with seats that hang beneath the track, was the last major coaster added to the park. The Bolliger & Mabillard coaster features six inversions, including a cobra roll, a pair of corkscrews and a 105-foot-tall loop.

 

Cedar Fair, Knott’s parent company, has a long history with the Switzerland-based ride maker. A new B&M coaster at a Cedar Fair park is a near-annual tradition. It makes sense that the amusement park chain would continue to maintain relationships with ride manufacturers they have worked with in the past. Among the top B&M contenders for Knott’s: a 200-foot-tall hyper coaster similar to Diamondback at Ohio’s Kings Island, a wing coaster with cantilevered seats like Gatekeeper at Ohio’s Cedar Point or a dive coaster with a 90-degree drop like Valravn (also at Cedar Point).

 

Over the last decade, Cedar Fair has added two coasters from Switzerland-based ride-maker Intamin that could also work at Knott’s: a 300-foot-tall Intimidator 305 giga coaster at Virginia’s Kings Dominion and the Maverick multi-launch blitz coaster at Cedar Point.

 

Knott’s is also home to a pair of coasters from Germany-based Mack Rides: The Sierra Sidewinder with spinning cars and the Coast Rider. Mack makes a mega coaster with a 60 mph launch and four inversions that would be ideal for Knott’s Boardwalk area.

 

A wooden coaster would also be a natural fit for the Boardwalk area. Cedar Fair has a long-standing relationship with Pennsylvania-based Great Coasters International, which just completed a rehabilitation project on Knott’s 1998 Ghostrider wooden coaster.

 

GCI built Renegade at Minnesota’s Valleyfair in 2007, Prowler at Missouri’s Worlds of Fun in 2009, Gold Striker at California’s Great America in Santa Clara in 2013 and Mystic Timbers at Kings Island opening this summer. A twister-style wooden coaster would be a perfect complement to Ghostrider’s out-and-back layout.

 

A pair of Cedar Fair parks have been dropping hints about upcoming conversion projects involving Rocky Mountain Construction, an Idaho-based ride-maker that converts aging wooden coasters into looping wood-steel hybrids.

 

It’s possible that Knott’s could tap Rocky Mountain to build a hybrid coaster from the ground up, but less likely after passing up the opportunity to hybridize Ghostrider.

 

The real question is whether Knott’s will opt for a thrilling coaster with multiple inversions or a family coaster that appeals to a broader audience.

 

We will find out soon enough as online sleuths begin decoding survey markers and footing supports that typically mark the beginning of the construction process. Speculation has already begun.

 

Behind the Thrills is predicting a B&M hyper, Theme Park Insider is betting on a Mack mega and Rollercoasters N’ Stuff is arguing for a B&M or Intamin giga. Personally, I’d like to see an Intamin blitz in that spot. But only time will tell.

 

I feel like they just took notes off of the forum and pasted them into an article...And GCI? RMC? That would be pretty wacky.

 

But hey, what do I know

[SoCalJasonland]

Also, according to the webcam, the boardwalk pool is totally drained, faded, and peeled. I don't remember them waiting this long to repaint it last year, but it makes me wonder if the new ride will take some of that space. The entrance to the bridge protrudes pretty far into the walkway. I wonder if they will trim back the bridge a little bit to have more space to work with in the Boomerang spot. Just pure speculation, but it seems logical being they're so tight on space.

 

They did drain the boardwalk pool earlier this year for a couple of weeks but it rained every few days during that time so it is hard to say of pool resurfacing was rain delayed or has something to do with the new project.

[WestCoasterKing]

Even though Silver Bullet is highly visible from all areas of Fiesta Village, it is definitely placed in Ghost Town as per the station/queue. I think the theme and colors are fine (it's actually one of my favorite color schemes ever), although I'd be thrilled if they painted the ugly all-red lift hill the same colors as the rest of the layout. I never understood why they did that.

I disagree. Bullet's station is seperated from the rest of GT by the stagecoach route. It is completely cut off from without using one of several underpasses.

[WestCoasterKing]

Also, according to the webcam, the boardwalk pool is totally drained, faded, and peeled. I don't remember them waiting this long to repaint it last year, but it makes me wonder if the new ride will take some of that space. The entrance to the bridge protrudes pretty far into the walkway. I wonder if they will trim back the bridge a little bit to have more space to work with in the Boomerang spot. Just pure speculation, but it seems logical being they're so tight on space.

 

I think they will just place some footings in there and have the ride pass over Scrambler and Gliders.

[thrillseeker4552]

Even though Silver Bullet is highly visible from all areas of Fiesta Village, it is definitely placed in Ghost Town as per the station/queue. I think the theme and colors are fine (it's actually one of my favorite color schemes ever), although I'd be thrilled if they painted the ugly all-red lift hill the same colors as the rest of the layout. I never understood why they did that.

I disagree. Bullet's station is seperated from the rest of GT by the stagecoach route. It is completely cut off from without using one of several underpasses.

 

You might be right, but it is most definitely not in Fiesta Village.

[Nrthwnd]

^ At the very edge of it, perhaps? I remember back in Sept. (WCB weekend) walking around the pool that the SB end helix happens around.

And there was all of Fiesta Village, all to my left, as I walked around that pool. So I'm sure they could theme more of the area to make it inclusive to the Village area itself.

 

And rename Silver Bullet, as "Piñata"!

[WestCoasterKing]

That area is kind of it's own little enclave with the boysenberry patch and the mission diaramas. I'm sure they could think of something.

[CP Maverick]

Using the "accurate" google maps, this is what Fury 325 looks like on the boomerang land.

 

I honestly love the placement of it over the road. It's like a more expensive Ravine Flyer II.

Uh... the placement was to show the scale of a Giga on that plot of land. It has nothing to do with the layout.

[ZeroG001]

Is Xcelerator supposed to be down for maintenance right now? I was at the park today and was bummed it was closed. Overall it was a nice day there, though. Walked onto a total of 10 rides, including Ghostrider. It was my first time riding it since it's extended rehab and WOW, it is so much smoother now! I was really impressed! Also got to ride Sol Spin, which was okay. I liked Windseeker more and still think La Revolucion is the best flat ride in Fiesta Village. Hopefully the GP like it, though. The only two rides we had to wait in any sort of line for were Bigfoot Rapids and the Log Ride, probably because of the heat.

[CedarFlags]

Even though Silver Bullet is highly visible from all areas of Fiesta Village, it is definitely placed in Ghost Town as per the station/queue. I think the theme and colors are fine (it's actually one of my favorite color schemes ever), although I'd be thrilled if they painted the ugly all-red lift hill the same colors as the rest of the layout. I never understood why they did that.

I disagree. Bullet's station is seperated from the rest of GT by the stagecoach route. It is completely cut off from without using one of several underpasses.

 

You might be right, but it is most definitely not in Fiesta Village.

 

I agree. The station is separated from Ghost Town by the width of the stagecoach trail, but it's separated from Fiesta by more than a hundred yards (with a freaking lake in the middle).

[CedarFlags]

Using the "accurate" google maps, this is what Fury 325 looks like on the boomerang land.

 

I honestly love the placement of it over the road. It's like a more expensive Ravine Flyer II.

Uh... the placement was to show the scale of a Giga on that plot of land. It has nothing to do with the layout.

 

Also... it's my understanding that the city of Buena Park has very firmly vetoed the idea of any coaster traveling over the streets.

[fpsphil]

Another night more pieces removed. Was quite an effort to remove this piece it broke off pretty hard.

[IamDolfin]

Removed.

Edited August 30, 2018 by IamDolfin

[fpsphil]

Another night more pieces removed. Was quite an effort to remove this piece it broke off pretty hard.

 

 

Beat me to it! It came off pretty hard from what it looked like.

 

It came off very hard. Whole thing sprung upwards it startled me

[julioot]

So are we going to post a photo of every part that gets removed from this coaster?

[Freestyle23]

Where are they storing these parts after taking them off? I keep seeing a vehicle drive behind coastrider to the street.

[IamDolfin]

Removed.

Edited August 30, 2018 by IamDolfin

[SoCalJasonland]

I just saw on ABC 7 news that the old fire department building that partially burned will be demolished and the land will convert to Knott's use. The fire department will rebuild at some other location on La Palma Ave. There was no mention of what Knott's would use the site for but I am guessing to expand employee parking lot or store ride construction parts.

Fire station indicated with yellow circle