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The Knott's Berry Farm (KBF) Discussion Thread

P. 651: Montezooma's Revenge project terminated?

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Rode this sucker today and we were blown away by it! Full disclosure, none of us have ever ridden a Gerstlauer infinity before, so the entire experience was new to us. But we absolutely loved it. That first drop is great, those of you who tend to suffer from motion sickness, don't let the loops keep you away from this one. The vertical lift is definitely an interesting sensation the first time you ride it. Knott's has a real winner here. Ghostrider stays at the top for me at this park, but Hangtime is definitely a must ride every time we go to the park now. Better than Silver Bullet, on par with xcelerator for me, but obviously a very different experience than Xcelerator. Knott's couldn't have chosen a better ride to replace Boomerang.

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Photo TR: Hangtime

 

I spent most of today at Knott's and got in a few rides on Hangtime during the passholder preview. This was my first Gerstlauer ever, so this was a totally new experience for me. Ho-ly cow, what a fantastic ride. It rode much like I expected it to by watching it test, but it offered a few surprises, which I'll get into later.

 

Without further ado, let's dive into the pictures.

 

I arrived at the park at 10:00 AM and made a beeline for Hangtime. The park was relatively uncrowded at that point, so despite getting stuck behind a train, I made good time.

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2019 B&M Giga rumors being dispensed near Supreme Scream today.

The wait during the 10:00 hour varied between 30-45 minutes, which gave plenty of time to snap some pics of the queue. The park did an excellent job of theming this queue, though it was a little unrealistic. The surfboards, sand, rocks, rope fences, etc. were in much better shape than what you'd find at a typical California beach.

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Surfing lessons - available at Hangtime's transfer shed.

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Now, the ride itself...

The vertical lift hill was a first for me, but what I didn't realize at first was that the seats are slightly reclined - thus giving the sensation of being dumped out of your seat as you ascend the lift hill.

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SoCal already has its share of looping coasters, but this is one of the few that only utilizes seat belts and lap bars. Having ridden Full Throttle countless times, I'm used to being gut-punched by lap bars when coming to a sudden stop at a steep angle. Hangtime doesn't do that. (Be like Hangtime.)

The lap bars are clam-shell-shaped, similar to B&M hypers, and sit further down your legs than most lap bars.

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Because of the large crowds and low capacity of this coaster, seats were being assigned. Being a single rider today, I was able to try a different row on each of my three rides. Here's what I noticed:

Front row - obviously - is the most suspenseful on the holding brake. Other than that, the only major highlight of this row was the pop of airtime right above the ride entrance. It rattled a bit when entering the cobra roll, but otherwise was a very smooth ride.

3rd row is the best place for hang time. With this row being closer to the center of mass than the front row, it passes through the tops of the inversions more slowly than the front row. You'll want to keep your hands up the whole time to take advantage of the hang time it delivers. The 2nd row is probably a similar experience.

Last row gives the most snap on the first drop. You also get some hang time on this row, but not as much as the middle rows.

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At one point, I looked up in time to see Hangtime passing through this loop, Sky Cabin ascending its tower, and Xcelerator's train passing over the top hat simultaneously... but I didn't have my camera ready. This was as close as I got to replicating that moment.

 

While some are calling Hangtime the best coaster in the park, I still place it behind Xcelerator and Ghostrider. Xcelerator has my favorite launch, and it's hard to beat the airtime buffet that is Ghostrider (which was closed today, unfortunately). That being said, Hangtime will definitely be a must-ride every time I visit this park. I really enjoyed this coaster, and I highly recommend you make a trip to Knott's to try it out for yourself.

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Guess which one I am. :p

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One more Hangtime photo TR? Sure, why not. I got to the park around 4:30pm and managed two rides on Hangtime with slightly over an hour wait each time: row 4 in daylight and row 1 at night. This was my third Gerstlauer Infinity and I really liked the other two (Karnan and Karacho) so I was excited for Knott's to get one, but I knew I had to keep my expectations realistic as construction and testing progressed. Knott's clearly wasn't trying to break the industry here. If what they wanted was a smooth, fun, visually impressive coaster to draw crowds while not pummeling them with forces, they got it with Hangtime.

 

I really enjoyed both rides I had on it. That said, if I'm going to critique the thing, I'm going to do it honestly. Hangtime is not an intense coaster at all. I didn't notice any serious positive g's, but there are a few pretty good moments of airtime. The drop has at least some air up front and full-on ejector in the back. Gerstlauer's approach to the holding brake might not please everyone who likes B&M's method. The train takes its time releasing, so you don't get the sudden B&M plunge, but once it gets rolling past 90 degrees the airtime is definitely there. The second, and probably stronger moment is the drop leading into the cobra roll. That was probably my favorite part of the ride. There's also a quick pop of air climbing into the brakes.

 

Unfortunately, none of the inversions stood out to me and I didn't feel much of anything going through them. Hangtime is definitely the kind of coaster you have to appreciate visually rather than seat-of-the-pants, and that's in part why I think it's going to become one of those "must-do at night" coasters. The lighting package is all kinds of cool on or off-ride.

 

Overall among Gerstlauers I've ridden, I didn't like Hangtime as much as Karnan, Karacho, or Fluch Von Novgorod, but it's about even with Mystery Mine and well above Dare Devil Dive. Ghostrider remains king at Knott's and I think I still prefer Xcelerator and Montezooma too. But I'm the kind of enthusiast who isn't truly happy unless Skyrush/I305/un-trimmed, 7-car-Voyage-circa-2000-and-whatever is trying to nearly kill me, so what do I know. Hangtime is still plenty good.

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The best Long Beach International Airport-themed gift shop I've ever seen.

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Edited by Condor
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Hangtime is not an intense coaster at all. Unfortunately, none of the inversions stood out to me and I didn't feel much of anything going through them. Hangtime is definitely the kind of coaster you have to appreciate visually rather than seat-of-the-pants, and that's in part why I think it's going to become one of those "must-do at night" coasters.

Fully agree. I had a feeling when I saw the original design that it wouldn't be my thing (inversions don't do much for me), but I also knew it'd be a great-looking ride — one that I'd be as happy to watch as ride. I kept my expectations in check, so the drop and the little airtime drop both surprised me as I thought they'd both be fairly forceless. Also, even though it's quite small, I think the first drop's better than the other beyond-vertical coasters I've ridden, so that was a plus. The rest of the ride was kind of what I expected from back-to-back inversions. Having said that, I think its lack of intensity will make it a good stepping stone for kids who aren't quite sure about the bigger coasters.

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Some great photos here--appreciated! It's interesting to see how people rank the Knott's coasters and where this one stands. I'm vacillating a bit in my anticipation for it, but someone made a good point that it's better than Boomerang!

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Hangtime is not an intense coaster at all. Unfortunately, none of the inversions stood out to me and I didn't feel much of anything going through them. Hangtime is definitely the kind of coaster you have to appreciate visually rather than seat-of-the-pants, and that's in part why I think it's going to become one of those "must-do at night" coasters.

Fully agree. I had a feeling when I saw the original design that it wouldn't be my thing (inversions don't do much for me), but I also knew it'd be a great-looking ride — one that I'd be as happy to watch as ride. I kept my expectations in check, so the drop and the little airtime drop both surprised me as I thought they'd both be fairly forceless. Also, even though it's quite small, I think the first drop's better than the other beyond-vertical coasters I've ridden, so that was a plus. The rest of the ride was kind of what I expected from back-to-back inversions. Having said that, I think its lack of intensity will make it a good stepping stone for kids who aren't quite sure about the bigger coasters.

 

 

Very similar reaction to this one as there was to Silver Bullet, and now there is quite an appreciation for it. So it sounds like a perfect addition to Knotts!

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Very similar reaction to this one as there was to Silver Bullet, and now there is quite an appreciation for it. So it sounds like a perfect addition to Knotts!

That's a good point, although I think I'm one of like three people who loved Silver Bullet from the get-go haha!

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Great pics and report, Condor. What kind of camera did you use?

 

One thing I thought was odd - which I forgot to mention in my TR - is that you can't wear glasses on Hangtime, even if they have a lanyard. The ride ops didn't all seem to get that memo; one of them told me to keep my sunglasses on because I had a lanyard... only to be interrupted by another ride op, who told me to take them off and put them in a bin. But with yesterday being such a grey day, I'm not sure why I brought my sunglasses to begin with.

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Some great photos here--appreciated! It's interesting to see how people rank the Knott's coasters and where this one stands. I'm vacillating a bit in my anticipation for it, but someone made a good point that it's better than Boomerang!

 

After giving it 48 hours since I rode Hangtime, I think I would rank Knott's coasters as follows:

 

1. GhostRider- Clearly the class of the park for myself. One of the top wooden roller coasters that I have rode. I really enjoy this ride.

2. XCelerator: Great Launch, just wish it wasn't so short of a ride. It is clearly below Ghsot Rider for me.

3. Hang Time: Longer ride than XCelerator, but no where near as intense. Some real good moments and I love the lighting at night.

4. Silver Bullet: Average invert. No where near the level of Afterburn, which is the best one that I rode. It is still worth riding when I come to the park.

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Great pics and report, Condor. What kind of camera did you use?

 

Thanks! And I used an iPhone

 

I don't consider myself any kind of photographer at all, but I find that taking the time to set up angles and fill the field of view can make even iPhone pics look surprisingly decent.

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Great pics and report, Condor. What kind of camera did you use?

 

One thing I thought was odd - which I forgot to mention in my TR - is that you can't wear glasses on Hangtime, even if they have a lanyard. The ride ops didn't all seem to get that memo; one of them told me to keep my sunglasses on because I had a lanyard... only to be interrupted by another ride op, who told me to take them off and put them in a bin. But with yesterday being such a grey day, I'm not sure why I brought my sunglasses to begin with.

 

Ride ops at Knott's not ALL on the same page regarding ride restrictions? Mark me shocked!

 

LOL Anyway, great to hear the reports on Hangtime! Thanks for all the photo's folks.

 

Definitely not the reason I'd visit the park after 4 years gone, as I think Ghostrider would win that one, as well as Xcelerator, but it's still nice the park has a coaster the public and enthusiasts are excited to ride. Definitely a facelift to Boomerang which I so dearly am going to miss.

 

Also whoever called out the Long Beach Airport deco, good eye! I think it looks sweet. LGB has to be one of the most awesome airports in the United States, and most especially California. Where else do you get to walk out on the tarmac to a 24 seater? No traffic, easy access, close to home, and so old school with friendly staff. I would recommend Long Beach Airport to anyone even if it's $50-$100 more! You won't regret it!

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PLEASE READ THIS ENTIRE POST BEFORE RESPONDING!

 

If you live in the Southern California area and want to ride Knott's Berry Farm's new Hangtime roller coaster THIS FRIDAY MORNING read below....

 

NBC News is coming to film HangTime this Friday (May 18) morning. Knott's needs 50 excited riders for the shoot. You would get early ride time on the coaster plus free admission to the park for the rest of the day. We need extras to arrive by 5:30 A.M. and stay until at least 9:30 A.M. After that, they are free to enjoy a day in the park or go home.

 

YOU MUST RSVP TO THE EMAIL BELOW:

 

pr@knotts.com

 

Please send them the following:

 

- Your Full Name

- Your email address

- Your age

- Your TPR Screen Name

 

Put "Hangtime NBC Shoot" in the subject of the email.

 

If you would like to bring a guest, please ASK them if there are any remaining spots for your guest.

 

We would also ask that if you are at the park that day for the shoot, please post photos to social media (we love Twitter) and tag @themeparkreview in the photos so we can retweet them.

 

Thank you!

 

--Robb Alvey

http://www.themeparkreview.com

Edited by robbalvey
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I saw the email and literally wept that I don't live in SoCal anymore. I would have been 100% on top of being an extra. Well here's looking forward to West Coast Bash 2018.

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