The Knott's Berry Farm (KBF) Discussion Thread

[CedarFlags]

I wonder if they're going to sound dampen the loop?  That section of track is the loudest with that hollow box spine, and it can be heard even outside the park.  This renovation downtime would be an opportunity to take the loop apart and fill the spine.

[jarmor]

You don't see how that thing was CUT. . .

[KBrylczyk]

Dueling Dragons vibes from that hack job.

[Manic Monte]

Given the ride's age, I'm glad it's staying around at all in any form. Very interested in what they're doing.

[thrillseeker4552]

Hopefully this is a Hulk-stye replacement and the "new" coaster is identical in profiling. They have Jaguar running through the loop so it can't change profiling *too* much, right? But yeah, that original track is not going back based on how it was cut it seems.

Very excited to see how this unfolds but I'll admit I'm a little nervous! Monte is an extremely sentimental ride for me. First inversion, first launch, first big coaster in general. I knew it wouldn't last in its original form forever, and frankly I'm surprised it has lasted this long given its age and intense operating calendar. But nonetheless I am glad the park is keeping the coaster around in some form or another.

[CP_RULES]

On 7/13/2022 at 7:18 AM, Hilltopper39 said:

I'll be honest I've never understood the appeal of Schwarzkopf coasters

It’s a nostalgia thing for old people, most of their rides are terrible among today’s coasters.

[_s3_]

I wouldn't consider them horrible by modern standards. Schwarzkopf coasters at least have always had a semblance of smoothness,and also have a purity in their innovation, even if age and maintenance have made them worse over time. Remaining classic Arrow coasters are pure nostalgia.

[jarmor]

22 hours ago, CP_RULES said:

It’s a nostalgia thing for old people, most of their rides are terrible among today’s coasters.

Man what??!?  Nostalgia for old people?!?  Most of their rides are terrible among today's coasters?!?  Some of today's coasters cannot hold a candle to some schwarzkopf coasters.  How many "todays" coasters have been torn down while parks opt to keep their coasters for "old people" lol?  It's not our fault we appreciate and cherish good engineering and well thought out layouts.

[Jew]

On 7/14/2022 at 6:53 PM, CP_RULES said:

It’s a nostalgia thing for old people, most of their rides are terrible among today’s coasters.

I would ride a looping star over most more modern coasters with inversions, since those with OTSR’s beat you up in some way.  Olympia Looping is a legitimate top 25 coaster.  Mindbender is the second most intense coaster I’ve ever been on (#1 is the original dodonpa). Lisebergbanan is a top tier mine train/non inverting style coaster.

[TurnOfTheCentury]

yeah, I just rode Jetline at Grona Lund, and it was pretty stinking smooth and great.

Whizzer at SFGAm remains excellent.

Revolution at SFMM  remains great (setting all of the awful train mods)

[CedarFlags]

Zoom fills an important supporting role at the park and it takes up such a small footprint that it's really not even feasible to replace it.  Nothing else would fit.  It's a really good stepping stone ride between the family coasters and the big 4.  It was my first ever inverting coaster, and I'm sure the same continued to be true for lots of others as well.

[Animal]

Here’s some pictures from Thursday of Montezuma’s loop completely gone and in addition the work walls up in Fiesta Village. They have begun to clear out the old gift shop as well.

[coasternut]

I just read that many fights broke out at Knotts Saturday night. They decided to close the park 3 hours early. Even the Buena Park police had to show up. I would never expect that at Knotts. Maybe they were just upset with the closure of both Monte and Xcelerator.

[CP_RULES]

On 7/15/2022 at 11:17 PM, Jew said:

I would ride a looping star over most more modern coasters with inversions, since those with OTSR’s beat you up in some way.  Olympia Looping is a legitimate top 25 coaster.  Mindbender is the second most intense coaster I’ve ever been on (#1 is the original dodonpa). Lisebergbanan is a top tier mine train/non inverting style coaster.

You mentioned three, what percentage are they batting these days? There are some great ones left, I will give you that.

[KBrylczyk]

13 hours ago, coasternut said:

I just read that many fights broke out at Knotts Saturday night. They decided to close the park 3 hours early. Even the Buena Park police had to show up. I would never expect that at Knotts. Maybe they were just upset with the closure of both Monte and Xcelerator.

Buena Park gonna keep being Buena Park.  I won't even stay in a hotel by the park anymore because the shady characters have gotten out of control in the past few years.  Practically every hotel within walking distance is a dump these days, anyway, and god help you if you stay at the Rodeway Inn or Colony Inn (unless you're looking for crack, in which case jackpot).

[SoCalJasonland]

12 hours ago, KBrylczyk said:

Buena Park gonna keep being Buena Park.  I won't even stay in a hotel by the park anymore because the shady characters have gotten out of control in the past few years.  Practically every hotel within walking distance is a dump these days, anyway, and god help you if you stay at the Rodeway Inn or Colony Inn (unless you're looking for crack, in which case jackpot).

I worked at The Wherehouse music and movie place a couple of miles south of Knott's during early 1990's when I was at CSUF.  I had to sweep up the used heroin needles and condoms out of the parking lot before we opened in the morning.  We also had people steal items and walk slowly out the front door as the shoplifting alarm went off with no sense of urgency.  Cops would take a couple of hours to arrive and just give you a report number for your insurance before they walked out on you.  I asked if I needed to make a list in case the police found something.  The cop just laughed and kept walking to the door.  I quit calling the police and wasting my time as they were either worthless or overworked on more serious crimes as they never resolved a shoplifting issue for us.

Shop lifting, hookers and panhandling were daily.  The whole neighborhood between Disney and Knott's has been trash for years.   My brother in law was a security guard for Disney on the west side of Disneyland behind the hotel.  He got rocks thrown at him nightly at the guard booth with the occasional gun fire.  I was also a manager for Savon drugs and our worst crime ridden Orange County stores were all central OC from Santa Ana to Buena Park.  Unfortunately, most of the trash is moving east out near me to Riverside or San Bernardino as entry level homes in OC are a million dollars and apartments are also painfully expensive.  The crime hasn't gone away in OC though as the weather is more mild for the homeless criminal class that can't tolerate the 100+ temperatures out here most of the summer.

[Jew]

On 7/17/2022 at 6:22 PM, CP_RULES said:

You mentioned three, what percentage are they batting these days? There are some great ones left, I will give you that.

Well a looping star is an entire product line, not just one individual ride. I didn’t think I needed to list out every looping star I have been on…

But in general, as others have mentioned, no inversion has really yet to match the near perfection of a Swartzkoph loop. 

[JT325]

^Add smooth-flexing, jointed-track.  Even B&M hasn't been able to do that.  Giavanola came close, but those trains are rattly. 

Perfect trains - you can move around (feel real-air-time, where applicable) and perfectly safe; you're in a position where you aren't going anywhere (even in the case of a slow or stopped inversion), but can still move your legs with plenty of wiggle room (note the smart ankle bar).  They were basically designed like super-smooth woodies with loops; you can even experience true laterals where applicable - but only in the original or duplicate original trains - as opposed to the new messes Six Flags is building.  Hersheypark had 2 sets of duplicate originals built by Gerstlauer; even the slightly altered new orange trains are still much better than those being built by SF.

If you do enjoy the classic Schwarzkopf feel, get to Shock Wave in Texas while you can.  Just a matter of time before it has the SF-designed bucket, grippy seats with strange reclined-vibration prone headrest.  Whatever Knott's does, I'm confident it will be well thought out.

[boldikus]

Every single post by @JT325:

 

[coasterlvr]

Knott's is adding a new chaperone policy.  I think this is a good reaction to the fights that happen often there.  The final straw, but much too late, imo, was the closure last week.  

 

[Jason Maier]

1 hour ago, coasterlvr said:

Knott's is adding a new chaperone policy.  I think this is a good reaction to the fights that happen often there.  The final straw, but much too late, imo, was the closure last week.  

 

Do any of the other parks in the CF chain have such a chaperone policy?

Edit: I know why they have it for Fridays & Saturdays (busiest days and such) .... but why JUST those two days of the week?

[jarmor]

If I were gonna fight, it will def be on fri or sat night.  Gotta make sure I make it to work during the week.

[KBrylczyk]

I've been told that Saturday night is alright for fighting, alright alright?

[mikeykaise]

1 hour ago, KBrylczyk said:

I've been told that Saturday night is alright for fighting, alright alright?

just don't forget about the handful of grease to put in your hair first.

[CP_RULES]

On 7/20/2022 at 9:26 AM, JT325 said:

^Add smooth-flexing, jointed-track.  Even B&M hasn't been able to do that.  Giavanola came close, but those trains are rattly. 

Perfect trains - you can move around (feel real-air-time, where applicable) and perfectly safe; you're in a position where you aren't going anywhere (even in the case of a slow or stopped inversion), but can still move your legs with plenty of wiggle room (note the smart ankle bar).  They were basically designed like super-smooth woodies with loops; you can even experience true laterals where applicable - but only in the original or duplicate original trains - as opposed to the new messes Six Flags is building.  Hersheypark had 2 sets of duplicate originals built by Gerstlauer; even the slightly altered new orange trains are still much better than those being built by SF.

If you do enjoy the classic Schwarzkopf feel, get to Shock Wave in Texas while you can.  Just a matter of time before it has the SF-designed bucket, grippy seats with strange reclined-vibration prone headrest.  Whatever Knott's does, I'm confident it will be well thought out.

I haven’t been on a single B&M I thought was worse than the best Schwarzkopf I have been on. I guess I’m proving a point that it’s the nostalgia folk saying they were great. If they were so great they’d still exist ala Vekoma and they’d be making actual modern rides. Your mention of Shock Wave makes me laugh because I thought it was a total piece of crap waste of space. Mind bender at SFoG was better in my opinion but neither hold up to anything newer in their parks. It’s great to invest in them as SFoG and apparently Knotts are doing, an old ride is better than no ride. I’d still prefer most modern rides in their places though.