The Knott's Berry Farm (KBF) Discussion Thread

[cfc]

^It would be, except it has 52" height requirement.

 

Hmm--didn't know that. The height requirement for both Mach Tower at BGW and and Drop Tower at KD is 48 inches. Fifty-two seems a bit much for Windseeker.

[SharkTums]

^Totally agree.

[Skycoastin Steve]

Judging by the restraints, it's not a huge surprise that the height restriction is 52" (I had never really paid attention to what it was before). As big as the seats are, and as bulky as the lap bar is, a shorter person would get swallowed up. I'd honestly love to see a child ride one of these, I would be impressed by their bravery (much similar to when 48" kids rode the Skycoasters I worked at, always shocked me).

[DJeXeL]

Usually the kids are more willing to ride than their parents.....

[805Andrew]

A 52" height requirement seems a bit steep, but it must be the design of the restraints, not the intensity of the ride. What surprises me more though is one of the most intense roller coasters around, X2 at SFMM, only has a 48" height restriction. Again, it must be the design of the restraints, not the intensity of the ride. Its too bad that Windseeker has such a high height restriction as a lot of kids without a fear of heights at Knott's would want to ride this one. A lot of adults not into very intense rides though will like Windseeker though (if they don't mind the height of it).

[Schotcher]

^ It usually is what the park wants. But the more intense a ride is, usually they'll up the height requirement just because mostly older teens and adults enjoy more intense rides rather than younger kids. And it's hard for adults to fit in to such small seats too.

Edited July 9, 2014 by Schotcher

[robbalvey]

^ It usually is what the park wants. But the more intense a ride is, usually they'll up the height requirement just because mostly older teens and adults enjoy more intense rides rather than younger kids.

Actually, it's mostly manufacturer requirement. I haven't checked with Mondial to see what their recommendation is, but like the poster said above you, X2 is only 48", and that's got be one of the most intense rides I can think of.

[coasterlover420]

^^^Actually surprisingly, on some rides the height requirement is much shorter than what the manufacturer originally intended. The point being that your legs need to bend beyond the edge of the seat, and the only example I am really familiar with is Raptor. 54" kids do NOT fit into those seats, their legs stick straight out or they slouch like crazy. If I'm not mistaken, the original height requirement was supposed to be 59" (150 cm), but Cedar Point lowered it to 54" to add ridership and please angry guests. It's not necessarily that a smaller child could get out of the restraint (because they couldn't), but the intent is that they fit into the seat so that the dynamics of the ride won't injure them. This also isn't to say they couldn't easily stick their head out of the side of the restraint, because 54" kids can easily do that; and that's because 54" wasn't the original height requirement.

 

Overall point is that height requirements usually have nothing to do with restraints; they go as far down into the seat as possible. The problem is the shape of the seat. Same reason Intamins have a height limit of 6'6", the headrest wouldn't support your head.

[robbalvey]

^ I've never heard of a B&M invert ever requiring a 59" height restriction. I believe your story is just an urban legend.

[Zeppelinfreak]

^Sounds like it, all the ones I've seen are 54".

[coasterlover420]

^^This was actually from the early ride operation manuals from '94. They're at the ride, though I'm sure there's no way I could find evidence, unfortunately...

 

I don't think the ride ever actually operated with the requirement, I'm just quoting what I read.

Edited August 26, 2011 by coasterlover420

[805Andrew]

^ It usually is what the park wants. But the more intense a ride is, usually they'll up the height requirement just because mostly older teens and adults enjoy more intense rides rather than younger kids.

Actually, it's mostly manufacturer requirement. I haven't checked with Mondial to see what their recommendation is, but like the poster said above you, X2 is only 48", and that's got be one of the most intense rides I can think of.

 

Exactly! And its Andrew by the way

[Schotcher]

Riverside's (Now SFNE's)Cyclone's height req for years was 48", but Riverside bumped it up to 54".

Edited August 26, 2011 by Schotcher

[robbalvey]

^^This was actually from the early ride operation manuals from '94. They're at the ride, though I'm sure there's no way I could find evidence, unfortunately...

 

I don't think the ride ever actually operated with the requirement, I'm just quoting what I read.

I would have to believe perhaps it was read incorrectly? With the B&M inverts that were built in the years before Raptor, and the all the ones built afterwards, all being 54", I just can't see the manual saying 59". If B&M was suggesting that, then I would have to believe, somewhere, someplace out there, would have kept the 59" restriction. And that's never happened.

[DJeXeL]

Jaguar's height requirement used to be 42" and was bumped up by Cedar Fair due to the lap bar design. This I know from being an operator for it and reading an older revision of the SOP.

Edited August 26, 2011 by DJeXeL

[robbalvey]

^ And also when they added the seatbelts.

[DJeXeL]

^This is true as well

[coasterlover420]

^^This was actually from the early ride operation manuals from '94. They're at the ride, though I'm sure there's no way I could find evidence, unfortunately...

 

I don't think the ride ever actually operated with the requirement, I'm just quoting what I read.

I would have to believe perhaps it was read incorrectly? With the B&M inverts that were built in the years before Raptor, and the all the ones built afterwards, all being 54", I just can't see the manual saying 59". If B&M was suggesting that, then I would have to believe, somewhere, someplace out there, would have kept the 59" restriction. And that's never happened.

Yeah, it does seem absurd, in fact a lot of stuff in that manual seemed crazy.. Don't quote me on that per say, but if I find evidence I'll post it.

[Schotcher]

You sure it wasn't one those "Max Height Reqs" even though that's an absurdly low maximum height requirement?

[DJeXeL]

^Something to keep in mind is that park SOPs are a combination of the ride manufacturer's recommendations and the park's own policies and procedures. To add insult to injury, the manufacturer's ride manuals are normally loosely translated from German, Dutch etc...depending on ride manufacturer origin so things are guaranteed to be lost in translation.

Sometimes there's a typo in ........plain and simple. In Raptor's case seems likely.

[DJeXeL]

On an unrelated note......

 

Knott's Berry Farm has agreed to a financial settlement with the family of a 12-year-old boy who was seriously injured during a 2009 accident on the Xcelerator roller coaster.

 

"There's a confidential settlement," said Art Morgan, the family's attorney. "We can't say the amount."

 

A Knott's spokesperson declined to comment on the settlement.

 

Kyle Wheeler was sitting in the front row of Xcelerator when the roller coaster's launch cable snapped, whipped toward the riders and split the fiberglass car in half.

 

The severed cable lashed Kyle's left calf and sprayed debris in the face of his father, Russell, who was sitting next to his son as Xcelerator raced toward the coaster's trademark top hat element.

 

Rest of article can be read at LA Times.

[robbalvey]

Hey TPR Members!

 

I just got an email from Knott's saying they need Windseeker riders again for a media shoot THIS SUNDAY from 7am - 9am for KTLA 5.

 

If you can make it, please email me ASAP!

 

I need you to email me your Name, Age, Email Address, and Sex.

 

You and your guests would be allowed to stay in the park the rest of the day, for free, and have a good day at Knott's.

 

If you know any women who want to go, please let me know, as we can sometimes be such a male-dominated group!

 

Thank you!

 

--Robb

[socalMAN123]

E-mail sent! Haven't been to Knott's since Haunt! Really looking forward to this.

[djbrcace1234]

Done!

[DJeXeL]

Sent!