The Knott's Berry Farm (KBF) Discussion Thread

[Randomman295]

So after a couple of hours at Knott's today, I have a few thoughts I'd like to share before I post a legit trip update.

• Construction wasn't happening today. Coast Rider still only has one piece of track in place and about two or three on the ground next to it. Many of the footers are poured now, though. The tallest support so far is only about 30' though.
  
• I was pretty surprised to see that Xcelerator and Jaguar were only running one train today. Those were the two longest wait times of the day. The purple Xcelerator train was clearly visible and dismantled right under the brake run, where the red, white, and blue ('MURRICA) train was running.
  
• Xcelerator wasn't running all that good today; it was only running one train, it was really rattly, and the trains kind of feel like they're falling apart. At least it's good to say that the launch is just as potent as I remember it being.
  
• Silver Bullet was running splendidly today. It was smooth as butter today, and for all of the talk about it being forceless, I was astonished to find my vision greying out during the final helix. I think it still holds a solid place on my top 5.
  
• Either Ghostrider was in unusually good shape today, or I'm some sort of wizard, because I rode it twice in a row today without getting a headache. It went from being a 4/10 to at least a 6.5/10 within two rides. Still incredibly rattly and it requires some defensive riding, but it offers some fantastic floater airtime and I enjoyed it way more that I thought I would.
  
• Boomerang was closed today for unknown reasons. The one time I actually wanted to ride a Vekoma, this happens. Does anyone know why?
  
• If it's any surprise, Windseeker is still down and shows no signs of going back up (let alone with the GP riding it) for a few months.
  
• I mentioned in an earlier post that I have ridiculously long legs (my hips go as far as 4' off the ground, regardless of shoes), which to someone replied that I would most likely have trouble on Xcelerator. The trains on Xcelerator were a surprisingly roomy fit, and so was Ghostrider, which I was a bit concerned about. The one I was most shocked about was Montezooma's Revenge; my knees were touching the seat in front of me. Still a good ride, though. Even Sierra Sidewinder had a roomier train.

 

I'm going back to Knott's tomorrow. I think it was a great decision getting a season pass.

 

Hopefully then I can actually post a trip update.

[SoCalCoasters]

Seeing as I saw Technic Coaster at Legoland assembled pretty quick, I wouldn't be surprised to see this up and testing within a month or so.

[XYZ]

New Dark Ride - Rumor - (3/18/13) It sounds like Knott’s Berry Farm has a lot of possible projects waiting to be approved lately. There is the long rumored Giga coaster project, the restoration of the Calico Mine Train looking for funding as early as next year (assuming the Log Ride refurbishment goes well), and now I’m starting to hear talk about plans being developed at long last to put a new dark ride experience into the old Kingdom of the Dinosaurs building. That is one I’d like to see put into action sooner than later, as it has sat empty for long enough. I haven’t heard much in the way of details yet, though I did hear that they do want to make it interactive with the riders, though I’m not sure if they means a gun style shoot ‘em up ride or if they are planning on something a little different. Stay tuned!

 

This is good news about a new dark ride that might be coming into the KOD building. Though, I knew that a dark ride was coming to KOD ever since Micechat's interview with Raffi Karprelyan:

 

Absolutely! we are always looking at what we did in the past, how it worked, and how we can apply it to what we want to do in the future. Dark rides are big in the industry right now, and we have been talking with a few manufacturers about that possibility, just feeling things out.

 

http://micechat.com/blogs/in-the-parks/3322-meet-knotts-new-manager-disneylands-splash-woes-dca-construction-progress.html

[Mechanic]

I really like the dark green color the flume has been painted, or coated, or epoxied, or whatever the process was. The brightly colored flume had always seemed slightly out of place to me on the ride before. Relatively minor details like this being addressed and improved is a great sign for the park.

 

I hope the rumors of a new dark ride do pan out. I've always enjoyed Knott's dark rides and I'm sure they will do a great job with whatever they decide to add.

[kbfbest]

I think they were doing a train swap on Boomerang, it was open today with a freashly painted train.

[CoasterTimmy]

Boomerang has a new look and I like it! Also Coast Rider is moving fast!

Photos from Knott's Network!

New look!

Front says boomerang now!

Closer look!

Coast rider is moving along!

Sky cabin view!

[XYZ]

Boomerang's trains have a much better color scheme.

 

Those buildings next to Coast Rider's drop are obviously staying, so I wonder what they will be used for. Any thoughts on this?

[Lareson]

Hm... They did quite the refurbishment on that train. Even the padding looks brand new. They did an awesome job though! Those colors must be the new corporate favorites, as I've seen those colors appear on a few things, the darker green is the background of the maps this year, that teal very similar to Leviathan's track color. Like them much better than the old teal, orange and yellow.

 

Also, did anyone else notice that these are Vekoma OTSRs on an Arrow train? I recognize those as they're the same ones used on the SLCs.

[rcdude]

Boomerang's new train colors look really good. In fact, the whole refurbishment looks great, and if I didn't know better I'd think it was a new train. Also glad to see that they didn't add the redundant safety belts Cedar Fair seems to have added to every other Arrow/Vekoma in the chain.

 

Coast Rider looks great as well, and it is going up fast. I initially figured vertical construction would take a month or so, but at this rate I could see it being done in just a couple weeks. Perhaps we'll end up having a soft opening of this new area (although given that Knott's is a Cedar Fair park, I highly doubt it).

[Jew]

Boomerang's trains have a much better color scheme.

 

Those buildings next to Coast Rider's drop are obviously staying, so I wonder what they will be used for. Any thoughts on this?

 

Judging by the footers right next to them (which I assume are for a transfer track), the first one appears to be where a maintenance area will be.

[DougMJr]

Maybe those padded restraints will help, probably not though as they do not help much on SLCs.

[thrillseeker4552]

Still crossing my fingers for a new Vekoma train, but at least they're making the old one look nice.

[GoogleNexus]

.

Edited February 16, 2018 by GoogleNexus

[DJeXeL]

The transfer track can be put wherever the client wants it......

[vacoaster09]

I have a little info on the Windseeker evac system. It's Broken down to two pieces. They think they can store them buy Montie. When they need to use it it will take them about 30 mins to hook up. The evac system is lifted by a separate lift system with separate cables. They will rise it up take two guest off lower slightly rotate slightly and rise up and remove two more guest then take them back down and repeat the prossess. If the ride is fully occupied it can take up to five hours. This is also a last resort system only if they really can't get the ride back down. As far as I know they have been working on the regular lift motor but no word on if they fixed the issue of not being able to get it back down. Also the windseeker could be opening this week or by the weekend.

 

Thank you! So that confirms what I was thinking happened. They must have installed a separate and secondary pully system at the top of the tower and carefully strung the cables down the tower so to not interfere with the cables for the gondola. I guess when they want to use the evac system they will attach the evac truss to the cables (which I assume are fixed the tower when not in use so to not sway). I would assume that this system is manually controlled by a winch instead of a couterweight like star flyers. Very interesting indeed! However, I am with the others... I rather be left in those seats than to be standing in that basket wobbling in the wind. They can feel free to use the evac system to bring me some water but I doubt they could convince me to slide out of my seat while at 300ft in the air.

 

The only thing worse than having a mondial windseeker stuck 300ft in the air is to have a mondia windseeker with a mondial evac system(basket contraption) stuck 300ft in the air as well.

[metrock]

Not exactly the same color, but close - and a totally different track style - But when looking at these Coast Rider construction pictures I can't help be reminded of Windjammer. The difference, of course - This ride will be GOOD. X-Treme Racers at Legoland Billund was a lot of fun. I look forward to having the same ride at Knott's.

 

Also, for the one who asked, I think that building next to Coast Rider is used for the pump system.

Edited March 20, 2013 by metrock

[SenseOFone]

^Considering the buildings were used to house Perilous Plunge pumps and ride equipment, I'm assuming those buildings will house the pumps for the next pool going in

[MylesG4L]

ok you know what? if all of the Cedar fair parks have to go through this with these Mondial prototypes then they might as well remove all of them. That's doing too much if it'll take 5 hours to remove passengers from 300ft in the air incase it gets stuck again.

 

No ride should have to have an Evac system

[gforce1994]

ok you know what? if all of the Cedar fair parks have to go through this with these Mondial prototypes then they might as well remove all of them. That's doing too much if it'll take 5 hours to remove passengers from 300ft in the air incase it gets stuck again.

 

No ride should have to have an Evac system

 

5 hrs??? 3 people per 4 person capsle with the operator. 64/3 = 21.3333. which rounds to 22 times. Each trip is 10 minutes, so 22x10 is 220 minutes!

[MylesG4L]

^I got the 5 hourse from CoasterTimmy. but still 3 hours is too long to be stuck in the air. especially for a ride that's like 2 minutes

[_koppen]

ok you know what? if all of the Cedar fair parks have to go through this with these Mondial prototypes then they might as well remove all of them. That's doing too much if it'll take 5 hours to remove passengers from 300ft in the air incase it gets stuck again.

 

No ride should have to have an Evac system

 

Yes, remove all of them rides and just throw away those $33,000,000 that they cost to build, and not to mention what it would cost to tear them down.

 

What a real quality comment from you.

[WFChris]

ok you know what? if all of the Cedar fair parks have to go through this with these Mondial prototypes then they might as well remove all of them. That's doing too much if it'll take 5 hours to remove passengers from 300ft in the air incase it gets stuck again.

 

No ride should have to have an Evac system

 

5 hrs??? 3 people per 4 person capsle with the operator. 64/3 = 21.3333. which rounds to 22 times. Each trip is 10 minutes, so 22x10 is 220 minutes!

 

I don't see that little arm getting up there, evac-ing 2 sets of seats, and returning to the ground all in 10 minutes. I can see maybe 10 minutes per set of seats, but not for the whole trip.

[CoasterTimmy]

Heres something to keep in mind. Im sure not every guest will be easy to get off of there seat. Me I would hop right onto that cage Im a theme park Fan so thats fun to me lol. But that info is from the operators them self im sure if they did it enough times they would be used it and it should take no time at all. But sense its new and im sure they are hoping to not use it that much, It will take time for them to get it right. But im thinking the GP will be a little ify trying to get off a ride at 300 feet high onto a cage! But hey at lest they came up with a way to get your ass off lol.

[CoasterTimmy]

They are moving fast on Coast Rider if any of you want to get a look at the constriction I'd get to KBF fast!

Looking good!

Working on the first drop!

[Double0Kevin]

^ Thanks for the update. It's great to see how quick they are moving on this. The ride is starting to look great. I love the funky style of supports Mack uses on these models.