The Knott's Berry Farm (KBF) Discussion Thread

[hauntguy]

Does anybody here think VR is really ever going to take off?

 

I know the parks dig it because it's a cheap attraction they can play off as something cool, but does anyone actually really like it?

 

All this VR crap is making me sick, not only because it's such a stupid gimmick, but also because I don't care for it at all. It's not needed and I don't recall anyone complaining that there's not enough VR in the world. It seems like some cool 80's or 90's concept that companies keep trying to push but always falls short. It is all just a major inconvenience that for some reason the parks are believing is increasing attendance, but I just can't believe that is the case.

 

Instead of throwing VR on a coaster to screw up ride times, Knott's went with this.

 

It seems so stupid to me.

 

I still see VR being in its infancy that will soon give way to Augmented or Mixed Reality - essentially Google Glass that people will accept. When people have their own devices that they use daily, I see a coaster as just another thing to plug them into for an enhanced experience. I don't think that's a far-off thing. I'm still amazed at how quickly self-driving vehicles are being thrust at us. If we're all not driving soon, we are all going to need something to distract us.

 

Having to strap on a huge headset that was (hopefully) just cleaned and charged is definitely not sustainable. But my family always opts for the VR experience when riding coasters. The kids and I love it.

[ytterbiumanalyst]

I'm still amazed at how quickly self-driving vehicles are being thrust at us. If we're all not driving soon, we are all going to need something to distract us.

I profoundly disagree with this statement. Distraction is not a human need. The constant dopamine drip that comes from being bombarded constantly with stimuli is causing an epidemic of short attention spans. Attentiveness is a rarity these days, precisely because we've engineered everything to be so safe that you can fail to pay attention and still survive to tell the tale. That's a remarkable achievement in engineering, but with calamitous side effects.

 

I'm all for self-driving cars, and I will buy one as soon as they're legal and affordable. People simply aren't good at driving. Some are better than others, but driving requires a level of attentiveness that is simply impossible. Even someone fully paying attention with no unnecessary distractions is still going to encounter plenty of natural distractions--a louder than average engine, debris in the road, accidents, traffic jams. It's impossible to drive well when our brain is hard wired to automatically engage with any stimuli that seem to be predators, food, or a mate.

 

So in this world that pushes multitasking at us something fierce, a great escape from that world is to engage in something that fully demands your singular attention. That's what roller coasters do for me. The experience is so intense that all the primitive instincts are engaged with the higher order functions. Your entire being is doing only one thing, and it's supremely relaxing. It's the exact opposite of everyday life. It's the best escape from the modern world.

[SingleRiderCam]

 

Take your last ride on Boomerang during the Knott’s #BoysenberryFestival before the coaster closes forever on April 23.

Edited March 17, 2017 by jedimaster1227

[thrillseeker4552]

AAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!

 

Sorry. That's how filled with excitement I am. Please excuse me.

 

EDIT: Also, what surprises me is that they are closing it so early in the year. Could we get a new coaster in 2018?!

[VegasBaby]

Let the speculation begin! Maybe Knott's is finally getting their long rumored hyper coaster?

[boldikus]

The real question is who is getting it. Dorney could put it in the Dino's Alive spot. That way it's right next to Stinger.

[thrillseeker4552]

The real question is who is getting it. Dorney could put it in the Dino's Alive spot. That way it's right next to Stinger.

 

It seems almost certain to me that Cedar Fair is gonna scrap this piece of sh**. I can't seem them pulling a Six Flags and moving a 27-year-old boomerang. But if they do move it, it is most certainly going to Dorney!

[VegasBaby]

The real question is who is getting it. Dorney could put it in the Dino's Alive spot. That way it's right next to Stinger.

 

Since Dorney has Stinger, I could see it going to Michigan's Adventure. I don't think that they would just scrap it. It still rides reasonably well (for a boomerang) and I think it got new trains a year or two ago.

Edited March 17, 2017 by VegasBaby

[djackson]

The real question is who is getting it. Dorney could put it in the Dino's Alive spot. That way it's right next to Stinger.

 

Mia definitely called dibs on this one.

[chickenbowl]

Finally! I've been wishing for this to happen since 2012. Now that Riptide is gone (and Wipeout was relocated), there's a decent chunk of open space in this area - Here's hoping for a decent coaster to fill that spot!

 

Now that Cedar Fair is working with RMC, the possibilities are endless!

Edited March 17, 2017 by chickenbowl

[Password121]

Valleyfair 2018, here ya go

[PKI Jizzman]

Finally! I've been wishing for this to happen since 2012. Now that Riptide is gone (and Wipeout was relocated), there's a decent chunk of open space in this area - Here's hoping for a decent coaster to fill that spot!

 

How many pages do you have saved so if a prediction comes true you can call it out?

 

Knott's put together a 10 year plan to be approved by the locals that included a hyper coaster, right? Hopefully that hyper coaster will be one of the projects that happens at the start of the 10 year plan.

[chickenbowl]

Finally! I've been wishing for this to happen since 2012. Now that Riptide is gone (and Wipeout was relocated), there's a decent chunk of open space in this area - Here's hoping for a decent coaster to fill that spot!

 

How many pages do you have saved so if a prediction comes true you can call it out?

 

I just searched the thread for "remove boomerang" and went to the last pages!

[Steely Dan]

It seems to me that there's 4 likely outcomes for Boomerang.

 

Ranked by my prediction of likelihood:

 

1. MiA

2. VF

3. sold outside cedar fair

4. scrapped

 

Vekoma boomerangs are still some of the most easily relocatable big coasters around. And of the 52 boomerangs that Vekoma has produced over the past 33 years, only one has been lost to scrapping, while one additional example is currently SBNO. Over 20 of them have been relocated at some point. Even thought it's 27 years old, I believe that KBF's Boomerang will still have value within the chain or to someone else that exceeds its scrap value.

Edited March 17, 2017 by Steely Dan

[RollerColester]

Valleyfair 2018, here ya go

 

B&M invert and a boomerang!!

 

I joke, I joke..

[CaptainUnknown]

Why April? Knotts has been rumored for a hyper/giga for a while now and an early closure such as this could give the park enough time to have it up and running by Summer 2018.

 

If this does happen, 2018 will be a big year for Cedar Fair with 2 RMC conversions, a B&M Mega coaster, and whatever else is planned for everyone else.

[chickenbowl]

If this does happen, 2018 will be a big year for Cedar Fair with 2 RMC conversions, a B&M Mega coaster, and whatever else is planned for everyone else.

 

The fact that recently Cedar Fair hasn't been installing more than two coasters a year, chainwide, I have some doubts it'll be so soon. Then again, the whole chain barely got anything this year outside of Mystic Timbers.

[Canobie Coaster]

It seems to me that there's 4 likely outcomes for boomerang.

 

Ranked by my prediction of liekliehood:

 

1. MiA

2. VF

3. sold outside cedar fair

4. scrapped

 

Vekoma boomerang's are still one of the most easily relocatable big coasters around. And of the 52 boomerangs that vekoma have produced over the past 33 years, only one has been lost to scrapping, while one additional one is currently SBNO. Over 20 of them have been relocated at some point. Even thought it's 27 years old, I believe that Boomerang will still have value within the chain or to someone else that exceeds its scrap value.

 

Poor Michigan's Adventure. At least it would be unique for the area, but terrible for enthusiasts.

 

I think it's safe to say Kings Island and Dorney won't get this Boomerang since they already have the inverted ones; then again that didn't stop SFNE.

[cparkes92]

If this does happen, 2018 will be a big year for Cedar Fair with 2 RMC conversions, a B&M Mega coaster, and whatever else is planned for everyone else.

 

The fact that recently Cedar Fair hasn't been installing more than two coasters a year, chainwide, I have some doubts it'll be so soon. Then again, the whole chain barely got anything this year outside of Mystic Timbers.

 

I wonder if some of the $$$ for the RMC conversions is coming out of the 2017 capex

[Rollercoaster Rider]

It seems to me that there's 4 likely outcomes for boomerang.

 

Ranked by my prediction of likelihood:

 

1. MiA

2. VF

3. KD

4. CGAm

5. sold outside cedar fair

6. scrapped

 

 

Fixed

[Steely Dan]

Poor Michigan's Adventure. At least it would be unique for the area

Yeah, the upper midwest doesn't currently have any boomerangs, and in the midwest region at large, only WoF and SFStL have boomerangs, and Michigan and Missouri are far enough away from each other to have very little market crossover.

[Rollercoaster Rider]

Poor Michigan's Adventure. At least it would be unique for the area

Yeah, the upper midwest doesn't currently have any boomerangs, and in the midwest region at large, only WoF and SFStL have boomerangs, and Michigan and Missouri are far enough away from each other to have very little market crossover.

 

Kings Island has one.

[Steely Dan]

Yes, I'm aware of KI's Invertigo.

 

I was being more restrictive to just the classic non-inverted boomerangs.

Edited March 17, 2017 by Steely Dan

[IamDolfin]

Removed.

Edited August 30, 2018 by IamDolfin

[Ed Farmer]

If this goes to Dorney I will be so happy.