The Knott's Berry Farm (KBF) Discussion Thread

^I don't know what I find more interesting. The massive amount of new wood on Ghostrider's structure, or the massive amount of thick smog in the background?

Looking good though!

 

Massive amount? you can still see the mountains in the background, this is a clear day in Southern California lol

You can tell I'm not a local.

^I don't know what I find more interesting. The massive amount of new wood on Ghostrider's structure, or the massive amount of thick smog in the background?

Looking good though!

Yeah, like silentabob said, that's nothing. If you want to weep for your lungs go to Santa Monica Pier and walk to the end and just look out at the ocean. You'll see, from bottom to top, water, green, gray, sky.

stopped by Knott's real fast to see what's going on with Ghostrider. a lot more wood, but still no steel that I could see. i can't see any changes in the track, yet. all the headers are supported by "L" brackets that look old. but obviously, i can't see every one. also, doesn't look like any wood is being removed from the actual structure, which, the guide i had at WCB gave as part of the reason it was rough. because the structure didn't give. i never thought that made that much sense. anyway, here's some pics i took today...

Mmmmm, thanks for all the photos you took! I'm glad it's getting the attention it needs.

If I read correctly, Ghostrider had to be over supported with an abundance of bents due to the state of California's strict building codes due to possibility of an earthquake happening. If the structure doesn't have certain amount of give designed into it, it won't be able to absorb the forces the ride exerts and therefore the track absorbs all of the forces and takes takes a extreme beating. This is why woodies that use steel structures tend to get rougher faster than those that use wood structures. Hopefully with lighter trains, and some modern design techniques, GCI can get this ride running well and running for quite awhile.

So bummed probably will miss out on riding this during our pre-Easter visit. Work faster dammit!

Thanks for the photos. I'm still hoping to experience a ride on "good" GhostRider someday.

Thanks for the photos. I'm still hoping to experience a ride on "good" GhostRider someday.

Me too. I've ridden GhostRider on some good days, but I doubt any of those compare to what it was in its original glory.

I hope to head to Knott's in the next week or two after finals. I've neglected my home away from home in favor of Twisted Colossus

I've never had a good Ghostrider experience; nothing but pain! I can't wait to ride this.

Rode ghostrider when she first opened, she was smooth and fast. Can't wait to ride ghostrider that way again. It will be a toss up as I have been going to Magic Mountain a lot so I could ride twisted colossus. I guess I will be going to both parks a lot in 2016.

GhostRider, when it was first open is still the best coaster I've ever been on. The airtime and the bat-out-of-hell second half blew my eight-year-old mind. Unfortunately the next opportunity I had to ride it was 2004, and it was really starting to age badly at that point. Even the RMCs I've ridden don't come close (in my mind) to the original GhostRider. I can't wait for the coaster to reopen. As much as I'm looking forward to Lightning Rod and Storm Chaser next year, I'm twice as excited for the reborn GhostRider.

My fear is GCI will neuter the ride; my hope is that they can restore it to it's former glory. Either way I am excited to ride it again (I usually skip it since it was so terrible...)

My fear is GCI will neuter the ride

Why are you afraid they'll neuter it? Pretty sure they haven't neutered any rides they've worked on before. Plus, they've already announced it will not be using the mid-course brake run any longer. That's an indication right there that GR will not be neutered. It's going to haul ass through the whole ride.

My fear is GCI will neuter the ride

 

Why are you afraid they'll neuter it? Pretty sure they haven't neutered any rides they've worked on before. Plus, they've already announced it will not be using the mid-course brake run any longer. That's an indication right there that GR will not be neutered. It's going to haul A$$ through the whole ride.

One could also argue that the removal of the midcourse means it will no longer be needed. What has to have been done to the ride for them to confidently promise guests that the midcourse is gone?

I was at the park yesterday. Had a great time for Merry Farm! Anyways, the midcourse portion of Ghostrider looked like it had an extra little hump prior to "the drop." Can any physics people chime in on how the extra bump may affect that drop?

No pictures because I didn't take any.

^If the extra hump leads right into the drop and doesn't flatten out before dropping again, it could be to increase the drop radius to allow the train to navigate the drop at full speed without excessive ejector air (or if you're a Debbie downer, reducing the strength of the airtime).

If it flattens out and drops again like a double down, then I have no idea. Probably just to make what had been the mid course flat section a little more interesting.

My fear is GCI will neuter the ride

 

Why are you afraid they'll neuter it? Pretty sure they haven't neutered any rides they've worked on before. Plus, they've already announced it will not be using the mid-course brake run any longer. That's an indication right there that GR will not be neutered. It's going to haul A$$ through the whole ride.

GCI isn't known for intense airtime. If they were just doing a complete re-track, I'd feel more confident. But since some re-profiling is involved, I'm optimistic but would not be the least bit surprised if it's a tamer GhostRider (which should still be really good). Taking out the mid-course brake might actually make "the drop" less intense depending on how the re-profile of that section goes (as others have noted)

GCI did some retracking on Thundercoaster @ Tusenfryd, and one of the things they did was to reprofile the 90 degree turn. This turn used to have some crazy double-pumping stuff going on, but after the retracking it's all one smooth turn. I know I have complained about Thundercoaster being rough, but this turn I used to quite like and it's definitely a lot less intense now.

^If the extra hump leads right into the drop and doesn't flatten out before dropping again, it could be to increase the drop radius to allow the train to navigate the drop at full speed without excessive ejector air (or if you're a Debbie downer, reducing the strength of the airtime).

If it flattens out and drops again like a double down, then I have no idea. Probably just to make what had been the mid course flat section a little more interesting.

No, it doesn't flatten out again. There's the flat turnaround prior to the original MCBR, a straight section where it was, then it appeared to rise a teensy bit then the drop.

My fear is GCI will neuter the ride

 

Why are you afraid they'll neuter it? Pretty sure they haven't neutered any rides they've worked on before. Plus, they've already announced it will not be using the mid-course brake run any longer. That's an indication right there that GR will not be neutered. It's going to haul A$$ through the whole ride.

 

One could also argue that the removal of the midcourse means it will no longer be needed. What has to have been done to the ride for them to confidently promise guests that the midcourse is gone?

The midcourse brake wasn't part of the original ride experience, it was just an emergency/block brake only and didn't engage. Then, it started getting older and rougher, and guests started having to be taken off property to get treated for their bruised ribs and whiplash injuries, and the ride became a liability. Before re-tracking had become a fairly common practice, the park (and probably CF corporate) decided that slowing down the second half of the ride by turning the break on all the time would help reduce the injuries and the liability of keeping it open. The ride was designed originally to be run without it, so there shouldn't be any significant changes needed.

They're even reworking the entry to Ghostrider. Here's a pic from this morning.

Under construction

^ Is it too much to ask for an expanded outdoor queue that could then be turned into an excellent haunt for Scary Farm?

^ Is it too much to ask for an expanded outdoor queue that could then be turned into an excellent haunt for Scary Farm?

But then we wont get night rides during Haunt. I know, its usually down for refurb during Haunt, but here's to hoping its open.

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^ Who said anything about closing the ride? Just force guests to experience the haunt before they ride. Hell, make the coaster the escape vehicle or something.

Think about it. You enter the Ghostrider mine and end up in a haunted western landscape with ghouls trying to get you. You head towards the barn for safety only to be overrun once inside. Your only escape is to get on the ride and blast through the night to safety.

...only to end up right back in the barn.

Edit - I know you Knott's guys read this forum. Make it happen!

^ Is it too much to ask for an expanded outdoor queue that could then be turned into an excellent haunt for Scary Farm?

 

But then we wont get night rides during Haunt. I know, its usually down for refurb during Haunt, but here's to hoping its open.

s

The refurb is usually before haunt so it is ready for Haunt. Which probably played a role in the rides demise...Cycling almost non stop from 10am to 2am each night of Haunt!