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PTR - larrygator's CaliforniVacation


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I've always wanted to do that train ride, and also continue on from Los Angeles to San Diego. I had no idea it was so cheap.

 

Certain days it could cost a little more and you can add amenities like a sleeping room and lunch/dinner. I brought lunch with me, but did spend about $25 for dinner (Salmon) in the dining car.

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June 30, I got to Knotts at opening and stayed til close, I could tell right away that crowds were going to be huge so I tried to get the rides that I expected to have long lines out of the way right away and then ride anything with a shorter line as I walked past the attraction. With that said I wanted to get the 2 new credits for me (Coast Rider and Hang Time) out of the way first followed by Xcelerator and Ghost Rider.

 

I got two rides on Hang Time and one on Coast Rider out of the way in about 90 minutes and the Hang Time queue built up very fast. Then I walked over the XCelerator and it was listed as an hour but the line didn't look that long so I got on line. However, one train operations, and 4 minutes between dispatches and about a dozen people going past me on Fast Lane with each cycle, I knew this was something to come back to later in the day. While walking over to Ghost Rider I saw Voyage to Iron Reef had only a 15 minute wait. I rode it and loved it and rode it again because the line is shaded and the ride is air conditioned, then I rode it again because the line was still relatively short then (we you get the idea).. When I finally stopped riding the I was ready for a late lunch and am happy to report a former favorite food location (Fireman's BBQ) and had a great BBQ sandwich and Boysenberry Punch.

 

I had to experience Mystery Lodge again because I enjoy it (and to escape the sun). The show seemed shorter then last time, maybe I was just hoping to stay out of the sun longer. Since the Pony Express line was too long, and went to Ghost Rider and it was listed as 2 hours, I asked people who had gotten off the ride and confirmed the wait time, I watched for awhile and saw incredibly slow dispatches and only one train. I really wanted to ride it since many say it has improved, so I decided to return a little later.

 

I rode random stuff the rest of the afternoon based on size of line and shading. Montezooma's Revege, Calico Mine Ride and the train were acceptable. However, I could not bring myself to wait for Silver Bullet or any of the other coasters. I Voyaged to Iron Reef a couple more times.

 

After having Honey Walnut Shrimp at Panda Express I decided to bit the bullet with Ghost Rider. It was the the most excruciating wait I have ever had. The line barely moved as people were entering the queue from every possible direction. Every time I passed one of those cut-in points was a reason to celebrate. Then after waiting the first hour downstairs I had to contend with the Fast Lane people (there were not many) and guests being lead up to elevator by the ride ops. So I finally think I'm past all the cut-ins points while upstairs and guests kept coming up the stairs on the right side of the station unchecked and there was a backlog of people on the exit platform with disability and exit passes. Overall the coaster is much improved, but the line was brutal. if it wasn't shaded I probably would have left the line. Fast Lane would certainly have helped but I was adamant about sticking to my budget this trip and also had another half day to return to Knotts is needed.

 

As the sun set I returned to a shorter line for XCelerator and a return ride on Hang Time. With 30 minutes to go before park closing I rode Iron Reef one last time, and got in line for Hang Time right before they closed it off. Overall, I got everything done that I wanted and really enjoyed taking to park at a relaxing pace, i spent a lot of time exploring the nooks of Ghost Town which you'll see in the photos.

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Wonderful addition to the park

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What can I say. I loved the hang time moments on Hang Time.

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It's a credit, so I'm obligated to ride.

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Insane line and slow operations only allowed me to ride once. I did not see MantisMan.

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The rides in the beach area and their signage convey the beach vibe of the boardwalk area.

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Beachy signs

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Time for lunch

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A winning selection for lunch

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Is the wait for Ghost Rider really 2 hours?

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OK, let's go into the Calico Mine

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I did not ride the Silver Blank on this day

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How long has this been at the park?

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I don't know why I love this attraction?

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I wanted to ride the log ride, but the line did not let up until dark.

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They had dozens of actors roaming the street of Ghost Town and interacting with the guests. This was an impromptu horse race.

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I remember hearing on Howard Stern that Steve Martin's first regular gig was at a theme park, I assumed it was Disney but it appears to be Knotts.

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A Panda Express with a complete menu on the dining plan is a win.

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I went into this building and remembered it was unexpected what they had, but now I forgot what was inside.

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The train weren't headed in my direction.

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you are continuing to provide a GREAT report. . but I do not like this at ALL

 

 

 

 

I don't wanna feel guilty while eating at a theme park. . . and those calorie counts are insane (as are the prices. .but it's a theme park, and i recall Knott's being on the higher price end when we visited 6 years ago).

 

the calorie counts would put me off what I wanna eat

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you are continuing to provide a GREAT report. . but I do not like this at ALL

 

 

 

 

I don't wanna feel guilty while eating at a theme park. . . and those calorie counts are insane (as are the prices. .but it's a theme park, and i recall Knott's being on the higher price end when we visited 6 years ago).

 

the calorie counts would put me off what I wanna eat

 

I try to cut calories a little.

 

I got the BBQ Flank sandwich but didn't eat the bread or chips, I also don't put extra BBQ sauce on the meat.

 

I bought the All Season Dining Pass knowing I would be visiting Cedar Fair parks on numerous occasions this year. To date:

Dorney: 1 meal

Carowinds: 1 meal

CGA: 1 meal

Kings Dominion: 2 meals

KBF: 3 meals

 

Upcoming trips - 3 days at Cedar Point, 1 day at Kings Island. 1 day Kings Dominion

 

8 meals to date and 7 more potentially = 15 meals and unlimited drinks for about $120

 

If I buy the dining pass I make sure I maximize the value.

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oh I get that. . . I was meaning I don't like the new trend of the calorie counts being on the menu

 

(I have the Six Flags Dining Pass at Fiesta Texas, and make sure to use it each time I go. . if they have the calorie counts on their menus, they must be so tiny I just haven't noticed)

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Overall the coaster is much improved, but the line was brutal.

The line really is atrocious. It was always pretty bad in the past, but it's even worse now following the redesign. The first floor of the building is grim and the second floor is deceptive in how much extra time it adds. For the most part, riding Ghost Rider is no longer an option when I visit on semi-busy days unless I catch it after a breakdown. And, as a long-time pass holder, I've yet to see Mystery Lodge! I will make sure to check it out on my next visit.

 

I was meaning I don't like the new trend of the calorie counts being on the menu

Yeah, that's everywhere in California these days. I actually like it because it clues you in as to how bad some of the food on offer really is. I steer clear of theme park food in general, but I see the broader practice more as a wake-up call than a guilt trip, to be honest.

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Great report! I tried to fight through Knott's without FastLane a few years ago and deprived myself the chance to ride GhostRider a ton. As you said, that line is brutal so I only had the chance to ride it once.

 

This year I made sure to get FastLane. Because of where the merge point is, there isn't an operator close by. I stood raising my armband until I was acknowledged by an op, but I saw several people pass me without one.

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They seem to be trying to address the operations of Ghostrider lately. Last week they actually had the trains loaded before the other train even hit the midcourse brake run. But there are too many times those trains dont go out for 4 or 5 minutes on other days. It's sad because this truly is THE ride at Knott's. The Firemans BBQ is great, next time you gotta try the new boardwalk BBQ, too.

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Finally getting caught up on your adventures.

 

I haven't been on Ghost Rider since its brutal days. I guess the line is the most brutal thing about it now. Hang Time looks great.

 

I like Voyage to the Iron Reef a lot ("a crab as big as a cow"), but the locals seem to hate it (I don't understand this at all).

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I like Voyage to the Iron Reef a lot ("a crab as big as a cow"), but the locals seem to hate it (I don't understand this at all).

 

I rather like Iron Reef as well. I think locals are so used to being wowed by Disney and Universal attractions that this one is a let down, but I really like it for what it is and think it fits in well at Knott's. It's better than an empty, deserted building for sure.

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July 1st - I had already decided that I was going to spend the parts of two days at SFMM, so I drove out to to Fiesta Village to ride their kiddie coaster in the AM before heading to SFMM. I'll generally ride a kiddie coaster if it is less then $5 and less than an hour out of the way, and this one barely met the criteria. And quite frankly there is not much each to say about Fiesta Village, except that their Go Karts were very popular.

 

At Magic Mountain, my goal on the first day was to focus on the right side of the park: grab a meal, ride the newer coasters and Justice League. The second day I would complete whatever I missed and just ride my favorites and catch the Kwerk Show.

 

New experiences for me

Fu11 Throttle (3 rides): I really liked it.

Twisted Colossus (12 rides): Wonderfully done, operators try to encourage fast loading by dangling the dueling aspects. A top notch ride without dueling and made more exciting with dueling.

Justice League (8 rides): I love the inclusion of Harley Quinn, but I did not realize the other changes from the other versions (pre-show room, different sequencing, garbage truck scene and barrel room)

Ace of Clubs (1 meal): wonderful food

Lux Luthor (1 ride): Drop of Doom: Would have ridden again if not for agonizingly slow operations

 

SFMM has been moving in the direction of becoming a more balanced park with the addition of more flat rides. They have also become more consistent in their service over the past few years. Food has also improved in my opinion. I hope they continue in this direction.

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No trip to Los Angeles is complete with a stop at Philippes.

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Creator of the French Dip sandwich

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Coaster Whore side trip

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Very thrilling

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First stop of the afternoon at SFMM

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I was confusing about this cluster of a line

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"Chick-Fil-A the ride" was awesome. I don't think I've ever seen that much signage in one line queue.

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Oh yeah, there was a kiddie credit I still need also.

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Are those real cacti?

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One credit that I may never get. Shame it is not the same as its predecessors in Scandi.

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Still a few weeks away from opening during my visit

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Loaded nachos

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I still can't believe the parks are rebranding standard burgers places as a fictitious restaurant

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The July 4th Coke tie-in really added excitement to the day.

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The best version of Battle for Metropolis

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Next to the best standup

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Both are close to the Ace of Clubs, I ate hear on the second day.

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They said it was a tri tip sandwich, but sure looks like brisket to me.

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Suspended coasters allows look like more fun then they really are.

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It's been quite a decline for this coaster since it opening. One of the coasters I skipped over the two days.

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For some reason I thought this was removed. I took it up the hill, but skipped all the rides up top. But it saved a little time getting to Tatsu, my favorite flyer.

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I stopped at the ice cream shop on the way out of the park while it was still daylight. I would have stayed more but I was meeting up with a friend later that day.

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Next Stop

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I hope that those SFMM loaded nachos were better than they looked in the photo, Larry!

 

Great report...just getting caught up on the past two parks.

 

I'm curious to know if Ghostrider only runs one train at all times since the transformation? This seems crazy given that this isn't what I would consider a small-ish park like Lake Compounce or Waldameer. Or is one already being refurbished?

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I'm curious to know if Ghostrider only runs one train at all times since the transformation? This seems crazy given that this isn't what I would consider a small-ish park like Lake Compounce or Waldameer. Or is one already being refurbished?

 

Ghostrider runs two trains.

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I hope that those SFMM loaded nachos were better than they looked in the photo, Larry!

 

You are right they don't look very appealing, but it might be because my preparer carefully followed my instructions in layering the food how I asked: chips, then cheese sauce, then carne meat , with a little green salsa on the side and sour cream not touching the salsa.

 

6/10 for taste but that's the best you can do with bland processed cheese sauce.

 

9/10 for the sandwich at Ace of Clubs

 

9/10 for the not pictured ice cream sundae

 

9/10 for the Coke Freestyle Machine having Barqs Creme Soda with add-in of Vanilla and Strawberry, they did not have Orange flavor add-in.

Edited by larrygator
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And, as a long-time pass holder, I've yet to see Mystery Lodge! I will make sure to check it out on my next visit.

 

Whaaa??? How is this even possible? It's such an oddly neat attraction.

 

Dropped by this afternoon for a few hours. The park was packed with crazy lines, so I made the effort to catch a Mystery Lodge show. I'm usually allergic to theater of this kind, but it was definitely worth seeing. Not sure it's something I'd sit through again, but it's got a cool message and seems fairly deferential.

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July 1st - Dodger Stadium (NO AMUSEMENT PARK PHOTOS)

 

In between my afternoon at SFMM on Monday and morning/afternoon there on Tuesday I took my first visit to Dodger Stadium. Before I started taking trips riding coasters I wanted to visit every Professional Baseball stadium in the US. There are so many parks I should have visited that I haven't but I think I'm going to start visiting the remaining ones. Jewy knows the stadium well and ordered the tickets and called upon a mutual friends father to allow us access to all levels of the stadium where I geeked out with all the nostalgia. When we got back to our seat and sat down it was a close (if not scoreless game). Then the Dodgers erupted and ended up scoring 17 runs that night. Lots of fun. Some interesting food choices at the stadium but I passed

 

 

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Quite a few pitchers are honored with big balls

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Many people were hugging the players big balls

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I choose to only take pictures. The best ever during his Prime

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Appeared on an episode of The Brady Bunch

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A view from our seats, great sight lines

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Best announcer ever

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If you watched baseball in the 1980s you know what this is.

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And you recognize this guy, even if you don't know his name. His name is Mike Brito, I just never understood why the Dodgers were the only team that needed a scout to stand in that exact location for every game.

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Every kid who watched baseball in the 70s or 80s loved these vehicles.

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All the memorabilia was great

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Especially the Brooklyn Dodger stuff

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A friend of my family used to have a stadium seat

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Edited by larrygator
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Nice report of SFMM! I'm envious how many Twisted Colossus rides you got in one day. The queue was easily 90 minutes the one time I was there and their Flash Pass only let me skip that line once.

 

Also great report of Dodgers Stadium! I really wanted to see a Dodgers game when I was in SoCal a few years ago, but they weren't in town so I had to settle for an Angles game. The Angels have a beautiful stadium, but the crowd didn't care one bit even when Mike Trout came up. I heard its a different story with Dodgers fans.

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Nice report of SFMM! I'm envious how many Twisted Colossus rides you got in one day. The queue was easily 90 minutes the one time I was there and their Flash Pass only let me skip that line once.

 

Also great report of Dodgers Stadium! I really wanted to see a Dodgers game when I was in SoCal a few years ago, but they weren't in town so I had to settle for an Angles game. The Angels have a beautiful stadium, but the crowd didn't care one bit even when Mike Trout came up. I heard its a different story with Dodgers fans.

 

Yes, I've been to an Angels game before. Dodgers fans are much more into the game.

Edited by larrygator
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