All things Knotts Berry Farm

[Phroobar]

Okay, wait a minute. Everybody stop.

Knott's Berry Farm has a walk-around character for their summer party season named Duncan Disorderly? And he's dressed like an attendee at a 1950's Shriners Convention, with BYOB spelled out in felt on his Fez? Holy cow.

This tells me two very important things;

1. Knott's Berry Farm is getting much funnier than they used to be (Sorry, Snoopy was never my thing), and that they have an executive team who has the cojones to occasionally tell the Legal and HR teams to just relax and remember it's only a theme park. Disney Parks takes itself soooo seriously now, everything is so corporate and bland. But apparently that's not the case at Knott's.
2. Knott's Berry Farm has a bigger budget and more ability to be creative with their walk-around characters than Disneyland. I was in Star Wars Land last week for three hours over two separate visits, and the only walk-around characters I saw were two bored Stormtroopers. The other CM's ignored me and just talked to themselves about scheduling complaints and workplace gossip.

Duncan Disorderly. That makes me so happy to know a theme park can still have fun and laugh and not worry about the dolts in Legal.

Ghost Town has lots of walk around characters interacting with the guests too. Everyone tries to figure out who robbed the bank. It's everything Galaxy's Edge promised but didn't deliver.

 

[TROR]

Ghost Town has lots of walk around characters interacting with the guests too. Everyone tries to figure out who robbed the bank. It's everything Galaxy's Edge promised but didn't deliver.

Ghost Town will always be better than Galaxy's Edge because it's inspired by real American history, and thus has value that Star Wars' fictional history will never hold.

 

[Phroobar]

Ghost Town will always be better than Galaxy's Edge because it's inspired by real American history, and thus has value that Star Wars' fictional history will never hold.

It's like Knotts and Universal did the things that Disney promised to do in GE but Disney reneged on.

 

[TP2000]

It's like Knotts and Universal did the things that Disney promised to do in GE but Disney reneged on.

You know, you're right. This summer is not a good one for Disneyland, they're missing a lot of the details that made them famous.

 

[Kram Sacul]

Save Disney all over again.

 

[Darkbeer1]

Surprised no one has talked about the Timber Mountain Log Ride, which turned 50th today.

 

[Darkbeer1]

And the fact the ride has upgraded logs.

Here is the condensed story.

Back in 2005, Splash Mountain was retrofitted with single seat logs instead of the multi person horizontal bench logs.

This was due to a child hitting their head on the front of the log, and the state stepped in and ordered the change.

Knott's was informed by the state that they recommended they also change. But due to no injuries, Knott's opted to keep the original style logs.

Last year, alas, a small child hit his head on the front of the log, getting moderate injuries. So when the yearly state DOSH inspection came up, the state ordered a retrofit to single seats. So the new logs seats 4 (some logs only have 3, basically a larger seat in the back for larger guests. Also better cleats have been placed on the bottom area in the seating area.

Folks are stating more water is staying in the bottom of the boats, so if you ride, make sure your shoes can get wet, and don't place bags on the bottom.

Lisa and I rode earlier this week to check out the newly added AA's and seats. While we miss the original seating, for me, I can load easier due to the sturdy high backs. And I have other opportunities to cuddle with my wife.

So to me, it is a wash, just glad we have this classic Log Ride I have been riding for 50 years being taken care of plus the plussing of the ride with AA's and better sound/lighting.

 

[TROR]

Timber Mountain is such a fantastic ride. I only wish the logs moved slower so all the wonderful scenes could be greater enjoyed. All the more reason to ride it repeatedly, I suppose.

 

[Nirya]

Did they really change the Log Ride vehicles? I haven’t been on it in a few years because I tend to only go during Scary Farm, but that’s a bit disappointing if true.

 

[Darkbeer1]

Did they really change the Log Ride vehicles? I haven’t been on it in a few years because I tend to only go during Scary Farm, but that’s a bit disappointing if true.

Child Battered by Knott’s Berry Farm Log Ride, Family Says

The Knott’s Berry Farm amusement park in Southern California faces a lawsuit over its Timber Mountain water ride, after a 5-year-old was slammed into the back of the seat in front of him as the log he was riding in suddenly decelerated – an incident that came after the park had been cited for...

www.courthousenews.com

Knott's Berry Farm gets a deadline to fix log ride with history of passenger injuries

A state agency that oversees amusement park safety has given Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park a Jan. 29 deadline to make improvements on a log ride that has a record of rider injuries.

www.latimes.com

 

[THE 1HAPPY HAUNT]

And the fact the ride has upgraded logs.

Here is the condensed story.

Back in 2005, Splash Mountain was retrofitted with single seat logs instead of the multi person horizontal bench logs.

This was due to a child hitting their head on the front of the log, and the state stepped in and ordered the change.

Knott's was informed by the state that they recommended they also change. But due to no injuries, Knott's opted to keep the original style logs.

Last year, alas, a small child hit his head on the front of the log, getting moderate injuries. So when the yearly state DOSH inspection came up, the state ordered a retrofit to single seats. So the new logs seats 4 (some logs only have 3, basically a larger seat in the back for larger guests. Also better cleats have been placed on the bottom area in the seating area.

Folks are stating more water is staying in the bottom of the boats, so if you ride, make sure your shoes can get wet, and don't place bags on the bottom.

Lisa and I rode earlier this week to check out the newly added AA's and seats. While we miss the original seating, for me, I can load easier due to the sturdy high backs. And I have other opportunities to cuddle with my wife.

So to me, it is a wash, just glad we have this classic Log Ride I have been riding for 50 years being taken care of plus the plussing of the ride with AA's and better sound/lighting.

So a ride that has had the same log for 50 years has to change its multi person seating design drastically because 1 idiot kid in the history of the ride hit his head because his parents didn't teach him how to sit properly on a ride? got it. thanks alot kid.

 

[Professortango1]

So a ride that has had the same log for 50 years has to change its multi person seating design drastically because 1 idiot kid in the history of the ride hit his head because his parents didn't teach him how to sit properly on a ride? got it. thanks alot kid.

Yeah, a ride vehicle should not severely injure guests. If it can be made safer and doesn't impact the attraction, they should fix the issue.

 

[Phroobar]

I remember taking my son when he was three (about fifteen years ago) and forgetting to hold on to him during the final drop. We were in the front as I saw him sliding towards the front of the log. I caught him half way down. I can see how this could happen. Little kids don't hold on to anything.

 

[Rich T]

Years ago when I was still a non-geezer, I held my hands in the air on the Giant Dipper at the SCBB--like I usually did--and (back seat) got whipped forward on one of the final sharp drops and slammed my upper lip on the front of the car. At the ride's end, the train coasted back into the station and everyone in line was staring at my bloody mouth. I went to first aid (it wasn't serious), and I repeatedly made sure to emphasize that the incident was completely my fault. Because that's a wonderfully rowdy old ride, and I'd hate to see it get ruined with overly-cautious safety measures.

 

[Kram Sacul]

I always thought it was stupid to put up your hands on a roller coaster. Not only does it block the view of the person behind you but it looks idiotic and can get you injured.

 

[TROR]

You can get your hands lobbed clean off if you're not careful.

 

[Kram Sacul]

You can get your hands lobbed clean off if you're not careful.

The pile of bones at the bottom of Space Mountain is proof of this.

 

[Rich T]

I always thought it was stupid to put up your hands on a roller coaster. Not only does it block the view of the person behind you but it looks idiotic and can get you injured.

Have you tried it? (I'm not recommending it, by the way, because it's not an "official" way to ride). On big wooden coasters with lots of airtime and lapbars/belts only, it can be a blast; often everyone on the train has their arms up. It raises your center of gravity a bit and gives you a wonderful sensation of flying with the wind flowing across your hands and arms. It all depends on the coaster. On Giant Dipper, it's a sort of challenge, because although it makes the ride more exhilarating, you have to shift your position to avoid getting your ribs hurt on some very intense unbanked turns. And, that one time, I paid with a split lip. They probably don't do it these days, but I've been on the Giant Dipper when the ride ops wouldn't let the train out of the station until *everyone* put their hands in the air.

On any coaster with shoulder restraints, it's completely pointless and uncomfortable.

 

[Rich T]

You can get your hands lobbed clean off if you're not careful.

Well, that's why I'm usually careful. But, really, they do design most coasters with above-average hand clearance well in mind.

 

[Kram Sacul]

Have you tried it? (I'm not recommending it, by the way, because it's not an "official" way to ride). On big wooden coasters with lots of airtime and lapbars/belts only, it can be a blast; often everyone on the train has their arms up. It raises your center of gravity a bit and gives you a wonderful sensation of flying with the wind flowing across your hands and arms. It all depends on the coaster. On Giant Dipper, it's a sort of challenge, because although it makes the ride more exhilarating, you have to shift your position to avoid getting your ribs hurt on some very intense unbanked turns. And, that one time, I paid with a split lip. They probably don't do it these days, but I've been on the Giant Dipper when the ride ops wouldn't let the train out of the station until *everyone* put their hands in the air.

On any coaster with shoulder restraints, it's completely pointless and uncomfortable.

I’ve tried it and immediately stopped. I know why people do it but it still looks dumb.