Swimace
Posts: 5916
Registered: 8/28/2003
Rank: Platinum Critic
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 8/21/2005 9:07:21 PM
On Sunday, 8/14 I went to Knott’s Berry Farm in Beuna Park, California. I got a free trip to Cali for a swim meet, so I went to Knotts after the meet wrapped. Here’s how my trip went:
8/6-Got to California
8/7, 8/8- Warmed up, got used to time change
8/9- Swam 800 meter Freestyle
8/10- Swam 200 meter Butterfly
8/11- No events, relaxed.
8/12- Swam 400 meter Freestyle
8/13- Went to Hollywood and Pacific Park (not my idea)
8/14- Knott’s!!!!+ Plane ride home
Ok, so here’s the only part you guys care about- Knotts!!!!! I had heard a few things about this park’s operations. I had heard reports from SoCal enthusiasts that the park had fallen from glory to a park with lazy employees, stacked trains, and down rides. I can confidently say that this is not true. Knott’s Berry Farm operated with standards high enough to be a Florida park. The park was clean, the employees were friendly and helpful, and every attraction was opened (with the exception of the occasional breakdowns, which are to be expected at any park). The park had a great, laid back atmosphere that was a relaxing change from IOA and BGT.
I had been in California for over a week at this point, and most of it had been spent at an exhausting swim meet. I was pretty tired, so I decided to take it easy, which is why I didn’t have as many re-rides as I could have. We had to leave the park around 6:00 to get to Ontario airport in plenty of time for our red eye back to Florida. Here is my report of the day’s events:
We got to the park around 10:30 and were in at about 11:00. I figured that Silver Bullet would have the longest line since it was new, so I headed for it first. I was pleasantly surprised at how short the line was. I waited a mere 15 minutes to ride SB. This ride was great fun, and even snuck into my top 10. The ride looked kinda weak, but it turned out to be really fun and thrilling. Sure, it wasn’t the most intense invert I’ve been on, but it still gave a great ride. You can view an in-depth review of Silver Bullet by clicking here.
After a great ride on a B&M, I decided to tone it down (remember, I’m relaxing today) and go for a smaller ride. I wanted to go on Montezooma’s Revenge, but I couldn’t find the entrance right away. Instead, I ended up on Jaguar’s footstep thinking “why not?”. I decided to take a spin on Jaguar, not really knowing what to expect. The Queue was exceptionally themed, and the wait time was only one train. I couldn’t help but think that I somehow ended up at EPCOT’s Mexico pavilion while waiting. The ride was fun, but it was jerky and not well designed. The design wasn’t very smooth, it made a lot of quick snapping motions which slammed you around. I liked the fact that it had such a long ride time and covered so much land, although I couldn’t help but think how much better the ride could have been if it was a Vekoma Junior Coaster (yes, a ride can be improved by Vekoma).
While riding Jaguar I spotted the entrance to Montezooma’s Revenge. I was excited to ride a shuttle loop, they’re becoming rare. It’s a shame that there aren’t more of these, they’re MUCH better than Vekoma boomerangs. The launch was ok (about the same caliber as Joker’s Jinx, which is pretty good for being made over 20 years apart), and the loop was pretty intense, but the rides highlight was reaching the top of each spike.
After Montezooma’s Revenge we went on The Timber Mountain Log Ride. This is one of my favorite flumes ever, coming in 3rd behind Splash Mountain and Dudley Do-Right. The theming was old, but it made the ride very charming and endearing. It was like riding a classic dark ride combined with a flume. The ride featured two drops, one of which was into a fabulously themed cavern room. The big drop at the end wasn’t very big, but it also made the ride very charming and endearing.
After the flume ride we did the Cali
Message updated 8/26/2005 7:20:49 AM by Swimace
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