Ghost Town 75th Anniversary Event
Knott's Berry Farm, Buena Park, CA
Can you believe after 500 years of apathetic eye rolling and wistful sighs while I stared at my computer screen and it's cold unblinking stare... that Knott's Berry Farm would have us back for events? For whatever reason we've gotten under their skin... or maybe on their skin. Y'know, like a bad rash you just can't get rid of... yeah, that's us. But I'm always thankful for the opportunity to cover their events and bring all of your smiling stupid faces news from the park. So here we go! Back at it! Let's go!
First... can we just acknowledge Doug from Season Pass Podcast screwing up this shot?
The star of the show is the newly refurbished/rebuilt GhostRider!
The ride was rebuilt by Great Coasters International (GCI) and now features the Millennium Flyer trains.
The trains are very comfy too!
A bit of a review of GhostRider 2.0. The ride is back to being pretty great, you guys! One thing I will note is that the new ride is... for whatever reason, despite largely maintaining the exact same layout/profile, it feels less relentless than when it first opened. I'm not sure if the trains are the cause. But it definitely lacks some of the punch it used to have.
THANKFULLY... it also lacks some of the punch it used to have. Y'know, the spleen rupturing violence it had developed over the years is gone. One of the things to remember about this ride is that it runs a hell of a lot more than other rides. Even with their extensive refurbishment plans that had the ride closed a few times a year for maintenance, it was nearly impossible to keep up with the wear and tear of year-round operations. The good news is there are elements to the rebuild that should keep that from happening again! Let's just say some of the wood used is every bit as strong as if they had gone with Rocky Mountain Construction's topper track. So this is very, very good news!
The ride is fantastic. Smooth, with a great re-rideability to it. Amazing pops of air. The *DROP* was re-profiled slightly to account for the loss of the mid-course brake zone, but you still get some great air in the back. The second half of the ride runs absolutely beautifully too! Here... let's take a spin!
As part of the overall refurbishment, they also moved the Pan For Gold attraction back to it's original spot...
Ghost Town Alive
Ghost Town Alive is really a fantastic experience piece that takes the guests and makes them a part of the day's story. You might find yourself passing messages between the citizens of Calico... hanging out with bank robbers... and if you're not careful, you might end up in jail! But you can now visit with and experience a day in the life of Ghost Town.
These types of experiences are the kinds of things Disney has explored with their Adventureland Trading Company and Legends of Frontierland. It's a great way to engage guests and make them part of the story... and it's a wonderful idea. You find yourself losing so much time as you make your way around, interacting with the different people... and that's a good thing!
One of the set pieces... this is where Pan For Gold had been previously.
Also as part of the 75th anniversary refresh of Ghost Town, they've moved the stage from old Calico Square. An updated stage with better back of house facilities will be great, but the new orientation is... weird.
The former stage area is now a little park with benches and lights... just a nice place to exist.
Mrs. Knott's Chicken Dinner Restaurant
Also redone is Mrs. Knott's Chicken Dinner Restaurant...
Each of the dining rooms has a different theme with the decor matching... it's a nice touch, but one thing we noted was the lack of history. Thankfully I was told that's being worked on!
Not that we need a complete overload... but given the space and the history, it's nice to see little bits of the past around the restaurant.
Where it all started...
We could never forget our little homie... moo.
Well guys... there ya go! Westcoaster's back. I'm so sorry. Blame Albert. It's probably his fault anyway. Get ready for more regular updates and articles from all over as we start branching out into other areas as well! But for now...
Goo bah! (Damn that felt good...)
Twerking Ice Cream Cone. Velociraptor. 5 Time Squirrel Herding Champion. Super Hero.
