California Park Help

Ok, this summer i'll be visiting my cousins in San Diego and I have the opportunity to attend 1 park there. We narrowed it down to Knott's and SFMM. Now my uncle has to take us, and when he went to SFWOA with us, he hated how dirty the park was. So I need to know which park is cleaner first off. Then, which one do you think has a better atmosphere? I already don't care about the ride selection. Both parks look awesome to me. Last question, how long are the average lines for Xcelerator and X? Thanks for all the help!

If you want a clean park and a fun atmosphere, choose Knott's. I can tell you that you'll find neither of those at SFMM.

Xcelerator (believe it or not) doesn't regularly get very long lines- even in the summer. Maybe 20-30ish minutes on weekdays during the summer.

X on the other hand typically has a 2-3 hour wait during the busiest seasons, possibly more.

Knott's is cleaner then SFMM.

Average lines for: X- 2 hours; Xcelerator- 15 minutes??

Knott's is also closer to San Diego.

You can also search the Trip Report section.

Thanks a lot guys! I'll definately be marathoning Xcelerator if the lines are like that when i'm there. God I can't wait. :)

Although you've made your choice, let me just give you my .02 cents: Knotts!

mOOSH

How about a quick stop at Belmont in SanDiego for a lap or two on the Giant Dipper in addition to your 1 park?

What no Disneyland? If your uncle is looking for atmosphere and a clean park that should be your destination.

You might also consider DCA. Screamin' is a fine coaster, Soarin' is an incredible experience, and Tower of Terror should be fun too. Finally, if crowds don't materialize for ToT this summer like Disney expects, they may renew the "southern california 2-fer" which gets your uncle (and hence you) into both parks for the price of one.

Edit: if you're looking to balance thrills and pleastant atmosphere, Knott's is probably the right compromise.

*** Edited 3/15/2004 1:48:09 AM UTC by Brian Noble***

Between SFMM and Knotts, I definately liked Knotts better. The people were great, the rides were good and the atmosphere was nice. SFMM is the park that had great rides but the place aggravated me non-stop.

Here's the plan. Lock your uncle in the basement and steal his car. Tell your parents that he went out to water the lawn, and he'll call when he has time, shove your cousins in the car, and take the 405 North to the 101, and the 5 north to SFMM.

If you're not tall enough to drive, have one of the smaller cousins operate the accelerator while you navigate.

After you spend all day at SFMM, at midnight, drive to Knotts, steal some uniforms of KBF employees and jump the fence near the entrance by the lockers. Tell park security you're from Senator Markey's safety task force and run the rides until 3AM, no lines. They won't question you if you're firm about it.

After you've ridden GR until 3AM, avoid law enforcement by ditching the car into the aquifer near the 110 freeway, and hop on the bus to Vegas. Primm, Stratosphere, NYNY.

When you are finally captured by police, tell them that you were kidnapped. When your parents come to pick you up, they will comfort you by taking you to the parks of your choice -- namely Park Asterisk in France.

Take responsibility for your own fun, and be rewarded in the process. That, my friend, is
how to impress your parents and show them your maturity.

Heres my unbiased opinion.

I visited both parks last spring. Knotts was very pleasant and clean, however I found myself bored after merely a few hours. Granted Xcelerator was not functioning at the time, your experience could be more positive.

Since I did not interact much with the staff of SFMM, I found their guest relations to have minimal problems. Although I was unimpressed by the aesthetics of SFMM, I wasn't turned off either. With the exception of X, the line management went quite well. I waited thirty minutes for Goliath on a Saturday. X, on the other hand, was a good three hours. X didn't even open until an hour or two after the park opened due to "high winds." I waited in line during that time. Once it opened, the line went relatively quickly.

So I would reccomend SFMM. I think you will have much more fun there than at Knotts.

Heck, get warmed up at Adventure city just of the street and then do Knott's.

SFMM is cool, but if you are going to be in San Diego, Six Flags is a couple hundred miles away. Knott's is only about 100. It makes a BIG difference.

---

If you want a clean park and a fun atmosphere, choose Knott's. I can tell you that you'll find neither of those at SFMM.

---

I'll have to agree with CoasterFanMatt, although I love the coasters at SFMM, since your uncle specifically requested a clean park with great atmosphere, KBF is far and away the winner.

And be sure to take in all that KBF has to offer. If you just go for the thrill rides, yeah, you can do the park in a few hours. But be sure to mix in some of the fantastic shows and spend some time in Ghost Town taking in all the little details that make it unique. Do the classic rides like the Calico Mine, train, stagecoach, Mystery Lodge, etc. and you'll easily fill an entire day with some great rides and attractions that aren't necessarily a thrill, but fun nonetheless. Whatever you do though, do not miss a night flight on Ghostrider! Total coaster heaven!