I believe it is gone forever, not in storage. As for this type of ride in the future, I wouldn't be surprised to see it. You were right on the money: It is a great family ride. I think we are seeing a trend towards nostalgia and family rides and this would fit the bill (not too mention up a park's coaster count).
I, for one, would love to see the comeback of this type of ride.
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A CCI 200ft out and back would rock*** This post was edited by Coaster Bob on 3/3/2002. ***
*** This post was edited by Coaster Bob on 3/3/2002. ***
BoasterBob, I do agree with you to some point, but the thing that Knotts WAS lacking were "thrill"rides. I, myself, went to Knotts 8 years ago and that was enough for me. Until last year! My cousin insisted I go try the S&S turbo drop (Supreme Scream) while we were in LA at SFMM. It was pretty crowded at SFMM on a Sunday, and we were planning to return on Monday, so we hopped in the car and headed for Knotts with the sole purpose of riding Supreme Scream and maybe getting a ride on the CCI (GhostRider). we rode Supreme Scream, Perilopus Plunge and FIVE laps on GhostRider. I have been back 3 times since then.
CF purchased Knotts as a business investment. In order to capitalize on their investment, they chose to focus on adding some thrill rides, to persuade the thrill seekers to go to Knotts. From my own accounts, it looks like its working. Does that mean they should abondon their family appeal altogether??? By no means, but a good balance of family and thrills could be just the ticket for Knotts. Consider their competition is SFMM (ALL thrills) and Disney (ALL family) and Knotts looks headed in the right direction to me.
Just as a note: I never got the opportunity to ride Soap Box Racers but EVERYONE I know that did ride it, LOVED IT! Wish I coulda rode it.
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I've traded in my 2000 Giovanola for a 2002 Arrow X4D :)
My other car is now an Arrow X4D!
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A CCI 200ft out and back would rock
Matthew said:
I loved the Soap Box Derby Racers!!!!
Anyways, I believe they are in storage over by the employee parking lot at Knott's Berry Farm.
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Not true at all. There is nothing but Xcelerator track back there now. Soapbox Derby was great, but it was dismantled.
And as for Knotts only adding thrill rides, show me a park with a more balanced selection of rides for everyone. No one, not Disneyland, not Cedar Point has the variety of rides that please every member of the family.
For Little Kids: All of Camp Snoopy..thats a lot right there
Pretty Small Kids: Camp Snoopy, Log Ride, Calico Mine Ride, Kingdom of the Dinosaurs, Jaguar, Calico Railroad, Stagecoach...
And for everyone else, there are the thrill rides, or some of the "entire family rides" like Log Ride or Calico Mine Ride.
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Xcelerator-
0-82 in 2.3 seconds! =Wow!
You cannot point the fingers at Cedar Point for beefing up the park. The Knott family made the decision to remove the Soap Box Racers, and they made the decision to install the Boomerang, add the Windjammer, and go ahead with the GhostRider project.
It was Cedar Point that called the shot to move GhostRider into the retail area, to allow more rides, and it was their decision to remove Windjammer, which is a shame, since a looping racing mid sized coaster would have worked with repeat riders, had it not been a bad installation.
Knott's is a lot like Kennywood, with old and new. Its just that Kennywood knows its place, and Cedar Point is 3 hours away. Unfortunately, SFMM is not 3 hours from Knott's, and therefore the management team under Falfas has to be more proactive in new attractions.
It does not hurt to have a Disney park minutes away, but if you do not change, you will lose your local tourist base in a matter of 1 or 2 seasons. Knott's made good money, several family members sit on Cedar Fair's board, and it is my opinion that Cedar Point did a good thing by purchasing the operation. Oh yeah, they built a great waterpark. Did I mention that?
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A CCI 200ft out and back would rock
It was Cedar Point that called the shot to move GhostRider into the retail area, to allow more rides,
What? Cedar Fair had nothing to do with the location of GR. The location was already established long before. I agree on all the other points though. They do have to be more proactive. But, going forward they also need to be a little more selective I think. KBF hasn't had a good track record lately with their ride choices. Windjammer obviously did not work out. Then the problems with Plunge even before the death, then the whole Skycoaster (whoops can't build that here) thing, and now the issues with the Totally Insane rides. Hopefully, Xcelerator will break the cycle and will not have any issues! I'm crossing my fingers!
It is a travesty that SBDR was removed for Windjammer, but hopefully Xcelerator will make up for it. Motorcycle Chase/SBDR was a great family coaster, too bad the only Steeplechase left is half a world away.
I'm crossing my fingers that Bonfante Gardens will add one of these someday, or purchase SBDR, would fit perfectly in this beautiful family theme park.
Its not a big deal that Knotts is adding lots of thrill rides these days because they already have a strong base of childrens and family attractions.
I would be more alarmed at Six Flags Magic Mountain adding numerous thrill rides, with minimal rides for the families or anyone who doesn't like thrill rides.
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Xcelerator-
0-82 in 2.3 seconds! =Wow!
Coasterbuff, it was Cedar Fair that put GhostRider back on track. The Knott's couldn't decide what exactly what was being removed and when, and the project started to waiver. Kinzel made GR the priority, so proper zoning permits and other criteria were met when the check was cut. Simple as that.
Okay, but now you are saying something entirely different than what I responded to. You original statement made it sound like Cedar Fair "moved" GR from someplace else in the park "to allow more rides". Allow more rides? Where?
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