Problematic Roller Coasters - GhostRider - The Wildest Wooden Coaster in the West
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- čas přidán 25. 07. 2024
- Knott just a ride, but a GhostRider! In this video, we break down the history of Knott's Berry Farm leading up to the introduction of GhostRider, how GhostRider went from world-class to unbearably rough, how the ride was revitalized in 2016, and why the capacity of this attraction is absolutely atrocious! I hope you enjoy it!
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Closed Captions by Pineapples Foster Media Services allmylinks.com/pineapples-foster
Video Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
01:28 - It All Started With a Berry
04:44 - The Introduction of Rides
08:27 - The Knott Family's Last Ride
13:11 - GhostRider Opens
16:11 - GhostRider's Accident
20:04 - GhostRider's Earthquake Proof Structure
23:22 - Why GhostRider Got So Rough
26:25 - The Big Refurbishment
30:08 - The New GhostRider
34:23 - GhostRider's Awful Capacity + Blockzones
44:43 - Closeout
Channel artwork designed by Casie Jo Johnson! @blockbrakes
Thumbnail Source: www.ocregister.com/2015/11/03...
Photo Sources:
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Robin Hall - www.flickr.com/photos/robinsh...
Jeremy Thompson - www.flickr.com/photos/rollerc...
Video Sources:
lowdesigngroup - • Ghostrider Commercial
CoasterNick3157 - • GhostRider At Knott's ...
In The Loop - • Knotts Berry Farm 2016...
In The Loop - • New Additions for Knot...
In The Loop - • Knott's 2016: Ghostrid...
In The Loop - • Ghostrider Constructio...
Knott's Berry Farm - • History of Knott's Ber...
Knott's Berry Farm - • GhostRider Wooden Roll...
Knott's Berry Farm - • Knott's Berry Farm - P...
Knott's Berry Farm - • The Fully Restored Cal...
Knott's Berry Farm - • Learn How to Pan for R...
Shirogane Nanaka ・白銀 七花 - • Evolution of Traffic (...
shanehuish - • Knott's Berry Farm
Special Wedding Films - • Corkscrew at Knott's B...
Special Wedding Films - • Wacky Soap Box Racers ...
Theme Park Patrol - • Video
TheRedCarChannel - • Knott's Berry Farm Cam...
Cow Missing - • Knotts Berry Farm Wind...
Blendeture - • Universal Studios, Apr...
nathanolson - • Six Flags Commercials ...
No Mercy - • Magic Mountain Colossu...
Holiday World & Splashin' Safari - • 1995 video news releas...
Holiday World & Splashin' Safari - • Hard Hat Chronicles, E...
Sean Flaharty - • Son Of Beast Off-Ride ...
Coaster Jeff - • Ghostrider at Knotts B...
ThemeParkViews - • Ghost Rider Line Knott...
psyclonesteve - • Ghost Rider 2002
psyclonesteve - • Steel Force, Dorney Pa...
TED-Ed - • Why do buildings fall ...
coastercrutchfield - • Ghostrider (Off-ride H...
LMG Vids - • [4K] Ghost Rider Knott...
Parks Times - • 2001 - Extreme Rides 2
Coaster Thrills - • Ghostrider Off-Ride 4K...
Coaster Thrills - • Ghostrider Knott's Ber...
Coaster Thrills - • X2 Off-Ride 4K60FPS - ...
REMEMBER HORIZONS - • First time on GhostRid...
Coaster Pros - • New GhostRider Testing...
Coaster Studios - • So How Fast Are Kings ...
Kings Island - • Mystic Timbers Roller ...
Six Flags St. Louis - • The Boss at Six Flags ...
WELT Documentary - • Major ROLLER COASTER C...
Coaster Brothers - • Ghost Rider OFFRIDE Fo...
Coaster Hipster - • NO COPYRIGHT Twisted C...
Six Flags Great Adventure - • Official THE DARK KNIG...
#GhostRider #KnottsBerryFarm #ProblematicRollerCoaster - Zábava
Sir, coming from a 20yr employee of theme parks (ride op, food service, Diver, & now maintenance, Thank you.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
After countless years of complaining about the ride operations at Knotts, the long wait times, low capacity rides, long wait for food, no parking, constantly doing a survey after EVERY visit.
Let's just hope now that Knotts will finally, FINALLY respond with a change.
Here's hoping for that B&M Giga-coaster... 😔
Guess what's closed today as of writing...
Ghostrider
Xcelerator
Montezoomas Revenge
Mystery Lodge
3 of their biggest rides.
What's open, a good ol reliable B&M, Silver Bullet. What a surprise.
@@tahjo7 Sadly, Montezoomas Revenge won't be reopened till summer next year. Hopefully by the summer festival, Xcelerator will be open again. I can't wait to go back on Ghostrider again after this video.
@@aliteralcabbage I'm aware. It was an attempt to put a spotlight on their diminished guest experience and management/operations decisions. With 3 of your biggest rides down at the same time, one would wonder if your getting your money's worth.
I mean, the Giga doesn't fix any of those problems you listed though. Just exacerbates them.
@@aliteralcabbage Wait Xcelerator is closed? Didn't they just repaint that? And I forgot about MR closing for a year. Aren't they renovating the ride? I'd assume replacing the launch system and computer, probably brakes and what not too. Maybe even track?
You are 100% correct about Ghostrider's atrocious capacity. I am a passholder at Knotts and I find it sad that the coaster is so beautiful yet it is hardly ever cycling, even when the line in 3 hours long.
Do you complain via the survey they email you after every season pass visit? I do, 8 times, no response.
@@tahjo7 I did tell them that when I cancelled my season pass. I don’t really have any desire to go back because their operations are so atrocious. If the park is dead or packed it’s bad either way. They don’t run at capacity and are slow in everything they do.
It’s just not enjoyable at all. I’ll go to Disney, magic mountain, or universal before I ever go to knotts
I’ve only ever gone to Knot’s once like 10+ years ago and I can still remember the wait for Ghostrider lmao
they toke The MCBR away they cannot run three trains without it
Went a few days ago, timed the dispatches, best was 2 mins exact, worst was 6:45 💀💀💀,
Was still a very fun and speedy coaster!
For those who are unfamiliar, ElKarenRyan is a visitor who has spent too long occupying a ride queue. Before the end of the queue is an operator gate zone designed to unnecessarily stack trains. This is the system that prevents a rollercoaster from dispatching trains in a timely manner reducing overall capacity.
Did someone tell you you're funny cause you're not. Sorry not sorry
As an operator at Knott's who has been there for a while i can say whole-heartedly, a locker system would immensely speed up operations on all the coasters. Most if not all our operation slow downs is waiting for guests to place their belongings away inside of the cubbies as people refuse to do so. Repeatedly instructing guests to place items away as they argue massively eats away at loading times cause we can't necessarily rush them (unless it is at the point where a singular guest is holding operations). Admittedly there are slow crews who take their time, though they tend to not last long cause the slow ops usually quit or are fired. I can comfortably say the usual variable of op speed is guests. I've had a crew burn through cycles one hour and then tank the next simply due to how well guests listen and cooperate. After lockdown though there has been a massive uptick in problematic guests who feel the need to fight every little detail even down to safety like height requirements.
Operators want to move fast. Majority of us enjoy the quick pacing of operations cause we love to move. When lines hit 3-4 hours and we are backed up with a line of fast lane as well as ADA/GAP lines, it's an absolute nightmare for ops. We'd love to send trains at rapid pace but, there's just a lot of really poorly implemented systems that hold back the op side of things which a rework is desperately needed. However, it would be have to be a major overhaul and its very unlikely management would do such as it's all numbers. It's easier for them to blame it on a "slow" crew and rehire until they get a "fast" one instead of tackling the problem at its source. Lockers would be a step forward. ADA pass reworks to make sure the right people get them. Clearer ride guidelines. The list goes on.
Rant aside, I did enjoy the video, which was what gave me the drive to comment with the perspective of someone who has worked coasters in the park and can give a little more insight on how we feel on the op side of things. It ultimately comes down to guests voicing the right concerns which will bring about change in the park cause there's only so much they will listen to the grunts operating since we aren't giving them money. Well Done
Hey, thanks for the comment! I appreciate feedback from an operator at Knott's. I hear ya man, that makes a lot of sense to me. Hopefully guests do give more feedback from Knott's and then the park makes changes from there. I hope you like working there! It still seems like a fun time!
@@ElToroRyan Absolutely, like any job it has it's ups and downs but it's definitely a lot of fun to operate a ride. Giving people new experiences and bringing more fun to their days because in the end, that's what amusement parks are all about.
Overall this ride is safe to ride? I am terrified of riding coasters. Mostly because they get me sick but i want to try and tackle this ride again
@@nataliemoraes2033 Definitely, the rides are designed with safety in mind. The only catch with a ride like Ghostrider is that its a bit on the rougher side. At most you'll get shaken around a bit but it's definitely been toned down since the refurb. Ensuring your own safety is as simple as following safety instructions. The rides usually have multiple failsafes in place to ensure rider safety so as long as you aren't actively trying to get yourself hurt, you'll be fine. Likewise, if you had any questions you can always ask an operator at the ride and they will more than likely have an answer.
I'm sure people would be more willing to use cubbies if the area's crime rate wasn't so high.
Huge issue with Knott's. Xcellerator bad capacity, GhostRider bad capacity, Montezuma's Revenge bad capacity, Pony Express bad capacity, Sierra Sidewinder ok capacity, Hangtime average capacity, Jaguar good capacity and Silver bullet good/great capacity. They functionally only have two thrills rides with average or good capacity, The other 3 main thrill rides have very bad capacity. This is why they need another B&M for a ride with higher capacity.
Great video.
B&M giga time!
Yeah but Jaguar has terrible operations I waited 7 minutes on the ride last time I went
@@heresjohnny2527 yeah operations are terrible but theoretically that ride has good capacity.
Pony Express has some of the worst stacking at the station of all rides due to the short layout. I've waited over 10 minutes after a 30 second ride just to unload.
Thank you! I had a pass but canceled years ago. I told them it was because of their horrible operations.
They wouldn’t run full trains even on busy days. We timed silver bullet at 9 1/2 minutes between trains. Seriously. Ghost rider was even worse. Pony express is such a short ride it was a joke. Xcelerator though was amazing.
As a southern California native, born in 1991, and always lived 10 mins away, I've heard bits and pieces pf the history of Knotts many times but was never engaged as I was in the beginning of this video. Makes me actually appreciate this local theme park more.
Also, why does Knotts require seat belts? Also I remember them having 3 trains running sometimes. Also, I've never waited in a long line for this ride, because I've always gotten to pass the line.
You didn't have to, but I can't thank you enough for your historical introduction. You speak to a whole new generation that would otherwise never heard about how Knott's came to be what it is today. A very classy move from a guy who calls himself a coaster idiot.
Ditto!
I adore Ghostrider, thanks for this great little feature on it. But ya, the capacity on the ride is hot garbage. I WISH so much that Knott's would go back to 3 train ops (which did actually exist), but the park has two pretty solid business incentives not to.
1. Long lines increase demand for Fast Lane purchases (at a park with a relatively low admission charge).
2. Sending fewer trains every day decreases wear & tear, which means less maintenance costs and also less downtime.
So, higher capacity on Ghostrider would both decrease revenue AND increase costs at the same time. And ain't nobody doing that for "guest satisfaction" as long as the guests are still showing up.
Very well put
not how it works park is year around bc summer times most coasters operate with two or just one train
Yup. It's a business first and foremost. For corporate, the revenue comes first.
@al11672 When I was at Scary Farm last year on a Saturday in early Oct, not only was the regular queue spilling FAR past the entrance, but Fast Lane went down the stairs and past the ADA elevator. And that was around 1am. I know Scary Farm crowds are always crazy, but when your Fast Lane is blocking the midway, there is definitely an issue. So ridiculous!
@al11672 My friend and I rope dropped GR Fast Lane that night and waited about 10 minutes. It wasn't quite dark yet, but at least we got to ride
This is the single greatest video I've ever seen on youtube. Ghostrider lifer here who operated the ride and I've just been so damn ashamed at how horribly it's been operated since day 1. They did indeed run 3 trains for a few weeks but it proved completely pointless, and double stacking typically cascaded the ride because empty trains couldn't roll off of the brakes fast enough before the next train made it to the MCB.
Anywho, sadly Knott's is the worst park in America in terms of attendance vs. capacity. To think that they can pull 30,000+ visitors on a busy day and just toss 1 train on nearly every coaster (and then operate it slowly) it just sickens me. Fastlane massively exacerbates the problem to the point where I can't even bring myself to visit the place anymore. People waiting 3-4 hours for rides at Knott's would wait 45-60 minutes at every single other CF park for an identical ride- I'm not exaggerating in the slightest.
Oh wow, that’s fascinating about the cascade issue! I can see that with the first portion of final brake run not being as sloped as the rest for some reason!
For those of you who are unfamiliar, ElToroKaren is a visitor who has spent too long occupying a ride queue. Before the end of the queue is an operator gate zone designed to unnecessarily stack trains. This is the system that prevents a rollercoaster from dispatching trains in a timely manner reducing overall capacity.
Parks today have such thin/narrow profit margins, to where the parks today prefer to not have giant wooden coasters because of the constant maintenance that needs to be done. Its really expensive and time consuming to properly maintain a giant woody. It's not worth it. Plus, the general public wants extremely smooth coasters now. It's really only the coaster enthusiasts that want/like the semi rough feel of wooden coasters. Parks won't be successful if they cater to coaster enthusiasts. Coaster enthusiasts are such a small percentage of the everyday guest. You are 10000% on them encouraging long lines to incentives guest to buy fast lane passes, which again....Parks now do this to find other money making ideas since profit margins are thin(especially for California Parks since California is raising the minimum wage every year) Parks can't afford to keep the same number staff while paying higher eages every year. In just the last 4 years, California minimum wage has been raised 3 times. This crushes theme Parks in California. Disneyland has raised the park entrance price every year the last 6 years. Ha. I just got back from Disneyland/California Adventure the other day after spending 4 nights and 3 days there and it was crazy expensive. Worth it though. My home park is, six flags magic mountain. Born and raised just 35 minutes from the park. I now live in Arizona. Magic Mountain is still great as they have 20 coasters and I don't get why coaster/park enthusiasts keep crying about magic mountain....like....what else is the park supposed to do? Add 20 more coasters? Lol there's no more land to but to expand. The land is too expensive now to purchase for a large expansion.
@@nexpro6118all that may be true, but it’s a good thing that minimum wage is increasing. how the fuck is $7.25 an hour supposed to help anyone survive in the most expensive state in the country (maybe behind alaska & hawaii)
@@sinnsage why is it a good thing? Minimum wage isn't a job to be used to live of off and to support a family....it's a stepping stone job for young people/kids to learn how to be a good employee and to learn skills for other good paying jobs.....why do so many people today aim for the bare minimum? How sad
As a local, I can't tell you how exciting it was when I was a teenager and Ghostrider was opening up. The only nearby woodies in the area were OG Colossus at the miserable Psyclone at Magic Mountain. Otherwise, you could go down to Belmont Park in San Diego.
Long live Ghostrider! I still think it's a blast, even if it started to beat you into submission.
People thought Ghostrider was rough....Psyclone was INSANE!
@@FreefallerM Psyclone was another coaster that was good for a few years and then quickly got unbearably rough. The Northridge earthquake killed it.
Yea I just considered it a one and done during its roughest days. The roughness kept lines under an hour. Now the lines are so long its a one and done anyway. Oh well, it had to be done.
@@toddjones1480 Eh, I don’t know if that thing was ever as good a GhostRider. Based on POV’s, it CRAWLED through the layout, whereas even in its worst years GhostRider never really had pacing issues.
Parks today have such thin/narrow profit margins, to where the parks today prefer to not have giant wooden coasters because of the constant maintenance that needs to be done. Its really expensive and time consuming to properly maintain a giant woody. It's not worth it. Plus, the general public wants extremely smooth coasters now. It's really only the coaster enthusiasts that want/like the semi rough feel of wooden coasters. Parks won't be successful if they cater to coaster enthusiasts. Coaster enthusiasts are such a small percentage of the everyday guest. You are 10000% on them encouraging long lines to incentives guest to buy fast lane passes, which again....Parks now do this to find other money making ideas since profit margins are thin(especially for California Parks since California is raising the minimum wage every year) Parks can't afford to keep the same number staff while paying higher eages every year. In just the last 4 years, California minimum wage has been raised 3 times. This crushes theme Parks in California. Disneyland has raised the park entrance price every year the last 6 years. Ha. I just got back from Disneyland/California Adventure the other day after spending 4 nights and 3 days there and it was crazy expensive. Worth it though. My home park is, six flags magic mountain. Born and raised just 35 minutes from the park. I now live in Arizona. Magic Mountain is still great as they have 20 coasters and I don't get why coaster/park enthusiasts keep crying about magic mountain....like....what else is the park supposed to do? Add 20 more coasters? Lol there's no more land to but to expand. The land is too expensive now to purchase for a large expansion.
You nailed every aspect of this video! I’m a sucker for Knott’s history, and you poured a lot of it in here.
I really love the history of the family-owned era of the park. I love that they were planning this big ride for their most historic section of the park even before selling. I wish that we knew more about the behind the scenes when they finally decided to sell.
This. Love Knott’s History.
as someone who’s ONLY ever been on the post renovation version, i’m absolutely floored by the ride every time. if you find yourself lucky to be in the park on a slow day (ie. middle of the school week at noon), it’s pretty much a walk-on. any other time though? 30 min is about the best you can hope for, and at worst the lines can get up to 3 hours long. on most days, i still think it’s worth the ride.
After the retrack it's definitely worth it for any wait. Count your lucky stars you didn't go on before the retrack. I went on it a year before and it was in the worst shape ever. Whole family had a headache the rest of the day and we cut out early because of it. Now we can ride all day long it's so nice.
I came for the coasters. I stayed for the Berry documentary. These videos are the equivalent of The Gaming Historian for roller coasters.
GhostRider was my first big coaster when I was 6 or 7, with its original trains and track rough as heck. My dad asked me if I wanted to ride it with him and I said yes, mostly because i didn’t know what it was. I get off, I’m scared, my face is white, and I avoid roller coasters for 5 years or so. Over quarantine, I get into roller coasters, start considering myself an enthusiast, and find out that GhostRider got retracked. Next time we go to Knotts, I ride it, and it became my new #1. I don’t know if it still holds that position, but it is definitely still in my top 3. Ride GhostRider guys, those 2 hour lines and 5 minute dispatches are worth it. It slaps.
I have a similar experience! I was about the same age and it was one of my first coasters I rode. I hated it so much, I was telling my brother to get me off of it while we were riding it. Then, in like 2017, I went to knotts again and I went on xcelerator. It was awesome so then I went on ghost rider and it was amazing. It was super smooth and not like how I remembered it when I was little.
The fact that the ride goes under the the main structure is so freaking cool!
Love how you incorporated Knott’s history into the video. I first rode Ghostrider in 2002 and remember it instantly becoming my favorite ride in the park. Then just a few years later I remember it turning into a headache waiting to happen, so I would make it my last ride of the day. The GCI re-track in 2016 was a life saver but capacity is a huge issue, especially given crowds at Knott’s. Hope they add that 3rd train and giga soon!
I grew up 20 min from Knotts, it was my home park. I was 10 when Ghostrider opened and it immediately became my favorite coaster even as it grew rougher and rougher. I moved out of state before it was rebuilt, would love to go back and ride it again.
GhostRider has been my #1 ever since I first rode it in 2019. I definitely agree about the poor operations. The only way to really avoid waiting 2 hours for GhostRider is to go on a weekday in the off season, which usually have pretty much 0 queue for any ride.
Ryan your insight has transformed me from a coaster fan into a fanatic over the past few years. Love these videos. Thanks for the content.
Awesome video!
Lockers are better than a bin in the station, but it means that people will have to wait in a 2 hour line without their phone or medication, which could be an issue for some. Ever since seeing the moving bins on Yukon Striker, (and the coat check system at Alton Towers), I think something like this should be applied on every coaster which needs fast boarding
And they could just order a fourth train, so they can run three at a time and still keep one for maintenance
Are you allowed to wear a fanny pack on the ride? You could put your phone in there.
I agree people should already have their stuff in a locker so they can just get on when the ride is ready.
While I had been on thrilling coasters before this was the first “big” coaster I had ever experienced. I was 7 at the time and it was so imposing. A giant wall of wood and metal and somehow a train managed to navigate its way through it all… it wasn’t the sleek and light looking metal coaster that were full of empty space. It’s been my absolute favorite since the first ride. T-Express in South Korea does give it a run for its money but lacks the kind of theming to put it even close.
You do these mini docs better than anyone! It's clear you put in a great deal of effort and attention to detail. I always learn something from your mini docs! You ROCK!
Been a SoCal resident for 21 years and haven’t ridden Ghost Rider. Will absolutely be looking to visit ASAP after watching this!
I grew up down the street from Knott's. You aren't missing anything.
@@rhettoricalyes he is
Ghostrider is my 2nd favorite coaster in California behind X2. I rode it for the first time in January 2022 and was blown away by how good it is. I 100% agree on the terrible operations, even with Fast Lane the line got to a point that it was so long that I decided to stop riding it for the day. I loved almost everything about my visit to Knotts. The only thing keeping Knott's away from being one of the country's absolute best parks is their slow operations.
Learning more about how one of my favorite wood coasters came about is a very good way to spend my day at work
Came for the rollercoaster, learned the interesting history of the boysen berry. I love unexpected knowledge. 💕
From what I have heard, the subpar operations at Knott's (and California as a whole) are due in part to some California-specific regulations that necessitate extra procedure steps not required elsewhere. That said, there is no denying the park has quite possibly the worst ops of any major park in the country, which combined with the abundance of low capacity attractions the park exacerbate lines to the point it's frustrating to visit even on moderately busy days. I fully agree that GhostRider should have lockers and three train ops, as the current setup caps actual capacity at around 500 if it's running smooth, which is dreadfully pathetic for the headliner at the busiest non-destination park in the country. With three trains and a better solution for loose articles, they could probably pump through 800+ without too much difficulty, which would be much more acceptable.
Anyway, great video on a coaster I've enjoyed having at my home park since the day it opened! It truly is unique, as GhostRider is the only coaster I can think of that went from top 10 to bottom 10 and is now back in the top 10.
Not even 30 seconds in and it’s already amazing! I’d love to see an Lightning Rod problematic coasters video!
It's still problematic lol. I bet the rest of the topper track will be going soon because they are still having issues running two trains
I love the history of Knott's Berry Farm, and my mom actually has a long history of going there. She told me that her grandparents used to live in Cali and they would go to Knott's every time they visited them, and my mom distinctively remembers marathoning Ghostrider. I asked her if she would ever ride it again and she said no, saying that she grew out of that phase
You really went overboard with this one but it really payed off. This is one of the best problematic coaster videos. Thank you!
From a Knotts ride op in training and one who goes there every week I can't tell you how excited I am to see someone I love watching review one of my favorite rides. Everything you said here is all on the spot to the Knotts history berry core. Keep up the amazing work! ✨🍇💜
Yo me too I'm pretty sure we may have been in the same orientations haha
I went a few weeks ago. Even when we entered at park opening, nearly at the gates, but also had a quick stop at a help stand, and got in line for Ghostrider immediately, the wait was like 30 minutes. By the time we got off the wait was over an hour ALL WITHIN AN HOUR OF PARK OPENING. So many of Knotts rides has poor capacity. I was surprised that the log ride had one of two stations being used.
As a ride operator I agree with everything you said about capacity but sadly I don’t see it changing unless Knotts decides to purchase a fourth train for Ghostrider. This would allow for one train to be off for maintenance while the other three continue to run. Six Flags fiesta Texas is currently doing something similar with iron rattler where they have purchased a third train so the ride can always run at max capacity.
The educational aspect of your videos is priceless.
Great video. To me, with the addition on fixing long wait times, I would actually like to have more themeing elements in the queue line. I really don't like the dead empty space on the first floor of the station, the t.v. screens just feel out of place for me. If anything it been cool to see more mining supplies to be displayed and possibly a added backstory to the ride. I do like the idea of a runaway mine cart type ride. Also I'm actually very interested in the scraped pre-show you mentioned.
I found the “ElKarenRyan” disclaimer hilarious. Also, you should have titled it “From problematic roller coaster to theme park marvel - Ghostrider at Knott’s Berry Farm - The wildest wooden roller coaster in the west.
haha thanks! and I think that would go over the 100 character limit for a title lol but I can't call the ride a Theme Park Marvel until it runs 3 trains!!
Ghost Rider is definitely my all time favorite ride. Maybe I'm lucky but when I went to Knotts in Feb, I got on Ghost rider three times and my longest wait was 15 minutes. It was during the week so maybe this was a contributing factor.
I swear you took the words about GhostRider a capacity straight from my mouth. Last summer I would frequently get a night ride on GhostRider, and on one day I timed the dispatches to be 21 per hour or about 500 people. And this was with 4 ops checking restraints and a row assigner, and almost no stacking. Already this is ridiculous for the crowds Knotts gets.
Fast lane was backed up to the gift shop so immediately 250 are going to fast lane whom waited 20-30 minutes themselves. And every other train 2 rows goes to ADA so about 40 of the 500 are taken up by ADA riders who afterwards will be stuck idle for 3-3.5 hours before they can ride anything.
This gets even worse in that another issue is whether they can even assign rows fast enough to fill trains. Many times due to the ADA paper, row assigning, and elevator assignments it’s difficult for the op to even assign rows in time. The whole setup of GhostRider is just a mess and needs a massive revamp.
I've worked at assigning seats at Ghost for a couple days becuase my ride was down, and it was always a challenge having to sign the boarding passes while filling up the gates in a timely manner
I think the change from repeating both the imperial and metric units to simply showing the metric units as an inset in the corner is a good one.
Oh man this makes so much sense! I rode it when it opened and loved it then went again around 2011 and was sore for like a week afterwards. I thought I was just getting old. Turns out I was getting old AND the coaster had changed. 👍
This has to be one of the best, if not THE best in your problematic coaster series! You nailed it ETR! 👏 Thank you!
Damn man, the amount of research into this video is astounding.
The explanation of the wooden coaster structure was phenomenal!
I rode GhostRider for the first time (and then again at night) three weeks ago and it’s currently my favorite roller coaster, but the operations were terrible lmao
i rode this in 99 and later in 2018 personally the experience in 99 was the best ive experienced with the old trains especially in the back the second half with the old train just ejected you out of your seat after the mid course brake section more than the gci conversion
Haven’t even watched the full thing yet but this’ll be the best ETR upload in a while I know it
I visited Knotts nearly every week last summer, always on a weekday. I think we only rode Ghostrider once, and that was a ropedrop.
The low capacity of nearly all the coasters, coupled with the influx of new passholders due to the failure of the Magic Keys, I have sadly decided to give my favorite park a few years off.
Not to mention, Hangtime was down basically all year due to a supply chain issue receiving a part. I love Knotts, but we jokingly called Hat Dance our favorite ride because we knew we could ride it consistently 🤣
Knotts needs to figure out how to handle their crowds better and I would love it if the Disney people would go back to their ‘home!’
i dont recommend switching to six flags any time soon, i actually started going to knotts to give six flags (magic mountain in specific) a break, their lines are getting just as ridiculous for *everything*
ive had to stand in line for _two hours_ just to get food at nearly every food spot, i say nearly because many of them were closed and stay closed consistently
Funny enough, I moved to Los Angeles back in 2002 so my only experience with Ghost Rider was when it was starting to get bad. X'D My Dad and I always joked about bracing ourselves each time we rode it. Then when I visited earlier this year I was blown away by how smooth it was. Definitely made my trip worth it. I never understood why it was so rough but this video help shed light on that, so thank you!
Your best work yet Ryan! Knotts is my home park I've ridden this ride countless times. I'm used to waiting 2+ hours. I wish it had better capacity. Also hope we get that giga!
Dude, your channel is quickly becoming one of my favorites. Between this informative content and the hilarious Coaster Idiots content, this is a damn good place to stop by.
First of all: really good video! My home park is Europa Park with their GCI Wodan. They run all three trains almost every weekend with only stacking one train for a short time. So I think they achive over 1000 riders per hour. I can't even imagine waiting so long for a ride with such terrible capacity. And btw, Wodan features loose article bins on the platform, which proves that good operations are possible despite bins.
The way Europa Park runs Wodan is the absolute benchmark!
Getting yelled at in German makes you board trains so much more efficient, lol.
I've been to Europapark a couple of times and every single ride is running with staggering efficiency.
When will ETRyan and his CoasterKarens go on a Eurotrip?
Another great video by Ryan🤘🏻😎🤘🏻. I rode it in 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2013 and 2017. That 2013 ride hurt my lower back. The 2017 ride was EPIC!!!!! This is my top wooden rollercoaster credit. Really enjoyed this video.
These videos are a 15 out of 10 on the coaster nerd scale. And that's why I love them! 😁
When you described the "trailer" construction of the GCI trains - did you know that this kind of train design with two axles on the front car and single axles on all others was actually invented (and patented) by Anton Schwarzkopf? 😉 Of course his patent has long since expired, allowing other manufacturers to build their trains to the same principle, but he was the first to do it in 1975.
I did not know that! Thanks for sharing!
@@ElToroRyan If you are interested in more detail (and judging by your videos, you most likely are), check US patent number 4093080. ;-)
And if there is anyone who needs to say thank you, it's me, for your great videos!
What DIDN’T Schwarzkopf invent?!
@@alexlents4689 As far as I know he didn't invent the wheel. That was likely his father. 🤣
Jokes aside, something he did not invent was the tubular steel track. This was first used by Arrow (even though Schwarzkopf massively improved the fabrication methods, which is pretty obvious if you compare the ride experience and how well the coasters age.)
I never considered GhostRider to be a “problematic coaster” since i usually equate the problematic label to the ride itself and the ride alone (cars and track), less whats associated (queue, land area) and i had grown up on the older track in what would be considered some of its worst years 2014-15 pre-revitalization and absolutely loved it from the constant thrashing, the ptsd inducing clicks and broken back and burst kidneys it left you (probably due to the disney matterhorn brainwashing but i digress). I have yet to ride the post-2016 version but from what i can tell, it seems like a change for the better ill be missing not having a skeletal system after the ride.
I recall visiting the park around 2007 or 2008 when I was like 12, and boy I can confirm that ride was ROUGH!! I thought it was still fun as hell so I rode it like a dozen times throughout my days there, i had such a bad headache but of course Lil thrill seeker 12 year old me didn't care much, loved this park so much I want to go back now!!
Hey Ryan, love your research department. Amazing!!! I went there during the 70s and 80s. You brought me back old memories. Thanks for your hard work. First time watching your channel.
Ps. Try the heated boysenberry pie a la mode. Love it. They also use to serve rhubarb pie which I did not like for a time.
45 minutes? Damn you manage to top yourself every upload, great job as usual!
Lol I went a little overboard with this one, thanks!
It is true that G-Rider was insane when it first opened and was great for 2-3 years after. It was completely bonkers. The GCI version is a much better balance in that it won't just tear itself apart and I think it's much more sustainable. Well especially now that GCI has Titan Track they could always install that in trouble areas. While it's not as good as the original GCI did an amazing job.
wasn't ready for the history lesson at the beginning...love it
This video DEFINITELY helped in waiting for GhostRider to return, as it is unfortunately closed for some kind of refurbishment right now. But hopefully - JUST hopefully - the staff there is being retrained to allow for higher capacity. This is my home park, and the only times I can get on without waiting miserably long times is to go on school days, and not during spring breaks. By the way, I was wondering if you could maybe do a video on X2 next? That would make for an AMAZING PRC vid!
The ride was testing today, associates got to ride it first and if I'm not mistaken I saw the line entrance open :) it's all on cedar fair to up the ops to 3 trains. If so, the associates will be trained for it forsure
Got to ride it on Sunday! It was a blast. Waited 2 hours tho lol
Noooooo I'm going to Knott's next month and I haven't rode Ghostrider in years! :(
@@captaincaspian42 it's open!
Really loved the history lesson! Have watched 3 or 4 different theme park vloggers go to Knotts and was always thinking “Gee this place is obsessed with Boisonberry”. Now I know why!
probably your best video to date. I usually don't care for theme parks and coasters in the west as I live in the Southeast, but the very informative points you had in the video made me care. If someone from Knott's watched this video, I feel like there is a good chance they will actually do something about it.
My parents rode this ride back in the day and it was so ruff that after riding they would have bloody noses.
Hey man! Thanks so much for the content, as it always makes me smile when I see another video of this type come out. I am a ride operator over at Six Flags Fiesta Texas and would be happy to help you out with some of my knowledge of their rides and attractions. One of the 9 rides I am certified to operate is road runner express which definitely has a wacky history of operation. Hit me up if you would like to, as I would love to provide any help you may want.
One of the greatest ride Knott's has to offer in my opinion. On some off days I was able to ride this beast 3 times. Love the drops, pacing, layout, and laterals it packs (Especially the 450 helix at the end.) I would have loved to see what that planned preshow would have looked like. Hope they wrap up the seasonal maintenance soon so I can ride it again. But this ride could definetly benefit from loose item lockers in a similar fashion to what Universal does with Harry Potter and The Mummy. People forget to put some items away and have to leave their seats to go back to the storage cubbies. Other times larger guests will make a scene after being told by park staff that he or she does not fit and therefore cannot ride. But other times the station is simply understaffed and one person is checking seat belts and lap bars and assigning rows.
This video is great, it dives into a lot of information not only about Ghost Rider, but also Knott’s itself.
It was interesting to hear the explanation why/how Ghostrider is such a long ride for it’s height. I’ve always wondered how, thanks!
was so excited to wake up to seeing this video was uploaded, i used to work at knotts (on the smaller rides but still) and it feels somewhat personal to hear you talk about knotts. amazing video as always, absolutely love your channel! your videos are the main reason why i'm so intrigued by roller coasters.
Absolutely love the videos man. Hope to get on Ghostrider later this year for the first time. Was so hyped to see this one come out!
This is literally my favorite series and the main reason I subscribed please make more of these videos soon I really love learning about these coasters and how they work
Hey, thanks for putting in that description of how wooden coasters are made. I've actually been trying to build a realistic wooden coaster in a mapping program for a game I play, but was having trouble understanding how it worked (in hindsight I'm sure I could have googled it, but never thought to) so yeah, thank you! this will help me a lot.
I am at Knott’s right now and the wait for GhostRider is 155 minutes!!!!
I rode this once in I believe 2018 and it was truly an amazing ride, but even though I wanted to ride again, I couldn't justify how long the wait would be when I only had one day at Knott's. Even the first wait was a long time but I really wanted to ride it.
I don't think you should tempt Cedar Fair to take away the free bins. Plenty of Kings Island's coasters run fast with bins. The forced use of paid lockers doesn't improve guest experiences, and is only a minor decrease in ride speed for an obvious cash grab.
However, you are absolutely right about the 3 train operations. It is honestly shocking GhostRider only runs 2 trains, *and stacks those 2 trains on top of it!* They need to both switch to 3 train operation and update their operations procedure.
Maybe if they updated the bins so there were more bins scattered around the station, instead of having one set of bins that gets bottlenecked and slows down everything
@@ElToroRyan
Velocicoaster system seems to be the best (or alternatively Yukon Striker's moving system). They physically can't work at all locations, but many could adapt it.
@@ElToroRyan Might also help if the line moved faster. That way, riders don't have to carry their whole campsite with them in like, which they then have to stow in a cubby.
Absolutely fascinating video. I enjoyed how in-depth you went into certain aspects of the ride that many may have overlooked.
Very nicely put together video and very entertaining as well. Thanks for posting this.
Love Love Love these detailed videos! Awesome as always! Thanks!
I absolutely love your series. I have learned so much about coasters from you that I use when playing planet coaster. This coaster looks amazing and is on my bucket list. Thank you for all of the time and effort put in to make these videos amazing!
I’m loving this series. And this episode is *really* taking me back. Knotts Berry Farm was a staple of my childhood, along with its slightly less popular baby sister Calico Ghost Town near Barstow. This was before either of them considered having roller coasters, so they were both pretty dull, as Disney-jaded childhood memories go-but I did love that bottle house-and the wacky, gravity-defying buildings, and panning for my own gold filings.
High roller at valleyfair, with experienced loaders and 2 train operations we hit 18-20 cycles per hour. It’s difficult to hit any higher than that and there’s nothing to do about that.
Thank you for bringing this to light! It was absolutely unacceptable to sit in what could’ve been a 40 min wait that stretched to over three hours, timing the trains at consistent 6-8 MINUTE dispatches. Not to mention the 15+ line jumpers. Even as a coaster fanatic, I had more fun at Disney than knotts
I dig these videos all the time. I have learned so much and it has sparked my enthusiasm for coasters. Going on a couple trips this summer because of it. Thanks Ryan for all you do!
Even something as small as adding a second storage bin on the front half of the train would help so much. I know the op needs to stand in that yellow square so maybe just replace the barrels to make room for the second set of bins. Splitting into two groups would at least let guests get their stuff back/put away faster and not have to walk as many steps for the front rows.
I rode this ride for the first time on Easter, this was my first time riding a wooden roller coaster since Rolling Thunder in 2011, what a thrilling experience, them drops from the back cars are unforgettable, my favorite Rollercoaster😊
Amazing video! Your videos are always worth the wait!
This may be your best problematic coaster video yet. Great work
This coaster is my number one. I love it. thanks for the awesome video about it. I try to go to this park in general in either, late August-September, early May, January/February or late November-early December. these days are usually all dead. the only exception I might make to this rule are boysenberry festival and Scary farm (scary farm has to be in September) but if you go to those events you have to accept you will not get on manny rides. when I went for the boysenberry festival this year it was mainly for the food. in-fact I only went on 3 rides Ghostrider, berry-tales, and calico river rapids.
GREAT VIDEO, SIR!!!!! One of my all-time fave rides and I remember suffering through the fading years, particularly adding that TERRIBLE mid-ride stop that just KILLED the momentum going into the KILLER relentless second half. I always marveled how the second half seemed faster and wilder as the ride goes on but then it began to fade. I love seeing the changes and repairs. I agree with the capacity issues though- brutal. Keep up these awesome vids!!!! 👏👏👏👏
Hope one day to get out to ride this thing, that line looks great to wait in
For some reason I doubt the additional wood is for earthquakes, but to give extra support for the lack of land to build out on. You can't make the support structure go farther than the barriers
It could be. I think it's structure is already wide enough though based off other CCI woodies. Especially with the ride supposedly having the same amount of wood in the structure as Son of Beast did, I'd say it's for earthquakes
It was documented that the additional wood was for earthquakes. CCI and Knott's even talked about it being faster than originally thought because of all the re-enforcement needed. It didn't flex as much so it was really bonkers when it first opened. G-Rider is noticeably more dense than your typical Woodie.
@@oblivieon1567 I love the added densest to Ghost rider, it really adds to the second half of the ride.
i’m so happy knotts is my home park. marathoning this thing like 10 times a visit on a random weeknight is so rad
I’ve missed you so much Ryan! Thank you!!💖💖💖
I worked Disney attractions and learned a ton about industrial engineering there. You absolutely NAILED this video.
I love Knott”s charm and ride line up but the ride ops are awful. I would design some of the holding bins to push out so it forces everyone to exit or provide lockers that can hold your season drink cup not empty. I enjoy GR and I agree with everything you said. Great video!!!
Thanks for this video Ryan! It's great.
Knowing who programmed Ghostrider for GCI, I can't say I'm surprised that the safety block doesn't act like it's own block. I've operated a number of other coasters that were programmed by him and the safety block always has been essentially a trim brake that can act in an e-stop situation. My best guess is that in order to get three train ops, without risking a setup at the block brakes, the final brake run would have to be lengthened so that all three trains could stack behind the station. Not throwing him under the bus, as GCI and CF probably agreed to not lengthen the brake run in an effort to keep that last airtime hill. I'm sure it was discussed and the cost differences were laid out to CF and they did not see the ROI of any additional cost to add a 3rd train and another set of brakes.
I agree with that~ Adjusting that brake run would mean even more money needed to adjust parts of the ride for the lengthened brake run to fit, and I'm sure Cedar Fair and GCI discussed that when they refurbished the ride in 2016. A lot of B&M coasters are programmed like the way GhostRider does, where B&M places a brake section to act as a safety brake/trim brake between a train coming to a stop and where there is another train parked in front to ensure enough distance between the trains. Think of all the B&M giga coasters, for example. Therefore, the trains are programmed to just fly through it while just slowing down enough for the brake zone to clear faster. If Cedar Fair and GCI are willing to reprogram it again to ensure higher capacity, then I bet it would be worth it, and the capacity can be even better. Over 1000 riders per hour is a stretch but definitely better than the over 400 riders per hour, which is just ridiculously terrible, if a reprogram were to happen.
Yes I was thinking the same, as a union carpenter engineer, there no way possible, unlees maybe you add some additional cars to the previous two they have
Amazing Video once again! I started cracking up when you managed to somehow talk about blockzones in the video! Great Job!!!
5:52 man, safety didn’t really seem like the first priority back then (the operator is standing literally right next to the train as it is moving)
The old days were definitely different!
They literally always do this at Colossus the Fire Dragon at lagoon
Yeah back in those days, since capacity was important, the trains needed to be dispatched fast to ensure the capacity was really good and more time to ride other stuff. That's why the loading procedures were very quick and looser, and the ride attendants can check the restraints as the train moved out of the station. Obviously, now we don't see that and there is a lot more safety involved, but back in those days, what happened at 5:52 was standard. It also has to do with the block zone setup for older coasters to ensure trains are dispatched much faster compared to more modern coasters. It allowed for many more trains to be dispatched in even shorter time periods compared to today. Many Arrow coasters run like that and still do to this day, but obviously, the rides are reprogrammed to meet modern standards.
Oh wow yum! I LOVE boysenberry, had no idea of its backstory. Haha come for the rollercoaster stay for the syrup. Lol
I love in-depth video essays on esoteric topics and you've nailed this and a lot of your previous ones. Looking forward to more in the future. I wouldn't mind seeing non-directly-rollercoaster-related content that gives other theme park insider perspectives as well, if you have the appropriate knowledge.