 Today we're back at Knott's Berry Farm for a LONG overdue look at Ghostrider and the work going on for the 75th Anniversary of Ghost Town. We'll also take a look outside the park at the Chicken Dinner Restaurant and other changes going on in the Marketplace. Written by Gregg Condon Before we get started we wanted to remind you all that the Knott's Pink event is still going on and you can get a ticket to the park all while supporting a wonderful charity. All of the information on the event can be found here.   Ghostrider is still closed while it undergoes it's massive renovation. To read more about all the work being done on Ghostrider and Ghost Town for the 75th click here.  Lots of walls around the ride   But they really aren't hiding anything as we can just walk down to the other end and see all the great work they are doing. =)   Sorry for the brightness in some of these pics, it was a VERY bright day.  Since most of the ride is located outside the park we can definitely see more from this side.  All of that track is new    Those of us who remember Ghostrider when it first opened are so excited, and those of you who didn't are definitely in for a treat when it reopens.     No opening date has been announced yet however.  Close up view of all the amazing work they are doing. Can't wait to see those new trains flying around the track.   Back inside the park, work on the Pan For Gold is moving along. It'll be nice to have it back where it belongs.    The rest of Ghost Town is also getting some work done in preparations for the 75th.  The Saloon is completely behind tarps.  While we can't tell how much is being re-done from the looks of the shadows it looks like most of the structure is gone.   Some of the wood framing has been replaced.  Sadly due to the 75th the Haunt Museum is closed and if rumors are to be believed it looks like it may not be coming back. Let's hope it does come back in some form as it is a big part of Ghost Town's history.  The Calico Stage is still up  The new stage isn't up yet. Plus they've taken away the spot where we could get pics from the candy store. =)  Outside the park, work on the new Starbucks is proceeding. It is going to be located where the Dreyers Ice Cream was. You can read more about the Starbucks here.  Lots of work going on for the big renovation of the Chicken Dinner Restaurant and new bar (which we are very excited for).   As you can see the work here is quite extensive.     Walls extend all the way into the Marketplace. It's a good thing they made those walkways bigger when they took out the parking on Grand Ave.  Fear not, you can still get your Chicken To Go. Let's hope the Cable Car Kitchen comes back when the CDR reopens. We love that place.  Back inside the park, guess we should share a coaster pic in this update. =)  There's still one train you can ride in Orange County. =)  Timber Mountain Log Ride was closed for refurbishment but did reopen this past Friday. Yay!!  Alright, that's going to wrap it up for this update. We'll be back at Knott's soon to look more at Ghostrider and the rest of the great work going on in Ghost Town.  In celebration of Valentine’s Day, this Thursday and Friday Supreme Scream will be lit in the color of love. Standing at a towering 252 feet tall Supreme Scream’s red glow will be seen for miles around Orange and Los Angeles County. Then late Friday evening Supreme Scream’s glow will turn pink in support of the “Knott’s For the Cure” campaign benefiting Susan G. Komen Orange County. Supreme Scream will glisten in pink from late Friday night until Monday evening.  This Valentine’s Day Supreme Scream, towering over 252 feet in the air, will be lit in red and glow for miles this Thursday, February 13 – Friday, February 14. Then, in support of Knott’s recent partnership with Susan G. Komen, the attraction will change to the color pink Friday evening, February 14 – Monday, February 17. Knott’s Berry Farm and Susan G. Komen Orange County are working together to raise money for breast cancer awareness, services and research by offering a special “Pink Ticket” and limited edition specially designed “pink” merchandise from February 1 through March 31st. Guests can purchase the specially priced $39 “Pink Ticket” for theme park admission only online atwww.knotts.com. A portion of the “Pink Tickets” proceeds will benefit Susan G. Komen Orange County. Special President's Day Performance by The Mountain Fife and Drums at Knott's  In honor of Presidents Day, The Mountain Fifes and Drums musical group will hold special patriotic performances at Knott’s Berry Farm. This unique group, comprised of more than 20 members, performs a variety of historic military music to honor America, while dressed in authentic revolutionary military attire. The Mountain Fifes & Drums formed in 2001 with the motto "Preserving the spirit of our beloved nation." Youth members ages 10-18 are taught leadership, responsibility, discipline, music and history. The Mountain Fifes and Drums will perform in Calico Square at 11:30 a.m. & 1:30 p.m.  Knott's is continuing it's upswing that has been taking place over the last few years with some offseason refurbishments and a full re-do of Camp Snoopy for it's 30th Anniversary. The Calico Mine Ride is receiving a complete refurbishment with the help of Garner Holt similar to what the Timber Mountain Log Ride received last year, so we know it will be great. Ghostrider is also receiving a lot of work this offseason and hopefully it will return this ride to some of it's former glory. Calico Mine RideUnfortunately we can only see what is going on outside of the ride, but if the amount of work being done outside is any indication, the ride is going to be fantastic when it re-opens this spring.   Lots or rock work being done at the front of the ride.      Camp Snoopy 30th Anniversary re-doCamp Snoopy is being fully re-done in celebration of it's 30th Anniversary. The amount of work being done in this area of the park is staggering.  Due to all the work being done on the pathways, the entire space in front of Sierra Sidewinder is closed off.  The queue for the ride is temporarily located near the FastLane entrance. A look from the other side of Camp Snoopy. During this portion of the work being done there is only 1 entrance and exit for Camp Snoopy.   On the other side of Camp Snoopy, the area near Timberline Twister is getting the most amount of work in preparation for it's refurb and the new rides that will be coming to the area this spring.   The queue and station for the coaster is being completely replaced to fit the new theme.   It's nice to see the park taking the time to preserve so much of the natural setting unlike some other parks that find it easier to build over trees instead of preserving them. This really is a change in the way Knott's would have done things a few years ago and it's great to see.      Work continues on the other side near Lucy's Tugboat . Lucy's Tugboat was open during our visit (2/1) but was closed as of Monday. Be sure you are following the park on Twitter as they list all of their closed rides every morning before the park opens. It's a great resource.     Snoopy's Bounce House is still open ... for now.  The entire area should look brand new when construction is done later this spring. We look forward to bringing more updates on it's progress in the months ahead. Ghostrider RefurbishmentGhostrider is closed for it's yearly refurbishment but the amount of work being done on the track seems to be more extensive than in years past.   Lots of work being done on the turn around area and the section heading over Grand Ave.   Hopefully the ride will be rideable again when it reopens. Grand Avenue ParkingAs we first shared with you on our Facebook and Twitter pages last week, the parking in front of the Marketplace stores has been removed and it looks like planters are taking their place.   While we think minimizing traffic on Grand Ave. is a good thing, one consequence of losing these parking spots is less 3-hour parking. Beginning March 1st the park will only have a 1-hour parking area (in the lot between TGIFridays and Ghostrider) with guests being able to validate in the Marketplace to get 3-hours of Free Parking.  What this means is that the loophole that many Season Passholders would use to spend a couple of hours in the park is now gone. Park guests will now have to pay the $15 to park, upgrade to the parking pass for $55 or make sure you get validation at one of the Marketplace restaurants or shops to get your free 3-hours. The strangest part is if you miss your 3-hour window by even 1 minute you will have to pay $25 to park. While I think much of this is a good idea (passholders should have to pay for parking to enter the park) being so strict and going from $0-$25 in a minute is a bit harsh. I think a happy compromise would be to have a 2-hour Free Parking window, 4-hours with Validation and then an incremental fee (say $5 an hour) for hours 4-6. Then the park can feel free to charge $25 after that. It would seem to make the most sense especially when the wait for the Chicken Dinner Restaurant can exceed an hour on some days. Maybe offering another level of pass that includes parking would help as well. Currently only the Platinum Pass includes Free Parking. It will be interesting to see how this is implemented in March and how much flack the park will get or if it will just become the norm. Around the ParkIt was truly a beautiful day to be out at the park. Even though it's early February it was like an early spring day. One of the benefits of being at the park for early morning events is Ghost Town pictures with great light and no people.  For those that don't know, Windseeker is now fully gone and replaced by a planter.  The fences and queue are still there so I'd guess that this area won't be empty for long, especially considering all the work that had to be done on the nearby rides in order to fit Windseeker in this spot.   Jaguar had recently been closed for some work, not sure exactly what was done but I'm guessing it was just offseason refurbishments. I didn't ride because after a few years of Coasting for Kids with Give Kids The World I don't ever need to ride Jaguar again. =)  Silver Bullet and Xcelerator looking great on a beautiful Southern California day.   That's going to wrap it up for this update. If you missed our coverage of the "Knott's For The Cure" event yesterday you can find that update here. We are hoping to get back to the park sometime in early March to check the progress on the Mine Ride and Camp Snoopy refurbishments. We'll also have a Universal Studios Hollywood update for you tomorrow. |
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