KNOTT’S ANNOUNCES NEW INTERACTIVE 4-D ATTRACTION FOR 2015 Voyage To The Iron Reef Will Submerge Guests Under The Boardwalk In An Interactive Media-Based 4-D Adventure To Save The Theme Park Buena Park, Calif. (November 13, 2014) – Knott’s Berry Farm announced plans for a spectacular new interactive 4-D attraction for 2015, Voyage to the Iron Reef. Opening spring 2015, Voyage to the Iron Reef adds high-tech fun for everyone as guests save Knott’s from mysterious creatures emerging from the seas beneath the Boardwalk in a cutting edge media-based battle. Ever since construction crews finished expanding the Boardwalk Pier in 2013, guests have happily enjoyed the many new attractions like Coast Rider and Surfside Gliders. But all that activity on the Boardwalk shores has reawakened a mystic lair in the depths below, filled with creatures who have risen up to wreak havoc on the classic So Cal theme park. The Queen of the Kraken and her aquatic army have surfaced to feed on the steel of any attraction within their grasps. Their unquenchable appetite for coaster metal has turned these creatures into swimming mechanical monsters unlike anything ever seen on the ocean floor. Guests who have what it takes to become brave deep sea navigators will climb aboard four-person submarine-inspired ride vehicles and embark on the four-minute gaming adventure into the Iron Reef. Equipped with an interactive freeze ray, guests will aim for ballooning puffer fish, an iron clad octopus and other exciting 3-D creatures as they attempt to blast the most sea life and save Knott’s from a watery doom. Through enchanting underwater forests, disorienting ocean current tunnels, and mysterious mechanical wreckage, high definition 3-D animation will surround guests at every turn. Along the way, the submarines navigate 600 feet of track and 11 scenes featuring hundreds of media-based creatures and live action special effects. Altogether, it’s an interactive voyage that features a different experience every time and reacts to the actions and accuracy of the guests onboard. Following the thrilling finale, the number of creatures taken is digitally displayed onboard and in the undock area. Montreal-based Triotech, the multi-sensory attraction developer that animated the popular Wonder Mountain’s Guardian at Canada’s Wonderland, is the creator behind the groundbreaking gaming system and animation for Voyage to the Iron Reef. “Triotech is thrilled to cooperate with Knott’s team and bring our media-based interactive dark ride to Southern California, an area with a rich attraction and entertainment heritage. We feel that guests of all ages will enjoy this unique attraction,” said Ernest Yale, Triotech’s President and CEO. Knott’s is well prepared to integrate new technologies into traditional dark ride experiences. Next year will mark the third consecutive year the park has reintroduced spectacular and unique family attractions. Both the Timber Mountain Log Ride and Calico Mine Ride recently delighted guests after both underwent extensive technological and special effect upgrades, reestablishing Knott’s as a destination renowned for premier theme park experiences. The future home of Voyage to the Iron Reef is hallowed ground for Knott’s enthusiasts. In 1975, the show building was originally the site of the wacky and whimsical Knott’s Bear-y Tales. Designed by legendary theme park designer Rolly Crump, Knott’s Bear-y Tales transported guests to a county fair filled with anthropomorphized frogs, owls, and bears. In 1987, dinosaurs once again ruled the earth as Knott’s Bear-y Tales transformed into Kingdom of the Dinosaurs, capturing the imagination of a new generation of fans. “The same commitment to storytelling and dedication to incorporating the most cutting edge ride technologies that made Knott’s Bear-y Tales and Kingdom of the Dinosaurs so popular is what has driven the Iron Reef creative process,” said Raffi Kaprelyan, vice president and general manager of Knott’s Berry Farm. “The technology showcased in Iron Reef will honor the legacy of the attractions that preceded it, and propel the on-ride experience into the 21st century.” Voyage to the Iron Reef is the centerpiece of an exciting 2015 at Knott’s Berry Farm. For project updates and park information, visit knotts.com or download the Knott's Berry Farm app for your smart phone. Join the conversation about the new attraction using the hashtag #KnottsIronReef on the Knott’s Facebook or Twitter page. It's been awhile since we've taken a look at "Non-Haunt" Knott's Berry Farm so we stopped by to take a look at preparations for the annual Merry Farm event as well as to look at offseason work being done and progress on the new dark ride. If you missed all of the info on this years Merry Farm event, click the link. Knott's Merry FarmIt seems that haunt just ended, in fact it had ended a mere 5 days prior to our visit, but the park was already in full swing getting ready for Christmas. For the most part it seemed much of the work is simple decorations like wreaths, but I'm sure there are even more decorations on the way prior to Merry Farm opening on November 22. As far as Ghost Town is concerned, simple is the way to go. No more hanging. =( More wreaths Ain't she purty? Even Panda Express is getting decorations. This is still the one food location in Ghost Town that sticks out. Would be a much better fit in the Boardwalk IMO. But the food here is actually decent. No trip to Knott's is complete without a ride on the Timber Mountain Log Ride. The Bird Cage Theatre is getting decked out and will once again host the Gift of the Magi. 2015 AttractionAs of this report we still don't know what the new attraction is going to be, only that Cedar Fair and Triotech will be announcing something next Tuesday at IAAPA. So we'll be sure to be on the lookout for that. Still not a whole lot of visible work going on, but they are definitely working on the inside. Some holes in the side of the building, you could hear them hammering away inside Hoping that the Roaring 20's sign still being here is a good sign that it's not going anywhere. Offseason RefurbishmentsI know we are lucky here in Southern California that we don't really get an "off-season" when it comes to theme parks, still, this is the time of year when parks will rehab trains and rides to get them ready for next years busy time. Montezooma's Revenge is closed. This is still my favorite coaster in the park and it's great to see Knott's giving this classic the love and care it deserves. It's a dying breed but I love that the park has committed to keeping the ride and keeping it running great. La Revolucion is still closed but the refurb they've been doing on this looks great. It appears to be very close to reopening. The new gardens look very nice and I sat here for awhile buying Season Passes for the rest of the family since it was the last day of the sale. Isn't technology awesome? =) Xcelerator was running 1 train. Seriously, when is the last time this actually ran 2 trains? It's been years since I've seen 2 trains running on it. There have been a LOT of rumors going around regarding Xcelerator and it moving to another park. While I love this ride (it's in my top 20) I don't think I'd be heartbroken if it got moved. Just depends on what would end up in this spot. Maybe a modern re-make of the Soap Box Racers? I don't think any Knott's fan would be mad at that. Not really a refurb, but Black Magic is still standing, as were quite a few of the other Haunt mazes. I saw Daniel Miller walking around and was going to ask him if I could go through. But he seemed busy. =) Riptide is closed again. It went through a pretty major rehab, opened for a bit and then closed again. Pony Express is running 1 train Some work is going on near the Schoolhouse. Not sure what, but they are building "something". Ghostrider is also running 1 train. I took a ride and it was probably the best ride I've had on Ghostrider in 5 or 6 years. It's still not "1998 Ghostrider", but it's probably the best woodie in Southern California at this point. New Sandwich ShopLastly, with very little fanfare, the popular Pink's hot dogs was replaced with an all new sandwich shop. While I really do like Pink's, it's hard to argue with the results of the new shop, I was very impressed. It actually does fit the market place quite a bit better than Pink's did. A look at the menu, it all sounds good. It was rather warm so I opted for a cold sub, The Boardwalk Sub. It was very good and very filling. While the prices may seem high, with the Cedar Fair Platinum discount my sandwich was around $7. Pretty good for "theme park" prices. And even without chips or a side, it was enough to fill me up. That's going to wrap it up for today's update, we'll have another Knott's update in a couple of weeks when Merry Farm kicks off. We are trying to finalize our Holiday schedule now, it seems there are as many events for Christmas as there was for Halloween. Which is great!! How about a little something from the East Coast for your Tuesday. The park sent us the following information and picture as vertical construction begins for Fury 325. Check out all of the details below. We've also included the virtual POV of the ride in case you've been living under a rock. For all of the info on Fury 325 be sure to check out the full press release. Carowinds, Charlotte , NC- Sept. 30, 2014 - Steel construction for Fury 325 begins as construction workers carefully place the very first piece of coaster track onto support beams. Scheduled to open in Spring 2015, Fury 325 will be the tallest, fastest giga coaster in the world. The first hill will stand 325 feet tall, as riders zoom along 6,602 feet of track the ride will simulate the flight of an angry hornet and reach a top speed of 95 miles an hour. Fury 325 is part of a multi-year expansion plan for the amusement park on the North, South Carolina border, additional 2015 improvements will include a new front entrance and improved dining and entertainment offerings. Carowinds closes for the 2014 season on Nov. 2. for more information on Fury 325, including ride simulation videos visit www.carowinds.com/fury325 |
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