Home > California > Knotts Berry Farm > GhostRider > Review Comments


 Review of GhostRider @ Knotts Berry Farm
4 Rating Posted by: shag9004 on 8/6/2007 7:54:00 PM
Date Ridden: July of 1999 (twice), July of 2006 (twice), and July of 2007 (6 times in every car imaginable) Total Rides : 10

Ghostrider has been an interesting ride for me. I rode it way back when it was first built before I got into roller coaster riding on an obsessive basis. I picked it back up twice last year and got 6 good rides on it this year so I feel that I know this coaster very well plus it is fresh on my mind. What do i think? Ghostrider is without a doubt the best woodie west of Branson Missouri. I dont really like to use the term rough....I think intense fits better. There is no doubt that you will take a beating. You will be thrown side to side...you will be thrown into the lap bar....and youll be thrown virtually all over the city of Buena Park as you weave through the structure. However, you do have to remember that you are not on a state of the art pre-fab woodie like ET or some super hyper coaster. Ghostrider is fast, intense, and includes a feature element which I think is necessary for a coaster to obtain a high score. The Voyage has the triple down, El Toro has the first drop, Thunderhead has the fly-through station and Raven has the surprise 60 foot drop in the middle of the woods. Ghostrider has the drop following the MCBR that absolutely tosses you all over the place, particularly when you are alone in the car because your girlfriend has said that she has had enough after two rides. This is as good as it gets out west for woodies. As a footnote, Knotts has supposedly done some retracking on Ghostrider over the past few years to help smooth it out a little. I noticed a difference from 06 to 07 as the ride seemed a little easier on the back this past year. I still love and always will love this ride. Ride up front or in the middle for a slower and less intense ride, ride toward the back at night for the most intense and in my opinion best ride. Its my favorite ride at Knotts.
 

Review Comments

Timberman on 8/6/2007 10:20:59 PM said:
Very nice review, shag9004, and one that gives me hope for a ride I may yet plan a trip around someday. You do a good job of articulating the rough and tumble fun of a classic wooden roller coaster. I really wonder how much longer well have these sorts of rides to enjoy, but Im glad they can still generate the love.
ginzo on 8/6/2007 11:32:30 PM said:
I think this thing runs about as well as Mean Streak. If Mean Streak is your kind of ride, then maybe youll want to check it out. Personally, if I were into pain, Id just try this thing called "BDSM". Its a lot cheaper than flying across the country, and can be done in the comfort and privacy of your own home.
hrrytraver on 8/7/2007 12:04:47 AM said:
^privacy of your own home, yes, but comfort defeats the purpose.
shag9004 on 8/7/2007 7:16:48 AM said:
Not even close to Mean Streak. You cant even compare the two coasters. There is a roughness to Ghostrider but it is nothing like the slow, methodical beating that Mean Streak puts on you. Most woodies are not silky smooth like ET. Most are "rough" which is the point of getting on them. Ghostrider is the good kind of rough that makes you want to get back on the ride. Mean Streak is not and makes you want to tun madly away from it and never ride it again. I think woodie fans will understand what Im trying to say. The rest of you probably just think Im rambling. tmberman, its definately worth visiting based on your ride reviews and the coasters you seeem to like. I like a smooth ride too, but every now and then I like to be thrown about with laterals and the like. Ghostrider gets it done. Thanks for all the comments!!
ginzo on 8/7/2007 8:03:11 AM said:
I strongly disagree that roughness is the point of getting on woodies, but apparently nearly every park manager in the country agrees with you. But youre defining roughness a little bit differently than I am. Youre talking about the out-of-control rides that toss you every which way, Im fine with that. In fact, I had an excellent ride in the back seat of Legend at HW recently that did just that. It threw me around like I wasnt even there, like my mass was completely insignificant. I took a few bumps, but it wasnt bad.

What I dont like are rides that deliver karate chops to your back if you are foolish enough to rest your back against the seat. Or rides that jackhammer, shuffle, and vibrate so much that your hands are red and itch when you come off of them.

I think I can compare Mean Streak to GhostRider. Theyre both woodies that used to run well, but dont now. And both are owned by a park chain that is notorious for hating wood, and refusing to properly keep it up. I just hope theyll do what it takes to keep Renegade in good shape.
shag9004 on 8/7/2007 8:00:44 PM said:
Thanks for the comments Ginzo.....I still have to disagree with you in comparing Mean Streak to Ghostrider. I think a look at Mitchs poll answers all the questions necessary. I think MS is like in the bottom five while Ghostrider finished a respectable 27th with a head to head record of 148-27-3 plus finishing in the top 15 in the Golden Tickets. I am not saying Ghostrider is the best woodie in the world, bur comparing it to a piece of garbage like Mean Streak (ranked # 171 with a record of 11-162-5) is absolutely ludicrous. Mean Streak is slow and rough in a way that amkes it uncomfortable while Ghostrider is fast, intense, and is seemingly well-respected by many coaster enthusiasts.
ginzo on 8/7/2007 9:15:55 PM said:
Although I think Mitchs poll is a good tool, I wonder how many people that voted highly for GhostRider have ridden it recently. Mitch lets you vote for a coaster you havent ridden for years, the votes just count less if you havent ridden in the current season.



The story Ive always heard is that GhostRider used to be great, but that Knotts doesnt maintain it well. Ive heard some enthusiasts describe it as "unrideable", and I think thats a pretty accurate description. I remember not being able to enjoy the airtime at all because the airtime hills were all pretty brutal.
Timberman on 8/7/2007 10:35:05 PM said:
So am I correct to assume that "BDSM" means Boulder Dash Simulation Movie?


I feel a little cheated that Ive never gotten to experience Mean Streaks legendary roughness. When I last rode it a few years ago it was so slow and forceless that it seemed to me more like a Disney-esque tour of a roller coaster than an actual roller coaster in its own right. I have no basis for comparison, having never ridden GhostRider, but I expect Id be more entertained by an energetic beating than the anemic circuit I took around the tribute to senseless deforestation that is Mean Streak.

ginzo on 8/8/2007 12:43:59 AM said:
MS was running a pretty good horror show when I rode it on opening weekend. Once cycle was enough, for life. Blue Streak is decent though.

Hey, Disney does actually have one pretty good coaster; California Screamin. I suggest checking it out on the same trip if you ever go out to Knotts. KBF and DLR are remarkably close, especially for SoCal. And Disneyland can actually keep you busy for more than a few hours.
shag9004 on 8/8/2007 7:18:16 AM said:
We considered Disney especially since Im currently sitting at 198 total coasters but Disney on a weekend in July may have been too much to bare. I am going back during my fall break in Oct (which should be during the week) hoping the crowds will be a little lighter. I look forward to California Screamin. I am finished with Magic Mountain though....Ill try to write my experience there up in a later review of Goliath.
Post Review Comment
You must login or create an account to post a review comment.

 
Clicky Web Analytics