I just went to Knott's on Wednesday and I have to say that for years I have made excuses for the way Cedar Fair has run the park, but I can't do it anymore.
The one credit I didn't have was Pony Express - but guess what, it didn't open at 10:00 a.m. with the rest of the park. Neither did the Boardwalk area. When I left, Perilous Plunge and Bigfoot Rapids had not opened for the day. Xcellerator was also down, of course.
The second screw-up of the day was the Burger King discount promo; the promo only applies at night when Haunt is in full swing, so we paid $52.00 per person to experience Haunt overlays on the log ride and mine ride which were *covered up* with black cloths. What is wrong with that picture? Everyone wants to go at night when the fun really begins, so lets offer a $20 discount then but not in the daytime when no one wants to go (the park was dead, no pun intended.)
Pony Express was fun, not thrilling, it would be a good family coaster if it lasted longer than 22 seconds. Thankfully, the ride ops let me ride a second time. The launch surprised me, it had a bit of kick for a kiddie coaster, but the ride is just too short. As it is, the ride is a misfire.
As I was waiting for Silver Bullet - sorry, haters, IMO it is a fun ride - I realized how the park had shrunk from when I was a kid growing up. We always knew it was small in size but now it is intensified by the giant rides that are visible from every point in the park. I like SB, but the ride destroyed Knott's. It dominates the entrance, Ghost Town, and even Fiesta Village; was it worth it? I vote no.
So I get home on Thursday to read about the relocation of the 25 year old Demon Drop. While fanboys and girls will love the thrill of riding a first gen drop ride, I don't think the rest of the public will get it. Magic Mountain removed theirs because the ride was aging and it wasn't popular anymore. I don't understand CF's decision to transport this ride cross-country to one of their 'world class' parks. To me it is kind of an insult: a hand-me-down they had trouble selling will get shoehorned, with no theming, not even renamed to something remotely fitting (Mineshaft?) into one of the few areas left of the park left with a resemblance of charm.
No more excuses, with this decision CF will finally destroy the Knott's we once knew and for a park that trades on nostalgia, that is a dire mistake.