Calico River Rapids
Calico River Rapids is a themed river rapids ride located at Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, California which opened on May 17, 2019.[1]
| Calico River Rapids | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Knott's Berry Farm | |
| Area | Knott's Berry Farm |
| Status | Operating |
| Soft opening date | May 16, 2019 (Media Day) |
| Opening date | May 17, 2019 |
| General statistics | |
| Type | River rapids ride |
| Manufacturer | Intamin |
| Designer | Garner Holt Productions |
| Duration | 4:00 |
| Boats | 25 boats. Riders are arranged 6 across in a single row for a total of 6 riders per boat. |
| Height restriction | 46 in (117 cm) |
| Control System | Dual Allen-Bradley PLC |
| Theme | Knott's Ghost Town |
 Must transfer from wheelchair | |
Overview
The ride is a re-imagining of the park's former white water ride: Bigfoot Rapids. Calico River Rapids provides a new back story of Ghost Town and takes place during the early days of Knott's Ghost Town. Moreover, the ride's backstory provides the introduction of two new characters in the fictional town of Ghost Town, Potts and Colter. Both of these characters served as the focal background story of Ghost Town and are played as actual characters during Knott's summer Ghost Town Alive season. Calico River Rapids provides guests an experience of setting the Calico River which Potts and Colter explored leading to the discover of the Calico River Territory.[2] The ride was previously known as Bigfoot Rapids opened in 1987 and was originally constructed by Intamin. Towards the end of 2018, Knott's Berry Farm along with the efforts of Garner Holt Productions revamped the attraction as a whole new themed experience with roughly 20 new animatronic figures as part of the extensive refurbishment[3] Since the ride's opening, Calico River Rapids has been well received by park visitors in part due to its much improved theming from its previous incarnation (Bigfoot Rapids) and has become one of the park's best family rides.[4]
History
Calico River Rapids is a re-imagined river rapids ride previously known as "Bigfoot Rapids". Bigfoot Rapid's opened in 1987 as part of a new land at Knott's Berry Farm. The ride was formerly in an area called "Wild Water Wilderness" but was never theoretically part of the well themed Ghost Town. The ride's featured trees throughout its surrounding area but minimal theming. Along the ride was formerly known as Bigfoot Rapids, the ride was never themed or featured any Bigfoot appearance.[5] As there was little to no theming about bigfoot, it served to be major criticism of the attraction. The ride's age and Knott's Berry Farm commitment to returning to its theme park roots were major factors which led to the retheming of the former Bigfoot attraction. Towards the end of the 2018 season, Knott's Vice President of entertainment, Ken Parks, encouraged the park to close down the ride for extensive refurbishment and rethemed and reopened it as Calico River Rapids for the 2019 season. The ride reopened as Calico River Rapids on May 17, 2019 to large crowds.[6]
Ride experience
Queue
The queue provides views of the ride as well as its roughly 20 animatronics. Encampment theming as well as many new artificial pine trees surround the queue.[7] Riders enter the themed ride with views of one of the explorer's house located next to the Calico River. The house features animatronic chickens and baby foxes. Halfway through the queue, riders pass over the Calico River by a wooden bridge which smartly hides the ride from the viewers. The highlight of the queue is Potts Colter's cabin. Riders enter a well themed cabin featuring the explorer's bed and hunting equipment.[8] The cabin also contains a canned foods as well as old themed light lanterns and hunting equipment. Moreover, after exiting the cabin, guests walk up to the themed raft loading station where the river raft guides directs the riders to board one of the rafts.
Main ride
In comparison to the former Bigfoot Rapids attraction, Calico River Rapids provides plenty animatronic animals, characters and water effects throughout the four minute ride. The ride also features a night light package which provides a different viewing experience when its night. The raft trip around the unexplored Calico River Territory begins with the raft traveling through the outside of the Potts and Colter's cabin where an animatronic woodpecker pecks into a sluice causing water to leak onto the river and get the guests a little bit wet.[9] As the raft encounters more rapids along the way, the first themed scene of the ride is displayed on the right side of the river. Roughly 5 animatronic rattlesnakes make a rattling sound to the riders. Along the way towards the wooden bridge in which the riders passed over earlier, a medium-sized wolf howls from the edge of the river banks. Moreover, after passing through a splashy rapid, a hunter spots a raft from his wooden house with a fake firearm and creates a water effect from the river causing a stream of water to rise from the river. The ride also features a whimsical racoon curious about a set of TNT. The second turn of the ride features another much improved wooden hunter's house with a couple of s animatronic chickens and baby foxes near the edge of the river. As the rider's continue the journey down the Calico River territory, riders would spot a large animatronic california grizzly bear catching a tuna from the river. An animatronic mountain lion located above a set of rocks also growls at the guests. At the third turn of the river, park visitors get a great view of the Calico River Rapids with a unique opportunity to blast the riders with TNT plungers.[10] Riders may get wet as the TNT boxes are filled with gestures and shoot streams of water. The highlight of the ride comes in the last turn where the rafts enter a cave. The cave features a large bigfoot animatronic located on the side of the cave and growls as each raft passes by. The ride ends with the rafts entering a lift conveyor belt and returning to the loading station to dock.
See also
- Timber Mountain Log Ride ; Knott's Berry Farm other themed water ride
References
- Niles, Robert. "Calico River Rapids". Theme Park Insider. Retrieved October 22, 2019.
- MacDonald, Brad. "Review: Calico River Rapids blends storytelling with thrills to bring new life to aging Knott's water ride". The Orange County Register. Retrieved October 22, 2019.
- MacDonald, Brad. "Review: Calico River Rapids blends storytelling with thrills to bring new life to aging Knott's water ride". The Orange County Register. Retrieved October 22, 2019.
- Niles, Robert. "Calico River Rapids". Theme Park Insider. Retrieved October 22, 2019.
- MacDonald, Brad. "Review: Calico River Rapids blends storytelling with thrills to bring new life to aging Knott's water ride". The Orange County Register. Retrieved October 22, 2019.
- MacDonald, Brad. "Review: Calico River Rapids blends storytelling with thrills to bring new life to aging Knott's water ride". The Orange County Register. Retrieved October 22, 2019.
- Lam, Albert. "Calico River Rapids". Westcoaster.net. Retrieved October 22, 2019.
- Condon, Gregg. "Review: Calico River Rapids Media Night at Knott's Berry Farm". Park Journey. Retrieved October 22, 2019.
- MacDonald, Brad. "Review: Calico River Rapids blends storytelling with thrills to bring new life to aging Knott's water ride". The Orange County Register. Retrieved October 22, 2019.
- MacDonald, Brad. "Review: Calico River Rapids blends storytelling with thrills to bring new life to aging Knott's water ride". The Orange County Register. Retrieved October 22, 2019.