Tag: Knott's Berry Farm

Posted on

The “New” Six Flags Inherits a Combined 27 Amusement Parks… Which Will They Keep, Sell, or Close?

For those of us who grew up on discussion boards and social media following the goings-on of amusement parks and roller coasters, there was no more fundamental a divide than that between Six Flags and Cedar Fair. For decades, these two regional parks operators battled back and forth, inciting the “Coaster Wars” in their continuous battle for amusement supremacy. Pitting their flagship parks against one another, Six Flags and Cedar Fair raced to compete. As of July 2024, though, that long-waged war has officially ended in a truce.

Yep, in July 2024, it became official. Six Flags and Cedar Fair would officially combine in a “merger of equals” (in other words, not one acquiring the other). The newly formed company bears the Six Flags name, but is comprised 51% of Cedar Fair’s unit-holders and helmed by Cedar Fair’s CEO, Richard Zimmerman. There’s no question that it’ll take years for Zimmerman to sort out the new company’s structure – how capital expenditure schedules will adjust, how park operations should align (or not), how (or if) to merge the two portfolios’ separate licensing deals, annual pass programs, food suppliers, marketing, branding, etc… but in the meantime, a bigger question has emerged…

Continue reading “The “New” Six Flags Inherits a Combined 27 Amusement Parks… Which Will They Keep, Sell, or Close?”
Pages: 1 2 3 4
Posted on

GIGA: A Primer on the Planet’s Elite Class of 300-Foot “Gigacoasters” From Millennium Force to the Future…

Roller coasters have been around for a very, very long time. But in the last 50 years especially, the Second Golden Age of the Roller Coaster has seen steel stretch into the sky. Year after year, decade after decade, the unthinkable continuously becomes real. Inversions. Launches. Switch tracks. Drop tracks. Racing coasters; suspended; inverted; flying; stand-up; dive; wing… When it comes to the creativity of roller coaster manufacturers, it can feel like the sky’s the limit.

It all started when the unthinkable happened: the first roller coaster to break the 100-foot height barrior. A generation of so-called “mega-coasters” dotted the amusement park landscape throughout the ’70s and ’80s. Then came the 200-foot barrier with a generation of “hypercoasters.” 

But when it comes to the world’s most extraordinary rides, it’s hard to beat the very small family of 300-foot rides you’ll find across three countries. Epic, staggering, and spectacular, the “gigacoaster” is a growing icon of thrillseeking… yet still a rarity around the world. Today, just six rides reside in the “giga” level – between 300 and 399 foot drops – each with its own story, elements, and personality… Join us as we explore the evolution of the “giga” through its six iterations, and look to where a 300 foot thrill machine may arise next… 

Stories in the Extra Features and Special Features collections of Park Lore are all about connections – they’re the threads that interlace between the Lost Legends, Declassified Disasters, Modern Marvels, and Possibilitylands you’ll find in our Main Collections. In other words, these features are for people who really want to dig deep.



This article and hundreds more are available for Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum Members who help support this ad-free, clickbait-free, quality-over-quantity collection with a monthly membership. Park Lore Members can access more than a hundred Member-exclusive articles, unlock rare concept art and construction photos in every story, stream audio across the site, tune into podcast exclusives, and receive an annual member card and merch in the mail!

If you choose to join Park Lore’s community of Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum Members, you’ll instantly unlock this story (and of course, a lot more). You can learn more about joining and supporting Park Lore (and browse all the available Extras and Special Features) in the “Memberships & Perks” menu above. If you can’t afford a Pass, please contact us; we’ll make some magic happen.


Log In or Join Now
Pages: 1 2 3
Posted on

Once Upon a Bear-y Tale: The Story of Knott’s Berry Farm’s Californian Classic and Its Return to the Fair

“Welcome one and all! Y’all come have a ball! Things are very fine, riding on the ole’ Knott’s Bear-y line!” It’s not every day that an attraction manages to truly capture a generation. It’s even rarer that one of those good, old-fashioned family attractions becomes so legendary, its story outlives its lifetime. Yet today, we’re inducting just such a classic into Park Lore’s library of Lost Legends.

Original characters created by one of Disney’s most legendary designers? Check. A memorable and melodic singalong musical score? You bet. Iconic environments plucked right from a storybook? Uh huh. Enough nostalgic wallop to enchant millions of Southern Californians over a decade-long life? Yes indeed.

Image: Knott’s

While those ingredients may sound like the making of the kind of fairytale dark ride you’d expected to find in Fantasyland, Knott’s Bear-y Tales wasn’t a Disney attraction at all. Instead, it could only be found at Knott’s Berry Farm – just a few blocks north of Disneyland in Buena Park, California. How did one of Disney’s most esteemed Imagineers create an attraction that became a Southern Californian treasure? And how has the concept made a miraculous return? Well, let’s just say… it’s kind of a cute story…

Continue reading “Once Upon a Bear-y Tale: The Story of Knott’s Berry Farm’s Californian Classic and Its Return to the Fair”
Pages: 1 2 3 4

Back to top