Ghostrider Review | Knott's Berry Farm's Signature Wooden Roller Coaster

[@ElToroRyan]

GhostRider SLAPS! Loved the review video on this as always! This really isn't all that important lol but the block zone obsession in me needs to point out that the mid-course brake run has been added back as a block zone since the end of 2018! You can see the brake fins back in position if you watch a more recent front row POV. So the ride crew can in fact dispatch a train much earlier than before one hits the final brake run, but they can never load trains fast enough because of the poorly designed/placed loose article bins and slow moving crew/guests.

[@CoasterStudios]

Some great insight, did not realize they had re-added it! Wish it affected the rate of their dispatches though…

[@hellacia8151]

A Ghostrider op also told me the way they do Fast Lane loading also hurts the people who havent paid, and increases the ride time. They'll do 3/4ths Fast Lane, and then the rest standby.

[@troyvsc]

Knott's is my home park go there 20+ times a year and average dispatch is is always above 2:30. Sometimes averages close to 3:00. That's insane for a premier ride. Just unacceptable IMHO.

[@jaya1000]

Yoooooo eltoro ryan! That dudes riiiich

[@Thelightning1out]

“S9 for those of you who don’t know…”

[@MatecaCorp]

GhostRider is without a doubt my #1. I’m glad it’s finally getting more much deserved attention from influential enthusiasts.

[@jamesmason5576]

I just wanted to give a shout to both you and Sarah for consistently serving us interesting and fun sponsoring for all of your videos. You and ElToroRyan understand how to keep me watching the ads!!

[@thecoastergnome8603]

This ride is my number one. It’s the ride that got me into coasters. It’s absolutely legendary. Honestly since it’s so sentimental I think it will always be my personal number 1

[@ryansullivan3085]

I felt the same way about the OG Colossus :(

[@theshiggityshwa4359]

Me with Magnum although it wasnt the first coaster I rode. I think that honor goes to Wild Thing.

[@hautbois123]

me too

[@LucyLoud2002]

The problem with Ghostrider is the ATROCIOUS capacity. 450 riders an hour is just horrendous. That’s what causes the massive wait time. Knott’s is my home park, and I really hope changes can be made to improve capacity. They added back the MCBR in 2018, but they still run 2 trains because of the placement of the loose article bins and slow moving guests and staff. They should just put free lockers.

[@alexcutionman4569]

Honestly if it had better ops and maybe a 3rd train it would help

[@Nxkamxbxms]

I almost didn’t believe you for a second😧 I had to look it up

[@Johnnyiswhere]

Nothing can be done without a midcourse

[@alexcutionman4569]

@@Johnnyiswhere than bring it back not hard

[@WDIJake]

@@Johnnyiswhere A midcourse would help but the ops are terrible on this ride. They stack more often than not and there should be more staffing if they're gonna take as long as they do checking restraints.

[@tracerhayden573]

2 things: 1. The breaks on the MCBR were once again added back in 2019 to improve capacity on days where they had to ghost trains. The MCBR never hits unless it’s being powered off, where one train will be parked up on the MCBR. so the ops only have to wait until that point. 2. The single biggest reason for the slow dispatches is the lap bars. They fall from the force of gravity. If a guest isn’t in their seat when they’re put into the lock position, they have to manually unlock that row. The use of loose article bins is convenient but causes all of the slowdowns. The ride desperately needs a locker system in place to prevent waiting on the guests to take their seat. I know quite a few people who operate the ride, and all of them complain about the loose articles/guests not getting in their seats. Great review as always!

[@chasemartini7110]

Good point. Guests hate lockers, but it does make a world of difference on capacity. Definitely worth the trade off, especially with the ability to now move lockers at CF parks. $4 is low price to have a locker all day, especially if you go to a park with a group.

[@SteelvengeanceMaverickX2]

Ghost rider is such an amazing ride

[@PichuBlues92]

Ghostrider before the refurb was one of the most painful experiences I've had on a coaster. I rode it again after the refurb and its definitely a top 10 wooden coaster for me now. So much better. Job well done.

[@acowwithlegs]

Got a night ride on this last night. This is easily a 10/10 and probably the best ride in California. Maybe 2nd. Just simply put like you said everybody can enjoy it and it checks off all the boxes for me. It’s relentless, fast, great airtime, insane laterals, the tracer lights at night. I think it’s very hard for most rides to top this, and it’s easily a top 3 wooden coaster, maybe even top 2.

[@MalkaLand1996]

This ride was a BLAST to go on! My family and I couldn’t stop laughing at the end of it, it was such a turbulent ride!

[@ajhummel9187]

GhostRider was my first big coaster back in 1999, and I've loved having it at my home park since. While there were times when it was more of a test than a ride for fun, I've never detested the ride the way some have, and the way it has run for the past five years is the best it's been since the early 2000s. A couple random notes... -While I wouldn't say GhostRider "never had a line," before the refurbishment it was rare for it to ever exceed 20-30 minutes and it was usually a shorter wait than Silver Bullet or Xcelerator. By comparison, it is now pretty much 60+ minutes on all but the least busy days. -That "strange hill" was originally a completely unbanked turn and was one of the most brutal parts of the old ride. That turn and the one off the midcourse were among the sections GCI reprofiled most heavily. -The drop off the midcourse has been legendary since day one. When the ride was new, it was sometimes said to produce an illegal amount of airtime in the back of the longer PTC trains. -While the loose article system and slow guests don't help, I've actually seen a reasonable number of days where they weren't stacking trains on GhostRider. The biggest problem is that a ride designed for three train operation now only runs two, and due to the length of the coaster they're capped at 22 dispatches per hour (which would be 528 riders if all seats were full). While Knott's rarely ran three trains on the coaster, it was designed for 45 dispatches per hour, which gave a capacity of 1260 with the original PTCs.

[@triple7marc]

My dad, who doesn't like roller coasters, got off this ride in 2016 and said "that was really smooth for a wooden roller coaster! I wasn't expecting that." That's why I love this ride.

[@B.Abbott25]

Grew up riding ghostrider, last time I rode in 2012 it was rough af. Just rode it for the first time since retrack Thursday, and it’s so glossy smooth I had to text my dad I couldn’t believe it.

[@attollo10]

"Maybe Steel Vengeance is Ghost Rider-esque" HOW TO MAKE SO CAL FANS LOVE YOU 101 😂

[@msharp138]

I was fortunate to ride it the first two years it was open. It was truly a monster. Not only did you get airtime off the first drop but the drop off the brake run you would ride the lap bar all the way down the drop. They didn't run brakes the first two years. Also the helix at the end consisted of small bunny hops and because of the speed you can imagine being pinned to the side of the train and also getting negative Gs from the small hills...It was crazy especially at night...

[@jasonelston2707]

It's funny, because before CCI got defunct, one person from the company, Mike Boodley, went on to co-found GCI, who refurbished GhostRider. So basically, this coaster was sort of always built by the same people!

[@Juanpg2705]

Last two days I was able to come to Knotts berry farm for the first time and I was obsessed with this coaster. This time of the year was great for lines and I managed to ride this beast 8 times in total, 1 during the night. I was in love and never had this much fun on any other attraction. Pure joy and happiness through the whole ride. I tried back seat and front seat and it was great in any seat. Backseat makes it feel more out of control and intensified the drops. 100% my favorite coaster so far. I went to magic mountain too but X2 and twisted colossus were closed so I couldn’t ride some of the two best coasters in the state. Will have to return sooner or later.

[@woodswoods7621]

I have been to nearly every amusement park in this country. This is as good as any wood coaster, especially the night ride. Right after they re-tracked the coaster it was too smooth and I felt GCI ruined it. A few years later it has become the best ride at Knotts and throughout California. It is my favorite wood coaster I have ever been on which includes the Voyage, El Toro, the Phoenix, ad even the RMC's Twisted/Steel Vengence/Iron Gwazi. It is just that good!

[@SeaWorldOrlandoandmore]

Never underestimate the laterals on this ride every single turn pins you to the side

[@stephanlambert6207]

I've never been so happy to watch an ad

[@WhirlwindDrums]

Ghostrider at night in the back seat is without a doubt the greatest night ride I've ever ridden. Quite possibly of all time. It's like a scene of a dream

[@doug8381]

Ghostrider is the only coaster that consistently goes up in my rankings the more credits I get. Didn't realize how spoiled I was growing up in So Cal, but now that I've been on so many more boring/rough woodies throughout the country I realize that Ghostrider's elite. I just wish the ops were more consistent. Last time I was there I timed 4 minute 15 second dispatches between trains. Ended up waiting over 2.5 hours to ride. Obviously having x-cel and monty closed doesn't help with crowd dispersement, but the number of people abusing handicap access and having to wait for riders to cross the train to put away loose articles before sitting really makes waiting in line for this ride absolutely brutal.

[@OklahomaCoasterFan]

GhostRider is absolutely one of my favorite family coasters. I love how it's tame enough for everyone to enjoy, but also not too tame, so even thrill seekers enjoy it. Unfortunately, that's why the line for it is always ridiculous. I do wish the airtime was better on it, although I love that floater airtime off the mid-course in the back row. It's a nice smooth long ride. Still, I don't understand how so many thrill seekers see it as a top tier coaster.

[@SteelvengeanceMaverickX2]

Although I wouldn’t call ghost rider super thrilling I also wouldn’t call it a family coaster

[@diggy8141]

I agree with everything in this video. I went on a field trip to knotts around 3 weeks ago, and I am super afraid of roller coasters, so this took some convincing to get me on this ride, but after the ride I really wanted to go back on. This was my first wooden coaster, and I absolutely enjoyed it! This was the first ride we went on, so the line wasn’t that long thankfully. This one coaster boosted my confidence and love for roller coasters, and i really want to try more coasters.

[@troyvsc]

Complete agree on all points. 12 year old loves this ride but won't go coasters with inversions because those are scary, and I am like this had so much more intensity than Silver Bullet in the same park. Seriously wish they could do something about capacity.

[@danielflud7602]

Glad to see a new modern review of this great roller coaster. I was actually a big fan of this ride back in 2009, where the roughness actually added to the intensity. But by 2012-2014, the ride was too rough to be enjoyed. Glad to see this redone and continue to thrill.

[@idonthaveaname3639]

Finally! I’ve asked for this for so long lmao. Tysm Taylor!!

[@sitebproductions]

Been riding this thing since I was 7 in 00' my first big coaster. Been on it over a thousand times and still maybe nothing beats a back row night ride. No matter what this will always ben my favorite coaster in my heart. I feel protective over it. Its a living thing to me haha

[@TheMrDisneyboy]

My wife and I recently got a back row night ride on Ghost Rider for the first time and we both agreed that the pacing is kind of insane and just relentlessly fun. Looking forward to riding it again someday!

[@teddym2808]

GR at night in 1999 was life changing in the back row. A saturday night and we waited 2 hours and was worth every bit. I guarantee you there was no MCBR originally, that was added after it got way too rough (in 2005 it was already falling apart and rattling, so uncomfortable) so they did the typical let's add brakes to CCI to make them more tolerable. But CCI layouts generally (some exceptions of course) kicked serious butt and this was one of them. That mid course drop in the back seat without any brakes in the original PTC trains sent me skyward, it literally wanted me to leave my seat. Last year I finally got to ride the GCI retrack version, and it was great as always and I am so glad they finally fixed it, but to me nothing can compare to the opening years. Just an opinion of course. I went straight into GR back seat as one of my first thrill coasters so it was really diving into the deep end and what got me addicted to coasters! My friend and I were breathless and just called it and out of control crazy night time rush. Then in 2001 we did the original X and that took the new throne for a while hehe.

[@masterwatermelonthemeparks]

is it me or is coaster studios the best

[@puwcyk]

Yessss finally sara in reviews yesss

[@ThemeParksAndAttractions]

It's a great coaster! Especially back row at night 🌙

[@oof3597]

As a Scot, We have just kiddie coasters now because Tornado closed (And is thankfully gone from Scotland), Tsunami had a crash (Looked like a good pinfari), Loudon Castle closed (This park had a lot of really good coasters)

[@bjalicious1]

i have ridden every coaster in CA and ghostrider remains my #1! my whole family agrees, we can’t go to knotts without riding it at least twice!

[@steww1204]

i just had to wait 6 hours in line yesterday for this. them only running 1 train during peak spring break should be a crime

[@jaob27294]

The Established Titles company actually is a pretty shady business. Under Scottish Law, these plots of land that a square foot are only referred to as souvenir plots and so you don’t even own them, you just are declared to own them unofficially. Also, being called a Lord or Lady has nothing to do with ownership of land according to Scottish law. Also, they don’t even plant trees, they just donate to a tree planting organization. Might as well just donate directly.

[@alecday3775]

To add to your point is that it ISN'T EVEN BASED OUT OF SCOTLAND, IT IS BASED OUT OF CHINA JUST LIKE KAMIKOTO in which THEY ARE ADVERTISING TRUE JAPANESE KNIVES WHEN THEY ARE ACTUALLY CHEAP, CHINESE CRAP THAT WON'T LAST MORE THAN 2-3 YEARS AT THE VERY MOST and that is me being EXTREMELY generous as I won't be too surprised to see them wear out after a few months of regular use. Hell THE SAME EXACT COMPANY DOES BOTH SERVICES. So it isn't authentic OR of ANY good quality. Its just a shady mess all around. It MAY SEEM COOL ON PAPER but IN REALITY it is just all a blatant scam ran by people who DO NOT understand Scottish tradition OR authentic Japanese knife making.

[@qorbo7908]

Only downside (besides operations) is how slow it runs sometimes. The drop off of the “midcourse” is incredible when it is running well, but if it’s slow, then you get some weak floater

[@fatalpoo9270]

at 8:15 ghost rider ops changed in 2019-2021 somewhere around their but they made it so they can dispatch as soon as the train passes its first turn around after the camel back and the block on the mid corse turn around is still their it just doesnt slow down the train anymore

[@maxhagenauer24]

It's absolutely crazy that this thing was from CCI, even before GCI came in, the layout is so different for CCI.

[@mrhappybomb]

Haven't been on the retrack but I still love this coasters it's in my top 5 for sure

[@A_A610]

Night and day difference, runs like it did in the 90s.

[@christinajain2340]

Always my number one

[@davestertm6498]

Ride was very good! I only got to ride it once cause I was feeling under the weather while we were at Knott's but it was very fun. Surprisngly long too!

[@jamesray8670]

I rode it front row like 5x yesterday and noticed that the mid-course brakes are back, but they don't hit at all. Hopefully they are working on upgrading ops to 3 trains.

[@tooldtovlogwelch7221]

Loving the Sponsor

[@jamalbrown8555]

Hello you guys are awesome and your videos are awesome and such Banger's bruh you guys stay safe.

[@oneandonlysound99]

This ride had mega-hype when it was built, and I always found many CCI designs underrated. So when GCI can come in, retrack, use there trains, you have to get a pretty enjoyable experience in the least. I really wish-though I don't actually know if it is given the totally different construction/building design-that GCI could be the one to come in and do all the work needed on El Toro. Including train replacement, titan track in areas, and an inversion replacing either one of the "weaker" airtime hills or the one that goes to the last low very GCI-like section (it'd also be picture-esque and very viewable to people coming on). Who knows. In any case I am glad Knotts got Ghostrider from popular, to loosing much of it's popularity, to top-notch again, more should follow such an example!

[@Jacksonisomewhatokay]

What are your opinions on the grizzly retracking maybe titan track thing?

[@thetntraider]

I rode this for the first time a couple weeks ago. Not only that, this was also my first ever Wooden Coaster, AND they stuck me in the back row, so I picked a hell of a first for me. XD I really enjoyed myself though. You're 100% correct about the drop off the former mid-course. That and the second half of the ride have you HAULING. The pacing is incredible.

[@Lemonaidz7]

I remember riding Ghost Rider a few times before the retrack and it was hands down the worst coaster experience I’ve ever had. That second half was so unbearable, even with the midcourse bringing the train to a full stop. I’m so glad GCI retracked this cuz this is now one of the best coasters I’ve ever been on.

[@rcnerd2061]

Taylor, next time your at Knott’s, go row three, afternoon, preferably a hot day and every hill and drop after the first one gives airtime it is insane. Great review.

[@gregcharles3240]

This and Twisted Colossus are the 1-2 punch of the West Coast. As a (former) SoCal resident, I've ridden Ghostrider alot even with the PTC trains and definitely prefer the re-track and new trains.

[@tomwilsonn]

Rode it for the first time in August this year. Easily my fav in California.

[@theventuracountyrailfan]

I was in line after knotts closed for the day. Suddenly the crew was motivated to clear the line and started hitting minimum interval, having to wait for the train to reach the midcorse. Horrible that they drop the ball when the line is 240 minutes

[@Howlingburd19]

One could argue it’s not only Knott’s Berry Farm’s signature wooden coaster, but also California’s signature wooden coaster!

[@elijahrock3914]

i dont know why established titles is sponsoring everyone but i really like it

[@rossh688]

Love love love this ride. Definitely top 5 wood. I do have Legend ahead of it because Legend is insane from the drop to the brakes. But, Ghostrider is SOOO good! The brakes are back at the mcbr.

[@trickshotsmoviesandcubing2317]

Maybe it's just because of my inexperience on coasters, but that first drop was amazing for me. I didn't get that much airtime, but I still felt like I was falling, and it was still intense, scary, and the best part of the ride IMO (other than of course the midcourse drop)

[@jefflong1799]

OMG.... Anyway, went on GR a few times right when Cedar Fair dropped it there, then a couple times after. It's great because it's designed like they used to...so fun.

[@cynicanal111]

Hearing 1998 described as "old school" makes me feel so old!

[@fadedidentity]

I respectfully disagree about the drop. It doesn’t look like much, and I know technically it’s not very steep at all, but every time I’ve ridden GhostRider I get a heavy stomach drop sensation towards the back of the train. maybe not so much airtime, but that feeling you get in your gut that’s similar to the feeling you get on a drop tower. maybe it’s the cover that takes my attention off the track so I don’t see how far down it goes. but I do really love the drop on this thing, despite the seemingly unimpressive stats 🤷🏻‍♂️ there’s really not a part of this coaster I don’t like, it’s one of my favorite coasters period.

[@ThemeParkAvenue]

This is my favorite wooden roller coaster, but yeah the operations mean it has to be considered a “worth the wait” experience.

[@stephenmajerle9320]

Would you mind if I put ghost rider in my top 15

[@BrandonEdits4]

When did it get retracked?

[@CoasterStudios]

2016

[@BrandonEdits4]

@@CoasterStudios oh also thanks for responding!

[@michelecoughlin7135]

how crazy is the drop on this. can a firt time roller coaster thats a 7 year old ride this?

[@A_A610]

I got to ride this when I was 6 right around when it first opened, and it's one of the rides that got me absolutely hooked on them (the midcourse drop in the back seat is still one of my all-time favorite ridiculous airtime moments). However, I had ridden a few other coasters at that age and had some idea of what I was in for. Younger children at the height requirement _can_ ride it, but really depends on how ready they are for how aggressive and relentless it is.

[@NotNoahTheGreat]

I look at the title and I think the video is from 3 years ago and it’s only from 6 hours ago

[@CoasterStudios]

We originally reviewed the ride after we rode it for our first time in 2016. Six years later, we felt it was time for a much needed update!

[@TheBlueBunnyKen]

My favorite coaster at the park, I go to it first, because the line gets super long right away

[@Eli-xs5rk]

We need a Scottish T. rex 500ft 😂

[@married2thaamoneyy]

I thought Sarah was his mom for a second when she called him lmfao

[@_coasterhead_]

Yup, I think this needed a re-review after giving it a 7/10 on the original review. Great video!! 🔥

[@CoasterStudios]

This video has been on my to do list for a while! I think it’s much better represented in this video :) -Taylor

[@cthomas2812]

@@CoasterStudios is there going to be a re review for Tatsu or X2 as well!??

[@themaskedman7256]

Do you have any plans on doing a re-review on X2 since you have a completely different opinion on the ride since that original review?

[@CoasterStudios]

Yes that is in the works!

[@GuyT-z7o]

I feel like they could totally still have a mid course with full stop capabilities but only use it for block zone safety. Otherwise full open.

[@oceanthresher6184]

Couldn’t they have left the MCBR in, but only have it activated in emergency situations?

[@Danrarbc]

Why are Coaster Studios ads the best ads?

[@maxhagenauer24]

"One of, if not the best creation from CCI" I can feel his pain for not being able to get on Shivering Timbers.

[@nikotheghostrider]

Great video but the only thing I disagree and agree with is your first drop opinion, if you sit in the back you get some pretty great ejector on that first drop but in the front you don’t get any airtime.

[@coastingthrills7297]

Speaking of retracking… Renegade is being retracked in areas. Possibly the entire will be by the end of next year

[@SoCalCoasters]

Changing the likes from 999 to 1k feels so powerful

[@bruh2970]

Back seat night rides make this a top 10 in the world in my opinion

[@kickthesky]

Before the retracking, the ride was pretty bad. At it's original prime and now, with the retracking, it is an absolute gem. Considering this is the one ride that has huge lines, EVEN when the park is dead tells you how awesome this ride is.

[@iconnickt.v2079]

Hopefully this is what grizzly is going to get, this or Titan Track, and a new entrance area where you can find it lol

[@tormentorox1]

Why is every KZbinr trying to make me a Scottish lord? 😂

[@ellaedits4787]

After 2 visits to this park, i have YET to ride hangtime, xcelerator, or pony express. Both time i went, it was super packed 😭

[@christopherstikeleather3427]

Ghost rider is pure Fun Fun Fun

[@newenglandcoastershots]

Watching this as I draw my sign for Ghostrider to be my 150

[@JJJJ-he8bz]

This just looks like a bigger mystic timbers

[@pryocrazy9529]

Great meeting Matt at wonder women at great adventure

[@chris_allupinya5613]

Such a good coaster BUT we need a b&m giga in order to ease up that freaking line!

[@Coastervisuals98]

Taylor go ride Boss at night and then im telling you you'll switch your opinion about rmc for that ride like you did with Stampdia. Boss desveres the GhostRider treatment it would be so awesome and smooth while still retaining the classic wood feel.

[@maxisoulcaliber8941]

Just RMC it already! 😆

[@A_A610]

RMC is good for polishing turds (i.e. rides that aren't just rough, but not particularly good either), but Ghostrider wasn't really a turd as much as it was just running like crap for some time. There's a big difference between a ride running like crap and _being_ crap.

[@pyrobeats5355]

they could have done the blockbrake but the brake doesnt brak only in emergancys so ye

[@barnhardtbrecken3360]

Last time I went to ride this ride I got no air time at all it was very disappointing i rembered it as really fun. I hope it was just running really slow but the team was slow and the ride was boring not work a 2 hour wait, however it was supper smooth. I work outlaw run and I don't think there is any comparison between them.

[@mgloven9533]

I'm no engineer but I think dispatch time could be improved by installing a block where the midcourse break run used to be. It doesn't have to slow the train down, it could just be there to create an extra block for emergencies.

[@CoasterStudios]

Supposedly the park has done that within the past 2 years and I did not realize that until now. However that definitely has not affected the rate of their dispatches from what I’ve seen.

[@matthewblack2252]

Does Ghostrider have a single rider line?

[@CoasterStudios]

They do not

[@thecoastergnome8603]

@@CoasterStudios it actually does…sorta. it’s just been closed for like months and I don’t think it’s going to reopen

[@krs12]

Capacity/ops are suck, but Fastlane is never a wait and you can lap it and get on nearly every train! Getting 15+ Ghostrider laps in a visit is well worth the extra cost.

[@Xxxypher]

HA! No good coasters in Scotland, seriously wish we did though! But if you want a few extra credits then there's one park you can go to near Glasgow. I don't live that far from there so I'd be happy to join yas if you did come to Scotland.

[@AmusementParkLife]

Nice

[@lolmasterswag731]

you have to go in the morning, i have personal experience (🤓) anyways, it was an hour wait at 10:00 AM and a 3 hour wait at 9:00 PM (midnight ride was sick though)

[@hellothere6991]

I think they should put the midcoarse back on without it slowing you down

[@sammif23]

It was ROUGH before the retrack. I remember not liking it at all and thinking it was comically bad. The ride is barely recognizable now, in a good way of course. My dad went from rating it 7/10 on the pain scale and 4/10 on the intensity scale to 2 & 7, repsectively.