Knott’s Berry Farm | MonteZOOMa: The Forbidden Fortress | Schwarzkopf Launch Refurb | 2026?

[Rob Coasters]

Soft-opened today.

Some friends are here today. The launch is on-par with the first launch of Top Thrill 2. The restraints are fairly invasive and over-the-top, but not horrific. The straps 'lock' like with T3, but the lap bar is just okay. Fairly positive reviews of the tracking. Station theming is lightly done. The backwards launch setting is currently disabled. Overall a downgrade, but not a catastrophic one that we anticipated.

 

[CaliAngel]

Soft-opened today.

Some friends are here today. The launch is on-par with the first launch of Top Thrill 2. The restraints are fairly invasive and over-the-top, but not horrific. The straps 'lock' like with T3, but the lap bar is just okay. Fairly positive reviews of the tracking. Station theming is lightly done. The backwards launch setting is currently disabled. Overall a downgrade, but not a catastrophic one that we anticipated.
View attachment 43008

Thanks for the update, and the photo.

Jeebus, those trains are hideous. Backwards launch is currently disabled. "Overall a downgrade" leads me to 2 conclusions.

1) Should have just left the ride the way it was
2) Should have just hired Intamin

Mark this one as a catastrophic failure as far as I'm concerned.

I will be in the area this weekend...not sure if it's even worth it for me to stop by just to give this a ride. Pretty freakin' sad if you ask me.

 

[Hixee]

This one took a while, but... unstuck!

(thanks @TPoseOnTantrum for the reminder)

 

[adrenaline1996]

I'm just wondering, was the flywheel launch more intense than the LIM/LSM launch?

On another note, out of the weight drop and flywheel Schwarzkopf launches, which was better/more intense?

 

[rideguy70]

Flywheel is more intense. Nothing compared to the likes of Xcelerator, to be sure, but definitely more intense than weight drop (which are fairly slow and gradual, even for the time).

Flywheel had a nice, small "gut punch" at the initial launch that the LSM/LIMs lack.

 

[Hyde]

I'm just wondering, was the flywheel launch more intense than the LIM/LSM launch?

On another note, out of the weight drop and flywheel Schwarzkopf launches, which was better/more intense?

I’ve found weight drop to also be the more intense. Flywheel takes a little bit of time to get up to speed while the weight drop provides higher torque and better force out of the gate.

The biggest thing I’ll miss about the old flywheel launch on this coaster is the complete lack of announcement that the roller coaster is going to launch. Ride ops would truly just hit the button while riders are midsentence to each other and oblivious to when the ride start will happen. Fun memories of it scaring the piss out of my sister!