Above this platform is an element called the "red UFO" or the "Crown". At the top of the tower, winds were reportedly strong enough to push the electrical cables out of the socket on the tower causing the cables to move around freely. One of the times it was stuck at the top for around 3 hrs! Rather than white, blue, and green on the tower, Knott's adopted a color scheme using orange, purple, and yellow to reflect the Spanish California theme of the Fiesta Village section of the park. Canada's Wonderland was the first of the four parks to open its WindSeeker in 2011. There is no seat belt across the rider's lap, but there is one from the seat to the restraint bar in case the lock on the restraint bar fails. The WindSeeker at Canada's Wonderland underwent repairs for just over a week when it was discovered that one of the 32 pairs of seats had been removed for an unstated reason. California Occupational Safety and Health Administration, "Wind Seeker at Canada's Wonderland Not Actually Open", "Carowinds new 'flying machine' sends riders 30 stories up", "Carowinds in Fort Mill opens its sky-high ride, the WindSeeker", "Carowinds Open for the 2012 Season on March 31", "Windseeker and Dinosaurs Alive make the line up for new 2012 attractions", "Image: Kings Dominion begins installing WindSeeker tower pieces", "Kings Dominion's new attractions on schedule", "Kings Island's new Windseeker ride to open today", "Windseeker ride opens at Knott's Berry Farm", "Planned Worlds of Fun attraction has checkered past", "WindSeeker tower ride back open at Canada's Wonderland", "PREVIEW CALENDAR: Dance, comedy, special events and theme park listings for Aug. 11–17", "Problems at Knott's Berry Farm force ride closures nationwide", "Carowinds ride malfunctions, stranding dozens", "Wonderland gets WindSeeker ride despite lawsuit", "New ride at Cedar Point tops out at 301 feet, but (alas!) [37] The ride opened in mid-August 2011 after three months of delays. It kept getting stuck. In 2018, it was the twelfth-most-visited theme park in North America and averages approximately 4 million visitors per year. Both incidents prompted Cedar Fair to close all other WindSeekers until an internal investigation is completed. It's the second-tallest structure in the park. By the time it reaches the bottom of the tower, all rotation ceases. [71] Tom Sherer of the Sandusky Register praised Cedar Point's WindSeeker for having one of the best views of the park[72] and commented that it "isn't as extreme as a lot of people fear, unless you're afraid of heights. [18] After the investigation was complete, all WindSeekers reopened except Knott's' model which was dismantled by December 11, 2013 to be sent to Worlds of Fun. The park features 40 rides including roller coasters, family rides, dark rides and water rides. [75], 301-foot-tall (92 m) swing ride at several Cedar Fair parks. [32] On May 24, 2011, after problems were discovered during testing, Canada's Wonderland announced on their Facebook page that it would open to the public later that day,[33] but it was quickly closed again when further mechanical problems were discovered. Riders on the Windseeker ride at Knott's Berry Farm get stuck Wednesday afternoon around 4 p.m. … [42][43] The WindSeekers at Carowinds and Kings Dominion will have the same appearance as those at Canada's Wonderland, Cedar Point, and Kings Island and are expected to open in 2012. [2][42] Their construction started in early November 2011, after the parks closed for the season. Besides frequent maintenance issues, it's reputation would never recover from the incidents where it got stuck for hours. [5] Kings Dominion officially opened their model on April 6, 2012. [42][61][62][63][64] At Cedar Point and Kings Island, the WindSeeker sign changes colors during night operation. It shut down in high winds, so I thought the name Windseeker was a little ironic. I thought it felt very sturdy and secure. My guess is people might have sued, or they just shut it down for obvious reasons. People on the Windseeker ride at Knott's Berry Farm are stuck a few hundred feet off the ground Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2012, in Buena Park, Calif. [49] The illustrations below show where the parts are located and what they look like. Therefore, hydraulic dampers not included in the original design were added to all four WindSeekers to reduce this rocking. In another, a seat collided with the kneecap of a rider who had closed their eyes. On August 24, 2010, Canada's Wonderland, Cedar Point, Kings Island, and Knott's Berry Farm all announced that they would be adding a Mondial WindSeeker, to open sometime in spring 2011. I also recall it getting stuck during a Boeing private event. Online. [9], On August 30, 2013, Worlds of Fun announced that they would be adding SteelHawk, the relocated WindSeeker from Knott's Berry Farm. A lighting package was installed on all four WindSeekers,[14] consisting of strips of LED lights mounted on the arms that support the swings and (except at Knott's Berry Farm[15]) colored floodlights to illuminate towers from above. After three months of delays, Knott's Berry Farm opened their WindSeeker installation in Mid-August. [60] Hydraulic dampers that were not in the original design were added to all the WindSeeker installations to reduce the movement of the swings while in operation. At Kings Dominion, El Dorado was removed at the end of the 2011 season to make room for WindSeeker. [59] Two days later on September 21, Cedar Fair announced the closure of all other WindSeekers to conduct an internal review. If you look at any imagery for BP or Knotts, Sky Cabin and it's iconic K on top are always visible. Edit to add, I thought the situation was pretty reminiscent of Wind Jammer; an innovative new ride that kept getting stuck and didn't perform reliably then was removed after about 3 years in the park. On May 24, 2011, the ride was only open for a brief time before problems caused it to be closed for repairs;[1] it reopened the week of June 10. [20] On September 7, the ride stalled for nearly three hours, and on September 19, it stalled again at the top of the tower for three and a half hours. WindSeeker was designed and manufactured by Mondial, a company based in the Netherlands that has been creating thrill rides for the amusement park industry since 1987. At the beginning of October 2011, the hydraulic dampers used on the Knott's Berry Farm model were added to reduce the amount of swing movement even more. Because the electrical cables had been damaged, Cedar Point employees had to manually bring down the gondola. Riders were stuck on the ride for over an hour and no one was injured. In the middle of the structure there are wheels that allow the swings to rotate as they go up and down the tower. WindSeeker (known as SteelHawk at Worlds of Fun) is a 301-foot-tall (92 m) swing ride at several Cedar Fair parks. 1.3k. Yes it is true! A breakdown of the structure of WindSeeker at. He felt the ride cycle might be too short for the type of ride, particularly the time spent at the top. Knotts Berry Farm with a wonderful vaction for the Hafezi famil. [64] Members of the general public have also applauded the addition. I see that the other Windseekers are still in their original locations, despite the shutdowns they were suffering in the beginning. Seriously, this shouldn't recieve this much attention. This sub is not affiliated with Knott's or Cedar Fair Parks, Press J to jump to the feed. [34], Cedar Point's WindSeeker was originally scheduled to open on May 14, 2011, two weeks after that of Kings Island. [18] Two such incidents occurred in September at Knott's Berry Farm, in one case leaving riders stranded at the top of the ride for nearly four hours, prompting the California Occupational Safety and Health Administration to order the ride shut down indefinitely on September 19 pending investigation of both the length of time riders were stranded and the actual causes of the incidents. The base section is different from the other seven tower pieces because it supports the rest of the tower. Even though getting stuck on an amusement park ride like the WindSeeker seems like a freak event, this is the second problem Knott’s Berry Farm has had with the ride since it opened less than a month ago. But oddly, I don't think Cedar Fair sued Mondial for this one like they had sued Togo. The state Division Occupational Safety and Health has grounded Knott’s Berry Farm’s thrill ride WindSeeker indefinitely while they review the incident. WindSeeker at Cedar Point remained closed until the cause of the accident was found and fixed. [67], The WindSeeker at Knott's Berry Farm differed from the other five in several ways. I rode it at worlds of fun, guess it counts because they are the same. [18] The rides remained closed through the remainder of the 2012 season at the five seasonal parks but reopened at all parks in 2013, excluding Knott's Berry Farm's version which was relocated to Worlds of Fun.[19][20]. Construction of the WindSeekers at Canada’s Wonderland, Cedar Point, and Kings Island… Was this another curse of the Windjammer? The rides are Wind Seeker models manufactured by Mondial. Riders were left dangling 300 feet in the air for more than four hours when WindSeeker, a thrill ride at Knott’s Berry Farm, malfunctioned for the second time this month. On September 7 and 19, the ride stalled, leaving riders stuck in mid-air for nearly three hours. Imagine if they went through with that.. we'd be out TWO rides! According to a rider riding WindSeeker at the time of the accident, as the gondola made its way back down the tower, the cables got stuck in the rotating gondola. Aside from the many minor problems all WindSeekers had in 2011, the first major accident occurred on June 2, 2012, on the Cedar Point installation. Krosnick pointed out that, because of the location of the ride beside Lake Erie and the hot summers, the lights on the ride attract massive "clouds" of bugs. Knott's Berry Farm officials confirm they plan to take down WindSeeker in January 2014. It had been closed for at least half a year, if not a full year. [65][66] At Cedar Point, as the gondola makes its way up the tower, the LED lights at the top of the tower go out, making the tower invisible, though the LED lights on the gondola remain lit. They opened for the 2011 season at Canada's Wonderland in Ontario, Cedar Point and Kings Island in Ohio, and Knott's Berry Farm in California. The gondola remains at the top of the tower for just over a minute before starting its descent and immediately beginning to slow down. "Windseeker" at Southern California's Knott's Berry Farm amusement park stalls, leaves patrons dangling for second time this month; No one hurt One of the times it was stuck at the top for around 3 hrs! Subscribe to be the first to see new episodes of my brand new series. [44] Much like El Dorado, WindSeeker would sit in the same former spot as Hypersonic XLC. Knott's Berry Farm is a 57-acre (23 ha) theme park located in Buena Park, California, owned and operated by Cedar Fair. I thought it was WindJammer that would malfunction in the wind... Windseeker would shut down due to high winds. [11][17] In late 2011, Fast Lane became available on the Knott's Berry Farm WindSeeker. But the city of BP would not let them remove it because it had become such an important part of he skyline and a BP landmark of sorts. Knotts berry farm Loses Windseeker, Gains Santa and the Billies. We use cookies on our websites for a number of purposes, including analytics and performance, functionality and advertising. [21][22][23][24], Construction of the WindSeekers at Canada's Wonderland, Cedar Point, and Kings Island began in late October and early November 2010. I can't believe that six flags has the safer ride. The Windseeker attraction at Southern California's Knott's Berry Farm. The ride held about 20 people in suspended above ground as the park's ride maintenance crews worked to get the passengers down_the riders were brought down a couple hours later and the park closed. In one reported case, a rider had to extend his leg to stop the seat in front from hitting him. ", "State shuts Knott's ride for investigation", "WindSeeker JBL Speakers at Canada's Wonderland", "In The Parks – Knott's opens Windseeker, Disneyland and DCA, Universal", "Canada's Wonderland WindSeeker at Night", "Review: WindSeeker soars at Knott's Berry Farm after flight delays", "Cedar Point's New WindSeeker Swing Ride Opens for the Summer! [28] Work began almost immediately after this announcement. People on the Windseeker ride at Knott's Berry Farm are stuck a few hundred feet off the ground Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2012, in Buena Park, Calif. It was discovered during testing that the swings could rock back and forth once rotation reached full speed, and were close to hitting each other in some cases. Additional problems were discovered when the ride opened to the public. I don't remember how long. Different WindSeeker signs (Knott's on left and Kings Island's on right). Forums. So the compromise was to remove a restaurant in Fiesta Village and squeeze Windseeker in right next to Jaguar. It was exciting seeing it built. WindSeeker (known as SteelHawk at Worlds of Fun) is a 301-foot-tall (92 m) swing ride at several Cedar Fair parks. According to the 2013 Global Attractions Attendance Report, Knott's Berry Farm is the 13th most visited theme park in North America. The WindSeeker at Canada's Wonderland was the first to be completed and thus the first to be tested. On August 24, 2010, Canada’s Wonderland, Cedar Point, Kings Island, and Knott’s Berry Farm all announced that they would be adding a Mondial WindSeeker Kings Island, to open sometime in spring 2011. Therefore, hydraulicdampers not included in the original design were added to all four WindSeekers to reduce this rocking. This is an animated rendering of the new 2011 attraction for Knott's Berry Farm, WindSeeker. They've been stiring up the shit-pot announcing such fun headlines as "Shuttered Calif Ride to Move to Missouri Park" and "Knott's Berry Farm To Move Troubled Ride". [51] Official explanations suggested that the hydraulic dampers could fail under high winds: apparently, high winds and the imbalance arising when some swings are full and others not could cause the swings to collide. WindSeeker is a 301-foot-tall (92 m) swing ride at several Cedar Fair parks. The 301-foot-tall (92 m) center tower is made up of eight parts. Nobody was even close to injury & everyone was safely lowered … The plastic casing began to be ripped apart as well as the cables causing the ride to come to a complete stop just over halfway up the tower. It was discovered during testing that the swings could rock back and forth once rotation reached full speed, and were close to hitting each other in some cases. [24] On January 7, 2011, however, it was announced that their WindSeeker would not replace Sky Cabin but instead be located in the Fiesta Village section of the park. They opened for the 2011 season at Canada’s Wonderland in Ontario, Cedar Point and Kings Island in Ohio, and Knott’s Berry Farm in … Knott's Berry Farm has just announced Windseeker for 2011. Carowinds in North Carolina and Kings Dominion in Virginia opened their … I remember it was in like September of 2012, a group of people got stuck on it for five hours and it wasn’t the first time. The park has 40 rides, including roller coasters, family … The first of an estimated 17 people trapped on a Knott’s Berry Farm Ride for more than five hours was safely lowered to the ground via harness with a firefighter Friday, Dec. 30, 2016. I'm amazed. Attached to the tower and gondola are a set of electrical cables that are located inside a plastic casing and are secured by two side panels to prevent the cables from moving around. People on the Windseeker ride at Knott’s Berry Farm are stuck a few hundred feet off the ground Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2012, in Buena Park, Calif. The rides are Wind Seeker models manufactured by Mondial. I absolutely loved the ride experience and how it looked at night. [39] When all six clues were put together, they made a picture that read "Voiceless it cries, wingless flutters, toothless bites, mouthless mutters, fun soars to new heights... August 24". Did Knotts get rid of it bc it was a PR nightmare or was something actually broken with it? Who knew :) Is it true we almost lost the Sky Cabin to build Windseeker? Knott's Berry Farm billed the WindSeeker ride as an attraction that creates a "sense of exhilaration" and "the feeling of free flight. According to numerous news and rider reports, WindSeeker operated normally as the gondola made its way up the tower. [49][50] Nevertheless, there were still incidents: on June 14, 2011, the swings on Cedar Point's WindSeeker began to sway in different directions, and some seats almost collided with each other. Honestly my theory. All six WindSeekers consist of the same parts in an identical structure. When the gondola comes back down, the lights at the top of the tower come on again. [66] At Canada's Wonderland, the LED lights at the top of the tower remain on throughout the cycle, keeping the tower visible at all times. One cycle of the ride lasts three minutes. Carowinds in North Carolina and Kings Dominion in Virginia opened their WindSeekers in 2012. [10] It was the first WindSeeker to use the Fast Lane program. [48], The four WindSeekers opened in 2011 are based on the same prototype design by Dutch amusement ride manufacturer Mondial Rides. It is not an experience most ask for but for 20 thrill seekers at Knott's Berry Farm amusement park in California sitting 300 feet in the air for 4 hours was what they got. The ride held about 20 people in suspended above ground as the park's ride maintenance crews worked to get the passengers down_the riders were brought down a couple hours later and the park closed. [46][47] Carowinds soft-opened their version on March 30, 2012 to media and invited guests;[4] it opened to the public on March 31, 2012. [69], One week after the official opening of the ride at Cedar Point, attraction reviewer Brian Krosnick of Theme Park Tourist submitted an online review saying that it was "truly breathtaking". [74] Another reviewer called the view from Knott's Berry Farm's version "simply breathtaking" and urged readers to "get a ride on it as soon as you can". As the ride continued, Breakfast Television hosts Kevin Frankish and Dina Pugliese asked whether the seats were supposed to touch each other, but received no response.[52]. The WindSeeker at Canada's Wonderland was the first to be completed and thus the first to be tested. [58], During the 2012 season, all of the WindSeekers except Kings Island's experienced incidents in which the ride stopped, stranding riders in the air. The Knott's Berry Farm WindSeeker is the most unique: it has a different color scheme than the others and a K is atop the WindSeeker tower. [38], Throughout August 2011, the Carowinds web site had six different QR codes, each of which led the user to a website giving a clue as to what the 2012 attraction might be. This sub is not affiliated with Knott's or Cedar Fair Parks. [68] The tower at Knott's had no lights at the top. [6], Before the decision to keep the Sky Cabin at Knott's Berry Farm and to place its WindSeeker elsewhere, their WindSeeker was to have the same color scheme as others. The plan was to remove Sky Cabin due to its age and it constantly having mechanical problems at the time. Members. By the time it reaches the top, it is rotating around the tower at its full speed of approximately 30 miles per hour (48 km/h). The three-minute ride features 32 suspended twin seats (64 seats altogether) spinning around a central tower. The rides are Wind Seeker models manufactured by Mondial. It kept getting stuck. Windseeker Stuck For Hours In Air - Knotts Berry Farm - YouTube In another case at the same installation, riders were stuck at the top of the WindSeeker tower for 20 minutes when the swings did not come down. It was a nice addition to the skyline, especially at night. This monster tower ride will swing 64 rides at a time 301 feet above the ground. The review applauded "the inclusion of on-ride audio and such an exemplary lighting package", commenting that it was "more than anyone expected or could've asked for". You could be one of the first to ride Knott's Newest attraction Windseeker. ... A subreddit dedicated to Knott's Berry Farm and Soak City Water park located in Buena Park, CA. I don’t know if it was a malfunction or if Knotts just didn’t realize how bad the winds get. The four WindSeekers opened in 2011 are based on the same prototype design by Dutch amusement ride manufacturer Mondial Rides. They play 18 different tracks, among which are Hedwig's theme from the Harry Potter films, the theme songs from E.T., Star Trek: The Motion Picture, and Superman, and songs from Flight of the Valkyries. WindSeeker is a 301-foot-tall (92 m) swing ride at several Cedar Fair parks. On top of the eighth tower piece, there is a steel platform where workers and mechanics can observe the operation of the ride and perform maintenance. [61] On July 13, 2011, Nick Sim, also from Theme Park Tourist, reviewed the ride at Kings Island and made similar remarks. 5. I just googled it there, looks like it also got stuck at least once while at that park as well, edit: looks like it's been stalled several times while at wof.. i wonder if there truly is something wrong that no one has been able to find. Changes to closed Knott’s ride fell short of state demands Riders on the Windseeker ride at Knott’s Berry Farm get stuck Sept. 19 around 4 p.m. [51] On June 29, 2011, Jennifer Valentyne of Breakfast Television Toronto rode the WindSeeker at Canada's Wonderland for her "Live-Eye" spot on the show. A brake malfunction caused Knott’s Berry Farm’s WindSeeker ride to shut down suddenly Wednesday, leaving riders dangling for hours. The same reviewer, however, also criticized the choice of music, suggesting that the park should have used "themes from more 'southwestern' films" to fit with the overall theme of the Fiesta Village area. Still glad I got to ride it once; it was pretty fun. The gondola is raised and lowered by cables linking the gondola structure to four sets of yellow wheels, each attached to a different section of the steel platform at the top of the tower. The ride, called WindSeeker, stranded people 300 feet in the air twice in 2011. Windseeker at Cedar Point 2012 Yes, Windseekers have had their problems. [29], Kings Island's WindSeeker was originally scheduled to be the first to open, on April 30, 2011,[30] but the opening was delayed because of bad weather[31] and eventually took place on the morning of June 21, 2011. Knott's Berry Farm is a theme park in Buena Park, California that is owned by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company.Since the theme park was purchased by Cedar Fair, the number of people who visited the park has increased. Passengers dangling in air as Knott's WindSeeker breaks down. I also recall it getting stuck during a Boeing private event. "[73] He criticized the name WindSeeker, pointing out that the ride closes in high winds. [25][26][27] Construction was scheduled to begin around the same time at Knott's Berry Farm, where the Sky Cabin observation tower was to be removed to make way for it. Windseeker towers over Knott's Berry Farm. [55][56][57] The ride reopened on June 5, 2012. Different dampers on two WindSeekers: Cedar Point's former hydraulic dampers (left) and Kings Island's long-rod dampers (right), which are used on all models in the 2012 season. [36] Also, instead of there being the red "UFO" on the top of the tower, original promotional materials show that a large purple "K" was to be placed on the top of the ride. Cedar Fair relocated the Knott's Berry Farm WindSeeker to Worlds of Fun in 2014, where it is known as SteelHawk.[12].
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