Knott’s Planning to Launch New $9-Million Thrill Ride

BUENA PARK —  Knott’s Berry Farm is planning to build an as-yet unnamed $9-million thrill ride that is expected to open in time for the peak summer season, a spokesperson said Monday.

The ride will work like this: Seated passengers will be slowly lifted 300 feet straight up. Then they will plummet 50 mph toward the ground, coming to a soft landing.

A larger version is being built at Cedar Point in Ohio, one of four other amusement parks, mostly in the Midwest, owned by Cedar Fair LP, a publicly traded partnership that purchased Knott’s in December. Its stock closed Tuesday at $25.69, down 75 cents on 27,100 shares traded.

The latest screamer will replace one of the park’s oldest amusements: the XK1, which spun riders in a shuttle around a pole but frequently broke down. A $22-million wooden roller coaster still is on track to open next year.

Creating a new attraction is important for the nation’s first theme park in staying positioned as a tourist draw.

Disneyland plans to open a refurbished Tomorrowland section in May. And later this spring, Six Flags Magic Mountain will launch a new thrill ride, called “The Riddler’s Revenge,” billed as the world’s tallest and fastest stand-up roller coaster.

Though Knott’s new owners said previously that they cannot compete directly with larger, wealthier parks, the latest ride is part of their careful expansion plans that they hope turn the Western-themed park into a more exciting visit.

Negotiations with a builder are expected to be wrapped up soon, as well as an environmental impact study, the spokesperson said.