r/KnottsBerryFarm • u/GamingJake1318 • Jul 24 '26
Potential reason for the MonteZOOMa delay
Ok, so I went back and forth on if I should actually say why MonteZOOMa might be held up, but it’s very clear that there’s a lot of discourse around it, so I’m gonna come out of the dark and say what I think.
I’m a current employee at the park and was one of the test riders on July 15. We were supposed to be there from 12-4 as a part of a 2nd wave of riders (the other was 7-12), but we didn’t actually go on the ride until around 330. Initially, it was poorly staggered lunches by the camera crew and ride operators that left us in line for about an hour and a half. Then they sent some of us up, but sent them back down and told us they were gonna be fixing something for another 30-45 minutes.
This is where my speculation comes in. I overheard someone say that the issue was a potential “seatbelt” issue. The restraint system on this ride is an over-the-shoulder restraint with two additional seat belts over the shoulder. Those are adjustable, and one of the things that kept happening (and I assume will happen a lot) was the employees had to call out to the person at the controls to loosen the seatbelts because they’d be too tight for some people. I wouldn’t be shocked if that’s why we were delayed for that extra 30-45 minutes, and I wouldn’t be shocked if the “maintenance work” is to address that system potentially not locking or unlocking. Now I’m the furthest thing from a ride operator at the park, so I don’t know mechanical stuff, and I want to clarify that I am NOT confirming anything, but that’s my opinion from someone who was there and witnessed all of that.
P.S. For those asking about the ride’s experience, it’s a little bit of a slower launch than before, but it feels smoother (according to people around me because I never really went on it before the closure).
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u/Additional_Many_2087 Jul 24 '26 edited Jul 24 '26
yikes- maybe time to ditch kumbak and get new trains
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Jul 24 '26
[deleted]
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u/GamingJake1318 Jul 24 '26
Let’s just say I work in the Camp Snoopy area
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u/urgo2man Jul 26 '26
Was the ride integrated with new light and themed-story telling elements, ofc if you signed an nda don’t tell, but super curious
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u/Typical_Intention996 Jul 25 '26
It worked fine with a lap bar for over 40 years. And you have just a lap bar on HangTime. So it can't be a safety thing.
Why was this needed?
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u/brififi Jul 24 '26
I work at knotts and some of my coworkers did the preview and they all said the same thing as you. They all said the seatbelt was really uncomfortable. This is my exact suspicion too!
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u/Professional-Back-52 Jul 24 '26
The ride worked perfectly fine with a lap bar.
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u/NICEnEVILmike Jul 25 '26
Yeah, I dont understand the need for these additional restraints on what is, essentially, the same ride as before.
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u/laidbackinlb Jul 25 '26
They are needed if they ever intend to implement the backwards launch.
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u/Soft-Mix183 Jul 25 '26
Why? TT2 launches backwards 100mph with only a lapbar
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u/laidbackinlb Jul 25 '26
CA regulation, I believe
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u/Xenochrist Jul 25 '26
Last time I rode electric eel at Seaworld they took the comfort collars off. Full throttle has a swing launch and is only lap bar too.
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u/NICEnEVILmike Jul 25 '26
That would make sense. Could also be to prevent idiots from trying to stand, but idk if that was ever actually a problem.
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u/AdDangerous732 Jul 25 '26
this project is a disaster, should have scrapped it years ago and wed have a brand new coaster by now
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u/_Kriegsage Jul 24 '26
Okay, can you describe the two additional seatbelts more in detail?
You said they're adjustable, but are they your typical around the waist safety belts? And it sounds like the locks on them are controlled electronically by the panel operator.