Calico River Rapids facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Calico River Rapids |
|||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
|||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
| General statistics | |||||||||||
| Type | River rapids ride | ||||||||||
| Manufacturer | Intamin | ||||||||||
| Designer | Garner Holt Productions,[Chrestensen Design] | ||||||||||
| Duration | 4:00 | ||||||||||
| Boats | 25 boats. Riders are arranged 6 across in a single row for a total of 6 riders per boat. | ||||||||||
| Height restriction | 46 in (117 cm) | ||||||||||
| Control System | Dual Allen-Bradley PLC | ||||||||||
| Theme | Calico ghost town | ||||||||||
| Animatronics | 20 | ||||||||||
 Fast Lane available |
|||||||||||
 Must transfer from wheelchair |
|||||||||||
Calico River Rapids is an exciting river rapids ride at Knott's Berry Farm. This water adventure is located in Buena Park, California. It first opened its doors to visitors on May 17, 2019.
Contents
What is Calico River Rapids?
This ride is a new version of an older water ride called Bigfoot Rapids. Calico River Rapids tells a fresh story about the early days of Knott's Ghost Town. It introduces two new characters, Potts and Colter. These characters are important to the Ghost Town story. You can even see them during Knott's summer Ghost Town Alive event.
The ride lets guests explore the Calico River. This is the same river Potts and Colter discovered. Their journey led to the finding of the Calico River Territory. The original ride, Bigfoot Rapids, opened in 1987. It was built by a company called Intamin.
In late 2018, Knott's Berry Farm decided to update the ride. They worked with Garner Holt Productions and Chrestensen Design. They added about 20 new animatronic figures. These are moving robots that look like characters or animals. Since it reopened, Calico River Rapids has been very popular. People love its improved theme and consider it a top family ride.
The Story Behind the Ride
How Calico River Rapids Was Created
Calico River Rapids used to be known as "Bigfoot Rapids." Bigfoot Rapids opened in 1987. It was part of a new area at Knott's Berry Farm. This area was called "Wild Water Wilderness." However, it never really felt like part of the Ghost Town area.
The old ride had many trees around it. But it didn't have much of a theme. Even though it was called Bigfoot Rapids, there were no Bigfoot characters or stories. This lack of a clear theme was a big problem for many visitors.
Why the Ride Was Updated
The ride was getting old. Also, Knott's Berry Farm wanted to improve its themes. These were key reasons for updating the Bigfoot attraction. Towards the end of 2018, the park's Vice President of Entertainment, Ken Parks, decided to close the ride.
It was closed for a big renovation and re-theming. The ride reopened as Calico River Rapids on May 17, 2019. Many people came to experience the new adventure.
Ride Experience
When you ride Calico River Rapids, you'll hop into a large circular raft. The raft floats down a winding river. You'll see many new animatronic figures along the way. These figures help tell the story of Potts and Colter's exploration.
The ride is designed to make you feel like you're on a real river adventure. You might get splashed, so be ready to get a little wet! It's a fun and exciting journey for the whole family.
