The scariest part of riding a roller coaster may not be the free-falling acceleration, crushing G-forces, upside-down acrobatics, or the other hairy elements it delivers, but the anticipation of those moments. Riders clickety-clacking up a lift hill invariably think, “What have I gotten myself into?” Cresting the top of the hill — just before the madness ensues — their pupils dilate, their breathing and pulse rates accelerate, and their nervous systems trigger the release of adrenaline among other classic signs of the fight-or-flight response.
HangTime, the new coaster coming next summer to Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park, Calif., will capitalize on the anticipation by bringing riders up to the top of a 150-foot vertical lift hill, nudging them over the edge of the precipice at a woozy 60-degree angle and letting them hang there for a few agonizing seconds. Staring into the abyss that awaits them, they'll really have time to reflect (and keep their adrenaline percolating) about the predicament in which they find themselves.
Known as a “dive coaster,” HangTime will eventually release its trainload of 16 passengers, and madness will ensue. Other dive coasters, such as Valravn at Ohio's Cedar Point, plummet straight down. HangTime will up the ante with its first drop. Instead of merely falling at a 90-degree angle, the Knotts’ coaster will dive at an over-banked 96 degrees.
That will make it the steepest coaster in California and the only one to exceed 90 degrees for its first drop. Navigating the drop, the train will fold in on itself. As they descend, it will appear to passengers in the last row that the front of the train will momentarily disappear.
Hitting 57 mph, the new ride will be the park's second-fastest coaster (and its second tallest) after the hydraulically launched Xcelerator. Following the drop, HangTime will encounter five upside-down elements, including an in intriguing "negative-G stall loop." Instead of a more traditional loop, it will be elongated to keep riders upside down longer and give them the sensation of airtime. Along with the delayed first drop, the unusual inversion will reinforce the "hang time" theme.
The new Knott's ride will be the second in the USA to incorporate a "negative-G stall loop." The first coaster to feature the element was Monster, which opened in 2016 at Adventureland, an amusement park in Altoona, Iowa.
With its hanging train of screaming passengers, the coaster should be almost as much fun to watch from the boardwalk as it would be to ride. Helping to boost its curb appeal, Knott's is promising that HangTime will include an impressive lighting package. When darkness begins to settle in, chase lights in a variety of colors will follow the progress of the trains around the course.
Knott's Berry Farm, which opened in 1940, predates Disneyland. Although others lay claim to the title, the park has declared itself America's first theme park. It includes a highly themed and charming Ghost Town as well as other theme park hallmarks. In recent years, Knott's has updated its classic story-based attractions, Calico Mine Ride and Timber Mountain Log Ride, and introduced the interactive dark ride, Voyage to the Iron Reef.
Originally owned and operated by the Knott family, the park is now part of the Cedar Fair chain, which also operates Cedar Point and Kings Island. Like those thrill ride parks, Knott's features high-impact coasters and other iron rides, which it mixes with its themed attractions. HangTime will expand the park's arsenal of thrill machines and appeal squarely to coaster fans and adrenaline junkies.
