Knott's Announces 'Voyage to the Iron Reef' for 2015

By Robert Niles: Knott's Berry Farm this morning confirmed that Voyage to the Iron Reef will be the new dark ride that Knott's Vice President and General Manager Raffi Kaprelyan teased during the re-opening of the Mine Ride and Campy Snoopy last May.

Kaprelyan promised "more interactive and cutting-edge fun in 2015," and the new adventure will be 4D shooter ride, in the spirit of the Wonder Mountain's Guardian attraction that Knott's parent Cedar Fair opened at Canada's Wonderland last spring.

Concept art from Knott's

According to a Knott's press release provided to the LA Times, "The Voyage to the Iron Reef presents riders with a simple mission: Save Knott's from a school of mechanized sea creatures feeding on the steel rides in the park. Along the way, riders armed with freeze rays will battle steampunk stingrays, puffer fish, crabs, giant shrimp and whales before encountering the Kraken octopus queen in her lair."

This will be the third dark ride Knott's has opened or reopened with a major refurbishment in the past three summers. It's a new direction for what has been for the past generation under Cedar Fair ownership essentially an iron park, dependent upon thrill rides for its appeal.

But Cedar Fair CEO Matt Ouimet once served as president of Disneyland, and understand the market appeal of dark rides in Southern California. That Knott's would theme this new dark ride adventure as "feeding on the steel" of the park's older rides provides a delightful wink of the eye to loyal theme park fans.

With the steampunk-styled Voyage to the Iron Reef joining the refurbished Calico Mine Train and Timer Mountain Log Ride, not to mention the always impressive Mystery Lodge, Knott's next summer could be offering four-world class dark ride or show experiences that would be at home in any Disney theme park, providing a worthy addition or alternative to Disneyland for theme park fans who live in or visit Southern California.

Previously:

• Knott's Berry Farm honors its history in reopening the refurbished Calico Mine Ride and Camp Snoopy

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