See Walt Disney\u2019s legendary Mickey Mouse One private jet in Palm Springs now<\/a><\/p>\nWhen the coaster first opened to the public in 1978, it was one of the world\u2019s first flywheel-launched roller coaster,\u00a0hurtling riders from zero to top speed without a traditional chain lift before sending them through a vertical loop. Nearly five decades later, it remains one of Knott\u2019s signature attractions and the last operating flywheel-launched coaster of its kind in the United States.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The new version replaces the flywheel with a modern synchronous motor launch system, allowing for something the original never offered: randomized launches. Riders won\u2019t know exactly when the train will blast out of the station, adding an extra layer of anticipation and adrenaline to the experience.<\/p>\n
The\u00a0ride has also received a major thematic makeover. Instead of simply boarding, guests will now enter the Forbidden Fortress in search of Montezuma\u2019s lost treasure. The queue and station have been redesigned with ancient ruins, hidden relics and elaborate storytelling elements that tie into Fiesta Village, the theme park\u2019s Mexican-inspired land.<\/p>\n
The reopening marks the end of a lengthy renovation that missed several projected debut dates, leaving coaster enthusiasts wondering when (or if) the attraction would return. For Knott\u2019s regulars, the wait has been especially frustrating given Montezooma\u2019s status as one of the park\u2019s defining rides, alongside GhostRider and Xcelerator.<\/p>\n
For Los Angeles-area thrill seekers, it\u2019s also a reminder that one of the region\u2019s best amusement parks<\/a> sits\u00a0less than an hour (traffic permitting) from Downtown. Knott\u2019s may be known for its boysenberry pie and Ghost Town, but MonteZOOMA\u2019s return restores a piece of Southern California theme park history, now with a fresh coat of paint, a new backstory and a launch that promises to keep even longtime fans guessing and screaming.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"After nearly four years, one of Southern California\u2019s most\u00a0beloved roller coasters is ready to\u00a0rise\u2014and drop\u2014again. According to People,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":398567,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[163,165,164,7579,7580,420],"class_list":["post-398566","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-anaheim","tag-anaheim","tag-anaheim-headlines","tag-anaheim-news","tag-categories-things-to-do","tag-news-city-life","tag-things-to-do"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/398566","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=398566"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/398566\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/398567"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=398566"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=398566"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=398566"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}