GhostRider: A 1998 wooden L-shaped double out-and-back roller coaster from Custom Coasters International. Wait times were painfully long due to single train operation. Ride time is ~3 minutes and unload/reload time is ~2 minutes (so the line moves forward by 28 people every 5 minutes). This was surprising as Cedar Fair parks are usually good with maximizing capacity. The coaster was riding reasonably well (a bit rough in the back but nothing to complain about). Unfortunately, the mid-course brake brought trains to almost a complete stop thereby degrading the second half of the course. Operations aside, the ride is good as-is but has the potential to be world-class -- all Knott's has to do is kill the mid-course brake (and keep up with track maintenance). Rode it twice.
Pony Express: A 2008 launched coaster from Zamperla where you ride horses instead of sitting in a seat. It's a fun moderate ride that's good for the novelty. Rode it twice.
Coast Rider: This is the park's newest coaster (replacing the Perilous Plunge water ride). Opened in May, it's a custom wild mouse from Mack Rides. The to-the-ground first drop opening (~50 ft) and the first series of hairpin turns get the ride off to a good start. However, the midcourse braking (I counted four points) and anticlimactic layout cause the coaster to fizzle out. Rode it once.
Boomerang: A stock Vekoma shuttle boomerang. Knott's used to have one of the original (1975) Corkscrew roller coasters from Arrow Dynamics (the design that started the modern inversion craze). In 1990, they replaced it with Boomerang. Why? - I may never know (but you can still ride the original Corkscrew at Silverwood Park in Idaho). Boomerang takes riders through a cobra roll and vertical loop forwards and then in reverse. Watch out for ear banging on the cobra roll. Rode it once.
Xcelerator: A 2002 hydraulic launch coaster from Intamin. This ride was a prototype for the world's two tallest coasters (Top Thrill Dragster and Kingda Ka). It's only half the height but is actually better in some ways in that the layout is more extensive. Riders are launched to 80 mph in 2 seconds, sent over a 200 ft top hat at 90 degree angles, and subjected to two banked turns (I kept greying out on the first one). Rode it 8 times (it was a walk-on and the ride operators let us stay on as long as there was no-one in line for our seats).
Silver Bullet: A 2004 inverted roller coaster from Bolliger and Mabillard. This six-inversion ride has a unique over-banked left turn and a surprising intense helix finale (over water). Rode it twice.
Jaguar!: A 1995 custom steel coaster from Zierer. This ride is heavy on theming but low on thrills. It's basically a scenic tour around the Fiesta Village section of the park. Good for the young people, pre-teen, who are not afraid of the theming.
Montezooma's Revenge: The oldest (from 1978) of six remaining shuttle loop coasters from Schwarzkopf. I've been on a lot of rides and there's nothing quite like the experience of going through the loop backwards in the rear car on this one. Rode it once.
Timberline Twister: A 1983 Bradley and Kaye (rare) kiddie coaster. I was technically too tall to ride but the operator was nice enough to let me contort myself on. This ride is a bit jerky but otherwise fun.
Sierra Sidewinder: A 2007 spinning coaster from Mack. This is a medium size twisted steel coaster where the cars spin (naturally) throughout the course. There is a speedy descending helix section in a white rock bed that is my favorite part. Not for those who get dizzy easily. Rode it twice. Each ride is different so this one is worth riding more than once.
Other rides of note: The classic Calico Mine Ride had been re-themed as The Witches Keep for Halloween. This is technically a roller coaster as it uses a chain lift and is powered by gravity (with speed controlled by a brake-person). I would like to ride it with no brakes. In a strange twist of irony, the Supreme Scream drop ride was being sponsored by Toyota (taking sudden acceleration to a new level?). Another classic, the Timber Mountain Log Ride (originally opened in 1969) had undergone a revitalization and was as good as ever.
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