By Charly SHELTON

In 1987, a new area was opened at Knott’s Berry Farm. Dubbed “Bigfoot Rapids,” the tub-raft rapids ride developed by Intamin Amusement Rides took guests on a wet and turbulent ride through the backcountry wilderness at the Indian Trails edge of Ghost Town. And although the sculpted rocks and mountainous landscape were well-maintained, there was no hint of theming to actually have anything to do with Bigfoot other than a couple of large concrete footprints, which were later filled in. All that changed last week when, after closing last year, the ride was reopened under the name Calico River Rapids. And this time, it has theming.

Calico River Rapids is not a new ride itself, but an update of the old ride that so much has been added to completely change the experience. Nothing was really removed as there wasn’t anything to remove, theming-wise, and the aspects that worked well – like the track layout, sculpted rockwork and landscaping – were kept and improved on. The update was all about adding dressing to make it a theme park ride, not a lackluster amusement park ride. For example, animals were added to the wilderness. Old cabins and their prospector tenants were dropped in along the route. The cave, which was formerly rockwork on the outside and a steel corrugated metal on the inside, is now rockwork in and out to complete the immersive environment for guests on the ride. And now, Bigfoot is finally part of the ride.

This ride is part of a growing trend I’ve noticed in parks over the last few years to lean into the “theme” part of the theme park. For a long time, it was acceptable to open rides and lands that were either very loosely themed or unthemed within a theme park. Take for example the Shrek 4D theater at Universal Studios Hollywood that featured just a grey painted exterior and a few poster signs, or the handful of unadorned coasters and palm trees in planters that constituted the Boardwalk land of Knott’s, or even the Paradise Pier land at Disney’s California Adventure, which featured a paint job on a plain coaster, a paint job on a plain Ferris wheel and a weird orange around a wave swinger attraction. Compare these to more recent additions like the Wizarding World at Universal or the Pony Express coaster at Knott’s or Cars Land at Disney’s California Adventure. Good theming makes a good park experience, and the parks are starting to understand this again. From the days of Walter Knott’s incredibly immersive Ghost Town, then falling into the lackluster ’90s, we are returning to an era of well-chosen, well-made themed attractions and lands. Calico River Rapids is an example of that and, what’s more, it upgrades an existing attraction to be better than it was rather than scrapping it entirely.

This new/old attraction is a lot of fun and, as we head into the summer months, it will be even more fun to ride in the heat of the day. Knott’s is a great place to spend a day and there is a lot more to the park than just this one water ride to keep guests engaged. Ghost Town Alive, the interactive role-playing adventure in the park that brings the residents of the Old West town of Calico to life, starts this Friday, May 24, and runs daily through Aug. 11, and then weekends from Aug. 17 to Sept. 1 and Sept. 2. Be sure to hit the newest adventure, Calico River Rapids, while visiting this summer.

  Charly Shelton