BATTLE OF THE KNIGHTS

Jousting roller coasters

King Arthur’s Acres has attractions that will catch any parkgoers attention, from the petting zoo
and blacksmith area, including “the pit” which is a live event center in the middle of the land that hosts
events and reenactments on a daily basis, to the Dragon’s Lair, where people can explore the lair of the
dragon, where only the bravest and strongest survive, but there is none that can compete with the
“Battle of the Knights” jousting coaster.
Battle of the Knights is a two sided roller coaster where riders can choose their fate and
compete with other people. Riders will choose one side, the Blue Knight or the Red Knight either as a
team or single rider. The ride is centered in the middle of the map, making it the center of attention and
the first thing parkgoers see when they enter the park in the distance, with the Kings Castle being the
visual focal point in the far back, much like in the Magic Kingdom and other Disney parks. . The queue
starts out where everyone is in one location and are given the speech on the rules of the sport of
jousting, and are given the option to choose their fighters side. Once the riders choose their side, they
go through their own queues, where they get hyped up and ready to battle their counterpart, as well as
get sort of a history lesson on the history of the sport jousting. Once you make it through the queues,
the riders are ready, where they get strapped into the coaster itself where instead of having a normal
looking harness and straps that lock the rider into the ride, the ride is skinned in plated armor to make
the rider feel like a real knight. The coaster is one that yore sitting with your feet hanging to best mimic
riding a horse. Both the blue side and the red side queues meet up one last time where they can see
their competition, before they are taken their separate ways to start the battle. The carts move in
opposite directions, so when they pass at maximum speed it gives the illusion that they will collide as if
they were jousting. On each pass the riders go through loops and turns, setting themselves back up at
their highest peak. Once both sides are at the highest peak on the drop, the ride pauses where they
riders can face the other team, and see the rest of the park, then it drops, where they start going what
seems directly at one another. The ride goes through 2 passes, the second one is where a winner is
chosen. The competitive aspect of this roller coaster is what will bring repeat riders, and in the exit
queue you can get pictures to have proof of victory and merchandise that says “ I defeated the _____
Knight depending on which team you were on. The biggest draw to this ride is the pop of colors,
considering the architecture, landscaping, and overall feel to the land will be realistic and of that time
period, the colors of the coaster being red and blue, would add a nice contrast to the surrounding areas,
as well as drawing the eye of parkgoers and make them want to check it out and see what it is all about.
On the map, you can see the proximity of the ride in the land. You can see how the map is set up
with the castle in the back, and the coaster right in front. This is because the people who want to go to
the castle for food and other experiences. Going to and from the castle you are almost forced to pass
this coaster in some sort of capacity. Having both of these be a visual focal point straight from the main
entrance, parkgoers are more drawn to the bigger attractions in the back, and the only way to get to
there is by passing all of the other kiosks and giftshops, as well as other rides. Putting this ride in the
back instead of the front forces people to walk throughout the park, whether they go left or right or straight down the middle.