MonteZOOMa: The Forbidden Fortress, previously known as Montezooma’s Revenge, is a shuttle roller coaster located at Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, California, United States. Designed by Werner Stengel and built by Schwarzkopf Industries GmbH, the ride opened to the public on May 21, 1978.[1] It is one of eight flywheel-launched units around the world and the oldest looping shuttle coaster still operating in its original location. Montezooma’s Revenge closed in early 2022 for a major refurbishment. Originally scheduled to reopen in 2023, MonteZOOMa: The Forbidden Fortress has had its reopening postponed until 2026 due to construction delays.[2]
History
Montezooma's Revenge was named after the bluegrass group, Montezuma's Revenge, a musical act that performed regularly in the wagon camp at Knott's Berry Farm. Based on the launch mechanism for aircraft carriers, the flywheel-launched shuttle loop is a successor of the drop-tower launch shuttle, and predates modern LIM and hydraulic launch systems by over 15 years. The drop tower models had a large silo with a weight inside connected to a similar launch system. The weight would drop, thus pulling the cable and bob, launching the train. Drawbacks included no adjustments for inclement weather. Also, the drop-tower launch was nowhere as intense as the flywheel launch, taking almost two seconds longer to reach the same speed.