A Knott's Rant....

[fresh2otown]

While visiting the park last Thursday May 15, I must admit I was very very disappointed in the park staffing and its operation. First off, I am a Cedar Fair pass holder and have been for years. Recently in addition to myself, my family opted for a Cedar Fair pass over Disney because I have a toddler niece and the lines at Disney were to much to deal with. With that said we also know to avoid Knott's on weekends or busy periods. When I attend the park alone and want to ride the "grown up" rides I also leave work early on a non peak weekday or arrive first thing on the weekends. Overall I am very aware of the peak periods at the park.

 

With that said, the last two times I have been to Knott's on a off season 10am-6pm operating weekday I have been utterly disappointed in the parks performance. Arriving at 11am, as far as I saw EVERY coaster in the park was only running one train(including one tower on Supreme Scream). The trains were not fully loaded and the dispatch times between trains were HORRIBLE. Many employees seemed lethargic with an attitude. Overall the park was not crowded attendance wise but every major attraction/rollercoaster in the park had at least a 30 minute wait time due to the rides low hourly capacity. On a 8 hour business day I find this unacceptable. Once again I was without my family and a single rider, something that Knott's does not use to fill in empty seats on any attraction.

 

Another major concern of mine in the park that day was on the Sierra Sidewinder children between 42"-48" policy of riding with a responsible adult. On this Thursday the park was operating one train(as on all rides) and I waited in line 30 minutes to board the next train. The adult in the boarding lane next to me had at least 3 children that were between 42" and 48". The staff had him ride with one child the cycle before mine while leaving his other very young dependants unattended, confused, and crying. After that cycle I was asked by your ride operators and the staff trainer that was at the ride Robin(without a name tag on) to ride with one of these children that I had never met before. Now as a middle aged single male I felt very uncomfortable and awkward with this request for obvious reasons and on top of that I told them I did not want to be physically responsible for a 5 year old child that I have never met. The staff told me I was not responsible for them or anything that happens to them on the ride. So I asked why I had to ride with them. Policy. So for me not wanting to ride with someone else's young child between under 48" I had to wait another two cycles while one of the employees rode with the children that were not even in my lane extending my wait significantly. I should have never been asked to "watch" a strangers child on a ride.

 

On a side note I also have a platinum pass for the Six Flags chain. The last two time I have visited Magic Mountain on a off peak weekday they have had all rides very well staffed and most, if not all major attractions/coasters were in two car operation and the dispatch times were very efficient even allowing guests to re-ride.

 

I realize a park or ride can have a bad day but this seems to be much more than just one bad day. Just like any other publicly traded corporation you have a bottom line, and responsibility to your stockholders and consumers. For me to take time out of my day and voice this is something I feel very strongly about and something that can be rectified.

[Rct3man777]

Wow, I'm really sorry about your bad experience at knott's. That really sucks. Must've brung in those careless 16-year old employees, eh? Lol.

 

My experience at knott's was the exact opposite. So that was kinda unexpected.

[Fredlv1]

I have stopped by Knott's several times in the last six months, and EVERY time I go there, I feel TIRED! I am convinced that this feeling is a result of the lackluster atmosphere and enthuisasm at the park. It goes right down to its slow and sluggish operating procedure.

 

I am also convinced of this feeling, because I always end up leaving after an hour and instead go over to Disneyland, and ALWAYS have a great time. Disneyland has energy, enthusiasm, warmth, etc, etc compared to Knott's.

 

The last time I was at Knott's I arrived at 10:15. Half the park was not yet opened. The areas of the park where you'll find Silver Bullet, Sierra Sidewinder, Ghostrider, TMLG, Calico Mine Train were opened. The other areas closed. The result were insanely long lines (also due to one train ops, and slow loading) and dead ends. Monty was running (so I thought), so I walked all the way thru Camp Snoopy to find out that that area of the was closed.

 

By that point, I left, went to Disneyland again and had a great time. Not only did I have a great time, but stayed 2 hours longer than planned. Waits for all the major rides, were much shorter than Knott's because, well, all I can say is Disneyland actually gives a damn!

 

I will be sending my annual pass to Knott's along with a letter as to why I am not going to renew it. The park gives me no good reason to renew. Cedar Fair is simply making the park generic and is catering to the lowest common denominator.

 

I must say the Sierra Sidewinder incident in the original post is simply shocking to me. I am world filled with sexual predators I find downright irresponsible for ride ops to force a child to ride with a complete stranger, and male at that! Not to mention, putting a man in that position. I too would have felt very awkward to be put in that position.

 

Knott's really needs to get its head back on straight. Funny, that they make plenty of idiotic decision in terms of ride safety (i.e. Kingdom of Dinosaurs trains), but their rides ops are so stupid that they don't see the potential danger of making a young child ride with a complete adult male stranger.

 

Knott's is seriously out to lunch!

 

Fredrick Biedermann

(Who constantly lurks, but rarely posts!)

[GuruGuys]

Wow, I guess I got very lucky when I visited Knotts'. These are the kind of comments I heard going into my Knotts' visit and was very happy that I experienced nothing similar to the complaints expressed here. I had a great time there, the ride ops were all having fun with their jobs, the staff and maintenance crew were friendly, the park was very clean and the rides were fun. Sucks that they can't seem to provide the service I experienced on a consistent basis.

 

-GG

[winningfreak]

Well if you think of it form the view, weekdays are normaly dead. They do not need to run 2-3 cars if they can hardly fill one up. When ever I go on a week day I only expect 1 train to run and maybe a 2 car wait. As for single riders they do allow them on re-rides. If you ask the ride op and there is an empty seat they almost always say go for it. Another reason its slow dispatches is this is when they train new people, get them ready to weekends and holidays.

[Tmcdllr]

^That aside there is no excuse for asking a complete stranger (no offense) to ride with a child, which is not the reponsibilty of that stranger or the park. The child is the reponsibilty of that parent. That is totally unacceptable. Had something happened it could have easily turned very bad or even ended up in a lawsuit. And what about that parent? Leaving two kids behind, on their own, so he/she could ride a rollercoaster. No don't see any parenting skills there and also totally unacceptable. The ride ops, the parent, what's wrong with these people?

[sam06pr]

While visiting the park last Thursday May 15, I must admit I was very very disappointed in the park staffing and its operation. First off, I am a Cedar Fair pass holder and have been for years. Recently in addition to myself, my family opted for a Cedar Fair pass over Disney because I have a toddler niece and the lines at Disney were to much to deal with. With that said we also know to avoid Knott's on weekends or busy periods. When I attend the park alone and want to ride the "grown up" rides I also leave work early on a non peak weekday or arrive first thing on the weekends. Overall I am very aware of the peak periods at the park.

 

With that said, the last two times I have been to Knott's on a off season 10am-6pm operating weekday I have been utterly disappointed in the parks performance. Arriving at 11am, as far as I saw EVERY coaster in the park was only running one train(including one tower on Supreme Scream). The trains were not fully loaded and the dispatch times between trains were HORRIBLE. Many employees seemed lethargic with an attitude. Overall the park was not crowded attendance wise but every major attraction/rollercoaster in the park had at least a 30 minute wait time due to the rides low hourly capacity. On a 8 hour business day I find this unacceptable. Once again I was without my family and a single rider, something that Knott's does not use to fill in empty seats on any attraction.

 

Another major concern of mine in the park that day was on the Sierra Sidewinder children between 42"-48" policy of riding with a responsible adult. On this Thursday the park was operating one train(as on all rides) and I waited in line 30 minutes to board the next train. The adult in the boarding lane next to me had at least 3 children that were between 42" and 48". The staff had him ride with one child the cycle before mine while leaving his other very young dependants unattended, confused, and crying. After that cycle I was asked by your ride operators and the staff trainer that was at the ride Robin(without a name tag on) to ride with one of these children that I had never met before. Now as a middle aged single male I felt very uncomfortable and awkward with this request for obvious reasons and on top of that I told them I did not want to be physically responsible for a 5 year old child that I have never met. The staff told me I was not responsible for them or anything that happens to them on the ride. So I asked why I had to ride with them. Policy. So for me not wanting to ride with someone else's young child between under 48" I had to wait another two cycles while one of the employees rode with the children that were not even in my lane extending my wait significantly. I should have never been asked to "watch" a strangers child on a ride.

 

On a side note I also have a platinum pass for the Six Flags chain. The last two time I have visited Magic Mountain on a off peak weekday they have had all rides very well staffed and most, if not all major attractions/coasters were in two car operation and the dispatch times were very efficient even allowing guests to re-ride.

 

I realize a park or ride can have a bad day but this seems to be much more than just one bad day. Just like any other publicly traded corporation you have a bottom line, and responsibility to your stockholders and consumers. For me to take time out of my day and voice this is something I feel very strongly about and something that can be rectified.

 

props for that employee, That's what I called good service!!!!!! I think you are just looking at all the negatives. But I really Don't know. It is a pain to see them run one train for every ride. But that is how it is done in most parks during weekdays when it is slow.

Employee's get bored and sometimes rude. I mean they don't really get paid that much. Single riders are just a pain to deal with. Some like to take advantage of that but want to ride with their people. Might as well not have that implemented. although I do prefer riding by myself, but not having to wait for a long line. Did you really wait for 30 mins on all rides?

[socalMAN123]

No mean to state the obvious, just another normal day at Knott's! Seriously, I've seen the park falling in the past couple years. Bad operations, bad staff, tired park. All signs of the management. This sounds exactly what SFMM was going through a couple years ago. Maybe we'll get lucky, and in the near future they'll get some awesome management like up at SFMM and turn the park around!

---Brent

[laqueefa]

Wow, I guess I got very lucky when I visited Knotts'. These are the kind of comments I heard going into my Knotts' visit and was very happy that I experienced nothing similar to the complaints expressed here. I had a great time there, the ride ops were all having fun with their jobs, the staff and maintenance crew were friendly, the park was very clean and the rides were fun. Sucks that they can't seem to provide the service I experienced on a consistent basis.

 

-GG

 

I am with you. I visited the park on the 17th and had the best time. The staff was friendly and pumped up which helped with the 98 degree weather, the rides were dispatching quickly, the park was clean, ....it was probably one of the best times I'd spent at Knotts.

[Teacups Make Me Sick]

 

So I asked why I had to ride with them. Policy. So for me not wanting to ride with someone else's young child between under 48" I had to wait another two cycles while one of the employees rode with the children that were not even in my lane extending my wait significantly. I should have never been asked to "watch" a strangers child on a ride.

 

 

Not for nothing...but they didn't ask you to watch the child, simply asked you to ride with him/her b/c you are a single rider.

 

Kinda goes with the territory, I wouldnt write off the park completly.

 

I had to ride with prepubescent teenager on Rolling Thunder at Great Adventure. He was quite large for his age (which meant that he was practically on my lap) and due to his braces (I guess) spit every time he spoke. It was a fun experience and he was a nice person...so maybe what I'm trying to say is just go with it...after all you are at a themepark.

[parentoftwo]

As a parent taking two kids one 42 inches the other 45 inches I am not sure how to get them on the ride. Honestly I think it is stupid to think that any kid could fall out, but would be saved by their respective guardian. Imagine that situation, a kid dangling being held. And if they fall, it is what the parent's fault? So if the ride can not accommodate 42" just set the ride height accordingly. If it can, then why require a parent.

 

So when I take my kids my only option is to start a nice conversation with a stranger and find out if they would be kind enough to sit with my kid.

It is something I did not have to do at Magic Mountain, because my little one was under 42 and I just stayed on the ground with her while my kid rode alone.

 

I'm not sure there is a good solution, but as a parent you never want to leave your kids out of sight, so the thought of having to take my kids one at a time will not work. I am left with either find a stranger or wait 2 years when my kid is 48 inches.

 

I want to give my kids the thrill ride. They love space mountain thunder mountain and Matterhorn.

 

I wish rides were available at all parks that accommodate the young

[simon8899]

Visiting Knott's some time ago now I saw both sides of the coin. While operations at Montezooma and Xcelerator were swift - the later running with two trains on a non-holiday weekday - the ops at Silver Bullet were the opposite: one train, slow staff and a 60 minute line, which was overlooked by an armed guard which I found rather weird. Only rode it once to get the credit - which was a shame as it is a great ride - and went to do several re-rides on the well operated coasters.

 

I also have to agree that ops at SFMM were I was a day later were way better than those at Knotts. They even had two trains on Scream with barely enough guests to fill them - did 20+ rides in one hour. Same was true for Goliath.

 

Best in LA - but also Orlando - of course were Disney ops. With Fast Pass and swift single rider procedures - were available - it was a day with lots of rides having friendly and efficient staff. The only parks so far coming close to Disney in ops are Europa-Park and Liseberg.

 

Sometimes I think that some parks deliberatly have slow ops with one train so they do not have that much wear and tear on a ride - saving maintenence costs.

 

^You are quite unique in asking strangers if they would ride with your kid. I and my friends have often - on both sides of the pond - seen that parents would not let their kids ride with a stranger and openly forbid us to take an empty seat next to their kid. I respect that - but it reduces capacity even more.