The Knott's Berry Farm (KBF) Discussion Thread

[DBJ]

Nice pics. I was there for haunt this last Saturday. Pretty surprising to hear that people were surprised Ghostrider was being worked on. You can clearly see the work being done.

[KBrylczyk]

^ They sure didn't bother hiding the giant piles of lumber by the haunts in that corner. It may just be because it's so visible that people are commenting on it. Wandering to go through Trick Or Treat and seeing a 15-foot high pile of wood gets people talking.

 

Did they ever give a specific announcement date or is it still just "November?"

[KBrylczyk]

Figured I'd throw up a quick Scary Farm update from my visit earlier this month before I head back tomorrow for round 2 with Skeleton Key -

 

Paranormal Inc. - HOLY. CRAP. Yeah, the hype is real for this one. Definitely Knott's most ambitious haunt yet and full of super awesome stuff! You must do two laps to try both paths as the first half of the maze is split. Some seriously cool effects and great scares in here.

 

Dead Of Winter - I've seen a lot of bad reviews for this haunt but I really enjoyed it! Knott's took a big risk with bright sets but they did a great job! The scares are there, it's cold, there's snow falling from the sky, and there's a super-hot ice queen who wears a low-cut dress. What's not to love?!

 

VooDoo - Definitely improved over last year with it being one long haunt rather than a choose-your-adventure style. It's much longer and has improved scenery, as well as a fantastic new finale that got me way more than I expected.

 

Tooth Fairy - Still the scariest damn haunt at Knott's, but that may be because I was completely alone with actors craving a schmuck to scare. There was nobody in line when I walked up and there was nobody behind me, so the guys inside were just waiting for me and they definitely did their best. This haunt screwed me up plenty last year, complete with me ending up on the floor MULTIPLE times, and this year resulted in more of the same. The finale was changed and is MUCH more effective this year, too!

 

Trick Or Treat - Really cool haunt, really lame scares. Pretty much the same review I gave it last year. Great effects but the sets, for the most part, are too wide-open for any good scares. Brand new finale on this one, too, that seems to be taking a step in the right direction. Rather than going into a big dining hallf with a flying witch, you go into a cramped attic with a pissed-off witch.

 

Forevermore - WAY better than last year! This was my least favorite last year because of lazy talent and crap staff (standing around looking at cell phones, etc). This year they got their crap together, though! Super long haunt with some excellent sets, as well as a scene or two I don't remember from last year. Good scares, good story, lots of fun!

 

Pinnochio Unstrung - Exactly the same as last year. Still good, but I get the feeling this one's going to be retired next year.

 

Gunslinger's Grave - Like my review last year, this is just "meh." The scares are almost non-existent but the sets are cool and there's heavy metal blasting the entire time, so it gets points.

 

Black Magic - Much creepier than what I remember from last year, and the addition of the seance room (was last year's Skeleton Key room) is a huge plus! Hot chicks galore in here, too!

 

Special Ops: Infected - Still awesome! Much longer than last year as they've combined the two tracks into one, but lighter on the objectives, unfortunately. I gotta say I preferred last year's version because of the objectives. It felt like more of a mission than just run and shoot zombies from this year.

 

My Bloody Clementine - Enjoyable trip through the mine with some cool projections and lighting. I counted three actors. Could use some balls in the future.

 

The Hanging - Awesome. 'Nuff said.

 

Elvira's Asylum - This video gives a better review of the show than I ever could -

 

[youtu_be]

[/youtu_be]

 

That's all I got! Skeleton Key tomorrow along with Boo-fet early entrance!

[timetrial3141592]

 

Elvira's Asylum - This video gives a better review of the show than I ever could -

 

[youtu_be]

[/youtu_be]

 

 

What the heck did I just watch?

[Guy T. Koepp]

^I don't know, but it was magic! Because... ...boobs.

[FilmoreISnAZN]

Is it known if it's positively GCI doing the restoration of Ghostrider? If so, I kind of wish they would do some reprofiling on some areas like they did on Boulder Dash. Add a double up or down in an area or something. Add a little GCI touch to the ride.

[i<3coasters]

Is it known if it's positively GCI doing the restoration of Ghostrider? If so, I kind of wish they would do some reprofiling on some areas like they did on Boulder Dash. Add a double up or down in an area or something. Add a little GCI touch to the ride.

 

We will know in a couple weeks who is officially doing the refurb, and the extent of the work being taken on (new trains, reprofiling, etc.).

Assumptions at this point are just GCI because of the lack of pre-fab track or topper track, and based on CF's relationship with the company (who has been working on Shivering Timbers for a few years).

Speaking of the announcement, is there a date set for that yet, or is still just "November"?

[Domm]

How are crowds gonna be Sunday day? Fast lane required?

[CedarFlags]

How are crowds gonna be Sunday day? Fast lane required?

 

Doubtful. The days are a little busier than they used to be around this time with the addition of Spooky Farm during the day, but Sundays are still pretty calm.

[CedarFlags]

Is it known if it's positively GCI doing the restoration of Ghostrider? If so, I kind of wish they would do some reprofiling on some areas like they did on Boulder Dash. Add a double up or down in an area or something. Add a little GCI touch to the ride.

 

I can unofficially say that it is officially GCI.

[Jew]

I think that became a given once we didn't see any topper track. I'm guessing there will only be minor reprofiling.

Edited October 23, 2015 by Jew

[Domm]

How are crowds gonna be Sunday day? Fast lane required?

 

Doubtful. The days are a little busier than they used to be around this time with the addition of Spooky Farm during the day, but Sundays are still pretty calm.

 

Thanks for the intel! I have a gold pass at CGA and was planning on trying to renew that to Platinum at Knotts and get the included fast lane promotion, but it looks like I can't do that and would have to buy a new platinum pass which would get me a single 2015 knotts day admission Making the pass only valid for 2016

 

Looking forward to finally getting down there for rides during the day and haunts at night. Hope to get some repeats on Xcellerator and get the first rides on the Voyage

 

Do they clear out the day crowd before doing haunt (CGA does)? I also forgot does skeleton key get early entry, or is that only for boofet?

[disney4me2001]

Do they clear out the day crowd before doing haunt (CGA does)? I also forgot does skeleton key get early entry, or is that only for boofet?

 

Yes, the day crowd is cleared out since Haunt is a separate ticket event. You do get early entry with Boo-fet, but not Skeleton Key. I believe that for Boo-fet they'll let you in during normal park hours, towards the end of the day (starting at 3 or 4PM if I heard right?), and then since the Boo-fet is in the park, you get to stay during the switchover from regular park hours to Haunt, which means after your meal you'll get a headstart on mazes, rides, and getting a return time for Special Ops (if you want one)!

 

I personally have never done Boo-fet though, so I may not be completely or even remotely correct- I'm going based solely off of what I've heard from those who have done Boo-fet before!

[Arthur_Seaton]

Went to Scary Farm last night, and while there were healthy crowds throughout, they really only congregated around a few attractions.

 

We arrived early to make sure we could get Infected reservations (we did with no problems whatsoever) then jumped on Silver Bullet (one of the better B&Ms I think) before heading to our 7:30 zombie appointment. The whole Infected experience took about 45 minutes from start to finish with about half of that time spent in the various holding rooms at the beginning. Everyone in our group really enjoyed it although it certainly felt hectic and the weapons seemed arbitrary.

 

Next up was the Calico Mine overlay. Not nearly as good as what they used to do to the mine, and probably not worth waiting in a long line for. Several red-lit mannequins popped up on sticks and spazzed out and that was about it. They did have a handful of human scare actors in there, but they weren't very effective due to placement etc.

 

We did the Elvira thing — campy and entertaining, and our group enjoyed it. The music was miserable — like waiting in line for Full Thröttle — but the comedic lyrics helped to elevate it a bit. Clearly a lot of effort goes into this, but it's somewhat lost on me as I don't have the stomach for musical theatre. Elvira, though, is a national treasure.

 

Voyage to the Iron Reef was next and we all thought it was lousy. A fourth-rate Universal style immersion ride crossed with an annoying video game (that, ironically, dumps you out into a room filled with annoying video games). I'm sure it's a crowd-puller, but it's an easy one to criticize.

 

Forevermore was next and was the same as last year as far as we could tell. It has a nice mix of cheap sets and old-school scares with a couple of genuinely unsettling scenes. It shows its age, but its creakiness is what makes it fun.

 

Paranormal Inc. had a long, annoying line all night (about 45 mins), but it's evident as to why once you enter the maze. This was on par with Universal's mazes and it's easily the best maze that Knott's has done in many years. I'm not familiar with the premise, and it was hard to figure out what was going on in the opening sequence, but the way the crowd splits was original and chaotic. (Spoiler: plastic sheets drop down from the ceiling while two empty gurneys seem to push you around.) Everything about this maze was exceptional, from the talent to the sets to the effects. Impressive and terrifying at the same time.

 

Due to the crowd that Paranormal Inc. drew, Voodoo and Tooth Fairy had almost no line. Voodoo was definitely an improvement over last year in that it was longer, and some of the scares were very effective. The various hanging pelts — several of which were dampened by a spitting effect — were a nice touch. Not sure what happened at the end, though. They extended and redirected the maze through some rags, but nothing happened in there. You exited to several monsters sitting around and chatting. We went through twice just to be sure we didn't accidentally enter an employee break area, and sure enough, that's the new ending. Tooth Fairy saw some redesign as well and wasn't quite as effective as last year's maze. It's still one of the best (and most disturbing), but the timing was a little off and the actors weren't quite up to task. (Perhaps it seemed that way because the Paranormal actors were so good?)

 

Timber Mountain was next. Although the old halloween overlays were always a Scary Farm highlight, it would be a shame to turn off the excellent animatronics in this ride — and there are just too many of them now. Still one of the greatest log rides around, and the mix of camp nostalgia and technology is one of the best things Knott's has going. I don't know what kind of investment the revamp required, but it certainly puts Iron Reef to shame in terms of quality and immersive experience.

 

Black Magic was next (very similar to last year, and mid-tier in relation to the park's other mazes). Dead of Winter followed which was underwhelming and probably the least effective maze of the night. We gave them credit for trying something new (brightly lit and very open), but it seemed so thrown together. A few nice effects here and there, but the whole thing seemed like a set of last-minute ideas without much cohesion.

 

By this point, Pinocchio Unstrung had shed almost all of its line. Again, the same as last year (and all the years prior). It's a good concept with decent sets and monsters, but it does feel dated. That's not a bad thing as nostalgia and Knott's go hand in hand, but it's definitely skippable if you've seen it before. Trick or Treat seemed far more elaborate than the previous year, but that could just be mistaken memory. Both the sets and the actors were very good indeed — far better than expected, nudging this one closer to the level of the surrounding Tooth Fairy and Voodoo.

 

We skipped Gunslinger's Grave and most of the rides, but the average wait time for a maze was around 10 minutes with Paranormal being the exception. The scare zone in Ghost Town continues to be one of the best of the LA area parks (insane amount of fog and lots of sliders), and overall, the park had just about the right sized crowd. I do recall a few years ago being able to get more rides and mazes in during a single night, but in the last few years, we've had to sacrifice rides for the various mazes and events. If you're doing Infected or something like Elvira, it'll eat up a chunk of your night, so plan ahead. Overall, Knott's continues to keep the bar set high. While they might only raise said bar incrementally, they rarely disappoint (unlike Six Flags which, in the space of a single year, allowed their Halloween event to nose dive).

Edited October 23, 2015 by Arthur_Seaton

[cfc]

^My opinion of Voyage to the Iron Reef is the direct opposite of yours. I really enjoyed it during West Coast Bash--lots of fun and very re-rideable. The log ride still rules, though.

Edited October 23, 2015 by cfc

[Guy T. Koepp]

Went to Scary Farm last night, and while there were healthy crowds throughout, they really only congregated around a few attractions.

 

We arrived early to make sure we could get Infected reservations (we did with no problems whatsoever) then jumped on Silver Bullet (one of the better B&Ms I think) before heading to our 7:30 zombie appointment. The whole Infected experience took about 45 minutes from start to finish with about half of that time spent in the various holding rooms at the beginning. Everyone in our group really enjoyed it although it certainly felt hectic and the weapons seemed arbitrary.

 

Next up was the Calico Mine overlay. Not nearly as good as what they used to do to the mine, and probably not worth waiting in a long line for. Several red-lit mannequins popped up on sticks and spazzed out and that was about it. They did have a handful of human scare actors in there, but they weren't very effective due to placement etc.

 

We did the Elvira thing — campy and entertaining, and our group enjoyed it. The music was miserable — like waiting in line for Full Thröttle — but the comedic lyrics helped to elevate it a bit. Clearly a lot of effort goes into this, but it's somewhat lost on me as I don't have the stomach for musical theatre. Elvira, though, is a national treasure CHEST.

 

Voyage to the Iron Reef was next and we all thought it was lousy. A fourth-rate Universal style immersion ride crossed with an annoying video game (that, ironically, dumps you out into a room filled with annoying video games). I'm sure it's a crowd-puller, but it's an easy one to criticize.

 

Forevermore was next and was the same as last year as far as we could tell. It has a nice mix of cheap sets and old-school scares with a couple of genuinely unsettling scenes. It shows its age, but it's creakiness is what makes it fun.

 

Paranormal Inc. had a long, annoying line all night (about 45 mins), but it's evident as to why once you enter the maze. This was on par with Universal's mazes and it's easily the best maze that Knott's has done in many years. I'm not familiar with the premise, and the it was hard to figure out what was going on in the opening sequence, but the way the crowd splits was original and chaotic. (Spoiler: plastic sheets drop down from the ceiling while two empty gurneys seem to push you around.) Everything about this maze was exceptional, from the talent to the sets to the effects. Impressive and terrifying at the same time.

 

Due to the crowd that Paranormal Inc. drew, Voodoo and Tooth Fairy had almost no line. Voodoo was definitely an improvement over last year in that it was longer, and some of the scares were very effective. The various hanging pelts — several of which were dampened by a spitting effect — were a nice touch. Not sure what happened at the end, though. They extended and redirected the maze through some rags, but nothing happened in there. You exited to several monsters sitting around and chatting. We went through twice just to be sure we didn't accidentally enter an employee break area, and sure enough, that's the new ending. Tooth Fairy saw some redesign as well and wasn't quite as effective as last year's maze. It's still one of the best (and most disturbing), but the timing was a little off and the actors weren't quite up to task. (Perhaps it seemed that way because the Paranormal actors were so good?)

 

Timber Mountain was next. Although the old halloween overlays were always a Scary Farm highlight, it would be a shame to turn off the excellent animatronics in this ride — and there are just too many of them now. Still one of the greatest log rides around, and the mix of camp nostalgia and technology is one of the best things Knott's has going. I don't know what kind of investment the revamp required, but it certainly puts Iron Reef to shame in terms of quality and immersive experience.

 

Black Magic was next (very similar to last year, and mid-tier in relation to the park's other mazes). Dead of Winter followed which was underwhelming and probably the least effective maze of the night. We gave them credit for trying something new (brightly lit and very open), but it seemed so thrown together. A few nice effects here and there, but the whole thing seemed like a set of last-minute ideas without much cohesion.

 

By this point, Pinocchio Unstrung had shed almost all of its line. Again, the same as last year (and all the years prior). It's a good concept with decent sets and monsters, but it does feel dated. That's not a bad thing as nostalgia and Knott's go hand in hand, but it's definitely skippable if you've seen it before. Trick or Treat seemed far more elaborate than the previous year, but that could just be mistaken memory. Both the sets and the actors were very good indeed — far better than expected, nudging this one closer to the level of the surrounding Tooth Fairy and Voodoo.

 

We skipped Gunslinger's Grave and most of the rides, but the average wait time for a maze was around 10 minutes with Paranormal being the exception. The scare zone in Ghost Town continues to be one of the best of the LA area parks (insane amount of fog and lots of sliders), and overall, the park had just about the right sized crowd. I do recall a few years ago being able to get more rides and mazes in during a single night, but in the last few years, we've had to sacrifice rides for the various mazes and events. If you're doing Infected or something like Elvira, it'll eat up a chunk of your night, so plan ahead. Overall, Knott's continues to keep the bar set high. While they might only raise said bar incrementally, they rarely disappoint (unlike Six Flags which, in the space of a single year, allowed their Halloween event to nose dive).

 

Fixed!

[Arthur_Seaton]

^My opinion of Voyage to the Iron Reef is the direct opposite of yours. I really enjoyed it during West Coast Bash--lots of fun and very re-rideable. The log ride still rules, though.

I tried to balance my expectations as I had already read plenty of criticism of the ride (and a few reports from people who enjoyed it — yours included), but it just didn't do it for us. There were a couple of moments where the videos produced a real sensation of movement, but the illusion was thin in that it was always far too apparent that you were sitting in front of a screen on a track. I found myself looking for the projectors that people complained about when it opened (didn't really see them), but the experience, for me at least, felt more moving through a warehouse with screens in it than anything to do with being underwater.

 

And, as an aside, it was weird seeing Ghostrider partly dismantled. Even though I found it to be just as brutal as everyone else, I've always loved the layout so much that I'm willing to take some of the pain. I rode it when it first opened (before the covered drop and the aggressive braking), and even in its worst states, the layout and overall design have always made it a must-ride. If they re-profile anything, I'd hope that they manipulate a few of the turns. Laterals are fun, but some of them (the turn that leads up toward the mid-course brake section; the helix) feel like they would benefit from additional banking. It's the turn at the bottom of the "hidden" drop that feels the most aggressive to me, though. I'm glad they're not making any dramatic changes to the design as the current layout is so great. Even just looking at the structure last night, it's clear that whoever designed it knew how to pack all the best coaster elements into a small space.

Edited October 23, 2015 by Arthur_Seaton

[Arthur_Seaton]

Fixed!

Ha!

[cfc]

^Oh, that silly Guy . . .

[Jew]

 

And, as an aside, it was weird seeing Ghostrider partly dismantled. Even though I found it to be just as brutal as everyone else, I've always loved the layout so much that I'm willing to take some of the pain. I rode it when it first opened (before the covered drop and the aggressive braking), and even in its worst states, the layout and overall design have always made it a must-ride. If they re-profile anything, I'd hope that they manipulate a few of the turns. Laterals are fun, but some of them (the turn that leads up toward the mid-course brake section; the helix) feel like they would benefit from additional banking. It's the turn at the bottom of the "hidden" drop that feels the most aggressive to me, though. I'm glad they're not making any dramatic changes to the design as the current layout is so great. Even just looking at the structure last night, it's clear that whoever designed it knew how to pack all the best coaster elements into a small space.

 

Agreed about the layout. I wished for years that Intamin would be the ones to re-do it...just take that layout with their laminated track and I'm guessing it would produce the #1 coaster!

[dylanreich]

So last weekend was my first time at Scary Farm, and I went with JeromyL and x2isawesome. I was really really impressed!!! They really "got me" a few times haha. Paranormal Inc. was simply amazing. Infected was super cool and our group had a lot of fun. Also, the Fright Lane pass is a must. The Hanging was pretty funny. Can't wait till next year! The plan next weekend is to try Horror Night at Universal for the first time...

[JeromyL]

^^^^ That WAS A LOT OF FUN DYLAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Kyle Coleman]

^^^^ That WAS A LOT OF FUN DYLAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Agreed. Also just want to say paranormal was heads and shoulders above the other houses.

[disney4me2001]

And, as an aside, it was weird seeing Ghostrider partly dismantled. Even though I found it to be just as brutal as everyone else, I've always loved the layout so much that I'm willing to take some of the pain. I rode it when it first opened (before the covered drop and the aggressive braking), and even in its worst states, the layout and overall design have always made it a must-ride. If they re-profile anything, I'd hope that they manipulate a few of the turns. Laterals are fun, but some of them (the turn that leads up toward the mid-course brake section; the helix) feel like they would benefit from additional banking. It's the turn at the bottom of the "hidden" drop that feels the most aggressive to me, though. I'm glad they're not making any dramatic changes to the design as the current layout is so great. Even just looking at the structure last night, it's clear that whoever designed it knew how to pack all the best coaster elements into a small space.

 

I agree about the turns! I've always found those to be the worst parts of the ride (the turn at the bottom of the first drop, the one before the MCBR, and the one immediately after that drop)! Wouldn't mind if they redesigned those a bit to make the transition between elements a bit smoother, though hopefully the simple act of the reprofiling will take care of it!

[CedarFlags]

Crazy crowded at Scary Farm tonight. The line for Trick or Treat was past the entrance of Ghostrider, all the way to the GhostTown sign.