The Knott's Berry Farm (KBF) Discussion Thread

[loop-de-loop]

When you say Knotts sells out, does that mean they shut the front gates after a certain number of people go through?

[PeoplemoverMatt]

I would say the Haunt pass should be blacked out on Halloween and/or the last Saturday before Halloween, but that would most likely only result in the same scenario playing out on whatever becomes the Haunt pass' last valid Saturday night.

 

The overall point to me would seem to be, if crowds aren't your thing, don't go on the last weekend that's in/around Halloween. I don't think any park should completely overwhelm their entire Haunt program for the 5-6 weeks or however long it goes on for just because on/around Halloween, it gets crazy. If guest safety becomes an issue, cap off ticket sales, or increase prices for Halloween and its weekend.

[COASTER FREAK 11]

When you say Knotts sells out, does that mean they shut the front gates after a certain number of people go through?

 

Yes. They sell a limited amount of tickets every evening. They don't simply wait for people to leave, there is a hard number at which they simply stop selling tickets and that's it for the night.

[VegasBaby]

Just an FYI, today is the last day to get 2015 Knott's season passes for $76.50 (paid out at $8.50 a month for 9 months). There's also deals on the Gold Pass (which includes Soak City) and the Platinum Pass (includes parking and admission to all Cedar Fair parks). I believe this deal is even cheaper than the 2014 season passes, which I remember being $78. I figured they would wait to announce the 2015 additions until this deal is over and they raise the season pass price. There was a post on Facebook where someone asked about new rides for 2015 and Knott's responded by saying stay tuned for an announcement, so I think it's pretty certain they are going to do something in 2015. My guess is the rumored dark ride, but I'd take a new thrill coaster as well!

[PeoplemoverMatt]

^ Is it only the standard KBF season pass going up, or would it be correct to think that the Knott's Gold Season Pass and Cedar Fair Platinum Pass would also be going up tomorrow?

[VegasBaby]

^ Is it only the standard KBF season pass going up, or would it be correct to think that the Knott's Gold Season Pass and Cedar Fair Platinum Pass would also be going up tomorrow?

 

Based on what's happened in prior years, I would expect the Gold and Platinum passes to go up in price tomorrow as well.

[SilverBullet2004]

Did they push the pass price date back? Now it says November 6th. Does that mean that they will announce the ride the same day?

 

https://www.knotts.com/ticket-category/Season-Passes

[VegasBaby]

Did they push the pass price date back? Now it says November 6th. Does that mean that they will announce the ride the same day?

 

https://www.knotts.com/ticket-category/Season-Passes

 

Yes, it looks like they extended the season pass sale until November 6th. I doubt they will announce the new ride until the pass prices go up. There was another post by Knott's on Facebook that said "We have a lot of new fun coming in 2015", so they are definitely planning something.

[singforfood]

That's what happens when they reduce the amount of mazes and take away a scare zone to be replaced with a limited capacity attraction....

 

It was an experiment. Infected's capacity was a serious issue for guests, and it may not may a return for next year because of it, but I'm proud of Knott's for trying something new and out of the box.

[Jew]

^There's plenty they could have done "outside the box" without hampering capacity.

 

Regardless, Infected doesn't change the fact they no longer use the bumper cars or fiesta plaza as a maze location. Put those maze locations back in play and the capacity of Infected isn't as much of an issue.

[singforfood]

^There's plenty they could have done "outside the box" without hampering capacity.

 

Regardless, Infected doesn't change the fact they no longer use the bumper cars or fiesta plaza as a maze location. Put those maze locations back in play and the capacity of Infected isn't as much of an issue.

 

The park is going in a "quality over quantity" direction that most guests seem to be asking for in reviews, and encouraging with their dollars, given the boom in Universal HHN's attendance in the last 5 or so years. Even with significantly throttling back the number of mazes from the old standard 13, Knott's still has more to do than Universal and MUCH shorter average wait times, but nobody ever seems to complain about those things at Universal, just at Knott's.

[DJeXeL]

I only went to HHN this year because I got free tickets for employee preview night. Universal is too damn crowded and their front of the line option only allows one-time access to each maze and that is simply not a good deal. Knott's Skeleton Key/Fright Lane offers unlimited access which is a MUCH better deal as I like to do each maze 2 times. Don't get me wrong, HHN has high quality mazes but waiting 3 hours for a single maze will deflate anyone's night in a hurry.

 

I'm all for Knott's going for less mazes but higher quality. Infected is a great offering but I agree it does need some modification to allow for a higher capacity. It was an experiment and I think it will be back next year with better capacity. I know that using Soak City for Infected was brought to the table but shot down by Raffi citing logistics issues with getting guests to and from efficiently.

[PeoplemoverMatt]

I only went to HHN this year because I got free tickets for employee preview night. Universal is too damn crowded and their front of the line option only allows one-time access to each maze and that is simply not a good deal. Knott's Skeleton Key/Fright Lane offers unlimited access which is a MUCH better deal as I like to do each maze 2 times. Don't get me wrong, HHN has high quality mazes but waiting 3 hours for a single maze will deflate anyone's night in a hurry.

 

I'm all for Knott's going for less mazes but higher quality. Infected is a great offering but I agree it does need some modification to allow for a higher capacity. It was an experiment and I think it will be back next year with better capacity. I know that using Soak City for Infected was brought to the table but shot down by Raffi citing logistics issues with getting guests to and from efficiently.

 

 

I agree Universal HHN is far too crowded. The absurd wait times is one of the many reasons why I prefer Knott's Haunt over HHN. There's just no way you're getting the value for your ticket if you're stuck doing nothing but waiting in line for 3 hours for one maze. Gate A can solve this, yes, but it comes at a high additional cost, and only works once per maze.

 

As for Infected's capacity, I think KBF did a pretty good job with it. It could have been much worse had they not handed out the return time cards or had Infected been exiled out to Soak City, which would have been the mother of all logistical nightmares for all involved. There is a LOT of room for improvement in how the cards are distributed, where guests are told to go, how the whole procedure is communicated to guests and so forth, but the attraction itself I thought was quite well executed. I loved running around having the scare actor zombies after us, trying to break into whatever room we tried to hide in, have guests try to solve puzzles under duress. That kind of thing was awesome. I also don't see any reason why any scores should be tracked as that seemed to distract from the attraction, and in some cases tempted guests into doing things they shouldn't just to inflate their score. There's a lot of room for plussing but it was a good first time. Can't wait to see what new enhancements are brought to it next year, assuming it comes back at all.

[DJeXeL]

I also don't see any reason why any scores should be tracked as that seemed to distract from the attraction, and in some cases tempted guests into doing things they shouldn't just to inflate their score.

 

This!!! I was lucky enough to experience "Alpha" and "Bravo" twice each on the night I went but there was a guest in one of my groups that was throwing objects at the talent. Stupidity seems to be the norm now.......sadly.

[singforfood]

Work is continuing up at Kingdom of the Dinosaurs. Expect an announcement for the new attraction in about 3 weeks.

[Jew]

I only went to HHN this year because I got free tickets for employee preview night. Universal is too damn crowded and their front of the line option only allows one-time access to each maze and that is simply not a good deal. Knott's Skeleton Key/Fright Lane offers unlimited access which is a MUCH better deal as I like to do each maze 2 times. Don't get me wrong, HHN has high quality mazes but waiting 3 hours for a single maze will deflate anyone's night in a hurry.

 

No wait time at HHN has ever actually been 3 hours. Lines are long everywhere for Halloween. I've waited 1hr+ at Haunt when I had no choice but to visit on a weekend. And that was with the 13 mazes. The difference is USH posts the wait time, so everyone knows its a long time and will immediately complain about it no matter what their actual wait time was.

 

The park is going in a "quality over quantity" direction that most guests seem to be asking for in reviews, and encouraging with their dollars, given the boom in Universal HHN's attendance in the last 5 or so years. Even with significantly throttling back the number of mazes from the old standard 13, Knott's still has more to do than Universal and MUCH shorter average wait times, but nobody ever seems to complain about those things at Universal, just at Knott's.

 

I know that Haunt makes a TON of money, but if guests were speaking with their dollars...they wouldn't have to offer a $75 pass good for EVERY night. The event would sell out on its own merits.

 

The reason no one complains about HHN is because long wait times are posted and unfortunately have always been part of the event since its return in 2006. So it's part of the HHN culture (on both coasts). Unfortunately. Haunt suffers from the opposite. People have known Haunt to have lots of mazes and shows in certain locations for many years, so those missing areas make wait times much more noticeable at Haunt.

 

Let's call it what it is and not try to sugar coat it...the decision was most likely a cost cutting measure. I highly doubt that the lack of fiesta village stage, bumper cars, balloon race, and some of the front entrance plaza (which could now make a great queue for infected standby if not a maze entrance...) were upsetting day operations guests so much....

 

If it were 10 NEW mazes every year, then I doubt anyone would complain. That would make for an incredible event.

Edited November 6, 2014 by Jew

[singforfood]

The park is going in a "quality over quantity" direction that most guests seem to be asking for in reviews, and encouraging with their dollars, given the boom in Universal HHN's attendance in the last 5 or so years. Even with significantly throttling back the number of mazes from the old standard 13, Knott's still has more to do than Universal and MUCH shorter average wait times, but nobody ever seems to complain about those things at Universal, just at Knott's.

 

I know that Haunt makes a TON of money, but if guests were speaking with their dollars...they wouldn't have to offer a $75 pass good for EVERY night. The event would sell out on its own merits.

 

The reason no one complains about HHN is because long wait times are posted and unfortunately have always been part of the event since its return in 2006. So it's part of the HHN culture (on both coasts). Unfortunately. Haunt suffers from the opposite. People have known Haunt to have lots of mazes and shows in certain locations for many years, so those missing areas make wait times much more noticeable at Haunt.

 

Let's call it what it is and not try to sugar coat it...the decision was most likely a cost cutting measure. I highly doubt that the lack of fiesta village stage, bumper cars, balloon race, and some of the front entrance plaza (which could now make a great queue for infected standby if not a maze entrance...) were upsetting day operations guests so much....

 

If it were 10 NEW mazes every year, then I doubt anyone would complain. That would make for an incredible event.

 

I meant speaking with their dollars at Universal. An event with 7 mazes was booming while Knott's with 13 was waning, so why wouldn't Knott's try to cut some costs and trim down the number of mazes? The trends were showing that people didn't care about long wait times and few mazes, if there was production quality.

 

The posted wait times at HHN aren't always even right. Because they sell so many front of the line passes, the posted times can be off by 30-60 minutes sometimes.

 

Also, I think Knott's really needs to get back to soft sellouts, though I doubt that will ever happen, seeing as how Cedar Fair has dollar signs burned into it's eye balls and Haunt is responsible for nearly half of the park's annual revenue.

[Jew]

Universal and Haunt are two entirely different events. What works for Universal won't automatically work for Haunt. The fact that they had to supplement Haunt attendance with the $75 pass for EVERY night (keep in mind that the full price at the gate for HHN is $77) would lead me to believe that even Knott's doesn't have confidence in the current model of Haunt.

 

The quantity of mazes and shows is what differentiated Knott's from HHN, and while the design/production team at Knott's are extremely talented...they don't have the resources available that Universal does. Their best effort will only be considered "on-par" with HHN.

[thrillseeker4552]

Work is continuing up at Kingdom of the Dinosaurs. Expect an announcement for the new attraction in about 3 weeks.

 

Based on observations from previous years, the 2015 plans will be announced sooner than 3 weeks from now. The 2013 announcement was on Nov. 1, 2012, and the 2014 announcement was on Nov. 22, 2013. If I had to take a guess, I would say in the next 7-10 days--Thanksgiving at the absolute latest (assuming they follow their pattern).

 

Since it's pretty much confirmed at this point to be a dark ride, anyone else think that Knott's will add something else in 2015? They did 2 projects simultaneously both in 2013 and 2014. Fingers crossed for a new flat!

 

Fanboyism over.

[KnottsBerryMountain]

^Hoping for an Air Race in Windseeker's spot.....and maybe some new paint on Jaguar..that thing looks horrible

[YoshiCraft2011]

Eh, some touchups on Monte would be nice. The flashing lights on the loop were not working very well and some of the original yellow paint was being exposed.

[JeromyL]

I could go for a pyske underground makeover on monte. Would give us a dark ride LOL

[rcdude]

Work is continuing up at Kingdom of the Dinosaurs. Expect an announcement for the new attraction in about 3 weeks.

 

Based on observations from previous years, the 2015 plans will be announced sooner than 3 weeks from now. The 2013 announcement was on Nov. 1, 2012, and the 2014 announcement was on Nov. 22, 2013. If I had to take a guess, I would say in the next 7-10 days--Thanksgiving at the absolute latest (assuming they follow their pattern).

 

Since it's pretty much confirmed at this point to be a dark ride, anyone else think that Knott's will add something else in 2015? They did 2 projects simultaneously both in 2013 and 2014. Fingers crossed for a new flat!

 

Fanboyism over.

 

Three weeks would be Thanksgiving, so I'm guessing the beginning of that week or sometime the previous week would be the announcement. It will probably be accompaniend by a Christmas related promo for 2015 season passes. As for other additions, I could possibly see a new flat in Windseeker's spot but that's about it. Since Knott's already has Surfside Gliders, I've got no idea what would be likely to go there.

 

I'd really like to see a new slide complex for Knott's Soak City, but I doubt that would happen next year. I'm hoping for a new slide complex in 2016 and a major new coaster in 2017.

[DJeXeL]

No wait time at HHN has ever actually been 3 hours. Lines are long everywhere for Halloween. I've waited 1hr+ at Haunt when I had no choice but to visit on a weekendt.

 

With all due respect, That is incorrect. I have personally waited 3 hours for a maze at HHN. Never again though.

Simply not worth it. Haunt has its fair share of long lines as well, I agree.

[Jew]

^In all my years of HHN, that would be the first time I've ever waited or heard about an actual 3 hour wait time. The park does wait time trackers at every maze throughout the night and none of them have ever come back as 3 hours. Two hours is usually the actual maximum.

 

But anyways...back to the discussion of Haunt. The point is that IMO they are doing more damage to the event by trying too hard to be like HHN rather than trying to improve upon what they are good at. In the case of Haunt, what they are good at is harnessing the passion of their workforce and fans. People enjoyed the fact Haunt had so much to offer, which meant crowds were spread out and fans had a chance to see their favorite mazes for a few years before they were replaced.

 

As I said earlier, HHN is a $77 event if you had to pay full price at the gate (if tickets were even available). Even with the AP discount, on some of the busier nights a ticket was $67. Meanwhile Knott's had to resort to offering a $75 annual pass to try and retain visitors.

 

It's almost like Knott's management is OVER thinking it. "Let's try everything Universal does (auditions, nicer sets, staggering monster schedules, acting)...it works for them, so it HAS to work for us too!" instead of looking for ways to improve their already successful event. Have 13 mazes with the quality of their newer mazes, let monsters scare instead of act, put shows back in the birdcage (seriously...those improv shows were HILARIOUS) and Wild West (Marty Putz was AMAZING), and I'm guessing they'd find the would have no trouble selling out without the need to offer an annual pass.

 

I LOVE Haunt, but this year I had the least fun I have ever had. It just didn't feel like the event had the same energy it's had in the past. It certainly didn't help a rides manager called me a line jumper for having the audacity to ask for tickets to infected for my party without them being there despite there being no signage or anything mentioning your whole party had to be there for the tickets, but you can just tell that the monsters are less about the scare and having fun now and more about the act.

 

Gone are the days you could take an electric wheelchair, cover it in cardboard, and then drive around in it mocking people on Scion night...