The Knott's Berry Farm (KBF) Discussion Thread

[Jew]

56 minutes ago, tndank said:

Toughest mask mandates in the country for months and months. When will masks start working? 

Not to derail this thread any further, but a huge part of the problem is there not anything actually tough about them. They exist, and some businesses (like Knotts when they were open for all their food festivals) do great at enforcement, many others don’t.

The Southern California region on its own has a population that is larger than all but the state of Texas.  The odds of being able to contain a virus in the region are zero given that millions of those people work “essential” jobs and there are probably another million who still believe it’s a hoax. 

Masks help and we respect all park rules here. End of story. 
 

That being said, it is absolutely fair to criticize how our Governor has put all businesses at a huge disadvantage by rewriting the guidelines a few times with no prior input.  Changing from tiers, to colors, and now to a regional system without notice makes it almost impossible for any park to invest in trying to create new experiences like Knotts had done with the “taste” events.  

 

 

[thrillseeker4552]

Bummer that they had to cancel the rest of Taste of Merry Farm. I was looking forward to visiting. I am glad Knott's was able to squeeze out some revenue and make the most of their situation this year, though. Many other parks can't say the same.

Here's to 2021. Maybe. Who even knows.

[CedarFlags]

On 12/16/2020 at 5:39 PM, tndank said:

Toughest mask mandates in the country for months and months. When will masks start working? 

Considering that the OC Sheriff has publicly stated multiple times that he will not be directing his department to enforce any COVID related regulations, and the head of the OC Health Department refused to issue a mask mandate until being superseded by the state, I'm gonna go ahead and call BS on that idea that they're even close to the toughest.

[ryder]

If I recall correctly, the OC Board of Education wanted all the students to return to school as normal.  Even months and months into the pandemic, when it was pretty clear it wasn't really a safe option.  Lots in OC government do not exactly have a great track record here.

Knott's and Disney do better about enforcement, as it's private property and they actually (well, Knott's more than Disney) enforce the rules.  Go to a mall down the street and you'd likely see a fair share with improperly worn (below nose) or maskless.

[Jew]

We don’t need to beat a dead horse on the COVID situation in CA.

let’s give props to Knotts for staying open for shopping for the vendors and making some of the popular food items available to go!

[CenturyFlyer]

Knott's is giving passholders a "Day for Day Extension" in 2021. I wonder if we'll see any of the other Cedar Fair parks do something similar.

[coasterbill]

All of the non-California parks will probably be able to open by their normal opening days anyway, though they've already stated that they might open a bunch of parks late just for fun so I guess who knows?

[thrillseeker4552]

This is a great move. In essence, it makes your pass valid for one year after their re-opening date. And yeah, this extension is likely exclusive to Knott’s, since they are CF’s only year-round park and will probably stay closed the longest.

[joelwee]

CF's seasonal parks will likely follow suit if their respective states don't allow them to reopen by the time they typically open for the season.

[SoCalJasonland]

Well, dust off the Knott's thread as it is Boysenberry Festival again.  No rides though

https://www.knotts.com/play/events/taste-of-boysenberry-festival

Season Passholder Tasting Card Pre-Sale: Feb. 9 - 15

Select Dates March 5 – May 2

Guests can catch a taste of the popular springtime Boysenberry Festival, with the all-new Knott’s Taste of Boysenberry Festival. The retail and food event will offer boysenberry-inspired savory bites, sweet treats, and refreshing drinks that can’t be found anywhere else. While the theme park remains closed, the food and merchandise-focused outdoor event offers over 65 boysenberry-infused food and drink items which are included on the event tasting card.

Guests can also shop from a wide variety of boysenberry-inspired merchandise including event apparel, kitchenware, and pre-packaged take-home sweets. In addition, you will find handmade and personalized gifts from over 20 artisan local crafters offering unique boysenberry items.

Knott's Taste of Boysenberry Festival will take place on select dates beginning March 5th through May 2nd. Event hours will be 12 pm to 9 pm select Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, and from 12 pm to 8 pm on Sundays. All Knott's Taste of Boysenberry Festival activities and outdoor dining will be conducted at a safe and socially distant space for families to enjoy.

The only way to experience the limited-time food event, Knott's Taste of Boysenberry Festival, is with a tasting card purchased in advance (a tasting card is required for event entry). Regular tasting cards (ages 12+) are priced at $45 (plus tax) and will include five food tastings and Junior tasting cards (ages 3-11) are $20 (plus tax) and include three tastings. Tasting cards are date specific and must be purchased online at knotts.com or through the Knott’s Berry Farm mobile app prior to the date of visit. In order to manage proper physical distancing of guests, Knott's Taste of Boysenberry Festival tasting cards will be limited each day and may sell out.

 

[CedarFlags]

Shut down the week of Boysenberry Festival last year, so I'm glad to finally get back to it!  $45 seems a little steep compared to the prices we've seen before ($35 for Halloween was a great deal, considering how much there was to see).   But hey... they gotta find a way to make some money.

[wrs28330]

Theme Park Review was invited to experience the Knott's Taste of Boysenberry Festival on Saturday, March 6, in what is a welcomed return to SoCal theme park food and drink events!

The tasting card has raised $5 in price compared to the last event to now be $45 for adults with 5 food tastings. We have seen a $5 bump each time the event carried a new seasonal theme, and my personal hope is that $45 is the top price, at $9 per item. Junior tasting cards remain at $20 for 3 food tastings.

Here are two helpful tips for attending the event:

-We recommend arriving at noon for the start of the event, as the crowd level picks up throughout the day.

-Many food items can be found at multiple food locations, so check to see if one of your desired items can be found at a location off the beaten path.

The event is currently scheduled to run on select days through May 2, though with the newly announced restructuring of the California COVID-19 Tier system, we may see a change to these event dates as theme parks may be allowed to operate attractions as early as April 1 (no joke).

To plan your Boysenberry overload, visit this link for more details:

https://www.knotts.com/events/taste-of-boysenberry-festival

 

We love these continual Knott's food festivals, giving us a reason to come back again, and again. Thank you so much to the Knott’s team for your hospitality!

 

We are so excited to be back on the farm!

 

It's the "berry" best time of year to visit!

 

The Mayor of Calico officially welcomes each and every TPR member upon entry, and will personally address you by your TPR screen name!

 

Starting off with Beyond Meatballs with a Boysenberry BBQ sauce and a Boysenberry/Cucumber/Pineapple Aqua Fresca. The Meatball dish was great, and getting to build your own stuffed pita was fun. The Aqua Fresca was incredibly refreshing.

 

Next was my absolute favorite dish from the event, and might even be the best dish I have ever enjoyed at Knott's Berry Farm: Etouffe, Shrimp, and Boysenberry Sausage over rice. This dish had such a great variety of textures, incredible seasoning, and is the perfect portion size. This is a "must try"!

 

Mexican Street Corn Chowder, with fun Boysenberry tortilla strips.

 

Some sort of loaded pizza is always offered at Knott's food events, and I usually skip them for much more interesting options, but I acquiesced by trying the Boysenberry BBQ Carne Asada Pizza Slice, and I didn't regret it! The Boysenberry flavor is just barely noticeable on the carne asada, which is great, because the flavor of the onion and cilantro help you enjoy a dish that doesn't leave you with a boysenberry overload.

 

The Philly Cheese Fires were nice, but I could only get through about half of it before the white cheese sauce congealed and caused all the fries to mound together. I very much enjoyed the flavors, but a little less cheese sauce may be in order. (I know, it's blasphemy to ever suggest *less* cheese...)

 

Red Concha with Boysenberry Ice Cream was great! I normally get desserts which have boysenberry soft serve at these events, where the soft serve starts melting pretty quickly. But since this dessert has boysenberry ice cream, it didn't melt at all! I totally recommend anything that has the boysenberry ice cream over the soft serve.

 

Let's take a quick break from the ingestible boysenberries to enjoy the visual boysenberries:  

 

Consider yourself educated:

 

As day turns to night, a final few items remain to be enjoyed.

 

Pastrami Sandwich on a Pretzel Bun. Perfection speaks for itself.

 

A dense and rich boysenberry cheesecake.

 

And of course, the Fun Bun! This is a deep-fried cinnamon roll covered in a boysenberry glaze.

 

A winner every time!

 

Thank you again to the Knott's team for inviting us to enjoy the Boysenberry overload!

[tndank]

If anyone can mail me 3 or 4 sticks of the Knott's Boysenberry lip balm, I'm happy to send paypal/venmo/etc.  Thanks.

 

 

[cfc]

I think I'll have me some of them meatballs and cheesecake. Well, maybe some Boysenberry carne asada pizza, too, Oh, hell, just bring it all on!

[DBJ]

Wow! Thanks for the food pics! kiss that diet goodbye.

[Nrthwnd]

Oooooh, one of these years, I have got to get myself down to this awesome Festival!

And it's really a nice train ride down to the Buena Park area.

F the rides and parks! It's all about Boysenberry! (Not a Boysen, but close enough.)

[SoCalJasonland]

Knott's emailed that they plan to finish Boysenberry Festival until May 2nd without rides and then open the amusement park rides/theme park sometime later in May.  I am so excited considering the only coater I have ridden in the past year is Desert Storm in Phoenix.  I do get to go to Circus Circus for a weekend next month to ride their coasters for the first time in 10 years.  Are there any masks that filter the smell of cigarette smoke?

Knott's email:

"We are encouraged and excited by the recent announcement that came out of the California Governor's office regarding the reopening of theme parks in the state. We know that it's been a long year, and as our most loyal guests, you have been incredibly patient with us as we have navigated through this difficult time together.

As we look forward to reopening our gates, we still have some work to do. From hiring and training new associates, to working with Government officials on finalizing guidelines, we will work hard to ensure that we can reopen our park safely for all to enjoy. Our plan is to welcome you back to Knott's Berry Farm this May.

For now, we are humbled by the astounding response we have received on our Tasting events. Currently our Taste of Boysenberry Festival is underway and will continue to receive guests as planned until May 2.

As announced earlier this year, season passes purchased prior to park opening will be valid for the remainder of 2021, plus a day-for-day extension in 2022 for the number of days the park was closed in 2021.

We can't wait to celebrate 100 years of original family fun with you during our Knott's Anniversary Celebration this summer. We especially look forward to creating new treasured memories as we once again open our gates and welcome our family back to the farm. We'll see you all real soon"!

[Jew]

Another so cal park not in a rush to open. Who could have guessed?

Im glad parks are taking their time to get it right and not rushing. Going to be tough to make a profit with the low capacities.

[thrillseeker4552]

Great news. I will be back in SoCal for a few weeks in late May and early June. I'm excited to visit the park again! I just recently passed the one year mark of my last visit (with coasters). I don't think I have ever gone one whole year without visiting the park since I was a toddler...

[tndank]

1 hour ago, Jew said:

Another so cal park not in a rush to open. Who could have guessed?

Im glad parks are taking their time to get it right and not rushing. Going to be tough to make a profit with the low capacities.

To be fair, Cedar Fair is not in a hurry to do anything now days.  

[Jew]

6 hours ago, tndank said:

To be fair, Cedar Fair is not in a hurry to do anything now days.  

None of the parks are in a rush in so cal. The food events offer them a much higher margin than opening the whole park at 15%.

figuring out the logistics is also no easy task given that every employee will essentially need to be treated like a newhire.
 

I suspect there will closed rides at every park until counties move into orange tier or the state eases up guidelines against. Have to manage costs aggressively. Especially if Knotts allows passholders in right away...no one will be a day ticketed guest on the weekends!

[Nrthwnd]

It's great to me, that because of you-know-what, some of the independent parks and franchises are discovering that their (ahem) Main Street (usual) entry way into the park can magically be turned into an open mini-mall. Shopping and dining out. A perfect safe outing for all involved. And themed seasons, too. Perfect!

I will actually take any of this, themed or not. Yum! (Knott's Marketplace Bakery~Sept.2019)

[CedarFlags]

Great news, LA and OC will both be moving down into Orange Tier next week.   And since it looks like vaccinations are going to be kicking into high gear during the month of April, hopefully we'll see Yellow tier during the early summer.

[Nrthwnd]

Hmmm. Orange tier. That reminds me....

Mmmmm.

[CedarFlags]

I was at Taste of Boysenberry this weekend and caught a rare sight.... the unique under-the-station storage track on Sierra Sidewinder was in the up position.  Snapped a quick pic as I was walking by.