The Knott's Berry Farm (KBF) Discussion Thread

[cfc]

I enjoyed Voyage to the Iron Reef, but I think bringing back a classic Knott's ride in a new form is a smart move. 

[joelwee]

The fam and I stopped by the park yesterday for the last day of Taste of Boysenberry. Though it was a little depressing to see the rides closed, the atmosphere in the park was a lot of fun. There were costumed characters and shows everywhere you look, and the food was delicious. My thoughts on what I tried:

• Boysenberry BBQ Brisket Mac and Cheese: The meat was good and tender, and had a good BBQ flavor, with just a hint of boysenberry. It was just enough to let you know it's there, but it wasn't overpowering. The mac and cheese was a pleasant surprise, as it seemed to be made with cheddar cheese - not process cheese. 10/10
• Boysenberry sangria: While good and refreshing, it seemed a little watered down. I wish the fruit and wine tastes were a little stronger. 6/10
• Beer cheese soup in a bread bowl: This was probably my favorite item I tried yesterday. The soup was cheesy and delicious, and the bread bowl seemed fresh-baked. The soup had overflowed and covered the outside of the bread bowl, but the bread bowl cutout allowed me to sop up some of it before trying to pick up the bread bowl and eat it. Eating the bread bowl was a pretty messy process, nonetheless, but it was worth it. 10/10
• Salmon and orzo salad with boysenberries: After filling up on carbs, it was time for a healthy snack. The salmon tasted quite fishy and a little overcooked, but the rest of the salad complemented it well. The orzo had a strong garlicky taste - which is a plus, in my book. The salad was also tossed with a few boysenberries and boysenberry vinaigrette - which was sweet, but not too sweet. It made for a good combination. 7/10
• Boysenberry and white chocolate chip cookiewich: Finally, it was time for dessert - and what a dessert it was. The cookies were about 5"-6" in diameter, and sandwiched a 2"-thick layer of vanilla soft-serve ice cream. I had planned to share it with my wife, but while walking around to find her in the shops, the ice cream started melting and I ended up polishing it off before I eventually found her. The cookies were soft and chewy. The boysenberry cookies were a great combo with the vanilla ice cream. It was very filling, however, and I wished I hadn't eaten the whole thing myself. I'm glad I saved it for last. 9/10

As is typical for Knott's, this was a very well-executed event. I can't wait to come back when rides are open again.

[coasterlvr]

decided to go check out Knott's opening day.  but already had reservations for this week.  since i didn't make the reservation, and my friend isn't usually available while working, i decided to just go to the information center and see if they could cancel my reservations and let me in.   had to wait an hour to get that handles because they are just short staffed right now.  so i didn't get in until around 1pm.  by that time, the crowds really were packing in.   so it made for some pretty long lines.  so i just hung out with some friends and just did a few rides.  jaguar!, swings and log ride.   log ride didn't open until later in the afternoon and the line instantly ballooned to about two hours.

i'm not sure what capacity is, but judging by the cars in the parking lot, the cars were about where they are in a normal summer weekday.  so like Universal, get there early so you have very small crowds until 12-1pm, then it's pretty crowded and lines get long for everything.  still had a lot of fun and will be back in a couple days. 

 

[thrillseeker4552]

I finally returned to Knott’s yesterday after 433 days (yes, I asked Siri how long ago was March 7, 2020). It felt so nice to be back at the park. I have never gone this long without visiting Knott’s since I was a toddler. I will NEVER take parks for granted again!

It was a wonderful visit. Oddly enough, the slowest moving line was Silver Bullet and the fastest was GhostRider. Quite the contrary on a normal operating day. The upper and lower floors of GhostRider’s building were extremely socially-distant, only utilizing a few switchbacks, and they were keeping an empty row between parties on the train. It moved very quickly. The line started outside the building and I waited approximately 30 minutes both times. Still a wonderful coaster that will forever be one of my favorites. I cannot believe the re-tracking was 5 years ago now. It still runs like the day it reopened!

Silver Bullet was a bit more frustrating. The line still moved quite well, but I don’t understand why are they are loading every other row on this coaster. It just doesn’t make sense when people are much closer together (and for a longer period of time) in the queue line. But at this point, I didn’t really care. I was just so excited to be back at the park. Hopefully they start loading all rows again soon and this coaster goes back to being the capacity monster of the park. Even at half capacity, it keeps the line moving “enough” to not be unbearable.

Xcelerator and HangTime were both running very well, and their respective queues were quite manageable. Xcelerator was never too far down the ramp. They are also running two trains, which is nice to see, but really does not help capacity too much for anyone familiar with this ride’s block system setup and operation. They were loading one party per car, which is actually quite similar to pre-COVID days. A few empty seats per train but it felt like pretty normal operations.

Same goes for HangTime. This coaster hardly ever filled every seat pre-COVID. There was always an empty seat or two per row, so this coaster’s operations felt normal as well. They just weren’t grouping pairs of two or singles. The line was never more than 20 minutes. Managed to get a front row ride. This is still a wonderful addition to the park, and I will never get over how much of an improvement it is to Boomerang. One of the best additions the park has made in the last decade. And the lighting package, of course, is fantastic. It really livens up the Boardwalk.

I didn’t wanna brave the line for Bear-y Tales. The new facade and theming seems very nice and much improved over Voyage to the Iron Reef. But I’m just not a big dark ride person, and the line was not worth it to me yesterday. I know how slow-moving it is from my experience with Iron Reef. I will ride it eventually. I am moving to Florida next month, but I plan on returning to California around the Holidays for a bit. Hopefully the park is open to out-of-state visitors by then. But Bear-y Tales does seem like a great upgrade. I am excited to ride it eventually!

Overall this was one of the best visits to the park I’ve had in a while. Part of me actually enjoys the socially-distanced lines and how quickly they move. Even pre-COVID, the cattle pen queue lines were never enjoyable.

I’ll attach a few photos from yesterday. If you are a SoCal resident and a pass-holder, I HIGHLY recommend visiting before it opens to everybody on the 21st. Crowds are very reasonable, all rides are open and running at decent capacity, and food facilities hardly had lines. The 10pm closing was also great for night rides! Knott’s is BACK!

[jonskinny12]

Wow those are some great pictures! Glad to see this park open again and glad you had such a great visit.

[clem2754]

I went to Knott's last week for the passholder preview day. It was nice to get back on the rides as I went to a couple of the food events they put on. 

I got in the park 30 minutes after my reservation time. This was 50% due to LA traffic and 50% of it being a bit slow entering the parking lot. 

The times on the app were not correct when I entered the park, which was strange as Knott's generally does a good job with that. So I skipped GhostRider first thing. I got a few rides on XCelerator and Hang Time. Both were walk-ons and the front row of XCelerator had basically an extra cycle wait. XCelerator ran 2 trains as well. I got like 5 rides on it. 

I did go back and do GhostRider. It had about an hour long wait. They were filling up from front to back and granted my request for a back row ride.  I got rides on a few of the other coasters before heading back to GhostRider to close out the day. The wait was only about 25-30 minutes, but this time the greeter didn't grant the backrow request, so it was kind of hit or miss with being able to choose your seat.

I did do lunch at Knott's and the line for my food was pretty short. Getting a seat was more of a challenge. I never did Berry's Tails because the line was a bit long. I did go in the shop which smelled great so I can only imagine what they did with the ride itself. 

Overall I thought Knott's did a real good job for the passholder preview event. 

[cfc]

It's good to see Knott's hopping again. I'm hoping to be in SoCal sometime this fall.

[wrs28330]

On May 20th, Theme Park Review was invited to the official kick-off of the Knott’s Berry Farm 100th Anniversary Celebration!

Starting May 21st, "The Knott's Family Reunion" looks to reunite family and friends in a safe and fun environment after a year-long closure due to COVID-19. Patrons can experience the brand-new Knott's Bear-y Tales: Return to the Fair, meet 3 new characters, and enjoy Knott's Summer Nights with live music, DJs and food and drink specialties. In addition, the theme park is planning a nightly ceremony featuring multiple attractions lighting up the evening, ending with a special moment with the redesigned illuminated K-tower. Park décor celebrating 100 years can be found all over the park, including special photo settings that pay homage to favorite attractions from the past.  

The anniversary celebration runs through September 6, 2021. Visit knotts.com to plan your visit!

Thank you for the Knott’s team for inviting us, and congratulations on 100 years!

 

“100 years of history, before your very eyes,

So come and join the jamboree, beneath the western skies.

100 years of history, with all the old-time charm,

We’ll celebrate together at Knott’s Berry Farm!”

 

It's great to be back at the Farm! 100th Anniversary decorations can be found all over the park.

 

Fun photo opportunities abound, like this recently retired "K" from the top of the K-tower. 

 

Here is a look at the new K-tower, as seen in a "Welcome back" message:

 

I know several TPR members who would *love* this photo op!

 

A very popular photo op was of this tribute to The Haunted Shack.

 

Whittler along with two characters from Knott's Bear-y Tales will great Guests during this family reunion. 

 

The Charles M. Schultz theater has been renamed to the Walter Knott theater in honor of the Knott's Berry Farm founder.

 

Of course, you can't miss the new Knott's Bear-y Tales: Return to the Fair attraction!

 

And of course, it wouldn't be a Knott's event without food! Here are my two favorites from the kick-off event. Pulled pork mac and cheese...

 

...and the classic Cookie-wich with vanilla soft-serve between two freshly-baked chocolate chip cookies!

 

Congratulations again to Knott's on 100 historic years, and thank you for inviting us! We'll see you at the Farm!

 

[coasterlvr]

Went to Knott's yesterday to check out opening day of the 100th celebration.  Actually, I was just hoping they were giving out a button, but they weren't, wah wah.  LOL  Also, after investing in a dining plan for the first time, I want to abuse it as much as possible.

Knott's sure spend a lot of money decorating the park.  You can't miss all the ribbons, and signage just everywhere celebrating 100 years.  I had an 11am reservation, and got into the park around 10:40am.  I'm not sure when they ask you to get out of line if you're early, but I figured that maybe 30 minutes early was okay.  Those first couple hours are the time to be inside the park.  It's the time to get in a ton of rides before the crowd shows up, and by the afternoon when I left, it was pretty dang packed!

Here's some pics I took...

The signage and decorations are excellent throughout the park!

 

 

Too early for the Mayor, he's still sleeping.

 

100th anniversary merchandise.

 

There are a number of classic ride and attraction photo ops around the park.

 

 

 

 

Fireman's BBQ chicken was my lunch choice.

 

The Haunted Shack photo op.  Really cool illusion.  

 

 

The arcades have reopened in the park.  This wasn't the case just last week for passholder preview.

 

There are these QR codes at some spots that teach some history of Knott's.  Scan and you'll be directed to a video.  Really cool!

 

 

Kingdom of the Dinosaurs.  This one looks much cooler at night with lighting and smoke effects.

 

Knott's even has 100th anniversary straws!

 

 

 

Knott's also made "Welcome Back" merchandise!

 

 

[KIEnthusiast]

Amazing

unbelievable!

K

[Nrthwnd]

^^  Love the photo op spots, of former attractions!

They're almost parade floats in themself! 

And the Haunted Shack one, outside and inside .... 

[DBru]

They really went all out with those photo-op setups. I love it! Headed back to Knott's on Monday and can't wait!

The Wacky Soapbox Racers pop-up made me head to YouTube to check out some old footage of that ride and it looked like so much fun. Totally the unique kind of thing I wish more parks had held onto over the years. Now that we're in the age of "Nostalgia Sells," I'd love to see Knott's install an updated version at some point.

...right after they put in that Giga.

[coasterlvr]

it seems Knott's allows 2 reservations at a time now.  also without any time restrictions.   yay, because i'm trying to abuse my dining pass. lol  but i was able to make 3.  so i'm not sure if that's an error, or platinum passholders get an extra.  i believe this just changed today.  so because i already had one, it let me make two.  but i have a friend who's the same, but got denied on her 3rd reservation, but also has the cheapest pass.  

[Domm]

Heading to knotts 7/21, any word on mystery lodge? Last I heard it was being refurbished. Hope it’s still there. One of the best shows around 

[Animal]

Saw this image floating around and of course taking it with the smallest grain of salt. The only place I can see a B&M of any kind fitting at Knott’s would be the station starting back behind Ghostrider and then the ride would venture around either the parking lot in front of the Knotts Hotel or behind it. With that being said I think a hyper would work best because it could travel a good distance and wouldn’t take out too much land.

[thrillseeker4552]

Woah, that is interesting. I am definitely taking it with a grain of salt. For all we know, couldn't it be a part/component for Silver Bullet? The park did buy a third train for the ride a few years back, but this is dated very recently so... hmm.

A mini-B&M Hyper at the park is my dream, but given that Cedar Fair said there will be no major capital investments in the near future, I'm skeptical. I would be genuinely shocked if they got a B&M in the next few years.

[Animal]

It’s possible that Cedar Fair would invest in Knott’s right now because of its close proximity to Disneyland and it’s their most attended park. In addition, all of the So Cal parks are getting major additions over the next couple years. Knott’s is the only park without anything slated for them at the moment……

[SoCalJasonland]

12 hours ago, Domm said:

Heading to knotts 7/21, any word on mystery lodge? Last I heard it was being refurbished. Hope it’s still there. One of the best shows around 

They haven't said anything and took down most of the signage., including the wood Mystery Lodge sign.  This photo is from Feb. 2020.

This is from May 12, 2021.  The relax zone sign appears to be wood and not a sticker or something to cover the old sign.

 

[KBrylczyk]

13 hours ago, Domm said:

Heading to knotts 7/21, any word on mystery lodge? Last I heard it was being refurbished. Hope it’s still there. One of the best shows around 

Now there's a hot take.

[DBru]

A B&M hyper would be the perfect fit for Knott's (and the SoCal coaster market, in general). My fingers are so crossed they might snap.

[Animal]

7 hours ago, SoCalJasonland said:

They haven't said anything and took down most of the signage., including the wood Mystery Lodge sign.  This photo is from Feb. 2020.

This is from May 12, 2021.  The relax zone sign appears to be wood and not a sticker or something to cover the old sign.

 

You would think that this area could be on the chopping block for a new ride. You have to consider this first.. that waterfall is amazing and ripping it out would be a huge mistake! Next Knott’s just spent a good chunk of money renovating the bathrooms directly next to the old exit of mystery lodge. And to the guy asking about mystery lodge… it’s gone bro, probably for at least 5 years.

[Lucas The Drummer]

planning a trip down to LA for September 16-19.  Planning on going to Scary Farm on the 17th. Am I right in assuming it'll be going on that weekend based off previous years?

[Jew]

I would actually be super disappointed if knotts got a boring B&M as the ride they possibly snake around the park.

Give me a Mack or Intamin instead!

 

[ytterbiumanalyst]

14 hours ago, Lucas The Drummer said:

planning a trip down to LA for September 16-19.  Planning on going to Scary Farm on the 17th. Am I right in assuming it'll be going on that weekend based off previous years?

Hmm...you're assuming this year will be like previous years.... Let's think about why that might be a problem.

[KBrylczyk]

15 hours ago, Lucas The Drummer said:

planning a trip down to LA for September 16-19.  Planning on going to Scary Farm on the 17th. Am I right in assuming it'll be going on that weekend based off previous years?

Since they've yet to announce anything, I'll give you solid 50/50 odds on that.