The Knott's Berry Farm (KBF) Discussion Thread

[Animal]

3 hours ago, jazma said:

The hotel has actually been under renovation since the pandemic, much like the two Cedar Point properties. During the food festivals, you could see large dumpsters as they were throwing stuff out. So I think this is just a completion of that remodel. Also the lobby area was just redone in the last two years.  
 

I would love to be wrong and see them add on or something, but I fear this is more marketing than anything of the completion of something previously begun before the pandemic set in. 

I don’t expect them to build another tower or anything like that but possibly reskin the existing tower, redo the entire pool area (it’s comparable to something you’d find at a Ramada Express) and create a theme. I really think they should create the theme as Ghost Town/old west to tie into the park.  All pipe dream stuff but I think it would really help create the resort feel they went for 20 years ago when they built Soak City.

[coasterlvr]

one of the employees told me Ghostrider will be down Mon-Thur.  he made it sound like it would be a few weeks like this.  so only open Fri-Sun.

[CedarFlags]

New Maze announcement!  Looks like we only get one new this year but, given the circumstances it makes sense.   Also, Knott's has been really big on easter eggs in the last few years, so I wouldn't be surprised to find extra unannounced things once it opens (like the funeral in Forsaken Lake or the dancers that were on the Saloon a few years back).

 

So it's kind of a circus sideshow story, fitting into Carnevil..  Hard to tell much about the actual experience.

[CedarFlags]

2 hours ago, coasterlvr said:

one of the employees told me Ghostrider will be down Mon-Thur.  he made it sound like it would be a few weeks like this.  so only open Fri-Sun.

The Knott's website has it listed as closed until 8/20 right now, so that sounds legit.  The lull between summer and Scary Farm is traditionally a maintenance season for GR, so this seems like the park starting a little early but keeping it available on weekends for the busy days?

Bummer for me though, cuz I was REALLY looking forward to a midweek no-lines visit soon and being able to get on GR in under an hour.

[Animal]

39 minutes ago, CedarFlags said:

The Knott's website has it listed as closed until 8/20 right now, so that sounds legit.  The lull between summer and Scary Farm is traditionally a maintenance season for GR, so this seems like the park starting a little early but keeping it available on weekends for the busy days?

Bummer for me though, cuz I was REALLY looking forward to a midweek no-lines visit soon and being able to get on GR in under an hour.

I’ve always found that the absolute best time to go to Knott’s is on a weekday in October. No one is there and every ride is operational because scary farm is at night!! There’s been times where I’ve done every ride 3-4 times in just a couple hours!

[SoCalJasonland]

1 hour ago, Animal said:

I’ve always found that the absolute best time to go to Knott’s is on a weekday in October. No one is there and every ride is operational because scary farm is at night!! There’s been times where I’ve done every ride 3-4 times in just a couple hours!

Agreed on October.  I have been able to re-ride Ghostrider without leaving the station. because only a couple of people were in line. 

[marth555]

2 nights of scary farm or 1 with fast lane?  I have most of the credits already and would be focusing on the scary farm stuff

Edit it would be on October 14th and or 15th since ive got a cruise leaving out of the area on the 16th 

Edited August 24, 2021 by marth555
adding relevant information

[AmyUD06]

Two nights, at least one with Fright Lane (the skip-the-line for mazes).  I always get it whenever I do CF Halloween events.

[marth555]

as of right now there only selling frightlane in a combo with fastlane 

[AmyUD06]

Then I would get that.  In a heartbeat.  if KBF is anything like KI, KD, Dorney, or CP, the maze lines will quickly get to several hours long.

[VegasBaby]

39 minutes ago, marth555 said:

2 nights of scary farm or 1 with fast lane?  I have most of the credits already and would be focusing on the scary farm stuff

Edit it would be on October 14th and or 15th since ive got a cruise leaving out of the area on the 16th 

I think you're fine either way, but I'd do the $99 Fastlane/Frightlane as your experience will be a lot more enjoyable.

[coasterlvr]

1 hour ago, marth555 said:

2 nights of scary farm or 1 with fast lane?  I have most of the credits already and would be focusing on the scary farm stuff

Edit it would be on October 14th and or 15th since ive got a cruise leaving out of the area on the 16th 

in 2019, my friend and i did rope drop on a thursday.  we didn't stop to do anything else.  one maze to the next without frightlane.  barely got all the mazes done.  the lines, even on thursdays are still very long.  if you plan to do anything else like, go to the bathroom, or eat, you might not be able to get all the mazes done.  i'd get frightlane and save some time.  

[CedarFlags]

On 8/24/2021 at 1:11 PM, Mike240SX said:

Two nights, at least one with Fright Lane (the skip-the-line for mazes).  I always get it whenever I do CF Halloween events.

You will definitely want it on the Friday of your trip.  Thursday would be a bonus, but I don't think it would be necessary unless you wanted to squeeze in rides plus mazes.

[CedarFlags]

I finally got my butt over to Ghostrider on Monday and it was running like GLASS.  Seriously, the smoothest (imo) since it first re-opened post renovation.  Scary Farm season is usually pretty rough on Ghostrider (lots of 14-16 hour operating days), but if this is how well it rides after a whole summer season, then Knott's ride maintenance is definitely doing something right.

Now.... how about we FINALLY get Hangtime open again?  This is turning into a repeat of Xcelerator circa 2017.

[Jew]

On 8/24/2021 at 12:48 PM, marth555 said:

2 nights of scary farm or 1 with fast lane?  I have most of the credits already and would be focusing on the scary farm stuff

Edit it would be on October 14th and or 15th since ive got a cruise leaving out of the area on the 16th 

One night with fright lane will be fine if you get there at opening for haunt. Get there late and you will get the mazes done and not much else. Visit the park in the daytime and lines will be non existent.

[COASTER FREAK 11]

So, has anyone seen any discounts for Haunt this year? They are normally at Burger King, but I haven't seen any yet. 

[jarmor]

I always get the boofet and that grants entrance to the mazes by ghostrider before the general public.  I have never used fright lane and have did all the maze without an issue.

[tanthonyam]

Anyone know why Hangtime is closed?

[tndank]

Presumably waiting on a part.  It's been down awhile.

 

[teacherkim]

We were there on Thurs 8/26, not the Dippin Dots Lady but an employee in one of the stores told me they were waiting on a part from Gerstlauer that they had not been able to get due to the current supply chain mess. Take that for what you will. Every other coaster was open that day. Jaguar went down briefly but they got it back up in less than an hour. Waits were low and we actually got to a point about 4:30  where we had gone on everything we wanted, and actually headed out before park closing which is unusual for us. Nothing bad on the park it was just kind of a dull slow day due I am sure to many schools going back that week. 

[KBrylczyk]

You know, back when I worked on cruise ships our shoreside management team made the decision to switch our shipping from air freight to ocean freight.  I told them that the entertainment department would take a major hit as soon as something breaks. 

See, with air freight, parts could be overnighted to Miami then delivered to a ship within 48 hours, 72-hour total turnover in worst-case scenarios. I was the showroom automation technician.  If my stuff died, the show died.  If audio or lighting lost some equipment we can keep going right along.  If my lifts, drops, turntable, or whatever broke we had to make severe changes to the flow of the show, dancer choreography, everything.  Basically we would have to stop the show, have a meeting and decide how to best re-order the show to work around whatever was broken.  When this happened with a 72-hour window it was no big deal.  We'd limp to the finish line.

Well, Carnival was never keen on keeping replacement parts readily available.  Sure enough after they made the change to ocean freight I lost an entire electronics cabinet (that, you know, controls the drive motors for my scenic elements) that disabled the front 1/3rd of the stage.  That includes the two main curtains meant to blind the stage as well as a few other scenic elements that are integral to the shows.  Shoreside's solution was to manually open the curtains and just leave them open.  The Austrian curtain is basically a security door after-hours, so now we needed to have a rotating team of security constantly in the theatre keeping watch.  The other curtain blocked the view of nearly the entire stage for scene changes, etc.  Welp, looks like the audience is now getting a very well-lit view of every scene change.  The scenic elements in question had to be removed from the shows which created some awkward shifts and scenes.  Long story short, the customer reviews plummeted while we waited for our new equipment to slowly make it's way to us.

It took over a month. My point is always keep a spare. When you use that spare order another immediately.

[kbfbest]

any part that has to come on a slow boat will take some time if thats is what they are waiting for.

If anyone wants to ride the galloping goose they are running it mon-thurs right now.

[pianojohn]

Need some advice!

Coming out to Knotts for Knotts Scary Farm Oct 30-31st.  Flying into LAX and REALLY don't want to rent a car.

All of the Uber/Lyft websites I've checked quote me about $120 from LAX to Knotts.

I know the Super Shuttle is no longer running.

Any other advice on a cheaper way to get from the airport to the hotel? Even renting a car would cost about the same, and I really don't like driving in LA traffic.

Thanks for any advice!

[SoCalJasonland]

1 hour ago, pianojohn said:

Need some advice!

Coming out to Knotts for Knotts Scary Farm Oct 30-31st.  Flying into LAX and REALLY don't want to rent a car.

All of the Uber/Lyft websites I've checked quote me about $120 from LAX to Knotts.

I know the Super Shuttle is no longer running.

Any other advice on a cheaper way to get from the airport to the hotel? Even renting a car would cost about the same, and I really don't like driving in LA traffic.

Thanks for any advice!

https://metrolinktrains.com/

Metrolink is quite a bit cheaper but will take longer as you have to transfer from a bus to a train, and possibly a Uber from the Buena Park station.  I screen printed the sample Saturday rate, part of the schedule, and you will still be 3.7 miles from Knott's about a 1 & 1/2 hours later.

 

 

Directions from Buena Park station to Knotts

[SoCalJasonland]

I was able to make it out to Knott's on Thursday the 2nd.  Hangtime and a couple of the flat rides were closed.  The longest wait was for Ghostrider at approx. 20 min.

 I call this photo two black cherry White Claws, 3/4 pound bag of personally chosen candy, and a log ride.  True fact!, If you have White Claws with their couple of grams of carbs that you have more room on your diet for a big bag of candy!

This is the new Boardwalk BBQ menu.

As you can see, I was able to order two more White Claws, flank steak, and hatch mac & cheese.  It also would have come with a corn muffin but I was carbed out.  The observation tower accents the photo.

Wipeout is a lot smaller when all taken apart.

When did the water in the lagoon turn so green?  Is this an algae breakout?

The bottom of the lagoon is looking pretty sad.

The old "K" at the top of the sky cabin was on display.

It looks like each side was lit differently.  This side has looped tubing.

The opposite side of the "K" was lit in white single tubes.