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All things Knotts Berry Farm
- Thread starter Phroobar
- Start date
PiratesMansion
Well-Known Member
So far as I can tell, cute dolls with a vaguely creepy facial expression.
denyuntilcaught
Well-Known Member
Just spent an evening at Knott's Scary Farm last night, my first visit to Knotts in over a decade. Overall, a really enjoyable evening, especially since we got the all-inclusive pass which spared us the two-hour waits on nearly every maze, and the similarly 90-minute-plus waits on all roller coasters.
Atmosphere was tremendous. Actors were fully engaged and the scares at Knotts are perfectly scaled. Something should be said about the value of their mazes in terms of length - each maze seemed long, with several of us in our group often making the statement "wow, it's still going" several times (this happened especially within Cinema Slasher.) Mesmer was also another highlight. Room 13 was the only one that left a lot to be desired.
The rides were stellar as usual - GhostRider in particular was extra spicy and Hangtime a delight. One thing that's frustrating is Knott's' loading procedures. I saw them often not grouping guests until the train was already in the station, which would leave plenty of empty seats per train, which is particularly frustrating when you have a two hour wait's worth of guests in line. Again, I had a FrightLane but not the point. At one point I had to remind myself that this isn't Disney and I shouldn't expect Disney efficiency, but then I remembered that I've recently visited SFMM and even they've stepped it up in the efficiency department, so it'd be great to see Knott's do the same, especially knowing that Scary Farm only offers a limited amount of time to experience all there is to do.
Overall, had a great time. I'll definitely be back next year!
Atmosphere was tremendous. Actors were fully engaged and the scares at Knotts are perfectly scaled. Something should be said about the value of their mazes in terms of length - each maze seemed long, with several of us in our group often making the statement "wow, it's still going" several times (this happened especially within Cinema Slasher.) Mesmer was also another highlight. Room 13 was the only one that left a lot to be desired.
The rides were stellar as usual - GhostRider in particular was extra spicy and Hangtime a delight. One thing that's frustrating is Knott's' loading procedures. I saw them often not grouping guests until the train was already in the station, which would leave plenty of empty seats per train, which is particularly frustrating when you have a two hour wait's worth of guests in line. Again, I had a FrightLane but not the point. At one point I had to remind myself that this isn't Disney and I shouldn't expect Disney efficiency, but then I remembered that I've recently visited SFMM and even they've stepped it up in the efficiency department, so it'd be great to see Knott's do the same, especially knowing that Scary Farm only offers a limited amount of time to experience all there is to do.
Overall, had a great time. I'll definitely be back next year!
Spent Sunday at the Farm, and I had a first. The day crowd was far larger than the KSF crowd. During the day I have never seen Knotts so crowded full queues most places, CS was particularly bad (due to trick or treaters) I have an all season all park FL which was very much needed. While in line I couldn’t help feel like I had stepped back in time to late 2000s/early 2010s DL, it seemed like 80% of the FL line was composed of special accommodation guests (unmistakable they had different colored wristbands and needed a blue paper time stamped.). It was extremely obvious there is some serious abuse going on, the line for guest services took up the entire courtyard by Ghostrider all day. I hope Knotts does something about that soon.
As for KSF, the screamsters were on their A game all night, the zones were all great and the mazes were too not a single dud, the screamsters were aggressive. The new mazes didn’t really stand out this year (even the zoo after dark) they were solid but not amazing. That distinction went to Cinema Slasher, Widows, Mesmer (really sad to see that one go) and Calico. The Hanging wasn’t really funny (definitely an off year) but the fire dancer was a great addition to the Carnival show. The Mine Ride also for some reason wasn’t decorated this year (other then the rubber spider in the station.)
As for KSF, the screamsters were on their A game all night, the zones were all great and the mazes were too not a single dud, the screamsters were aggressive. The new mazes didn’t really stand out this year (even the zoo after dark) they were solid but not amazing. That distinction went to Cinema Slasher, Widows, Mesmer (really sad to see that one go) and Calico. The Hanging wasn’t really funny (definitely an off year) but the fire dancer was a great addition to the Carnival show. The Mine Ride also for some reason wasn’t decorated this year (other then the rubber spider in the station.)
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TP2000
Well-Known Member
We're getting sprinkles now in coastal San Diego, and should get a quarter inch of rain by late afternoon. That's unheard of for the middle of October! Even for November.
I see on the weather that Anaheim has already received about an inch of rain today, and it's currently raining now. Knott's Berry Farm has a habit of cancelling the entire day and staying closed in this kind of rainy weather, but it's almost always in January through March.
What do they do for Knott's Scary Farm where folks have already bought tickets and the season is sold out by now?!? I imagine they are forced to go on with the show and deal with water damage and suspended operations. But still, what a mess to have this much rain so early in the season! And 20 degrees below normal temps, to boot!
Was there supposed to be a Knott's Scary Farm tonight?
I see on the weather that Anaheim has already received about an inch of rain today, and it's currently raining now. Knott's Berry Farm has a habit of cancelling the entire day and staying closed in this kind of rainy weather, but it's almost always in January through March.
What do they do for Knott's Scary Farm where folks have already bought tickets and the season is sold out by now?!? I imagine they are forced to go on with the show and deal with water damage and suspended operations. But still, what a mess to have this much rain so early in the season! And 20 degrees below normal temps, to boot!
Was there supposed to be a Knott's Scary Farm tonight?
No KSF is Thursday-Sunday
TP2000
Well-Known Member
Oh, phew!
I know the Knott's Scary Farm Ops team must work their behinds off this time of year to put on such a great show. When the rain started falling here in SD, a few minutes later I thought of the various theme park Ops teams in OC and LA who have big Halloween shows to produce.
They'll probably have a mess to clean up, but they'll get it done by Thursday I'm sure. Showmanship!
PiratesMansion
Well-Known Member
The Hanging is definitely taste specific and invariably there are references to a ton of things that I either never knew about or simply no longer remember. I'm not going to say it was an A+ show, but I liked it more than the one during the 50th.
I was also there and agree, it was a fantastic night that wasn't ludicrously crowded. I only got one go through the Zoo, so I don't really have a solid impression of it. For Mary, I was impressed by the length more than anything else, but it didn't really stand out to me other than the queue-some nasty long switchbacks in that line! I was more impressed by Widows and (especially) Eight Fingers Nine.
The one time I got through Cinema Slasher and Mesmer were both solid runs, as was Origins. Even Grimoire and Room 13, two mazes I wasn't crazy about, I really enjoyed this time. I love Chilling Chambers, but perhaps I'm the only one, as it was seemingly dead the entire night, so I can't imagine it'll live past next year.
The mazes are all in warehouses and stay up all year. Even Mesmer under Excellerator stays up. Whatever they replace it with will be available from the train. The Scarezones might not have sliders but no reason monsters can't wonder around in the rain.
I was there Saturday. Haunt was packed but only on the left side. We hit up chilling chambers, Cinema slasher and Mesmer with 5 minute waits. We did Jaguar in 5 minutes. The log ride was 20 minutes. We hit up the Zoo that said 90 minutes but in reality was 20 minutes and we had the bonus of lights out flashlights. Their switch over time was five minutes. The Zoo is far better with the lights out. Blood Mary said 90 minutes too but was only 20 so don't believe the signs. People get pushed through the mazes very fast.
denyuntilcaught
Well-Known Member
Wait, this is new and insightful to me. The mazes are up all year? Even like, Cinema Slasher?
It's in the building that they don't use the rest of the year. The only one that comes down is Origins because they use the Red Barn for Santa Claus.
Even Chilling Chambers stays up behind camp Snoopy under the stage coach bridge.
Nirya
Well-Known Member
I do think the props and everything get removed and put into storage after each season, but the physical buildings remain each year.
Cinema Slasher and Origins definitely come down completely, as those are used during the year. Parts of Grimoire also get removed because of the Mystery Lodge show. I'd be interested in how much they can reasonably leave up of Room 13 given its location, but maybe that lower part of the building is unused otherwise.
Cinema Slasher and Origins definitely come down completely, as those are used during the year. Parts of Grimoire also get removed because of the Mystery Lodge show. I'd be interested in how much they can reasonably leave up of Room 13 given its location, but maybe that lower part of the building is unused otherwise.
Except there is no mystery lodge show. I don't think the back half of the arcade where the VR thing was is used anymore. I think room 13 stays up. I don't see them taking down Widows, Bloody Mary or any of the backstage barns. If you look quickly you could see the Wax Works facade in years pass.
PiratesMansion
Well-Known Member
Looks like The Zoo is officially lights out ONLY for the remainder of the season, which to me is a massive downgrade. It's devaluing one of the two new houses of the event in favor of a gimmick.
I wish I could tell you my impression of The Zoo; alas, I only got to go through once during my previous visit and tonight it was lights out even from second one of the Boofet early entry. So ultimately I can't really judge it one way or another, and that frustrates me.
I'm sure some people are pumped for this move, and I completely understand it logistically. But it really represents to me a failure on both a park level and a guest experience level.
It's a failure on a park level because for whatever reason they did not foresee that the lights off version would be dramatically more popular, something that presumably any child or teenager could have told them had they been asked. The only other lights off maze I'm aware of with SF (and I'm sure there were several) was Trick or Treat, which was already an established maze that was past its prime when it pivoted to the gimmick. Doing this during the first year a maze opens is just asking for trouble IMO. Reportedly there were evenings when the wait for the maze was an hour at 1 or 2 AM, which shocks me a lot less than it apparently did the Knott's team.
It's a failure on the guest experience level because this is a prime example of giving people what they think they want, but at the end of the day everyone ends up with a worse experience. It's a pitch that writes itself: Go through a maze with the lights off?!?!? COOL! Except:
1.) Now the line moves much slower because there are only so many flashlights, and guests will move slower through the maze because they have to work harder to see where they're going.
2.) The performers now have to deal with flashlights in their eyes all night, which will happen even if the guests aren't intentionally trying to shine their light in the wrong places.
3.) You can't as easily appreciate the design and detail that went into the maze because it's wasted on you in the dark. Even if you do catch something, you can't appreciate it in as much detail or for as long as you could have if the maze was lit appropriately.
When one of the two new mazes underwhelms and the other one is The Zoo, it doesn't really reflect all that well on Scary Farm.
I wish I could tell you my impression of The Zoo; alas, I only got to go through once during my previous visit and tonight it was lights out even from second one of the Boofet early entry. So ultimately I can't really judge it one way or another, and that frustrates me.
I'm sure some people are pumped for this move, and I completely understand it logistically. But it really represents to me a failure on both a park level and a guest experience level.
It's a failure on a park level because for whatever reason they did not foresee that the lights off version would be dramatically more popular, something that presumably any child or teenager could have told them had they been asked. The only other lights off maze I'm aware of with SF (and I'm sure there were several) was Trick or Treat, which was already an established maze that was past its prime when it pivoted to the gimmick. Doing this during the first year a maze opens is just asking for trouble IMO. Reportedly there were evenings when the wait for the maze was an hour at 1 or 2 AM, which shocks me a lot less than it apparently did the Knott's team.
It's a failure on the guest experience level because this is a prime example of giving people what they think they want, but at the end of the day everyone ends up with a worse experience. It's a pitch that writes itself: Go through a maze with the lights off?!?!? COOL! Except:
1.) Now the line moves much slower because there are only so many flashlights, and guests will move slower through the maze because they have to work harder to see where they're going.
2.) The performers now have to deal with flashlights in their eyes all night, which will happen even if the guests aren't intentionally trying to shine their light in the wrong places.
3.) You can't as easily appreciate the design and detail that went into the maze because it's wasted on you in the dark. Even if you do catch something, you can't appreciate it in as much detail or for as long as you could have if the maze was lit appropriately.
When one of the two new mazes underwhelms and the other one is The Zoo, it doesn't really reflect all that well on Scary Farm.
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I don't know if I agree with you. I did it last night with the lights off. The line moves just as fast with or without the flash lights. Recycling the flash lights is quick because the entrance and exit are right next to each other. The line still moves quickly regardless of the posted wait says. It said 90 minutes last night and we got in after 20 minutes. Haunt is really pushing people through the ques. The flash lights are so dim that shining it in a scare actor's face is not going to hurt. You do miss the wide detail but reveling something as you walk by is scarier.