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All things Knotts Berry Farm

NateD1226

NateD1226

Well-Known Member
Knotts is absolutely amazing! The only thing I wish is that they would build is a dark ride. I don’t count Iron Reef as a dark ride since it isn’t a true dark ride. Iron Reef doesn’t work as great as it did when it first opened. I think it needs a refurbishment or replace it with something new. I think a Peanuts dark ride would work great there since the theater is right next to the show building. I just hope they have huge plans for the 100th anniversary.
 
BubbaQuest

BubbaQuest

Well-Known Member
I consider the Calico Mine Train their dark ride. I do miss Knott's Bear-y Tales, but I think they've done a pretty good job creating a mix of family and thrill rides.

I really enjoy the Boysenberry Festival. It's a nice reminder of the family/farm origins of the park. That's something I think Cedar Fair destroyed when they took over the park and have since realized it is one of the most endearing parts of the park.
 
TROR

TROR

Well-Known Member
Good thread. Having visited the park for the first time yesterday, here are just a few thoughts on Knott's.
  • Ghost Town is, needless to say, the best part of the park. There's so many gems in Ghost Town.
  • Camp Snoopy was also delightful. The Boardwalk is certainly the weakest section. Didn't really spend any time in the Fiesta portion of Knott's.
  • Calico Mine Train is incredibly charming but suffers from bad staging with the show scenes. The same rings true for Timber Mountain Log Ride. The best two attractions in the park by far, though, from what I went on.
  • Calico Train is fun but needs more sights along the way. Same with the Stagecoaches but the fact there were Stagecoaches was great.
  • Hangtime and Silver Bullet are both great coasters but in the case of Silver Bullet, constantly the ride vehicles would be sent with numerous empty seats. Unacceptable when a ride has a 90 minute wait.
  • Boysenberry punch is good
  • Park's general layout is certainly weak. Nothing like the hub and spoke layout, I suppose.
Ghost Rider had a scheduled closure so I missed out on that and I also missed out on Independence Hall as I didn't realize it was outside the park. Hopefully I'll be able to make it back once Calico Rapids opens and get to cover what I didn't get to do.

Also want to point out I only paid $45 for a full day ticket (though I wasn't there from opening till closing) which is a pretty good deal.
 
kap91

kap91

Well-Known Member
Calico mine train is my favorite ride not in a Universal or Disney park.

And frankly if the ET adventure ever goes away it’ll be my favorite non-Disney ride period.

There’s a lot to like about knots! I especially like some of the atmosphere around Camp Snoopy, obviously the ghost town, and Mystery lodge still to this day I can’t fully figure out how it works!

Knott’s back half is the weakest and shows the most influence from Cedar Fair. The “bland amusement park” feel that has infiltrated parts of the park and it’s operation is sad. But the fact that they’re actually going to add story to the rapids ride is very promising!

I do think the park could really benefit from a large expansion. The train and Spruce Goose are cool but need somewhere to go! This is difficult though given the layout. Best option would probably be to move the facilities across the road to where independence hall is or remove soak city but I don’t see either happening
 
PiratesMansion

PiratesMansion

Well-Known Member
Knott's is now an essential part of my DL visits.

It's not perfect, but there's been a huge improvement since my first visit in 2013. I really enjoy the atmosphere and theming, which isn't Disney or Universal level but is definitely better than most regional parks.

Hangtime has dramatically improved the atmosphere of the Boardwalk section IMO. It's also gives Knott's another coaster that I could ride over and over again (Ghostrider and Montezooma are my other two favorites).

I flew out in October just to do Scary Farm and it was totally worth it! So much better than any Halloween event I've done in the past (disclaimer: haven't done Universal or any of the other really well known events).

What used to be where Pony Express is? If I ran Knott's, my first task would be to remove that ride. Totally kills that part of the park and all for a mediocre ride, IMO.

As long as the Mine Ride, Log Ride, Mystery Lodge, and Ghostrider are around and the atmosphere stays intact, I'll always make time for Knott's. Now if only I could get into the park without circling it a couple times trying to figure out where I'm supposed to park each time I go...
 
Phroobar

Phroobar

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I still love the Mystery Lodge. I still don't know how they
make the Indian disappear at the end.
I think the Boardwalk area is actually pretty good. It has a nice modern beach feel and it's light years better than Pixar Pier! They do have backstage to expand into if they move everything like Disneyland did for GE. Independence Hall needs a little love out side but it is a fun history lesson. Ask the guy who the first President of the United States was. He will tell you it's not George Washington and tell you why. The free roaming chickens and ducks are fun to chase. I love the employees in Ghost Town. They are older and very friendly and stay in character. It's really fun during Ghost Town Live in the summer where you play games with them and figure out who robbed the bank.

Go see Sad Eye Joe in Ghost Town Jail and hang out at Boot Hill.

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baroquehoedown

baroquehoedown

Member
I've really grown to appreciate Knott's as an adult. They've upped their game in recent years and become a really wonderful park. But despite all the new, it's the older stuff that really has the charm. The ghost town area, for instance, is probably one of the best uses of theming in any park, Disneyland included. Stepping into that area is like stepping back 150 years. It's a feeling that even Disney hasn't perfected quite yet.

My grandparents grew up at Knott's Berry Farm practically and my grandmother used to make fried chicken from the original Knott's recipe. That's the charm of Knott's. It's got a lot of new stuff, some better than other parts, but it retains the heart and soul of its original purpose.
 
Stevek

Stevek

Well-Known Member
Knotts will always have a special place in my heart as I started going there around the same time as I did DL...some 48 or so years ago. Ghost town is still the shining star of the park and I do love both Calico Mine Train and the Log ride. We love sitting on the patio of Ghost Town grill...reasonably good food and nice cold beers. The boardwalk does have a 6 flags feel and worked better when it was the roaring 20’s section with the corkscrew and soap box racers...though I do enjoy xcelerator. The annual pass is a fantastic value as well. All that being said, we still have a far greater desire to visit DL but Knotts is still a great once in a while visit.
 
Ismael Flores

Ismael Flores

Well-Known Member
i do have a great time at Knott's, just wish they would work on their operation. Their loading process for rides is way to slow and unorganized. I also don't care for their take on the boardwalk, It feels cold and lifeless with all the concrete. the addition of hangtime really helped though

i really enjoy liberty square across the street. The persons name of the man that works in the Liberty hall slip my tongue but he is an amazing historian and great to talk with.
 
PiratesMansion

PiratesMansion

Well-Known Member
Mildly controversial opinion...I don't care for the famous fried chicken dinner. You certainly get a lot for your money, but I find the chicken at Plaza Inn to be far superior, including the sides.

Has the recipe stayed the same over time, or did they alter it at some point?
 
Last edited:
Ismael Flores

Ismael Flores

Well-Known Member
NateD1226 said:
So with the cheer competition going on, people are complaining that the contestants are randomly high kicking in crowds. Someone posted on FB that she just saw a little girl get kicked! People are mad 😬
Click to expand...

of all the events that happen in knott's and Disneyland, the cheering competition is the worst. I will never step foot in those parks when they are having their cheering competition. The abuse of wheel chairs, the concentration of dozens of groups screaming teenagers make for a crazy and stressful day.
 
Phroobar

Phroobar

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Ismael Flores said:
of all the events that happen in knott's and Disneyland, the cheering competition is the worst. I will never step foot in those parks when they are having their cheering competition. The abuse of wheel chairs, the concentration of dozens of groups screaming teenagers make for a crazy and stressful day.
Click to expand...
Yet at Knotts you really don't see an abuse of wheel chairs or strollers. It's a different crowd. I rarely see one of those electric scooters at Knotts while at Disneyland your run over by one every ten feet.
 

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