All things Knotts Berry Farm

[SoCalDisneyLover]

So, how was Soak City?

Very nice. Noticeable decrease in crowds. I don't think I waited more than 15 minutes for any slide. Judging by the amount of people in the lazy river, I'd say a little more than half of what a busy weekend day would look like. Not a lot of teenagers, which probably helped lessen the lines for the slides. I got there at opening, and it took a long time for the prime chairs to fill up by the wave pool. Normally those are gone in the first 20 minutes, but today you could probably arrive over an hour after opening, and still have gotten one.

I specifically avoided this past weekend, and I think the remaining weekends they're open are going to be horrible. I definitely am going to try and go a couple of times over the remaining weekdays they're open. It was more relaxing.

 

[Professortango1]

How come these events don't have a new maze every year? Why do they have the same thing year after year? If I went to a maze this year and next year its the same maze I already experienced and I know what's going to happen already, then why should I pay for the same thing again? Where is the logic in that?

Most Haunts do have a new maze each year. USH usually has all new mazes, Dark Harbor usually has 1-2 new/retooled mazes, and Knotts generally has 2-3 new mazes. This year, we're getting one new maze. As for why would you come again? The same reason you might ride a ride again or watch a movie again; its fun and you enjoy it. With Knotts, the scares are environmental and actor based, meaning you never get the same experience twice. With Universal, most of the scares are pop-out based, meaning they aren't as repeatable.

They also do tend to make changes year to year. They fix problems, expand on ideas, add new gags. I have no insider knowledge anymore, but I wouldn't be surprised if The Deep features the planned elevator experience which they couldn't get up and running in 2019. I also imagine that Dark Entities will see some major changes due to how disliked it was.

 

[Nirya]

Most Haunts do have a new maze each year. USH usually has all new mazes, Dark Harbor usually has 1-2 new/retooled mazes, and Knotts generally has 2-3 new mazes. This year, we're getting one new maze. As for why would you come again? The same reason you might ride a ride again or watch a movie again; its fun and you enjoy it. With Knotts, the scares are environmental and actor based, meaning you never get the same experience twice. With Universal, most of the scares are pop-out based, meaning they aren't as repeatable.

They also do tend to make changes year to year. They fix problems, expand on ideas, add new gags. I have no insider knowledge anymore, but I wouldn't be surprised if The Deep features the planned elevator experience which they couldn't get up and running in 2019. I also imagine that Dark Entities will see some major changes due to how disliked it was.

Yeah, to add on to this, Knotts will keep mazes around but uses that to refine and improve them over time, to the point where their final years are usually the mazes at their best. For example, Paranormal Inc. added the hallway and hospital sequences at the end that vastly improved the finale over the original sputtering version, while the Depths essentially reworked the entire opening of the maze after the elevator effect wasn't really working in year 1.

The strategy of keeping mazes around for a few years also means that instant classic mazes get to stick around longer, unlike at Universal where something amazing like Wolfman vs Frankenstein is gone after one year. Honestly this is a pretty strong maze lineup, with a group of upper-echelon mazes in Dark Ride, Paranormal, Wax Works and Origins supplemented by two solid mazes in Pumpkin Eater and the Depths, and a new maze in Mesmer that seems to be playing in the same great space that Houdini did for a few years. The big outlier is Dark Entities, but 2019's version was improved enough that there's enough hope that a 2 year planning phase can get that maze up to par with the others.

 

[1HAPPYGHOSTHOST]

Most Haunts do have a new maze each year. USH usually has all new mazes, Dark Harbor usually has 1-2 new/retooled mazes, and Knotts generally has 2-3 new mazes. This year, we're getting one new maze. As for why would you come again? The same reason you might ride a ride again or watch a movie again; its fun and you enjoy it. With Knotts, the scares are environmental and actor based, meaning you never get the same experience twice. With Universal, most of the scares are pop-out based, meaning they aren't as repeatable.

They also do tend to make changes year to year. They fix problems, expand on ideas, add new gags. I have no insider knowledge anymore, but I wouldn't be surprised if The Deep features the planned elevator experience which they couldn't get up and running in 2019. I also imagine that Dark Entities will see some major changes due to how disliked it was.

Thanks for the info. I did not know most of that. I hear on you tube how certain people can't wait to go to a particular maze again or that a certain maze is back and to me unlike a fun coaster; a horror maze is not comparable in repeat experiences. You can have favorite parts on a coaster and enjoy them every ride. A horror maze is meant to scare you. You are supposed to go in not knowing when and where the scaresbare coming from but if you go to the same maze year after year its no longer scary because its the same thinf everytime that you can set your watch to i.e. "here comes the chainsaw guy", "around this next corner there is going to be the clown" etc etc. A horror maze should never be boring or worse tame to your guest and be predicatble. All places should have nothing but new mazes every year. Majority of Knott's mazes appear to be recycled year after year.

 

[1HAPPYGHOSTHOST]

Yeah, to add on to this, Knotts will keep mazes around but uses that to refine and improve them over time, to the point where their final years are usually the mazes at their best. For example, Paranormal Inc. added the hallway and hospital sequences at the end that vastly improved the finale over the original sputtering version, while the Depths essentially reworked the entire opening of the maze after the elevator effect wasn't really working in year 1.

The strategy of keeping mazes around for a few years also means that instant classic mazes get to stick around longer, unlike at Universal where something amazing like Wolfman vs Frankenstein is gone after one year. Honestly this is a pretty strong maze lineup, with a group of upper-echelon mazes in Dark Ride, Paranormal, Wax Works and Origins supplemented by two solid mazes in Pumpkin Eater and the Depths, and a new maze in Mesmer that seems to be playing in the same great space that Houdini did for a few years. The big outlier is Dark Entities, but 2019's version was improved enough that there's enough hope that a 2 year planning phase can get that maze up to par with the others.

Thanks for that additional info that they make additions.

 

[Nirya]

Thanks for the info. I did not know most of that. I hear on you tube how certain people can't wait to go to a particular maze again or that a certain maze is back and I to me inlike a fun coaster a horror maze is not comparable in repeat experiences. You can have favorite parts on a coaster and enjoy them every ride. A horror maze is meant to scare you. You are supposed to go in not knowing when and where the scaresbare coming from but if you go to the same maze year after year its no longer scary because its the same thinf everytime that you can set your watch to i.e. "here comes the chainsaw guy", "around this next corner there is going to be the clown" etc etc. A horror maze should never be boring or worse tame to your guest and be predicatble. All places should have nothing but new mazes every year. Majority of Knott's mazes appear to be recycled year after year.

I'd also say it works to Knotts benefit that they bring back most of their mazes on a yearly basis. It brings a level of consistency that Universal can lack from year to year, since they bring in all-new mazes all the time. Some years they nail it, but there are other years where only a few mazes stand out as being good (2019 was one of those years for me).

 

[Ryan120420]

GhostRider is down for its yearly refurbishment. It will reopen around week that Scary Farm starts, September 16th.

It looks like due to the unexpected long-term closure of HangTime, Knotts is choosing to do refurb work on GhostRider Monday-Thursday instead of the normal month long closure. GhostRider will operate Friday-Sunday until the the start of Scary Farm, then will return to daily operation.

 

[PiratesMansion]

Does anyone actually like Dark Entities other than the people who made it? That's the real question.

I get why they rotated it out, but I would have much rather had Shadowlands for another year.

 

[choco choco]

Does anyone actually like Dark Entities other than the people who made it? That's the real question.

I get why they rotated it out, but I would have much rather had Shadowlands for another year.

Shadowlands was an amazing maze. Honestly, no maze that ever gets put in that location ever lasts long, because it's such an orphan in that corner of the park. It doesn't matter how good or bad or what the theme is. It's sad, but at the same time the maze designers often put their more radical and daring ideas into that location knowing the maze doesn't have to bear as much of a burden, which has lead to some great things over the years (I still remember that Houdini maze there, that I also thought was terrific).

 

[CaptinEO]

Went here recently for the Marketplace and Chicken Restaraunt (no themepark). In the parkinglot we saw and smelled 3 employees smoking marijuana together behind the Snoopy store.

Besides that though the shops were fun and restaurant was amazing as always.

With the exception of the Log Ride and Mine Train, nothing really makes me want to visit the actual Knotts Park. The marketplace is fun and charming all around (besides the marijuana smoking employees of course).

I think it's hillarious how the music loop is only about 5 songs.

 

[Nirya]

Shadowlands was an amazing maze. Honestly, no maze that ever gets put in that location ever lasts long, because it's such an orphan in that corner of the park. It doesn't matter how good or bad or what the theme is. It's sad, but at the same time the maze designers often put their more radical and daring ideas into that location knowing the maze doesn't have to bear as much of a burden, which has lead to some great things over the years (I still remember that Houdini maze there, that I also thought was terrific).

Honestly, for as much as I liked Shadowlands, it always felt out of place in that spot thematically, especially once they put in Dark Ride which absolutely works with the CarnEVIL scare zone. That’s why I’m looking forward to the new maze, cause it looks to tie into that coherent theme.

Shadowlands likely would have worked better in that backlot area that has become a grab bag of themes. The in-park mazes all have very good thematic ties to the ones they’re in.

 

[1HAPPYGHOSTHOST]

Went here recently for the Marketplace and Chicken Restaraunt (no themepark). In the parkinglot we saw and smelled 3 employees smoking marijuana together behind the Snoopy store.

Besides that though the shops were fun and restaurant was amazing as always.

With the exception of the Log Ride and Mine Train, nothing really makes me want to visit the actual Knotts Park. The marketplace is fun and charming all around (besides the marijuana smoking employees of course).

I think it's hillarious how the music loop is only about 5 songs.

you sure that wasn't just Snoopy's brother Spike you smelled?

 

[PiratesMansion]

Honestly, for as much as I liked Shadowlands, it always felt out of place in that spot thematically, especially once they put in Dark Ride which absolutely works with the CarnEVIL scare zone. That’s why I’m looking forward to the new maze, cause it looks to tie into that coherent theme.

Shadowlands likely would have worked better in that backlot area that has become a grab bag of themes. The in-park mazes all have very good thematic ties to the ones they’re in.

While it's true that it was a bit of a mismatch, wasn't the tying of mazes to their larger areas/scarezones more of a recent development?

As much as I love that they try to keep their mazes to fit a specific theme, other events get by just fine without worrying about such a level of consistency.

Radical was a great word for Shadowlands, or at least its theme. That's part of the reason that I was so enamored with it-it was such an original concept for its genre. Whereas you can find versions of Paranormal's theme without the opening bit all over the place.

 

[Emmanuel]

While it's true that it was a bit of a mismatch, wasn't the tying of mazes to their larger areas/scarezones more of a recent development?

As much as I love that they try to keep their mazes to fit a specific theme, other events get by just fine without worrying about such a level of consistency.

Radical was a great word for Shadowlands, or at least its theme. That's part of the reason that I was so enamored with it-it was such an original concept for its genre. Whereas you can find versions of Paranormal's theme without the opening bit all over the place.

Basically. Carnevil did had some clown themed mazes in the past plus Black Magic that also tied in with boardwalk.

Now we have the new carnival themed maze along with Dark Ride in Carnevil, Origins in Ghost Town but so far we don't have a maze in the area for Forsaken Lake. Maybe if it sticks around long enough, we could see a bayou themed maze in the area similar to Voodoo.

The new Gore-ing 20s might see a return of mazes in the bumper car attraction if they want a roaring 20s maze since thats the only space in the small area they can put a maze in.

 

[Emmanuel]

The new show at Scary Farm "Invitation to Terror" is taking place where Mystery Lodge is.

 

[Professortango1]

Shadowlands was an amazing maze. Honestly, no maze that ever gets put in that location ever lasts long, because it's such an orphan in that corner of the park. It doesn't matter how good or bad or what the theme is. It's sad, but at the same time the maze designers often put their more radical and daring ideas into that location knowing the maze doesn't have to bear as much of a burden, which has lead to some great things over the years (I still remember that Houdini maze there, that I also thought was terrific).

That's been a consistently strong spot (although I didn't like Shadowlands) and the Mystery Lodge location has been, in my opinion, the most consistently kick mazes. They always have this incredible scale in that spot.

 

[Nirya]

That's been a consistently strong spot (although I didn't like Shadowlands) and the Mystery Lodge location has been, in my opinion, the most consistently kick *** mazes. They always have this incredible scale in that spot.

I'm the flipside of the Mystery Lodge spot. The Jack the Ripper maze was pretty boring and the Vampire one was only good for the random- rave at the end. Spec Ops was somehow the best use of it just because it quarantined that idea into one area instead of having it take over all of Camp Snoopy (though I found it better when it did that).

 

[SoCalDisneyLover]

The new Gore-ing 20s might see a return of mazes in the bumper car attraction if they want a roaring 20s maze since thats the only space in the small area they can put a maze in.

Can they build a maze there in less than 4 weeks? It seemed like they were going to make that area into a scare zone, so wouldn't a maze also being right there, cause a traffic flow issue?

 

[Professortango1]

I'm the flipside of the Mystery Lodge spot. The Jack the Ripper maze was pretty boring and the Vampire one was only good for the random-*** rave at the end. Spec Ops was somehow the best use of it just because it quarantined that idea into one area instead of having it take over all of Camp Snoopy (though I found it better when it did that).

The Vampire one, Club Blood, was in the backstage facility. Where Dark Ententies was. Terror of London had an incredible opening scene with the facade and fog. That's also where we had Nevermore, 13 Axe Murder Manor (dark version of Haunted Mansion), and Blood Bayou back in the day. Its always been a strong spot for me.

 

[Emmanuel]

Can they build a maze there in less than 4 weeks? It seemed like they were going to make that area into a scare zone, so wouldn't a maze also being right there, cause a traffic flow issue?

Not exactly. Also, they wouldn't be able to make a maze in 4 weeks. If they want to put a maze based on the roaring 20s there it'll likely be next year. Takes time to plan out the theme and the layout. Then additional time to close the bumper cars at the right time so that construction can be done before rehearsals.