Trip Report How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Knott's (Knott's Berry Farm/Disneyland Trip Report)

Knott's Berry Farm has been an enigma in my life for a long time now. It started out as that little park across the road from Disneyland that I would have loved to visit except for the fact that when I was a kid going to Disneyland was absolutely sacred so the one time a year I did make it up to SoCal no days were wasted on a non-Disney park. That all changed when the structure of my SoCal trips changed as an adult. Most of the time I'd be staying with friends instead of at an on site hotel, so the idea of doing stuff besides Disney slowly crept into my roster. Two years ago I did a marathon Disneyland/Knott's/Universal/Hamilton trip, for example. In all that time though, when I finally did make it to Knott's I instantly fell in love.

Knott's Berry Farm has an atmosphere and vibe unlike any other park I've experienced. What it lacks in big E Ticket thrills it makes up for in charm, charm, and more charm! Not to mention a fascinating history that's nearly twice as long as Disneyland's. Knott's set the stage for stuff like themed log flumes and highly immersive dark rides that pre date some of the iconic Disneyland attraction. The Ghost Town area there is rich with history with every building being pulled from a real life ghost town and cobbled together into a themed land. The three big attractions there are Timber Mountain...perhaps the greatest log flume ever created and the inspiration for Splash Mountain...Calico Mine RIde, a dark ride with Pirates levels of immersive set pieces, and Mystery Lodge, an incredibly unique theatrical experience about the storytelling heritage of Native American tribes who were local to Orange County.

Point being, I love Knott's almost as much, if not more, than Disneyland itself. Which is why my grandma and I have decided for the first time to take a SoCal trip not focused on Disney, but on Knott's itself. This trip will encompass three days at Knott's Berry Farm with a side day at Disneyland...the opposite of how we usually do it. I intend to use this thread to showcase all the wonders and Imagineering creativity that the park has on offer and to just have fun chronicling my first Knott's centric trip. Leaving for the airport in 30 minutes, so I'll be sure to keep this updated throughout the day and the rest of the trip!

 

[MANEATINGWREATH]

God yes, the coaster ops at Knott's could really use some work and are probably THE biggest black mark against the park. That GhostRider situation especially was ridiculous and frustrating. They were still running both trains but just not loading anyone on the second train...this went on for HOURS, to the point where at the end of the day when the ride should be close to walk on it was like five switchbacks deep. I never like to wait in one train op lines especially when the ride in question is a three minute beast like GhostRider. I also found GR's fastlane situation to be very problematic...you basically present your pass at the bottom of the stairs then go up the stairs in a separate line and through a turnstile that leads directly to the rows. This is problematic because the first time it happened I literally thought people were sneaking up an exit pathway and line jumping. Even more worrisome considering there's NO cast member there to assign rows (BIG mark against GhostRider's operations. I've literally never seen one assigning rows even though it's consistently the most popular ride in the park.)

Ironically I found XCellerator's operations to be pretty dang good considering how notorious it is for break downs. I got two laps in while waiting for @D Hindley but could have easily gotten four in the time it took him to get through the GhostRider queue at rope drop once. Even when the station was near empty they still had a person assigning rows, and they were working hard making sure dispatches were as close together as possible.

Controversial opinion, but I think I actually prefer Beach Boulevard to Harbor Blvd. Harbor has always had an air of sketchiness to it that will never fully wash out unless Disney buys the entire street outright. There's constantly trash on the street, homeless people, insidious salespeople trying to shill cheap light up toys and stuff like that. It's generally a pretty gross atmosphere, with that stupid pirate buffet right in the middle of it. Beach on the other hand doesn't have as many cheesy hotels but it does have Medieval Times and the Pirates dining show...neither of which I've done but both make the area feel more like a Downtown Disney. It's also got The Cauldron which is basically the unofficial Knott's Trader Sam's. Plus I like how inviting the Knott's Marketplace is and you can just walk up to it as opposed to Downtown Disney which is blockaded by a whole squad of security people every time you want to go in and out.

I'd agree that Beach Boulevard is the better of the two. However, the loss of the Movieland Wax Museum, Ripley's Believe It Or Not, and even Pofolks Family Restaurant are to be lamented. I'd almost say Beach Blvd is like Orlando in a way - a lot more tourist traps outside the main event.