>>Frustrated by Disneyland being booked for the month of December? Don’t sleep on the holiday events at Knott’s Berry Farm or Universal Studios Hollywood. If you can’t get into Disneyland, both of these other parks offer wonderful alternatives for families looking to get away for some holiday spirit.
Knott’s Merry Farm does not attempt to match the diversity of Disney’s Festival of Holidays. It’s all about Christmas at Merry Farm, which also leans much more into live performances than Disney does. Live music fills the park during the season, which creates different energy than you feel from light shows or dark ride overlays with their recorded soundtracks.
I especially enjoyed the four-person company that presented the delightful new “Marley’s Ghost” show in the Bird Cage Theatre. This sequel to “A Christmas Carol” borrows the concept of “It’s a Wonderful Life” by imagining what it would take for the ghost of Jacob Marley to earn his angel’s wings. It’s engaging, lively, silly and inspiring, all at once.
The show also reflects a distinctly Christian message — one that visitors will find within several Knott’s Merry Farm performances. As I said, this is a Christmas event and not a secular “holiday” one.
Up at Universal Studios Hollywood, a different message is emblazoned above the park’s new Pets Place land, “Happy Merry Everything.” From Minions in Santa hats to the Whos of Whoville taking over Universal Plaza, to projected snow on Hogwarts Castle, Universal drapes its intellectual properties in the trappings of the holiday season.
The only message here is fun, and Universal delivers. By his playful interactions with guests, Universal’s The Grinch has become one of the great meet-and-greet characters in any theme park. And I adore Christmas in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, where Hogwarts lights up with a Christmas-themed projection show each night after sunset.
My only complaint is that Universal closes too early to allow local residents to enjoy the park after work on weekdays. I understand that Universal sells the park for private events on some weekday evenings, but buy-outs do not build a brand. Becoming a beloved local holiday tradition does.
The lack of availability at Disneyland this holiday season has created a huge opportunity for Disney’s competitors. Yes, COVID-19 made it tricky to plan this year, but in 2022 Universal and Knott’s should be ready to pounce.
The retirement of long-time Universal Parks leader Tom Williams has led to a cascade of management changes at Universal. Former Knott’s executive Tom Mehrmann now will be overseeing Universal’s Pacific rim properties, including Universal Studios Hollywood. Mehrmann has made a career of taking on and beating Disney parks. He literally wrote the book on the subject, with his “Taming the Mouse.”
As much as I have enjoyed this year’s events, I can’t wait to see what Universal and Knott’s come up with next year. The more that local theme parks stay open and offer, the merrier our Christmas will be.<<
www.ocregister.com
Knott’s Merry Farm does not attempt to match the diversity of Disney’s Festival of Holidays. It’s all about Christmas at Merry Farm, which also leans much more into live performances than Disney does. Live music fills the park during the season, which creates different energy than you feel from light shows or dark ride overlays with their recorded soundtracks.
I especially enjoyed the four-person company that presented the delightful new “Marley’s Ghost” show in the Bird Cage Theatre. This sequel to “A Christmas Carol” borrows the concept of “It’s a Wonderful Life” by imagining what it would take for the ghost of Jacob Marley to earn his angel’s wings. It’s engaging, lively, silly and inspiring, all at once.
The show also reflects a distinctly Christian message — one that visitors will find within several Knott’s Merry Farm performances. As I said, this is a Christmas event and not a secular “holiday” one.
Up at Universal Studios Hollywood, a different message is emblazoned above the park’s new Pets Place land, “Happy Merry Everything.” From Minions in Santa hats to the Whos of Whoville taking over Universal Plaza, to projected snow on Hogwarts Castle, Universal drapes its intellectual properties in the trappings of the holiday season.
The only message here is fun, and Universal delivers. By his playful interactions with guests, Universal’s The Grinch has become one of the great meet-and-greet characters in any theme park. And I adore Christmas in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, where Hogwarts lights up with a Christmas-themed projection show each night after sunset.
My only complaint is that Universal closes too early to allow local residents to enjoy the park after work on weekdays. I understand that Universal sells the park for private events on some weekday evenings, but buy-outs do not build a brand. Becoming a beloved local holiday tradition does.
The lack of availability at Disneyland this holiday season has created a huge opportunity for Disney’s competitors. Yes, COVID-19 made it tricky to plan this year, but in 2022 Universal and Knott’s should be ready to pounce.
The retirement of long-time Universal Parks leader Tom Williams has led to a cascade of management changes at Universal. Former Knott’s executive Tom Mehrmann now will be overseeing Universal’s Pacific rim properties, including Universal Studios Hollywood. Mehrmann has made a career of taking on and beating Disney parks. He literally wrote the book on the subject, with his “Taming the Mouse.”
As much as I have enjoyed this year’s events, I can’t wait to see what Universal and Knott’s come up with next year. The more that local theme parks stay open and offer, the merrier our Christmas will be.<<
Niles: Disneyland fans should not overlook Universal and Knott’s at Christmas
With Disneyland reservations snapped up through the month of December, you should check out what other parks are offering for the holidays.
www.ocregister.com
