Knott's Berry Farm Toys for Tots

[2princes1princess]

On 3 weekends in Dec., Knott's is offering free admission if you donate a toy purchased in their shops. Is the Knott's Marketplace accessible before you have park admission?

 

[perlster]

You can always enter the Marketplace without paying admission, so I don't understand what you are asking about Toys for Tots.

See this thread for info on TfT.

 

[2princes1princess]

Sorry. I wasn't very clear. If you purchase a toy for $15 or more at a Knott's store, they will donate it to Toys for Tots and you will get free admission to the theme park. This takes place on December 5-6, 12-13, 19-20. I've never been to Knott's and I wanted to know how you access the shopping before you enter the park.

 

[perlster]

Yikes! It has been $10 for many years ... toy inflation finally caught up with the Toys for Tots program, I guess.

Marketplace page here

Most of the marketplace is to the left of the main admission gates. There's no special entrance. The storefronts are right up against the road (Grand Ave). Parking, in theory at least, should be free for 3 hours if you are only going to the Marketplace.

 

[2princes1princess]

Thanks Perlster. Do you think the price benefit is worth the extra crowds this will bring?

 

[perlster]

I would check the thread mentioned above, so you can see what KBF offers for Christmas. The crowds will be big on T4T days. Of course, you could go during the weekdays in December and enjoy the sights without the crowds.

Follow the advice in that thread and you can get plenty of entertainment value on a T4T day. The price differential can be substantial, especially if it's more than just a couple of you. So, if you can be sure to get there early and follow a plan to hit popular rides, go for it!

 

[perlster]

Wow! If this is really what it sounds like, T4T is hardly worth the bother:

TOYS FOR TOTS December 5-20
Guests wishing to bring a toy (purchased elsewhere) to donate, valued at $15 or more, will receive a coupon for $15 admission into Knott's.

 

[Surroundedbyboys]

Except, of course, that needy kids will be getting the toys.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

I think this is worth it. For years the toys have been $10, but if the price of toys has gone up, a $10 toy really isn't much these days. I went a few years ago with my daughter & her boyfriend, and they were happy to pay the cheaper price to get into Knotts.

I think this is a good way for Knotts to work with the public to donate toys, and get a discounted admission to the park. This way, we have the opportunity to choose the toy we want to donate, so have a more active role.

Shoot, this might be a better deal than paying to get into the Knotts Merry Farm Crafts Fair, since the price of admission has gone up for that, too. We can get access to the whole park, donate to the tots, and shop at the crafts fair.... hmmmm.

 

[perlster]

UPDATE: Either someone at KBF realized that this new program was going to mean far fewer toys donated, or the initial description on the KBF events page was way off base.

Now, the description of the revised Toys for Tots program is:

TOYS FOR TOTS December 5-20
Get Free Admission when you purchase a toy ($15 value) at Knott's for Toys for Tots. Or donate a toy online and receive one e-ticket valid for admission Dec. 5 - 20, 2009. Click here to donate online now.

Guests wishing to bring a toy (purchased elsewhere) to donate, valued at $15 or more, will receive a coupon for $15 admission into Knott's.


First, the program is apparently valid for every day from Dec. 5 to Dec. 20 - it was only on weekends in the past. Second, I was skeptical about "purchase a toy .. at Knott's" until I saw this at the bottom of the page: Admission will be FREE when a toy, valued at $15 or more, is purchased at a Knott's Berry Farm merchandise location. Proof of purchase required. I still don't see how it's practical, unless some store in the Marketplace opens quite early on T4T days. Third, the online option is best, since it allows you to skip lines at the ticket booths and where toys are purchased and/or dropped off. Fourth, the option of actually bringing a toy to T4T is now the worst for a visitor, as it equates to paying more than $30 for admission.

The line to drop off toys had gotten tremendously long in the past few years, and I think this was a major factor in KBF revising the program.

I'm sure there will still be long lines on T4T days, especially on weekends.
The bottom line: If at all possible, make the donation online and get e-tickets.

 

[eduk8r26]

I honestly don't think they will get as many toys as they have in the past. I never paid $10 for a toy, I always got something on sale. Knott's itself doesn't have that many toys. I preferred the way it was before. We always got there early, so didn't have to wait too long, and the lines went quickly, anyway.

 

[EnchantedTikiGal]

We tried to do this last year and it was INSANE. I had really good toys to donate too. My parents, sister, nephew and my 2 kids all went. The line just to donate and get IN was 2 hrs. We waited a bit and just left, if it took 2 hrs to get in, I can't imagine what it was like inside.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

Thanks for the tip to donate online, perlster. I hope it works better for people that way.