Canceling our 1st trip.....Again

[DLgal]

I really went back and forth on this a lot. If I didn't stay at the DLH, I'd never forgive myself. Just to go back to the hotel each night and have a few drinks at Trader Sam's. Plus, wife and kids don't know we're staying there and I'm so excited to surprise them.

Try and spend some time really exploring all the different buildings. There are some really cool and unique models, memorabilia, photos, etc.

Also plan an evening at Steakhouse 55 Lounge. Fantastic food and drinks and kids are welcome.

 

[hootey]

Try and spend some time really exploring all the different buildings. There are some really cool and unique models, memorabilia, photos, etc.

Also plan an evening at Steakhouse 55 Lounge. Fantastic food and drinks and kids are welcome.

We stay at the Disneyland Hotel or the Grand or we do not go, period! BUT, every afternoon from 1:00 to about 3:30 or so, we take a hotel break. Either hit the pools and hot-tubs or get a nice cup of coffee and walk around the hotels enjoying the art work, the grounds, or the many photographs on display. Hey, I have even been known to find a comfortable chair to sit in and watch people enter the lobby of the DLH or the Grand for the first time. Watching the kids faces light up as they enter for the first time and realize where they are, can be fun. Watching the faces light up as they enter the hotel and find Mickey, Minnie, or Goofy (they are not there all the time) there to welcome them is priceless.

 

[Lesley Wake]

Eh, agree to disagree. We get in for free once a year (they do a thing for military and fire/LEO's). We had an okay time last year but it was WAY less fun than any day at DL. All we paid for was parking and food and that felt like just enough to spend for what we got. Numerous coasters were down, there was no live entertainment, and the food was terrible and way, way expensive. We liked the Pony Express too, but Ghost Rider, Supreme Scream, and Silver Bullet were ALL closed for renovation. This was a weekend in November, but still.

We would never pay full price.

Yup, this. We only go when military is offered free tickets or out of town guests reeeeally want to go. It's not terrible necessarily but its just not Disney magical. And the food is pretty bad. And the bathrooms are gross. Everything feels a little more dirty and worn than at DL.

I totally agree! We did a day at Knotts this February for my friends kids-they love Snoopy and have never been to an amusement park so we figured it would be a good test. Good news: those little rascals (5 & 3) are thrill junkies! Like seriously, want to go higher and faster and anything fun! Though I’m waiting until the 3yr old gets to be 42” so she isn’t left behind on the Disney thrill rides.

But overall, I was so disappointed in the inefficiencies at Knotts. So you get a ride where you have 1 person running the ride. That person has to let everyone in the gate, make sure everyone is strapped in, run the ride, then unlock everyone individually with a special key, let everyone out the gate, and repeat. You’d have a line that would be 10 minutes max at Disneyland based on number of people and ride capacity, and it would still take an hour! We had one meltdown from the kids when we realized there was a particular ride they wanted but it would have been at least 90 minutes based on how long to load/unload everyone ahead of us. Oh yeah, and wait times-often not posted and even when they are they aren’t accurate. The app is pretty useless.

Many of the rides also are either just little kid (with maximum height restrictions) or ones with tall minimum height requirements. For my trip it wasn’t as much of a concern, as we were there for the kids, but if your group is comprised of little kids, older kids, and adults, that is something to consider.

I also have serious concerns about the safety of the Knotts coasters. I know they take a reactive approach to maintenance; rather than taking rides down for refurb and really fixing them, they only deal with them if something breaks. And even then it’s a band-aid approach, just to get the minimum required. I know people who work there that will not ride many of the coasters no matter what-there was an incident where a cable broke and seriously injured several people. Rather than rework the ride to remove the cable (as I think Disney would do), it’s still there and not much has been done to fix the underlying problem.

So, sorry to go on an anti-Knotts rant. Prior to that day visit I would have recommended it to anyone visiting, but now, nope, would not recommend.

 

[DLgal]

I totally agree! We did a day at Knotts this February for my friends kids-they love Snoopy and have never been to an amusement park so we figured it would be a good test. Good news: those little rascals (5 & 3) are thrill junkies! Like seriously, want to go higher and faster and anything fun! Though I’m waiting until the 3yr old gets to be 42” so she isn’t left behind on the Disney thrill rides.

But overall, I was so disappointed in the inefficiencies at Knotts. So you get a ride where you have 1 person running the ride. That person has to let everyone in the gate, make sure everyone is strapped in, run the ride, then unlock everyone individually with a special key, let everyone out the gate, and repeat. You’d have a line that would be 10 minutes max at Disneyland based on number of people and ride capacity, and it would still take an hour! We had one meltdown from the kids when we realized there was a particular ride they wanted but it would have been at least 90 minutes based on how long to load/unload everyone ahead of us. Oh yeah, and wait times-often not posted and even when they are they aren’t accurate. The app is pretty useless.

Many of the rides also are either just little kid (with maximum height restrictions) or ones with tall minimum height requirements. For my trip it wasn’t as much of a concern, as we were there for the kids, but if your group is comprised of little kids, older kids, and adults, that is something to consider.

I also have serious concerns about the safety of the Knotts coasters. I know they take a reactive approach to maintenance; rather than taking rides down for refurb and really fixing them, they only deal with them if something breaks. And even then it’s a band-aid approach, just to get the minimum required. I know people who work there that will not ride many of the coasters no matter what-there was an incident where a cable broke and seriously injured several people. Rather than rework the ride to remove the cable (as I think Disney would do), it’s still there and not much has been done to fix the underlying problem.

So, sorry to go on an anti-Knotts rant. Prior to that day visit I would have recommended it to anyone visiting, but now, nope, would not recommend.

So well explained! Your analysis sums up our experiences there as well. We rode the scrambler ride and the flyer one next to it at the Boardwalk area and there was NO LINE at either, and somehow it took over 30 min to ride just these two attractions.

Also, my son and husband rode the log flume and the posted wait time said 15 min and it was over 45. Then I found out that ride has a SERIOUSLY BAD safety record. Yikes!

I'm pretty sure we won't be back there.

 

[jbh275]

We're regualrs in the off season. It sure is hit/miss on what is open.