Knott’s?

[DnA2010]

We are considering a day at Knott’s in December - it would be Saturday Dec 7th- I know nothing..will it be busy? The ticket price is appealing over a 1 day Disney ticket- we’d be Ubering from the DL area- would love some thoughts

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

If you go in prepared to accept Knotts for what it is and not to expect Disney, you can have a great time. Even though I don't like thrill rides, I enjoy the occasional visit to Knotts for the atmosphere and the entertainment and a few of the less thrilling rides. I especially like to visit during the Christmas season because I really enjoy the Christmas decorations, entertainment, and atmosphere. We have been near the beginning of the Christmas season during Thanksgiving week and not found the crowds overwhelming. It is best to be there before the gates open and ride the most popular stuff first, but that is true of any theme park really. The drive from the Disney area to Knotts barring a major traffic snarl is around 15 minutes.

 

[Steven G]

www.isitpacked.com should give you an idea, but don't rely on it (it does say it with be "Packed", which is one step below the worst for them).

Knotts is a curious mix of Disney Like park and Six Flags (there are good reasons for this, btw.)
There is a nice kids area with a lot of Snoopy themed rides for the youngsters.
Ghost town is nicely themed area, with lots of neat shops and experiences for the whole family.
The rest of the park is more Six Flagsish, in that the rides are just plopped into wherever they can fit, with little to no theming.

The biggest negative I have for Knotts is the lack of line control, and ride boarding issues. On busy days, it tends to be a mess.

On Dec 7th, it should have christmas shows and stuff, which is always fun.

 

[bearette]

It will be busy, but if you are used to Disney it won't be as bad as the busiest days at Disney. I recommend eating dinner/lunch at Knotts Chicken Dinner restaurant, portions are large enough to share. Also make sure to see the Snoopy on ice show.

 

[beachdreamr1229]

I got season passes this year for Knott's and took our first trip in years right before Christmas of 2018. They have great holiday decorations and activities, especially on the weekends. The ghost town area alone can keep you busy with the little shops and vendors they have set up.

The rides are actually more exciting than you'd think. I didn't really appreciate Knotts when I was younger since Disneyland is in a different category all together, but if you look at some of their early rides, you can see how Knotts really influenced Disney and vice versa. The log ride and the mine train have amazing character. And Ghost Rider is one of the most thrilling wooden coasters I've ever been on. The stagecoach is a pretty fun activity, too, for something different.

Many of the rides are generic roller coasters and carnival style rides, but my kids really enjoy Camp Snoopy.

If they're doing any sort of food festival when you go, get the tasting card. It's worth it. And have the fried chicken from the chicken restaurant. It's what put Knott's on the map.

A lot of the rides load slowly, so be prepared. They aren't as efficient as Disneyland.

Enjoy! It's not Disneyland, but it's pretty amazing.

 

[DnA2010]

Thank you all for your replies! We like thrill rides, so there is some appeal of more coasters for us...we are def going to keep this as a possibility. I went once as a kid but don't have a lot of memories as it was a Long time ago!

 

[oakleycat]

We love Knotts at Christmas and go right around that weekend every year (First Responders get in free during that time frame). Ghost Town is decorated for Christmas and there are special snacks, old time carolers and Santa's Barn (free Santa visits if you use your own camera). The historical rides (log ride, mine train, stagecoach, etc) are my favorite and my kids love the thrill rides). It will be busy but not Disneyland busy (ie packed). It is on a different level from Disneyland but my kids love it equally, and it was my favorite when I was a kid. If you enjoy the coasters I'd recommend it.

 

[DnA2010]

We love Knotts at Christmas and go right around that weekend every year (First Responders get in free during that time frame). Ghost Town is decorated for Christmas and there are special snacks, old time carolers and Santa's Barn (free Santa visits if you use your own camera). The historical rides (log ride, mine train, stagecoach, etc) are my favorite and my kids love the thrill rides). It will be busy but not Disneyland busy (ie packed). It is on a different level from Disneyland but my kids love it equally, and it was my favorite when I was a kid. If you enjoy the coasters I'd recommend it.

Apologies, I missed this reply- my husband is actually a first responder so I will def see if I can find some info on this
We are looking at friday the 6th now, rather than the Saturday, so crowds may be a bit lower...does anyone know how long the lines tend me? we are spoiled by using FP etc, but aren't going to pony up the big bucks for their express pass

 

[mich311e]

Apologies, I missed this reply- my husband is actually a first responder so I will def see if I can find some info on this
We are looking at friday the 6th now, rather than the Saturday, so crowds may be a bit lower...does anyone know how long the lines tend me? we are spoiled by using FP etc, but aren't going to pony up the big bucks for their express pass

Public Safety days used to be in November & December but they might have moved the dates to January? I cannot find any info about late 2019/2020 yet but these dates in January of 2019 are on the Knott's website:
https://www.knotts.com/play/events/fire-and-law-enforcement-tribute-days
Here's the info from 2018:
https://www.lapd.com/event/knotts-berry-farm-fire-and-law-tribute-days
I work for a fire department so we've gone twice for Public Safety days when it was still in November (went on Thanksgiving once). It's really awesome for Knott's to do this for first responders!

 

[DnA2010]

Public Safety days used to be in November & December but they might have moved the dates to January? I cannot find any info about late 2019/2020 yet but these dates in January of 2019 are on the Knott's website:
https://www.knotts.com/play/events/fire-and-law-enforcement-tribute-days
Here's the info from 2018:
https://www.lapd.com/event/knotts-berry-farm-fire-and-law-tribute-days
I work for a fire department so we've gone twice for Public Safety days when it was still in November (went on Thanksgiving once). It's really awesome for Knott's to do this for first responders!

Aww thanks for the info! I will def keep it in mind for the next trip!

 

[wingednike]

I believe November is now Military Appreciation and First Responder Appreciation straddles part of December to end of January. I really love that they do this every year.

 

[oakleycat]

Yes, the last couple years it has been December and January, with the weeks before and after Christmas blocked out. First responder and one guest get in free and there are discount additional tickets available. The extra tickets have gone up every year and were $35 last year. My husband likes to get the unlimited dining (1 meal to share) and eat every 2 hours so he feels like he's getting the best deal possible. We've been going every year since I was a kid (dad is a first responder too) and I love that they still do this.

 

[Mulliganman30]

What are thoughts about the water park for those who haven’t been?

 

[mich311e]

The dates for Knott's Berry Farm Public Safety Days have been added to their website.


https://www.knotts.com/play/events/fire-and-law-enforcement-tribute-days