Take a Look at What's New on the Menu at Knott's Berry Farm

GhostRider will return to Knott's Berry Farm on May 27, as the park kicks off its 75th anniversary celebration for Ghost Town. The Buena Park, Calif. theme park, with the help of Great Coasters International, has been retracking its once-popular wooden roller coaster. But that's not the only change coming to the park this year. On the same day that GhostRider returns, Knott's will kick off "Ghost Town Alive!," a new collection of interactive entertainment opportunities in the land, where visitors can interact with performers who are acting as Calico residents.

Read the rest at ThemeParkInsider

PvZ Arena vehicles coming together

The motion-based seats for #PvZArena are 🔥 pic.twitter.com/dVW9EWv6jD

— Carowinds (@Carowinds) February 28, 2016

...And blast away, blast away, blast away- ALL. #PvZArena #Carowinds pic.twitter.com/mfilkY3IsQ

— Laresa Thompson (@laresathompson) February 25, 2016

Ghost Town 75th Update!

Knott’s Berry Farm Announces Opening Dates for Ghost Town’s 75thAnniversary, GhostRider, Ghost Town Alive!, and Starbucks!

Knott’s Berry Farm announced today that its celebration of the 75thanniversary of the historic old west Ghost Townwill run May 27 through September 5. To mark 75 years of Ghost Town, Knott’s will reopen GhostRider, the longest, tallest, and fastest wooden roller coaster on the West Coast on May 27 following a complete restoration. As part of the summer 2016 celebration, Knott’s will alsointroduce a new interactive entertainment experience called Ghost Town Alive!. Ghost Town Alive!allows guests to play an active role in shaping what happens throughout the town everyday through September 5.Knott’s also announced that its first Starbucks will open on March 18in the California MarketPlace, just outside the Park’s main entrance, and will offer Starbuck’s world class coffee drinks and entrees.Adjacent to Starbucks is Mrs. Knott’s Chicken Dinner Restaurant, which is currently undergoing a comprehensive renovation and will open in spring 2016.

Read the rest at KnottsNetwork

Knotts Network Update 2 26 16

Anaheim Ducks Players Q/A today at 1:30pm

Don't miss tomorrow's @AnaheimDucks Players Q/A at 1:30pm on the Calico Square Stage. pic.twitter.com/n9Z2MSyobL

— Knott's Berry Farm (@knotts) February 27, 2016

Knott's revised Ghost Town to swing open its doors in May

Selected guests will play a Ghost Town sheriff’s deputy who arrests bandits, a member of the fire brigade hustling buckets of water to a fire, or a delivery person carrying about an urgent telegram.

Knott’s Berry Farm, which launched what is considered the first-ever themed land at a theme park in 1941, is pumping life into Ghost Town.

Besides the new role-playing, which will include Knott’s Old West actors mingling with guests, there will be a 20- to 30-minute stunt show in the Wagon Camp, and another production with can-can dancers in the revamped Calico Saloon.

Read the rest at the OCRegister

GhostRider will open on May 27 with new coaster trains & new wooden track

As part of #GhostTown75, a fully restored GhostRider will open on May 27 with new coaster trains & new wooden track! pic.twitter.com/hlGI09c1xl

— Knott's Berry Farm (@knotts) February 26, 2016

Ghost Town's 75th Anniversary celebration will begin May 27

Ghost Town's 75th Anniversary celebration will begin May 27! https://t.co/uQFERlr5eR #GhostTown75 pic.twitter.com/Lv6HUOMvpR

— Knott's Berry Farm (@knotts) February 26, 2016

Voyage to the Iron Reef: Marketing a Theme Park Ride

I was first introduced to the ride concept nearly a year earlier as part of the Communications Team for the park. During the initial conceptual meetings in summer 2014, I learned of the story and ride system from Knott’s Director of Entertainment Tech, Lara Hanneman, her design team and outside vendors including Triotech. The interactive 4-D ride system would be unlike any other attraction at the park and a unique differentiator in the highly competitive Southern California market.

After those first few meetings, we quickly realized we had a challenging opportunity on our hands. Voyage to the Iron Reef wasn’t the easiest ride to describe in a few words. Even if you could draw parallels to other attractions like Toy Story Mania, the experience and scope of Iron Reef was very different from similar rides. Of course, we didn’t have the benefit of mentioning other rides in our marketing, press materials or media interviews. There wasn’t any record breaking statistic we could lead with either. In comparison, marketing a record breaking roller coaster has a fairly straight forward superlative to design a marketing plan around.

Read the rest at BradJashinsky

Knotts Berry Farm Video Tour Late 1980s

Mass Effect: New Earth and Plants vs Zombies: Arena update

The massive 3D LED screen is quickly going in for Mass Effect: New Earth. pic.twitter.com/YlHIw03hKc

— CA Great America (@CAGreatAmerica) February 24, 2016

We have now started work on theming the exterior of #PvZArena! So many cool elements to this new attraction! 👍 pic.twitter.com/xGVBF987E6

— Carowinds (@Carowinds) February 24, 2016

Special delivery Fun Bun heralds the return of the Knott’s Boysenberry Festival

"Where will you be tomorrow between 11 and 2," asked a friend out of the blue yesterday. "Will you be at your store?" (In my copious spare time, I own a little gift shop in Old Towne Orange.) As it happens, I actually was planning to work at the shop Wednesday. "Did you want to meet for lunch lunch?" "Something like that," was the reply. "It's a surprise. You'll see."

Whatever I was expecting, it was NOT to have the Knott's Berry Farm food truck show up outside my shop, there to deliver a piping-hot invitation to the 2016 Knott’s Boysenberry Festival. Behold, the Fun Bun, a Dr. Frankenstein cross between a cinnamon roll and a funnel cake. The Fun Bun is the signature item of Knott's annual food festival (and also the #1 trending hashtag on Twitter for some period Tuesday afternoon, due to a cute social media campaign that inserted the sweet confection in a variety of pop culture universes.)

Read the rest at MousePlanet

Get ready for the Boysenberry Festival at Knott's Berry Farm

Knott’s Berry Farm is gussying up with lights, topiaries, music stages, marketplace booths and food stands for the theme park's annual Boysenberry Festival, March 19 – April 3. The family-centered event will take place at the park’s Ghost Town and will feature more than 70 types of boysenberry-inspired foods and beverages, along with old-time music, vine dancing, a wine and craft brew tasting garden and an evening dance party.

Read the rest at the Examiner

Bay Area LIFE: Experience one-of-a kind entertainment at Buena Park!

The 160 acre amusement park in Buena Park features 40 rides including roller coasters, family rides, children's rides, water rides and historical rides. "America's first theme park" got its start in 1920 by Walter and Cordelia Knott on 20 acres of rented berry farm land. It's known for its fried chicken and boysenberry jams, jellies and pies. Knott's Preserved tells the Knott's story from 1920 until the present. Eric Lynxwiler grew up in Southern California and spent one school year working at Knott's Berry Farm's shooting gallery while earning his degree at UCLA in urban anthropology.

Read the rest at abc7news

Riptide is no more

And she's gone! Walls are up around the area as well! Photos: Serene Vasquez #knotts #boardwalk #knottsberryfarm #themepark #amusementpark #buenapark #cedarfair
Posted by Knott's Network on Friday, February 19, 2016

Riptide sign and ride all ready being removed!

Riptide sign and ride all ready being removed! #knotts #knottsberryfarm #themepark #amusementpark #boardwalk #buenapark #cedarfair
Posted by Knott's Network on Thursday, February 18, 2016

Knott's News: That was fast. I'm kind of surprised this 2004 addition has been giving Knott's soo much trouble. Geauga Lake had North America's first HUSS topspin back in 1993, and even after Cedar Fair destroyed Geauga Lake and moved it to Great America, it's still going strong. Oh well, valuable space.

Cedar Fair's (FUN) CEO Matthew Ouimet on Q4 2015 Results - Earnings Call Transcript

While we did experience growth broadly across the portfolio. I want to take a minute to highlight three of our best performing assets, Knott's Berry Farm, Carowinds and Cedar Point. Knott's Berry Farm, along with its adjacent water parks Soak City, let the growth this year, entertaining more than five million guests. Applying the excellent brand positioning work that we completed four years ago, we have reinvigorated this parks legacy, delivering fun for all generations.

Over the past two years, I've discussed with you how Knott's was a unique property. And it was important to understand its rich history and how it evolved from a simple Berry Farm into America's first theme park. We have fully embraced this history with the addition of our very popular Boysenberry Festival, the refurbishment of iconic rides like Timber Mountain Log Ride, the Mine Ride and the current work on Ghost Rider, a world-renowned wooden roller coaster.

We've also included modern elements such as Voyage to the Iron Reef and the interactive digital ride, and several new children's attractions in our Camp Snoopy area. Knott's success serves as a great example of how we connect with guests at all our parks by embracing the history and unique position within the regions they operate.

We are now benefiting from the consumer insights we've gained at Knott's and are applying them to other properties across our portfolio, including Carowinds and Cedar Point.

Read the rest at SeekingAlpha

Knott's News: Entertaining more than 5 million guests is incredibly impressive. Consider this, for the 2014 season, Knott's reportedly brought in 3,684,000 guests and Soak City around 372,000. More than 5 million guests makes a 25% increase year over year, which speaks volumes for their current strategy. One can only hope that with Iron Reef's runaways success there will be bigger and better themed entertainment coming our way.

Riptide permanently closing at Knott's Berry Farm

“Riptide has closed permanently, and future plans for its location have not yet been announced,” said Leidy Arevalo, a Knott’s spokeswoman. She did not say when Knott’s officially closed the ride.

Read the rest at the OCRegister

Knott's News: Added this since it contains a statement. I hope they have a thoughtful plan for that spot and don't just scramble to put something there.

New Knott's Berry Farm Mobile App: Ride Wait Times + Digital Season Pass

A fully redesigned version of the Knott's Berry Farm Mobile App just launched! Make the most of your day at the park with ride wait times for select rides, an interactive guide map that will help you find the fastest route to any place in the park, easy access to see and share your FunPix photos, and a complete listing of all of the entertaining shows, including show times, so you won’t miss a minute of the action. Buy tickets and receive special offers and discounts only available to app users. Everything you need to make your day at Knott's Berry Farm the best day ever!

Features include:
- (New) Wait times for select rides
- (New) Link your Season Pass card for admission, food/merchandise discounts and more
- (New) An interactive map that will help you find the fastest route to any place in the park
- Daily show times so you don't miss a minute of the entertainment
- Plan your day with park hours and directions
- Access special offers exclusively available to mobile app users
- Buy tickets and Season Passes quickly and easily
- Learn about rides, dining locations, shops and more
- Use Car Finder to mark your parking spot and find your way back after a day of fun

Read the rest at KnottsBerryBlog

Refurbished Photo Booth near the Exit Gate - FunPix

Refurbished Photo Booth near the Exit Gate! #funpix #knotts #GhostTown #KnottsBerryFarm #themepark #amusementpark #BuenaPark #cedarfair
Posted by Knott's Network on Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Riptide is closed for good

Riptide is closed for good, removed off the website, I was told after that last overhaul if she failed again that was...
Posted by Knott's Network on Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Cedar Fair Reports Record 2015 Results; Expects Solid Growth to Continue Into 2016

Revenues were very strong across the Company's parks this past year, with increases at Carowinds, Knott's Berry Farm and Cedar Point leading the way. Significant attendance increases in both season pass and advance sales categories, combined with increases in average guest per capita spending across all major categories, contributed to the Company's broad ranging success.

Read the rest at PRNewswire

PvZ Arena update

This is a quick status update on Carowinds' new Plants vs Zombies attraction, with a conceptual model on the top and a construction pic on the bottom:

This honestly features a little more theming than I anticipated. Really excited to see how this EA partnership plays out and what it could possibly mean for Knott's Berry Farm.

Knott's transforms park pink to raise awareness, money to beat breast cancer

Through March 18, Knott’s for the Cure will raise money for Susan G. Komen Orange County, a local affiliate of the national nonprofit that provides breast-cancer awareness, services and research.

Visitors can purchase a special $40 Pink Ticket online and receive a commemorative black and pink Knott's for the Cure T-shirt and entry into Knott’s. A portion of the proceeds from each ticket goes to Susan G. Komen Orange County.

Since the partnership began in 2014, Knott’s has helped raise more than $230,000 (The pink lights were added the second year).

Read the rest at the OCRegister

FunPix: the easy way to capture, collect and share your Knott's Berry Farm photos!

The new seats are in for Mass Effect: New Earth

The new seats are in for Mass Effect: New Earth, our new 4D holographic experience. https://t.co/cLy8yE5whb pic.twitter.com/2R68J5TBby

— CA Great America (@CAGreatAmerica) February 9, 2016

Knott's News: Looks like the Mass Effect attraction will be using MediaMation's MX4D Motion EFX Technology. Read more about it here.

If you have a Platinum Pass and have experienced all all there is at the Ghost Town 75th anniversary celebration, why not take a trip up north and experience Great America's Mass Effect attraction?

Word around Ghost Town is this will be the new Mayor's Office

Word around Ghost Town is this will be the new Mayor's Office! #ghosttown75 #ghosttown #knotts #knottsberryfarm #themepark #amusementpark #buenapark #cedarfair

Posted by Knott's Network on Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Chicken Dinner Restaurant renovation in full swing

Can't wait to see what this looks like when finished! #chickendinnerrestaurant #knotts #knottsberryfarm #knottsmarketplace #themepark #amusementpark #buenapark #cedarfair

Posted by Knott's Network on Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Markings in place at the New Calico Stage location

Markings in place at the New Calico Stage location! #ghosttown75

Posted by Knott's Network on Sunday, February 7, 2016

A global search by 'ride pickers' nabs vintage thrills for U.S. theme parks

A team of scavengers scouring the globe for vintage thrill rides to bring back to Cedar Fair amusement parks in the United States hit the mother lode in Europe and plans to continue the search in Japan.

The transcontinental trek took Monty Jasper and a small crew of Cedar Fair maintenance coordinators to Scotland, Holland, Italy, Switzerland and Germany where they collected seven classic flat rides — industry-speak for spinning thrill rides that travel near the ground and/or rise up into the air.

“To be honest, I was surprised at all we found,” said Jasper, a 42-year industry veteran and chief ride curator for Cedar Fair’s chain of 11 amusement parks.

In all, Jasper spent $7 million — about $1 million per ride — on a Mondial Top Scan, Mack Music Express, Zierer Wave Swinger, Huss Condor, Huss Breakdance and a pair of Huss Troikas.

After extensive rehabs, five of the rides are heading to Carowinds outside Charlotte, N.C., and the other two are on their way to Missouri’s Worlds of Fun in time for the summer season.

Read the rest at the LATimes

Wagon Camp Theatre progress

Wagon Camp Theatre progress! #ghosttown75

Posted by Knott's Network on Sunday, February 7, 2016

Pan For Gold foundation close up

Pan For Gold foundation close up!

Posted by Knott's Network on Sunday, February 7, 2016