Monday, May 30, 2016
Sunday, May 29, 2016
2015 TEA attendance reports
KNOTT'S BERRY FARM, Buena Park, CA +5.0%
Read the rest at TEAConnect
Knott's News: Cedar Fair says over five million in 2015 and the OC Register reports a 52% increase year over year. So how accurate are these TEA numbers exactly? Maybe it's Cedar Fair who needs to clarify as to what their numbers represent.
3,867,000 (2015) 3,683,000 (2014)
Read the rest at TEAConnect
Knott's News: Cedar Fair says over five million in 2015 and the OC Register reports a 52% increase year over year. So how accurate are these TEA numbers exactly? Maybe it's Cedar Fair who needs to clarify as to what their numbers represent.
Knott's Berry Farm gets new boss, a former Disneyland executive
There’s a new sheriff in Ghost Town – a former Disneyland executive.
Jon Storbeck, 56, was announced Friday as the new vice president and general manager of Knott’s Berry Farm, effective Monday.
A longtime Tustin resident, Storbeck previously was vice president of hotels and Downtown Disney at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim. He was also a vice president of Disneyland for nine years. He left the company in January after 30-plus years.
“Growing up in Orange County, I’ve gone to Knott’s since I was a kid,” Storbeck said. “I love the theme of the Old West and look forward to continuing the momentum.”
As for Storbeck’s plans for Knott’s: “It’s a great opportunity to do things from a theming standpoint, and I hope to continue growing its audience, both locally and from those visiting the area.”
Read the rest at the OCRegister
Knott's News: Well this is interesting. Raffi has brought record success to Knott's in the form of a 30-50% boost in attendance, so its not surprising they'd want him to oversee the upcoming mega-expansion for Great America and his old stomping grounds - Canada's Wonderland. As for Jon Storbeck, I'm optimistic. Raffi has laid a lot of ground work and this guy is already saying the right things: “It’s a great opportunity to do things from a theming standpoint, and I hope to continue growing its audience, both locally and from those visiting the area.”
Jon Storbeck, 56, was announced Friday as the new vice president and general manager of Knott’s Berry Farm, effective Monday.
A longtime Tustin resident, Storbeck previously was vice president of hotels and Downtown Disney at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim. He was also a vice president of Disneyland for nine years. He left the company in January after 30-plus years.
“Growing up in Orange County, I’ve gone to Knott’s since I was a kid,” Storbeck said. “I love the theme of the Old West and look forward to continuing the momentum.”
As for Storbeck’s plans for Knott’s: “It’s a great opportunity to do things from a theming standpoint, and I hope to continue growing its audience, both locally and from those visiting the area.”
Read the rest at the OCRegister
Knott's News: Well this is interesting. Raffi has brought record success to Knott's in the form of a 30-50% boost in attendance, so its not surprising they'd want him to oversee the upcoming mega-expansion for Great America and his old stomping grounds - Canada's Wonderland. As for Jon Storbeck, I'm optimistic. Raffi has laid a lot of ground work and this guy is already saying the right things: “It’s a great opportunity to do things from a theming standpoint, and I hope to continue growing its audience, both locally and from those visiting the area.”
Knott's Berry Farm's old Ghost Town gets new look
The barber cuts hair, and teachers scurry children inside the school house.
The blacksmith welds horseshoes, and bandits reek havoc on prospectors.
Seventy-five years after Ghost Town started what would become the theme park known as Knott’s Berry Farm, the area came alive Friday with more play-acting characters than ever, launching a celebration of the park’s s fictional community once known in part for its wooden mannequin inhabitants.
Read the rest at the OCRegister
The blacksmith welds horseshoes, and bandits reek havoc on prospectors.
Seventy-five years after Ghost Town started what would become the theme park known as Knott’s Berry Farm, the area came alive Friday with more play-acting characters than ever, launching a celebration of the park’s s fictional community once known in part for its wooden mannequin inhabitants.
Read the rest at the OCRegister
Thursday, May 26, 2016
Exclusive: Behind the Scenes as Knott's readies new Wild West Stunt Show
Knives were thrown, so were punches, and bullets dodged as stunt performers rehearsed their routines for the all-new Wild West Stunt Show at Knott’s Berry Farm.
The show is part of the new offerings by the farm for 2016 in honor of the 75th anniversary of Ghost Town.
Read the rest at the OCRegister
10 facts as Knott’s Ghost Town celebrates its diamond jubilee
Many locals can remember when Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park was simply an old western town and the place to go for a chicken dinner. Today it's a sprawling theme park, but its past hasn't been left in the dust. Knott's will be celebrating the 75th anniversary of its Ghost Town May 27-Sept. 5.
The big bash will show off the renovations made to Ghost Town, including refurbishing the Calico Stage, Calico Saloon and the Wagon Camp. The GhostRider roller coaster has been restored and will reopen May 27.
Perhaps the most exciting part of the party is Ghost Town Alive!, an immersive, interactive experience for park guests. There will be many opportunities to participate in all the goings-on in town, such as joining in a card game at the Sheriff's office or chatting with the horse handlers in the real working stable in the Barn.
To get you prepared for your adventure, we checked with Knott's to compile some of the spookiest facts about Ghost Town.
The big bash will show off the renovations made to Ghost Town, including refurbishing the Calico Stage, Calico Saloon and the Wagon Camp. The GhostRider roller coaster has been restored and will reopen May 27.
Perhaps the most exciting part of the party is Ghost Town Alive!, an immersive, interactive experience for park guests. There will be many opportunities to participate in all the goings-on in town, such as joining in a card game at the Sheriff's office or chatting with the horse handlers in the real working stable in the Barn.
To get you prepared for your adventure, we checked with Knott's to compile some of the spookiest facts about Ghost Town.
Read the rest at SGVTribune
Knott’s Soak City now open daily for world-class water fun
Knott’s Soak City has opened its gates for daily operation of Orange County’s premier waterpark. Located just steps from Knott’s Berry Farm theme park, the 13 acre Soak City is the perfect destination for a day of fun. The water park is colorfully adorned with 1950s theming inspired by surf towns of the California coast. The water slides and attractions at Knott’s Soak City pay tribute to the area’s rich surfing heritage with names like Malibu Run and Laguna Storm Watch Tower. And like those at Knott’s theme park, the slides and attractions at Knott’s Soak City are truly world-class.
Read the rest at the OCBreeze
Read the rest at the OCBreeze
Saturday, May 21, 2016
Photos: Knott's Berry Farm's Ghost Town gearing up for 75th anniversary
Life on the farm is not laid back right now as hammers, cranes and workers continue to prepare Ghost Town for its 75th anniversary celebration this summer at Knott’s Berry Farm.
Read the rest at the OC Register
Thursday, May 19, 2016
Wednesday, May 18, 2016
Mass Effect New Earth at Great America now open and receiving rave reviews
California’s Great America took a bold step in a positive direction on Tuesday with the grand opening of its newest attraction, Mass Effect: New Earth. Based on one of the most critically acclaimed game franchises of all time (EA’s Mass Effect, developed by Bioware), the motion simulator attraction boasts an immersive story, convincing live action performances, surprising 4D effects, and some of the most impressive looking 3D graphics anywhere. The result is an entertaining and immersive attraction more comparable in quality to motion simulator attractions more commonly found in industry leading theme park chains such as Disney and Universal.
Read the rest at the Examiner
While I might not recommend flying across the country for 4.5 minutes of new Mass Effect, as some fans have been threatening to do on Twitter, there's plenty to like about Mass Effect: New Earth for California audiences. The ride is incredibly good-looking and immersive—including one of the worst-smelling encounters you'll ever have with a Rachni Queen. (Yes, the ride also uses scents to enrich your experience.)
Read the rest at PCMagazine
Read the rest at the Examiner
While I might not recommend flying across the country for 4.5 minutes of new Mass Effect, as some fans have been threatening to do on Twitter, there's plenty to like about Mass Effect: New Earth for California audiences. The ride is incredibly good-looking and immersive—including one of the worst-smelling encounters you'll ever have with a Rachni Queen. (Yes, the ride also uses scents to enrich your experience.)
Read the rest at PCMagazine
Knott's News: Hopefully when Cedar Fair brings this to their other parks, they expand it. They need to make it 2-3 minutes longer and to offset the decrease in capacity, open a second theater. They also need to make an indoor themed queue line.
It may be a Star Tours rip-off but its a damn good one at that and it features a franchise I like more anyway. Also, Conrad Verner!
Knott's GhostRider roller coaster: longest, tallest and fastest wooden coaster on the West Coast to reopen June 11
Knott’s Berry Farm announced that its GhostRider roller coaster will reopen June 11.
The wooden coaster was closed at the beginning of January for an extensive refurbishment that involved replacing and modifying the track layout -- to smooth out what was a rough ride, and make it a little faster.
Knott’s also replaced the trains on the ride with a new design that will make the ride smoother, according to officials with the theme park.
Read the rest at the OCRegister
The wooden coaster was closed at the beginning of January for an extensive refurbishment that involved replacing and modifying the track layout -- to smooth out what was a rough ride, and make it a little faster.
Knott’s also replaced the trains on the ride with a new design that will make the ride smoother, according to officials with the theme park.
Read the rest at the OCRegister
Tuesday, May 17, 2016
Wednesday, May 11, 2016
Redlands Art Association: Bill Butler of Garner Holt Productions will speak about theme park design
Bill Butler, director of creative design for Garner Holt Productions in San Bernardino, a theme park design and animatronics production company, will present a program on “The Art and Imagination of Theme Park Design” at 7 p.m. May 17 at the Redlands Art Association Gallery, 215 E. State St., Redlands.
The program is free and open to the public.
Butler will talk about the breadth of his creative work, which he describes as involving all the theatrical arts.
Read the rest at RedlandDailyFacts
The program is free and open to the public.
Butler will talk about the breadth of his creative work, which he describes as involving all the theatrical arts.
Read the rest at RedlandDailyFacts
Tuesday, May 10, 2016
We have got a new friend on the farm. Meet Brutus!
We have got a new friend on the farm. Meet Brutus! #GhostTown75 #BrutusAtKnotts pic.twitter.com/YPTTZza5NP— Knott's Berry Farm (@knotts) May 10, 2016
Sunday, May 8, 2016
Knott’s Berry Farm Update – May 7th 2016
This week at Knott’s Berry Farm, all kinds of projects around the park are making tons of progress. Now that some schools are slowly entering their summer break, it’s time to prepare for students, camps and families to fill the queues. Without further ado, let’s jump right in to this week’s Knott’s Berry Farm update!
Read the rest at CaliforniaCoasterKings
Read the rest at CaliforniaCoasterKings
Friday, May 6, 2016
Hold on, Orange County! The tourists are rolling in
Amusement park tourism is one driver. Visitors to Knott’s Berry Farm jumped to 5.5 million in 2015, up from 3.6 million in 2014. The Boysenberry Festival in March, a refurbished Timber Mountain Log Ride and a new attraction, Voyage to the Iron Reef, attracted crowds.
Read the rest at the OCRegister
Knott's News: I previously stated Knott's had a 30% increase in attendance - as I was under the assumption that the "over five million guests" [as they worded it] included Soak City and the 3.6 for the previous year didn't - but the OC Register is reporting a 52% increase year over year. 30% is monumental on it's own right and that's the same increase Universal Orlando got when they opened The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. 50% is just unheard of. If true, this bodes very well for Knott's future and their current direction (family oriented themed entertainment vs rollercoasters). Still holding onto hope for a big budget Garner Holt Knott's Bear-y Tales re-imagining and hopefully recent numbers will help with the green light.
Read the rest at the OCRegister
Knott's News: I previously stated Knott's had a 30% increase in attendance - as I was under the assumption that the "over five million guests" [as they worded it] included Soak City and the 3.6 for the previous year didn't - but the OC Register is reporting a 52% increase year over year. 30% is monumental on it's own right and that's the same increase Universal Orlando got when they opened The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. 50% is just unheard of. If true, this bodes very well for Knott's future and their current direction (family oriented themed entertainment vs rollercoasters). Still holding onto hope for a big budget Garner Holt Knott's Bear-y Tales re-imagining and hopefully recent numbers will help with the green light.
Wednesday, May 4, 2016
Cedar Fair reports strong first-quarter earnings
For the three-month period ending March 27, the company which owns amusement and water parks across the United States and in Canada, said it had revenues of $58.4 million, up from $46.8 million for the same period a year ago.
It had a quarterly loss of $48 million, or 87 cents a share, down from a loss of $84 million, or $1.50 a share, a year earlier. The first quarter is the company's worst because most of its parks are closed. It said it performance improved this year on the strength of its year-round park, Knott's Berry Farm in California.
Read the rest at ToledoBlade
It had a quarterly loss of $48 million, or 87 cents a share, down from a loss of $84 million, or $1.50 a share, a year earlier. The first quarter is the company's worst because most of its parks are closed. It said it performance improved this year on the strength of its year-round park, Knott's Berry Farm in California.
Read the rest at ToledoBlade
Tuesday, May 3, 2016
CA Great America: Mass Effect New Earth Pictures and Review
Overall they really went above and beyond to create something that, aside from the queue, felt on par with an attraction like Star Tours or Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem. I was so impressed that I ended up riding three times during my day. Hats off to Great America for getting such a great themed attraction, I really hope to see more of these pop up at other Cedar Fair parks.
Read the rest at ParkJourney
Knott's News: For those unfamiliar with Mass Effect lore that don't feel like investing time into the games (you should), then here's something to get you all caught up.
The first video is all the codex from the third game (think of this as an encyclopedia):
The next is a highly condensed version of the first game that cuts side stories, romances, and gameplay to give you the first game in cinematic form, taking the paragon [good guy] route on all choices:
If you want the full experience - where you get to meet all the characters, visit all the planets, make decisions (like who lives or dies, who to romance, etc.) - then I highly suggest you play the game.
Read the rest at ParkJourney
Knott's News: For those unfamiliar with Mass Effect lore that don't feel like investing time into the games (you should), then here's something to get you all caught up.
The first video is all the codex from the third game (think of this as an encyclopedia):
The next is a highly condensed version of the first game that cuts side stories, romances, and gameplay to give you the first game in cinematic form, taking the paragon [good guy] route on all choices:
If you want the full experience - where you get to meet all the characters, visit all the planets, make decisions (like who lives or dies, who to romance, etc.) - then I highly suggest you play the game.
May 2, 2016 - Knott's 75, Ghostrider and Chicken Dinner Restaurant
Today we have a LONG overdue update from Knott's Berry Farm where a lot of work has been going on in preparation for the 75th Anniversary of Ghost Town and of course the major refurb of Ghostrider.
There's also lots more going on around the area including the reopening of the Chicken Dinner Restaurant which looks AMAZING.
Read the rest at ParkJourney
There's also lots more going on around the area including the reopening of the Chicken Dinner Restaurant which looks AMAZING.
Read the rest at ParkJourney
Sunday, May 1, 2016
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