Knott’s Merry Farm Presents a Magical Down Home Christmas

It’s the merriest time of the year at Knott’s Berry Farm, where Christmas cheer is delivered boysenberry flavored. This year, Merry Farm hosts two new entertainment offerings, including an incredible stage show and a melodrama. While other parks are cutting back this holiday season, it’s merrier than ever at Knott’s. Let’s take a look around the park and see why.

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The Whimsical History and Unexpected Future of Knott's Beary Tales

Knott's Bear-y Tales: Return to the Fair IAAPA interview with Triotech creative

Knott's News: Interesting interview with the Triotech creative lead Nol Van Genuchten on the project. He talks about how long they've been working on the Bear-y Tales revival and even about possible expanded scenery / rearranged screens. It really is crazy the quick turnaround Knott's seems to have on all its projects, despite Cedar Fair constantly talking about their 5 year plans. Hopefully someone asks about the track layout, Art Engineering ride system, ride capacity (Triotech lists Iron Reef at 575 THRC) and reliability at some point. Really interested to know if any of that will change.

High quality version of the Knott's Bear-y Tales 2020 concept art

Knott's News: This is right off the Triotech website. The higher resolution doesn't really reveal any details you couldn't see otherwise.  What I'd really like are some high quality renders of the character standees they had at IAAPA. I really hope those renders represent the look they'll have in the attraction. I'll be disappointed if they look like the hideous character art they have attached to the logo.

Triotech IAAPA 2019 press conference

Today Triotech held their press conference for Knott's Bear-y Tales: Return to the Fair at IAAPA 2019.There wasn't much new information we didn't already know, at least not presented by Triotech. 

Ernest Yale mentioned pouring over archives of Bear-y Tales production work to capture the aesthetic and be respectful to the original attraction. He also mentioned that in addition to the animation and gaming, they'd be producing the scenic theming (oh god NO).

Ken Park on the other hand mentioned the following: they consulted with Rolly Crump and his son to makes sure the new attraction is authentic to his artistic intent (this is cool but wish he would've taken on a more active role), that they're focusing on story even though there will be shooting (to me, story based attractions work better off screen where there are details surrounding you just waiting to be discovered, as opposed to the straight forward presentation a screen offers), and that the boysenberry smell will return.

Still worried about this one. Still have lots of questions that need answered. We'll just have to wait and see how it turns out.

Garner Holt Productions: Growing the legend

Calico Ghost Town is the original heart of Knott’s Berry Farm theme park in Buena Park, California. Comprised largely of a collection of authentic, 19th-century buildings brought to the park by founder Walter Knott beginning in the 1940s from the real ghost town of Calico in Southern California’s High Desert, Ghost Town is one of themed entertainment’s earliest and most successful immersive “lands” – it feels real because, in a major sense, it is real. When Knott connected with amusement ride impresario Wendell “Bud” Hurlbut, the attractions that would emerge from the relationship would grow the reach and legend of Ghost Town further than its narrow streets and charmingly crumbling buildings.

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Timber Mountain Log Ride 50th anniversary musical additions retooled!

I'm not sure how long ago this happened but it seems that Knott's wasn't content with their first pass at adding a musical heart to Timber Mountain Log Ride and has done a little retooling to the music added during the 50th anniversary. As you may remember, I voiced some concerns regarding the flow of the music and as to whether it was scene appropriate. It seems Knott's felt the same way and has addressed many of these concerns of mine. To me, the music flows much better after the retooling (although, I do miss the whistling in the cave). For the most part, any vocals now heard seem appropriate to the scene and no longer like they're coming out of the sky, and there is much more use of instrumental. Most rewarding of all - I feel - is that there now is now a buildup to the final scene with the hootenanny and the music is much more grand because of it. This retooling is a major plus for the attraction.

That said, I still have a couple of suggestions. I maintain that the fully finished hootenanny sign in the saw mill should be removed, the new figure advertising it is enough to convey the story point. The log ride represents the passage of time and the next scene has a hootenanny sign still being worked on, which makes no sense that one would be completed earlier in the day for such an impromptu event. Also, there are vocals outside with the hitchhiker and logger. I feel this should be all instrumental. 

I already know this last suggestion is outlandish but I feel there should be music throughout most of the attraction. To me there are too many dead spots where you just hear music from other show scenes at a distance. I know this would require a massive amount of electrical work and engineering but I feel the light peppering of instrumental score in-between scenes would keep the energy and flow better.

Like I said, those suggestions are just nitpicking. Knott's has done a wonderful job retooling Timber Mountain Log Ride and we're soo lucky they're taking such great care of their classics.

Off Topic: The Imagineering Story

This has nothing to do with Knott's but is more for theme park lovers in general. I've been watching Leslie Iwerks' The Imagineering Story docuseries on Disney+ and it is fantastic. While there isn't much in the way of new information, there is - fortunately - a lot of great behind the scenes footage being shown for the first time, so definitely worth checking out. To further persuade any of my readers who may still be on the fence; ex-Imagineers and Knott's alumni Rolly Crump (Knott's Bear-y Tales), Bob Gurr (Kingdom of the Dinosaurs) and Eddie Sotto (Wacky Soapbox Racers) are all interviewed in it. While Disney nerds like myself are disappointed at everything being left out, I do see how the tighter presentation is creating a narrative easier to grasp that may've otherwise been lost had they delved any deeper. Only one episode in and I'm hooked. 

Can't recommend it enough!

Cedar Fair LP (FUN) CEO Richard Zimmerman on Q3 2019 Results - Earnings Call Transcript

"The growth in same-park attendance through the first 10 months of the year is very encouraging, particularly given the slow start to the season, most notably during January and February in Knott's Berry Farm. In spite of that slow start and the debut of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge at Disneyland, Knott's once again is on pace to deliver its best year ever."

"Meanwhile, we begun multiyear renovation projects on 3 of our resort properties, including last week at Cedar Point's indoor water park Castaway Bay; the Knott's Hotel at Knott's Berry Farm; and the recently acquired Sawmill Creek Resort near Cedar Point. Once fully renovated, we will have established a new level of quality and guest experience at these resort properties, which collectively represent more than 1/3 of our current room inventory."

Read it all at SeekingAlpha

Knott's News: So attendance is up at Knott's despite Galaxy's Edge, new initiative implementing targeted advertising at Knott's, investing heavily in Knott's with hotel renovation, 100th anniversary celebration and new Knott's Bear-y Tales: Return to the Fair dark ride. Cedar Fair is very happy with Knott's.

Bear-y Tales Returns for Knott’s Berry Farm 100th anniversary

“Knott’s Bear-y Tales: Return to the Fair” will be a new 4-D interactive dark ride that will take guests on an exciting journey through reimagined show scenes that are an homage to the original dark ride. Original scenes included the Boysenberry Pie Factory, Frog Forest, Fortune Teller Camp, Thunder Cave, and Weird Woods, culminating in a celebration at the County Fair. The story takes place 34 years after the original adventure and will follow Boysen Bear and Girlsen Bear as they travel to the Country Fair to earn the blue ribbon prize for their famous boysenberry pies, but Crafty Coyote is back along with his mischievous pups intent on stealing all the pies for themselves. Guests will climb aboard ride vehicles equipped with jelly blasters to try and recover the stolen boysenberry pies as they travel through whimsical and beautiful environments while competing for the highest score.

Jon Storbeck, Vice President & General Manager of Knott’s Berry Farm stated: “The return of Knott’s Bear-y Tales is perfect for the 100th anniversary because it brings back one of the park’s most nostalgic and beloved attractions in an innovative 4-D dark ride format that will delight an entirely new generation of fans.”

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Knott's Bear-y Tales: Return to the Fair teaser trailer, opening summer 2020