Knott’s Berry Farm and its parent company, Cedar Fair, announced Tuesday that they are shutting down the Halloween attraction Fear VR after the feature caused concern among mental health advocates, including Saddleback pastor Rick Warren and his wife, Kay, who sent an email to the park Tuesday.
Mental health advocates nationwide emailed Knott’s and Cedar Fair administrators expressing their concern over the last week, that the portrayal of a possessed girl in a hospital as part of a virtual-reality horror show stigmatizes and denigrates individuals with mental illnesses.
Read the rest at the OCRegister
Wednesday, September 28, 2016
Tuesday, September 27, 2016
Frightful Nights at Knott's Scary Farm
If the Haunted Mansion is spooky at best, if Cruella is macabre but too kooky, and if Goofy's skeleton costume just doesn't give you the chills, then maybe you need to head north to Knott's Berry Farm for their annual Knott's Scary Farm to get your thrills on.
For over 40 years, Knott's Berry Farm has brought its fright-fest to Southern California. This year Knott's Scary Farm has two shows; nine haunted mazes; four Skeleton Key rooms (for an extra cost); and more monsters, zombies, and creepy clowns walking about than you can shake a stick at. The big rollercoasters are also open during these evenings.
For over 40 years, Knott's Berry Farm has brought its fright-fest to Southern California. This year Knott's Scary Farm has two shows; nine haunted mazes; four Skeleton Key rooms (for an extra cost); and more monsters, zombies, and creepy clowns walking about than you can shake a stick at. The big rollercoasters are also open during these evenings.
Read the rest at MousePlanet
New Terrors Unleashed At Knott’s Scary Farm Halloween Haunt
Knott’s Scary Farm, the theme park Halloween Haunt which started it all, has returned for the 2016 season of spooky scares. You’ll find 13 haunted attractions, 160 acres of scare zones, 4 standalone skeleton key rooms, 2 big shows, and a brand new virtual reality experience. And, for as little as $40, Knott’s proves once again that it is the best value Halloween event anywhere – with more to offer than you could possibly see in just one night.
Read the rest at MiceChat
Read the rest at MiceChat
[Review] Knott’s Scary Farm Returns With Best Year Yet
It may not be October, but the Halloween season is in full swing as Knott’s Berry Farm has kicked opened it’s barn doors and unleashed all the ghouls and goblins on their traditionally family friendly park. Charlie Brown himself invited us down to check out the park and I’ve returned with a trip report for, what could be, the best Scary Farm yet.
I’ve been attending Knott’s Scary Farm for the last three to four years, just a fraction of how long the event has actually been open, and each time I’ve felt the park has been great in one area while falling short in another. This year, though, things seemed to gel together better than they have ever before. Even with a few hiccups.
Here’s how the trip went in good ol’ “Best to Worst” fashion.
Read the rest at Horror-Movies
I’ve been attending Knott’s Scary Farm for the last three to four years, just a fraction of how long the event has actually been open, and each time I’ve felt the park has been great in one area while falling short in another. This year, though, things seemed to gel together better than they have ever before. Even with a few hiccups.
Here’s how the trip went in good ol’ “Best to Worst” fashion.
Read the rest at Horror-Movies
Monday, September 26, 2016
Knott’s Scary Farm Opening Weekend Review and Tips! 2016
Knott’s Scary Farm is finally here, we spent the first 3 nights taking it all in. We’re going to talk about tips, new mazes, experiences and more!
We have spent the whole weekend at the Knott’s Hotel, which was refurbished little over a year ago and it’s the best way to enjoy opening weekend or any night of Scary Farm! They have Scary Farm hotel packages that can gets you a T-Shirt, Fright Lane, Fast Lane, Pre-Scare Dinner at the Hotel, and tickets to the event! The Pre-Scare Dinner is a great way to start the night, you get to visit with the monsters that will end up scaring you later on in the night
We have spent the whole weekend at the Knott’s Hotel, which was refurbished little over a year ago and it’s the best way to enjoy opening weekend or any night of Scary Farm! They have Scary Farm hotel packages that can gets you a T-Shirt, Fright Lane, Fast Lane, Pre-Scare Dinner at the Hotel, and tickets to the event! The Pre-Scare Dinner is a great way to start the night, you get to visit with the monsters that will end up scaring you later on in the night
Also, you get to take photos with them, and you get into Scary Farm 30 mins early! We recommend going to the backstage mazes first, or whichever maze you would like to go to first. Right now, Shadowlands and Infected are the most popular, Paranormal INC. still brings in a crowd.
Read the rest at Knottsnetwork
Saturday, September 24, 2016
Event Review: Knott's Scary Farm 2016 at Knott's Berry Farm
Knott's Scary Farm is at war with itself. On one side, the cheesy, spooky aesthetic that has become synonymous with the original theme park Halloween event over the last decade — on the other, a movement towards scares over charm and darkness over illuminated cheese.
When the latter wins, Scary Farm is at its best. When it doesn't? Well, you get much of the same that you've gotten in recent years. This is an event that's understandably aiming for a younger crowd than you see at Halloween Horror Nights — but high schoolers want to be scared, too. I think.
When the latter wins, Scary Farm is at its best. When it doesn't? Well, you get much of the same that you've gotten in recent years. This is an event that's understandably aiming for a younger crowd than you see at Halloween Horror Nights — but high schoolers want to be scared, too. I think.
Read the rest at ThemeParkInsider
At Knott's Scary Farm, Elvira is still horrifically campy after 30 plus years
Elvira still has the hair, the attitude and the, uh, shape. In fact, after 35 years, she’s still in good shape, skewering celebrities and having fun with Halloween.
The Mistress of the Dark is appearing in a new show called “Elvira’s Danse Macabre” at Knott’s Scary Farm for the season. A combination dance review and celebrity mock-fest, it allows Elvira to strut her “stuff” on stage in the Charles M. Schulz Theatre for all her fans to see -- something she’s done since the early 1980s.
“My first year we did one week, seven nights, that was Halloween,” she said.
Read the rest at the OCRegister
The Mistress of the Dark is appearing in a new show called “Elvira’s Danse Macabre” at Knott’s Scary Farm for the season. A combination dance review and celebrity mock-fest, it allows Elvira to strut her “stuff” on stage in the Charles M. Schulz Theatre for all her fans to see -- something she’s done since the early 1980s.
“My first year we did one week, seven nights, that was Halloween,” she said.
Read the rest at the OCRegister
Review: Knott’s still working out the kinks in Halloween Haunt 2016
After 44 years, Knott’s Berry Farm should have Halloween Haunt down to an exact science.
I visited the Buena Park theme park for Thursday’s opening night and found Haunt 2016 to be very much a work in progress.
The chief offenders this season were the upcharge Skeleton Key rooms. In years past, the Skeleton Key rooms were intense live-action scenes that set up the backstory in some of the mazes for those willing to pay extra for the experience.
Read the rest at the LATimes
I visited the Buena Park theme park for Thursday’s opening night and found Haunt 2016 to be very much a work in progress.
The chief offenders this season were the upcharge Skeleton Key rooms. In years past, the Skeleton Key rooms were intense live-action scenes that set up the backstory in some of the mazes for those willing to pay extra for the experience.
Read the rest at the LATimes
Here are the must-do attractions at Knott's Scary Farm
The ghouls and ghosts have come out, and visitors’ screams and shrieks can be heard from Beach Boulevard.
The original theme park celebration of Halloween, Knott’s Scary Farm, kicked off Thursday with four new scary attractions, redesigned haunt mazes, and the usual monsters and costumed ghouls hiding in thick fog roaming around.
The Register visited opening night on Thursday and came up with these must-do attractions
The original theme park celebration of Halloween, Knott’s Scary Farm, kicked off Thursday with four new scary attractions, redesigned haunt mazes, and the usual monsters and costumed ghouls hiding in thick fog roaming around.
The Register visited opening night on Thursday and came up with these must-do attractions
Friday, September 23, 2016
Knott's Scary Farm 2016: Opening Night Thoughts
Happy Friday, folks! As of yesterday, fall is officially here, and last night, Westcoaster was on hand for Knott's Scary Farm's media night festivities and opening night. It promises to be another great season, and we were pretty pleased with how most things went last night.
For this event, we were fortunate enough to receive a press invite that included Fright Lane with Skeleton Key, which definitely made the night a lot more easy going and relaxed from a "see everything" perspective (unlike our experience as regular guests at Universal last week). But even with that disclaimer said, the overall crowds were nowhere near as bad as at Universal, and though lines for the most popular mazes did reach an hour and a half (or possibly a little past that), there were plenty of mazes with more reasonable waits well under an hour or even at near walk-on status, depending on the time of night!
Read the rest at WestCoaster
Mental Health Advocates Express ‘Outrage’ Over New Knott’s Attraction
Since the attraction was announced a little over two weeks ago, the virtual-reality experience had been promoted as “FearVR: 5150,” as part of the theme park’s “Knott’s Scary Farm” season.
It takes place in a mental hospital where a possessed patient “unleashes chaos throughout the hospital,” according to an LA Times preview article. “5150” refers to a section of California law used to hold someone for 72 hours at a psychiatric facility if he or she is considered a danger to themselves or others.
Local mental health advocates emailed a strongly-worded letter to Knott’s parent company Wednesday objecting to using mental illness as scary entertainment.
The attraction “adds to the hurtful, dehumanizing, discriminatory, prejudicial, insensitive, offensive and stigmatizing of mental illness,” wrote John Leyerle, president of the Orange County chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), in his letter to Cedar Fair Entertainment President and CEO Mathew Quimet.
Read the rest at VoiceofOC
It takes place in a mental hospital where a possessed patient “unleashes chaos throughout the hospital,” according to an LA Times preview article. “5150” refers to a section of California law used to hold someone for 72 hours at a psychiatric facility if he or she is considered a danger to themselves or others.
Local mental health advocates emailed a strongly-worded letter to Knott’s parent company Wednesday objecting to using mental illness as scary entertainment.
The attraction “adds to the hurtful, dehumanizing, discriminatory, prejudicial, insensitive, offensive and stigmatizing of mental illness,” wrote John Leyerle, president of the Orange County chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), in his letter to Cedar Fair Entertainment President and CEO Mathew Quimet.
Read the rest at VoiceofOC
Thursday, September 22, 2016
Garner Holt on the Big and Little Screens
Howdy everyone—greetings after a much-too-long hiatus from this column! It’s been many months — I confess, over a year! — since I’ve written, during which time my company has been busier than ever before, with attraction openings from the Netherlands to Shanghai, Plymouth, Massachusetts to Seattle, Washington and plenty in between (even “sallying” through the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland). In the glow of being too busy to slow down for a second, I hope you’ll forgive a tardy article!
One question that I am asked on just about every tour of my shop and in nearly every talk I give to schools and fan groups is whether Garner Holt Productions, Inc. (GHP) ever does work for movies. It’s a good question, since animatronics have long played a significant role in movies of all types, from the troublesome Jaws’ “Bruce” figure to the incredible dinosaurs in Jurassic Park, and in hundreds of earlier and subsequent films. However, while GHP is at the top of the theme park animatronic marketplace, our work in films and TV is rather limited.
Read the rest at MiceChat
One question that I am asked on just about every tour of my shop and in nearly every talk I give to schools and fan groups is whether Garner Holt Productions, Inc. (GHP) ever does work for movies. It’s a good question, since animatronics have long played a significant role in movies of all types, from the troublesome Jaws’ “Bruce” figure to the incredible dinosaurs in Jurassic Park, and in hundreds of earlier and subsequent films. However, while GHP is at the top of the theme park animatronic marketplace, our work in films and TV is rather limited.
Read the rest at MiceChat
Tuesday, September 20, 2016
Thursday, September 15, 2016
Expanded Knott's Spooky Farm Returns This Fall Offering More Daytime Family Friendly Halloween Fun Than Ever Before
The daytime park wide, family-friendly Halloween celebration, geared for kids ages 3 - 11, Knott's Spooky Farm, returns on weekends in October and Halloween Day, starting October 1. Knott's Berry Farm invites families to join in the Halloween fun by participating in hands on and fun activities and all new experiences in Ghost Town, Fiesta Village, Boardwalk Ballroom and Camp Snoopy. The special limited-time event serves up live entertainment, trick-or-treating, a costume contest and exclusive festivities honoring the 50th anniversary of the classic Peanuts animated TV special It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown!
Read the rest at PRNewswire
Sunday, September 11, 2016
That new tree didn't make it
The boysenberry: Napa's gift to the world
The wine industry being the juggernaut that it is today, it’s hard to appreciate that the Napa Valley — the city of Napa, specifically — was once indirectly famous for another berry.
This wasn’t an import from the vineyards of Europe. It was created here in Coombsville. When it received its first splash of publicity, it was touted as the “sensation berry of the twentieth century.”
In 1959, California’s governor, Edmund “Pat” Brown, declared a week’s celebration in its honor. In the southland, Los Angeles chose a young woman to represent this berry at festivals.
We’re talking boysenberry!
Read the rest at the NapaValleyRegister
This wasn’t an import from the vineyards of Europe. It was created here in Coombsville. When it received its first splash of publicity, it was touted as the “sensation berry of the twentieth century.”
In 1959, California’s governor, Edmund “Pat” Brown, declared a week’s celebration in its honor. In the southland, Los Angeles chose a young woman to represent this berry at festivals.
We’re talking boysenberry!
Read the rest at the NapaValleyRegister
Saturday, September 10, 2016
Knott's Berry Farm will be offering its history to collectors in auction
Want to own a part of Knott’s Berry Farm’s past? An auction is planned to give collectors and theme park fans that chance.
According to a post on its website, the farm is planning an auction of “more than 300 one-of-a-kind items from America’s first theme park” that will be held in January 2017 in the Charles M. Schulz theatre at the park.
Knott’s officials have not released a list of what will be offered at the auction, but said on the website that it will include historic artifacts from Ghost Town, Camp Snoopy, other areas of the park and from the Walter Knott Archives. It does say some of the items could be theme park ride vehicles, player pianos, vintage coin-operated machines and more.
“Many memories are created at Knott’s Berry Farm and this auction is one way for fans to preserve those special times through collecting unique memorabilia from the park’s rich history,” Knott’s officials said in a statement.
Read the rest at the OCRegister
According to a post on its website, the farm is planning an auction of “more than 300 one-of-a-kind items from America’s first theme park” that will be held in January 2017 in the Charles M. Schulz theatre at the park.
Knott’s officials have not released a list of what will be offered at the auction, but said on the website that it will include historic artifacts from Ghost Town, Camp Snoopy, other areas of the park and from the Walter Knott Archives. It does say some of the items could be theme park ride vehicles, player pianos, vintage coin-operated machines and more.
“Many memories are created at Knott’s Berry Farm and this auction is one way for fans to preserve those special times through collecting unique memorabilia from the park’s rich history,” Knott’s officials said in a statement.
Read the rest at the OCRegister
Wednesday, September 7, 2016
Cedar Fair Announces Record Attendance And Revenues Through Labor Day
Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, a leader in regional amusement parks, water parks and active entertainment, today announced that preliminary net revenues through Monday, September 5, 2016, increased 2% to a record $1.04 billion compared with $1.02 billion through Labor Day weekend a year ago. As such, the Company expects 2016 to be its seventh consecutive year of record results.
This year-over-year growth was driven by a 1%, or 227,000-visit, increase in attendance to 20.5 million visits; a 1%, or $0.50, increase in average in-park guest per capita spending to $46.71; and a 5%, or approximately $5 million, increase in out-of-park revenues, including resort accommodations, to $114 million.
Read the rest at prnewswire
This year-over-year growth was driven by a 1%, or 227,000-visit, increase in attendance to 20.5 million visits; a 1%, or $0.50, increase in average in-park guest per capita spending to $46.71; and a 5%, or approximately $5 million, increase in out-of-park revenues, including resort accommodations, to $114 million.
Read the rest at prnewswire
Tuesday, September 6, 2016
For the first time, Knott's Scary Farm using VR, Oculus to make the scares more real
This Halloween, Knott’s Scary Farm is stepping up the fear factor in a high-tech way.
A new virtual reality experience called “FearVR: 5150” will give visitors a first-person point of view to horror and carnage unlike anything Knott’s has ever offered.
Forget the 1,000 costumed monsters that jump out of the fog to scare guests. These new monsters will invade their psyche.
“We’re going to take guests on an immersive experience ... in a real-life horror movie,” said Christian Dieckmann, vice president of strategic growth at Cedar Fair, the parent company of Knott’s.
Dieckmann said Cedar Fair will roll out this VR experience to two of its other theme parks – California’s Great America in Santa Clara and Canada’s Wonderland. He also said that the company may add VR to other attractions and roller coasters at Knott’s at a later date.
Visitors who pay a bit extra will be led into an area in the Boardwalk, where they’ll be strapped into a dingy brown wheelchair. Guests will wear headphones and Samsung Gear virtual reality goggles with an Oculus program.
Read the rest at the OCRegister
A new virtual reality experience called “FearVR: 5150” will give visitors a first-person point of view to horror and carnage unlike anything Knott’s has ever offered.
Forget the 1,000 costumed monsters that jump out of the fog to scare guests. These new monsters will invade their psyche.
“We’re going to take guests on an immersive experience ... in a real-life horror movie,” said Christian Dieckmann, vice president of strategic growth at Cedar Fair, the parent company of Knott’s.
Dieckmann said Cedar Fair will roll out this VR experience to two of its other theme parks – California’s Great America in Santa Clara and Canada’s Wonderland. He also said that the company may add VR to other attractions and roller coasters at Knott’s at a later date.
Visitors who pay a bit extra will be led into an area in the Boardwalk, where they’ll be strapped into a dingy brown wheelchair. Guests will wear headphones and Samsung Gear virtual reality goggles with an Oculus program.
Read the rest at the OCRegister
Review Halloween Haunt now admitting patients to a virtual reality mental hospital
A new virtual reality haunted experience coming to Knott’s Berry Farm and two other North American amusement parks this Halloween admits visitors to a mental hospital where a psychiatric patient with demonic powers is on the loose.
Part of a wave of virtual reality experiences sweeping theme parks this year, Fear VR: 5150 will be available during Halloween Haunt on select nights in September and October at Knott’s in Buena Park, California’s Great America in Santa Clara and Canada’s Wonderland outside Toronto. The 5150 attraction takes its name from the California police code for a mentally ill person who is a danger to himself or others.
I got a sneak peek at 5150 last week at Knott’s and found the five-minute VR experience immersive, captivating and scary. The attraction was still under construction during the preview tour, so I did not get to experience the five-minute pre-show populated by live talent.
Read the rest at the LATimes
Part of a wave of virtual reality experiences sweeping theme parks this year, Fear VR: 5150 will be available during Halloween Haunt on select nights in September and October at Knott’s in Buena Park, California’s Great America in Santa Clara and Canada’s Wonderland outside Toronto. The 5150 attraction takes its name from the California police code for a mentally ill person who is a danger to himself or others.
I got a sneak peek at 5150 last week at Knott’s and found the five-minute VR experience immersive, captivating and scary. The attraction was still under construction during the preview tour, so I did not get to experience the five-minute pre-show populated by live talent.
Read the rest at the LATimes
Saturday, September 3, 2016
Knott’s Wraps Up Ghost Town Live This Weekend With Plot Twist and Fireworks
All good things must come to an end. Ghost Town LIVE at Knott’s Berry Farm wraps up on Labor Day with plot twists, and a final Hoe Down on Monday night which will wrap up a summer worth of stories. Here’s a bit more info from the good folks at Knott’s, along with the scoop on special Sunday night fireworks this weekend.
"Come play a role in new stories and adventures unfolding daily in the old west town of Calico in the acclaimed interactive entertainment experience, Ghost Town Alive!, this Labor Day weekend before it ends September 5. Rumors have spread throughout town over the past week that the legendary patriarch of the Mayfield Gang, Ox Mayfield, is alive and ready to seek vengeance on the good people of Calico."
Read the rest at MiceChat
"Come play a role in new stories and adventures unfolding daily in the old west town of Calico in the acclaimed interactive entertainment experience, Ghost Town Alive!, this Labor Day weekend before it ends September 5. Rumors have spread throughout town over the past week that the legendary patriarch of the Mayfield Gang, Ox Mayfield, is alive and ready to seek vengeance on the good people of Calico."
Read the rest at MiceChat
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)