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KNOTT'S BERRY FARM REVIEW

It just won't be the same. The children have literally sold the farm. Walter must be turning over in his grave.

The only one of Southern California's 4 major theme parks to be actually family-owned and run is going corporate. Knott's has sold out. Cedarfair Corp. (an Ohio amusement park company) has bought the goods.

Recently, we paid two trips to Knott's Berry Farm to pay homage to Walter & Cordelia Knott and to see, one last time (well, two actually) this great old park before the family influence left. The first trip on Veteran's Day and the second the day after Christmas, just a few days before the keys we handed over to Cedarfair Corp.

Walter & Cordelia Knott overcame much adversity to prosper in Southern California. Walter had many jobs before moving his family to Buena Park where he leased some land to grow berries. Working out of a small, wooden shack, Walter's berry stand provided income for the family.

Walter, along with his partner, Rudolph Boysen, created a new strain of berry called the Boysenberry and grew & sold it from the farm. Since this farm grew berries and it was owned by the Knott's, it became known as Knott's Berry Farm.

When times got lean during the depression and the berry stand had trouble showing a profit, Cordelia broke out her wedding china and starting serving her delicious fried chicken dinner to hungry customers. This proved so popular that Cordelia Knott's Fried Chicken Dinner House was born.

The restaurant was a huge success. Hungry diners formed big lines outside to get in...they still do to this day! Walter, concerned that the customers would be getting bored standing in line imported the Old Trails Hotel from Prescott, Arizona and produced the Covered Wagon Show in the lobby. From this start, Walter continued to bring in old buildings from wild west ghost towns to build his own ghost town next to the restaurant. The world's first theme park was born and the Knott family never looked back.

It is this crazy mismatched-quilt of great history that keeps me coming back to this humble and friendly amusement park. To me, the park serves as a touchstone to my own local history as I have grown up and watched it grow and change with me.

This also fills me with sadness as the Knott legacy ends and the corporate era begins.

To be fair, Cedarfair has promised to keep the park's history alive with the ghost town, the chicken dinner restaurant & more. The Knott family also still owns a good chunk of the park via stock in the Cedarfair Corporation and will still have a say in it's development. And best of all, long time employees of the park we talked to seemed pretty optimistic about the change.

With all this in mind, we head out to the park for a couple of fun-filled days.

Of course, all of this emotional baggage doesn't faze Web, Jr. To him, Knott's is first & foremost home to many thrilling rides. Yeah, he'll put up with his old man's detours over to the ghost town...but he wants to get back to the rides as soon as possible!

Knott's doesn't disappoint.

Our first trip is on Veteran's Day. The Knott family has a sterling history of patriotism to the country (see their exact replica of Indepence Hall across the street while you're here) and honors it whenever they can. It is the only commercial venture I know of where Veteran's Day is actually honored in the way it is intended.

Knott's does this most by letting any military family, active or not, into the park free during this week. Yes, the WHOLE family, not just the veteran. One wonders whether this will continue under new management.

Knott's also brings in a replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial...the Wall...as a tribute. This all makes for a very crowded park, but the cause is well worth it.

The day after Christmas we return for one more day under Knott's ownership. We notice the signs scattered around the park touting the Farm as California's last family owned & operated park. I guess they'll be coming down soon.

We talk to Kent...AKA Judge Roy Bean. He tells us that employees at the park are optimistic about the ownership change. He shows us the employee newsletter (the Berry Vine) that emphasizes the fact that the Knott family will own a significant share of Cedarfair and still maintain some control over the park (after the deal is done the Knott family will own 12% of the company).

Kent doesn't seem worried, so I guess I shouldn't be.

Talking with Kent reminds me of one of the best features of Knott's, their long-time employees. I could probably spend half a day talking park lore & gossip with the proud employees in Ghost Town.

With Reggie at the Birdcage Theater, I lament about the death of the daily melodrama shows and reminiss about the old days as we settle in to watch their special Christmas production of "A Christmas Carol".

At the bakery, we chat with the counter ladies about their special treats and how they can't smell it anymore until they take a vacation.

One of the Saloon dancers takes a break with us on a bench by the old berry stand and talks about the show. She gives Jr. her garter and invites him for a front row seat.

The Christmas singers at Knott's

The Christmas singers allow Jr. to join in on the songs. The bandits happily pose for pictures. The train conductor fills us in on the history of the train and some special equipment stored away in the shop.

After this I remember that although the family might have sold out, the heart & soul of the current park...it's employees...remains intact. I can now go home happy that Knott's has not yet joined the endangered list.

Here's our latest review of the park's rides, attractions, & food:

RIDES:

On Veteran's Day Junior & me are here to test the rides this day and we test them hard. First up is Jaguar!, the large, but mild mannered steel roller coaster that takes riders over a route that covers 1/5 of the park.

There are no major thrills on Jaguar! but it does have a few nice features. It does shoot through the loop of Montezooma's Revenge and if timed right you can have the thrill of having Montezooma's riders turning a loop around your train. It's long. It's not too slow (but not breathtakingly fast either). In short, it's a perfect coaster for kids trying their first "real" adult coaster and good for others who don't like their rides too intense but still want some fun.

Next we head back to ghost town & take a ride around the park on the train. This is a real steam train that Walter bought and brought back here as an attraction. He bought the entire Denver & Rio Grande railroad and installed it here.

Sizing up the bad guys by the train ride

The train provides a nice & slow ride through the park giving you an overview to where everything is. Near the end of the ride the train is robbed by bandits (who don't shoot).

Knott's Mine Train ride

After this we head a few feet over from the train to another train ride through the Calico Mine. The Calico Mine Ride is one of my favorites. No thrills here but some excellent underground dioramas of mining activity, glistening cave, underground lakes & waterfalls. This was one of Walter's favorites too.

Next to the mine ride is the nation's first, and still one of the best, log ride. Junior rides it for the first time. Again, there are some stunning dioramas of loggers at work in a sawmill, in the forest, and critters in the woods. The thrills consist of two drops.

After splashdown on the Log Ride

The first is down a pitch-black underground waterfall. The first and still one of the best log ride drops you'll see. Very well done. The second is the big drop down into the pond at the end of the ride.

Windjammer

Next we head over to the latest ride, Windjammer. This is the first racing steel coaster in the nation. Dual tracks lead into loops, drops, and spins before returning you to the station. We both liked this ride a lot. The first drop into the loop really gets the butterflies going. After the loop the ride tames down considerably and one complaint I have is that the horse-collar restraints are not padded enough. It's a bit bumpy on the head but not nearly as bad as others I've seen...ride Flashback at Magic Mountain sometime to see just how hard your head can get hit on a ride!

Check out the neat tornado/vortex effect at the entrance to the line.

Junior was just below the height limit for Boomerang so next we headed back over to the Fiesta Village area to check out some more rides.

Next up was the Mexican Hat Dance. Think the Tea Cups at Disneyland except they look like Mexican clay pots with sombreros on top and you get the idea. Same ride. Jr. wasn't thrilled with the spinning but I liked it.

The Gran Slammer

After that we rode the Gran Slammer. This is a hard ride to describe, sort of like a hammerhead except that you don't go upside down or like a ferris wheel that goes very fast. About 40 people ride facing the front of the ride on benches and the ride spins vertically round and round while passengers are kept sitting upright. The effects is to be thrown sideways back & forth on the bench. This is one of Jr.'s favorite rides here & I have to admit it's a lot of fun.

That was all I could talk Jr. into riding while there (except to ride the same rides again) but here are some capsule reviews of the other rides:

Montezooma's Revenge

Montezooma's Revenge: A GREAT ride. A flywheel catapult launches you straight out of the station at 55mph into a loop then up a very steep incline. When gravity takes over near the top you do it again...backward! In total the ride lasts 83 seconds. This is probably the best thrill ride in the park and true classic.

Boomerang: 3 loops forward and 3 loops backward. A nice, smooth looping coaster. This was put in to replace the Corkscrew which was the first inverted coaster in the nation when it debuted. I like this ride. Riders are take backward up a chain-lift hill, released to go through the 3 loops, taken up another lift hill at the other end of the track, released to go backwards through the loops again.

Sky Jump: This parachute ride is unique to Southern California. It's based on a similar ride at Coney Island. Basically, you are hauled up a tall tower in a small basket (you stand) attached to a parachute and you are dropped to glide back to earth. It sounds a lot more exciting that it really is. Although the concept is good, I thought the ride did not deliver any thrills basically because the chute is just for show...actually a cable lowers you down.

XK-1: A carnival type ride where you use a joystick to perform barrel rolls like you're in a jet fighter. This is a lot of fun to do.

Bigfoot Rapids: Riders float in big, round rafts through a man-made river with rapids. This ride is great on hot days because it gets you soaked as you float through waterfalls and splash through the rapids. On cold days or at night you can get some serious chills if you don't bring a change in clothing.

EATING:

Knott's was pretty much founded around the chicken dinner restaurant. This is a great restaurant that still serves thousands of delicious chicken dinners everyday. Show up here at peak lunch or dinner time and be prepared to wait in line awhile.

Seeing those crowds at the chicken dinner restaurant causes many to blanch but fear not, Knott's also has many other places to temp you. In fact, I'll go out on a limb and say they have pretty much the best food you'll find at any amusement park.

Set back aways from the chicken dinner restaurant is Knott's Steak House. Here is another sit-down restaurant that is almost unknown to park customers. From the park it's easy to get to. Find the Pan for Gold attraction in Ghost town. Right next to it is a hand-stamp exit. Just on the other side is the steak house allowing to get right back in the park when you're done.

Here you'll find a big selection of steaks, burgers, sandwiches and salads. Lunch usually costs around $6-7 per person with a kid's menu taking the bite out of the little ones bill. Service is sit down with waiters & waitresses helping you out. The food here is very good. We particulary liked the beef dip sandwich here. Skip dessert here and head to the following.

After the steak house, continue on one more door to the west and you'll find the little-known bakery. Here a 50 foot display case offers hundreds of delicious looking pastries, cakes, cookies, and snacks to tempt you. This is a perfect place for dessert after the steak house or the chicken dinner restaurant. In particular, look for the delicious boysenberry cheescake or the napoleons.

Inside the park, try the Grill in Ghost Town for more of the same style of food that you'd find at the steak house. Throughout the park you'll find plenty of normal amusement park fast-food fare but for something really special, try one of the spots mentioned above.

Oh, and if you really want the chicken dinner but don't want to wait in that long line, try the take-out counter & deli located next door to the chicken dinner restaurant for buckets to go.

SHOWS:

CALICO SALOON SHOW: Can Can dancers, singers, & comedy make up this fine show. Along the lines of the Horseshoe Review at Disneyland except no reservations are required. Sasparilla, punch, soda, & snacks are available from the friendly saloon keeper.

STUNT SHOW: Performed in the old, historic wagon train theater next to the entrance. Typical gun fight, fist fight, stunt show. Too loud for our taste.

INCREDIBLE WATERWORKS SHOW: Fountains choregraphed to water. Much more exciting at night than in the daytime.

TOYOTA GOOD TIME THEATER: In the Boardwalk area. This is the park's "Big Event" venue where the major shows take place such as "Snoopy on Ice" or big name concerts. The shows here change with the season.

PACIFIC PAVILION: Dolphin & Seal show. The show is good, about what you'd expect, but always seems out of place at a western themed park.

MYSTERY LODGE: Multimedia tour of Native American storytelling. I have not seen this yet although Web Jr. went here on a field trip and really enjoyed it.

Knott's also has seasonal and limited time shows such as "The Christmas Carol" and "The Gift of the Magi" in the Birdcage Theater and singing & music groups roaming the park for impromtu performances.

KNOTT'S HIDDEN GEMS

We've been to Knott's probably a hundred times and have found some really unique spots and attractions that don't cry out to be noticed but have some really unique charms that most miss.

First, Walter Knott's original berry stand is still standing right next to the Chapel on the Lake. This wooden shack is where the whole legacy began. You'll find it due east of the train station just beyond the archway leading to Fiesta Village and just before you get to the lake. Next to the berry stand is an authentic settler's cabin furnished in real period antiques. Set back in the rocker on the porch and reflect awhile.

Heading back over to Ghost Town, don't miss taking a look at the original Ghost Town building, the Old Trails Hotel located just across the way from the Pan-for-Gold attraction. Knott bought the building in Prescott, Arizona and shipped it here to start the Ghost Town. Most buildings in Ghost town were also found in authentic old west ghost towns, bought & shipped here by Knott.

Just around the corner here is the Ghost Town jail. Have your kids chat with the prisoner & watch the look on their faces as the prisoner greets them by name and tells them where they're from (ask an employee for the secret, I'm not revealing it here!).

Although not really unknown, the Birdcage Theater (modeled after the original in Tombstone, AZ) is an endangered place. Formerly the home of the only daily melodrama production in the USA, it is now only open on special occasions. It's a shame really because it has become historic in it's own right helping launch the careers of such stars as Steve Martin. If it's open when you're there, be sure to stop by this fun but dying attraction.

Going from the Birdcage towards the train station, swing left into Boot Hill Cemetary. Legend has it that if you feel the dead desparado's heart beating under your feet, you'll have good luck. Most people feel lucky after visiting here.

Back across the street, visit the Ghost Town Museum for displays on many authentic western relics & oddities. Check out the ferris wheel constructed out of nothing but toothpicks & glue.

At the end of the street towards the train station is the courthouse of Judge Roy Bean. Visit with the judge, get hitched, or just sit in a rocker on the porch sipping a boysenberry punch watching the people drift by.

Outside the park, be sure to visit the exact replica of Independence Hall across the street and listen as the founding fathers debate.

For a real treat, head over to the International Marketpace shop (next to the take out deli). Head toward the back of the shop. Here you'll find a fern grotto that's hidden away with a waterfall. A great place to hide away from everyone else.

What's that room next to the grotto? That's the Knott family's old patio complete with fireplace & grill where they would relax. The stucco house just beyond the shop was their home.

GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN:

There used to be a lagoon with a boat ride next to Independence Hall. Now it's mostly parking lot and a small picnic area.

The Buena Park Alligator Farm used to be across the street.

And who can forget Mott's Miniature Museum?

ACCESS INFORMATION:Be sure to pick up the guide for visitors with disabilities when you enter the park. It's an exhaustively researched document on how to access the park's attractions. Here are our impression of some of the attractions-

RESTROOMS:

All restrooms are accessible and easily managed with the exception of these two:

In the Boardwalk area across from Boomerang

The restroom across from the Log Ride

PARKING:

There is a dedicated parking lot for handicapped parking. When entering continue straight ahead on Grand Avenue past the shops. Enter the first parking lot on your left after you pass the shops. Those displaying handicapped placards or license plates can park free all day (show the attendant when you leave).

RIDES:

JAGUAR is accessed through the exit which is a long ramp up to the loading station. It is located to the left of the main entrance. It is a bit narrow and usually you will cross paths with at least two groups of riders who have just got off the ride. Be patient & let them pass then continue up to the station. The staff at the top will direct you when you get there.

THE GHOST TOWN CALICO RAILROAD has a wheelchair lift in one of it's passenger cars. Station personnel will assist you. Some days the steam train is down and the "goose" runs...basically an old school bus fitted to run on rails. The goose is not accessible.

CALICO MINE RIDE...enter through the exit. You must have someone help you up about 10 steps up to the loading platform and back down at the end.

LOG RIDE...there is a special entrance across from the shooting gallery & restrooms where you cut across the line and enter through a wooden door, look for the sign. CAREFUL: the platform is very narrow on the other side of that door, turn righ immediately so you don't accidentally go into the flume. You'll need help into the ride here since the logs float and bob up & down in the water.

WINDJAMMER...at the entrance to the line there is a gate to the left with the wheelchair symbol on it. Follow the path there to an elevator that will take you up to the station. The staff will help you onto the lift. I'm told that the elevator breaks down frequently.

MEXICAN HAT DANCE...wait at the exit for the ride operator to let you in.

GRAN SLAMMER...wait at the exit for the ride operator to let you in...it is difficult to get their attention here so be sure to wave & yell if they don't see you. There are 2 steps into the ride itself that need to be negotiated.

The only ride that we found that was completely inaccessible to those who cannot stand was the Parachute Jump which requires riders to stand.

RESTAURANTS:

All restaurants are accessible.

GHOST TOWN:

Knott's oldest themed area presents some challenges but all buildings are now ramped.