Having considered my options for a 5-day getaway, I chose to visit Knott's Berry Farm, a park I had overlooked during my previous road trip in California.
Arrival & Knotts Berry Farm Hotel
Following a 5-hour plane journey from the Midwest, I reached LAX and opted for an Uber to reach the recently refurbished Knotts Berry Farm Hotel. The hotel featured charming elements reminiscent of a magnolia farm, adorned with images of Walter and Cordelia Knotts. The room was also decorated with rustic farm accents, albeit on the smaller side.
California Marketplace
Upon waking up in the morning, I chose to take a stroll through the California Market Place leading up to the park entry before the park opened. The atmosphere resembled that of Disney Springs, although there were more souvenir shops as opposed to branded stores.
Park Opening & Ghost Rider
When the park opened, I was thrilled to see the bustling preparations for the highly anticipated Boysenberry Festival, just a week away! Eager to kick off my day with a thrilling ride, I made a beeline for Ghost Rider, only to discover it was temporarily closed. Oh, the excitement and suspense of what's to come!
Xcelerator & Hangtime
Starting off with a bumpy beginning, I made my way to Xcelerator, only to find out that it was also shut down for the day. A pattern seemed to be emerging. Despite two of the main attractions being closed, I managed to experience Hangtime, the Gerstlauer Dive Coaster. Although the ride was a bit shaky with a slight rattle, the sustained thrill of Hangtime was quite impressive.
Knotts Berry Tales
Later, I went to the dark ride at Knott's Berry Tales. Despite its initial appeal, the plot was hard to understand, and my berry jam blaster kept malfunctioning during the entire ride. It did its job to get you out of the heat, even if the air conditioning did not work.
Lunch/Snack
Afterwards, I decided to grab a quick snack at a souvenir store and discovered boysenberry popcorn. I was pleasantly surprised by the amazing flavor of this popcorn. Even though I don't usually like flavored popcorn, I was amazed by how much it resembled the huckleberry treats often seen in the Northwestern area.
Pony Express
After having a simple lunch, I went to Pony Express and was surprised to find a wait of around 20 minutes to get on the ride. Given the current line length, I can only imagine how long the wait might be during busy times. The ride itself was enjoyable. It's important to mention that this specific motorcycle coaster is one of the older models, which could explain the limited layout and space constraints that may have led to the ride being relatively short.
Calico Mine Ride
The Calico Mine Ride had been on my list of attractions to experience for some time. This iconic ride served as an inspiration for Disney in developing their present-day wild west themed attractions. Despite encountering several broken animatronics and riding in carts that were not designed for modern audiences, the ride's historical significance and unique charm were quite appealing. Next stop: the Log Ride!
Timber Mountain Log Ride
Due to maintenance, the Log Ride is currently closed. Let's proceed to Silver Bullet!
Silver Bullet
Silver Bullet seems to be the center piece of Knotts berry farm. The layout seems to take up half of the park! The ride itself was.... Okay. It has a decent layout and the floaty inversions are nice, but as far as forces go, its pretty weak. With its competition being Batman at Six Flags Magic Mountain, I would say its a decent ride for where it is.
Jaguar
The vicinity surrounding Jaguar stood out as my preferred area within the park. The recently upgraded Fiesta theming was quite impressive, despite the prominent presence of Montezuma's Revenge on the skyline (special thanks to Kumbak). Jaguar boasted perhaps the most intricately themed queue in the park. As for the ride itself, I found it to be essentially a leisurely monorail that lacked excitement, although the views from the ride were indeed captivating.
Leaving Back To My Hotel
Overall, I do not consider Knott's Berry Farm to be a must-visit destination. If you happen to be in the vicinity due to familial obligations or as an additional day trip alongside Disneyland, it can serve as a pleasant half-day excursion. It is advisable to avoid visiting this park on busy days due to operational challenges. Furthermore, the quality of the Knott's chicken was underwhelming, even when compared to a nearby establishment known for its exceptional fried chicken. Consequently, I opted to utilize a ride-sharing service to travel to Disneyland midway through the day in order to explore their latest attractions since my previous visit.
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