Knott's Berry Farm Upgrades an Orange County Icon

It's great to see them put this kind of effort into a park icon.

I've always found it interesting that Cedar Fair allows Knott's to keep using its classic logos while having most of the other parks use the generic "Cedar Point" font (although Cedar Point has since changed to its own unique font). And I suppose I wouldn't mind the uniformity if the chosen font wasn't so generic. Parks like Valleyfair and Kings Island both spent decades with distinct logos that are undoubtedly recognizable to generations of local guests but for whatever reason Cedar Fair felt there was value to pushing some vague sense of brand recognition across the entire chain. I don't know if the folks visiting a park in Minnesota are going to know or care if the park is in the same chain as one in Pennsylvania with the same style logo.

I haven't been to Knotts in 10 years and its going to take more than a new K at the top of the tower to get me back there (i'm not a fan of Eurofighters they are nauseating).

Since Xcelerator TBH all of their additions have been mediocre to straight up trash, and while I 100% support refurbs that kind of stuff should be happening as part of operating the park not as major new additions. Silver Bullet would have been cool back in the early to mid 90s but by the time it opened in the 2000s it was already one of the weakest inverts before it even opened, a mediocre spinning coaster which I guess was fine but those things make me sick, then there was the awful booster bike coaster which is basically an oval if I remember correctly, then they added the Mach mouse which I guess is fine but no ones going there to ride a Mach mouse, and then the Eurofighter (which as far as i'm concerned are nauseating carnival coasters on steroids). And the new dark ride looks just like the last one (basically a joke). Sorry I aint paying a full days admission because I really like one coaster that has a tendency to be closed most of the time anyway, and the parks atmosphere and supporting cast isn't anything special.

"...the parks atmosphere and supporting cast isn't anything special."

I'm not going to argue that the park is a stand-out coaster park. Magic Mountain obviously has a better line-up. Still, you mentioned not going to Knott's in the last 10 years, and I can't think of a non-Disney or Universal park that has had more positive upgrades to atmosphere and supporting cast over that time period than Knott's, including: major refurbs and theming upgrades to the Timber Mountain Log Ride, Calico Mine Ride, and Calico River Rapids, a good-looking overhaul of the Boardwalk area (including the addition of a couple of classic flats, and Hangtime--not a eurofighter--to replace a Vekoma boomerang), and a really good re-tracking and better trains for Ghostrider. Iron Reef was ok, the new re-theme probably won't be much better, but along with Mystery Lodge, means that this park has five truly "themed" attractions, much better than most. Plus the "Ghost Town Alive" performers recently won an industry award for their work. It's still a half-day park, but it's well-managed, beautiful, and the food is better than Six Flags, and the annual pass still costs much less than a single day at Disneyland. To my mind, it hits the sweet spot of theming, coasters, family rides, food, and price-point. I am glad to remain a pass holder, and every time I go I have a good time.

I have to agree with '@the__man'. That 'K' will look even better as I'm driving by. Mystery Lodge is probably the greatest A/C room during hot days in the park. Knott's has made the mistake of not demolishing their buildings to make more room and worth it's while in the Ghosttown & BigFoot Rapids area. Google Earth that and tell me why not. If Disneyland can make room, I'm sure they can make room elsewhere for storage, demolish and build indoor coasters or rides to avoid noise complaints. I mean really, I've never gone on Pony Express but what a waste of steel and wait in line for those seconds.

When the fair is out of town maybe I'll visit Knott's definitely before Sea World. Sea World I haven't been to in about 2 decades until I won tickets back in 2017 and went. From a Dland pass holder, the rides and service are just terrible. I am done with San Diego with exception to Wild Animal Park.

"I haven't been to Knotts in 10 years..." -the_man

Gotta be honest, if you haven't visited Knott's since the mid-2010s, you haven't experienced the modern form of the park. 2009-2012 Knott's, at the height of Cedar Fair's attempt to make it Cedar Point west, was thoroughly mediocre to the point that despite living 45 minutes away, I only visited for a half day a couple times a year. However, current management has invested in much more than shiny new rides, and the park now offers an experience to rival the Herschend properties in my book. It's not a park that excels in any one specific area, but they do most things well and are among the most balanced parks in the country. If you haven't been in ten years and are not strictly a destination park enthusiast, I highly suggest spending a day here the next time you're in southern California.

As for the K, I thought I remembered it getting replaced not too long ago, but perhaps that was postponed due to the pandemic. Regardless, it's this type of upgrade that shows how much management really cares for the place. Most would be okay with leaving it to rot or simply removing it, but Knott's chose to invest a sizable sum in something that will likely create no ROI despite being closed for over a year. Sure, it won't make a difference in the park experience, but it's at least an order of magnitude more than many regional parks would do.