Yes or No? Should Disney buy Knotts Berry Farm?

[RanCan]

Long time DL and KBF visitor here. I would love to see Disney purchase Knotts and the adjoining water park. If they could do it, I believe it would boost attendance at all the parks. "DL Resort" would then consist of two more parks. They are just a few miles apart. This makes total sense to me. What does everyone else think?

 

[Elvistelth]

I would love to see Disney purchase Knotts and the adjoining water park. This makes total sense to me. What does everyone else think?

I say no because it will funnel away revenue and cause them to neglect their other parks even more.

 

[RanCan]

I say no because it will funnel away revenue and cause them to neglect their other parks even more.

Change the name??? Maybe Disney's Berry Farm??? LOL

 

[Albort]

Knotts Berry Farm is too unthemed for Disney to convert. But there isnt really no other buyer that can buy Knotts now that Cedar Fair isnt doing so well. i guess theming is still very important...

 

[Grim_Grinning_Girl]

We would always stop by Knott's Berry Farm on our Disneyland trips when I was younger. Went a few times with friends in my younger days, and the last few times were very disappointing. I haven't been there in over 7 years, but the last few times the parked seemed really run down and had a very "ghetto" feeling and atmosphere. I went to school with a girl who worked there, and she had nothing but bad things to say about the park and its guests - too many thuggy types and gang members.


RanCan sounds like you go often? What's your opinion of the park these days? My friend has a 5 year old, we're both disappointed with the park but would like to give it another chance so her son can check it out.

Oh and no, I would be against Disneyland purchasing Knott's Berry Farm. They've got their hands full already trying to make California Adventures better and more popular.

 

[RanCan]

We would always stop by Knott's Berry Farm on our Disneyland trips when I was younger. Went a few times with friends in my younger days, and the last few times were very disappointing. I haven't been there in over 7 years, but the last few times the parked seemed really run down and had a very "ghetto" feeling and atmosphere. I went to school with a girl who worked there, and she had nothing but bad things to say about the park and its guests - too many thuggy types and gang members.


RanCan sounds like you go often? What's your opinion of the park these days? My friend has a 5 year old, we're both disappointed with the park but would like to give it another chance so her son can check it out.

Oh and no, I would be against Disneyland purchasing Knott's Berry Farm. They've got their hands full already trying to make California Adventures better and more popular.

I can't disagree with anyone...But, I see it as prime real estate close to one of the greatest theme parks of all time. I have to believe that Disney and all the talented cast members and other employees could turn that park into another "Magical" place. Keep some of what is there and redo everything else. Hey they could even film it and show the progress on one of their many tv channels.

I have heard countless times that because DLR only has two parks that keeps many people from giving it a try. They tend to stick with the multi-park WDW.

We have never been disapointed with the park. I would always recommend it to all children both old and young.

 

[darph nader]

My $.02. NO. We went to KBF 'years' ago after going to DL and it was laid out too wierd. Granted it was there before DL,but it was very disappointing.
The only good thing might be to move administration over there.

 

[DLR29]

I can't disagree with anyone...But, I see it as prime real estate close to one of the greatest theme parks of all time. I have to believe that Disney and all the talented cast members and other employees could turn that park into another "Magical" place. Keep some of what is there and redo everything else. Hey they could even film it and show the progress on one of their many tv channels.

I have heard countless times that because DLR only has two parks that keeps many people from giving it a try. They tend to stick with the multi-park WDW.

We have never been disapointed with the park. I would always recommend it to all children both old and young.

If it is going to take 1 billion dollars to take DCA and turn it around and into something that Disney is actually proud of, I can only imagine the amount it would take to convert a property like Knotts. It's not as easy as it sounds to buy the place and "fix it up".

Disney doesn't want it, they are both categorized as "theme/amusement parks", but they provide VERY different experiences. It's like if Chilis were to buy a McDonalds and try to convert it. Granted, it wouldn't take as much money, but it's the concept.

And having only 2 parks isn't keeping the locals (the main attendance figure at DLR) away.

 

[Mortimer Mouse]

How long would that monorail ride be?.........

 

[spacemermaid]

Theoretically, it's a good/interesting idea...I can easily imagine Disney cleaning up & revamping Knott's; they've already got themed areas, and I'm sure Disney could really take the theming to the next level. Especially in the Ghost Town section of the park...I'm sure Disney could turn it into something so, SO cool! But from a realistic standpoint, I don't think it'd work. Disney is already busy retheming California Adventure, and putting so much $ and work into it.

Maybe they should just move Ghost Town to Frontierland; it'd be a win-win situation for both parks: Knott's would have more room for coasters, and Disneyland would have a bit more "Wild West" to add to Frontierland. It'd never actually happen, though.

 

[TheZue]

I say no. One of the things I like about Disneyland is everything is so close together. Having to drive 10 minutes to another park wouldn't be worth it for me, or a lot of people. You gotta think, some people complain about having to walk out to Hojos, or that they don't like the harbor hotels because their is no magic...like they are going to treck that far to what would probably be the worst of the three parks.

 

[teatime]

I love knotts........I say leave it alone ! Disney has enough property, Knotts is an icon.

 

[Huff]

No way!!! When I want to go to a Disney park I do so. When I want to go to a non-Disney park I do that as well. Having all parks Disney is a bad idea!! Just as I wouldn't want Disney to buy Universal Studios or Magic Mountain. I like each park for what it is. Knotts was great when Knotts was running it. Cedar I feel did more harm than good.

 

[prettyprincessbelle]

How long would that monorail ride be?.........

That would be fun.

 

[Teki]

No and heres why. In order for me to be happy with the situation Disney would have to re theme knotts since its so disjointed right now to make it more Disney. However I dont want to see Disney at Knotts I want to see Snoopy and his friends which Disney doesnt own so I would be sad that they were gone. It would be better for Disney to build there own park anyway if they bought Knotts they probably would have to tear it down and start over just to get the park to conform to there wants and needs.

 

[Huff]

How long would that monorail ride be?.........

It's about 5 miles from Disneyland to Knotts. The Monorail from Epcot to Transportation Center near Magic Kingdom is about 3 miles.

 

[pixiewings71]

You know, every theme park shouldn't be Disney. It's good to have choices. I don't think they should buy it, I think DL is great as it is and we don't need to add any other parks, DL & DCA are quite enough. I have to say that I get all intimidated when I think about doing a WDW vacation because there are too many parks......

 

[DisneyloverinWA]

I say Disney should not buy Knotts. Disney is a very specific experience and IMO Knotts is also a very specific experience, but defnitely not the same experience! Knotts chicken dinner is fantastic and I really see Knotts as being more in line with a 6 flags park then with Disney.

 

[Grumpy'sWife4Ever]

When you ride the monorail from park to park at WDW, you never leave Disney property. If there were a "route" from one park to another in Anaheim, it would leave the magic and enter the real and dirty and congested world - THEN return to magic. Not good. The only way I can see DL expanding is to get their hands on property adjacent to what they already own.....park hopping five miles along freeways and past billboards for Vodka is not my idea of a "Disney" experience....

 

[firefox2]

I read that Disney already bought the adjacent property for something like 96.5 million a couple of years ago, and were planning on building a 3rd park.