How to do everything at Knott’s Berry Farm in one day
Knott’s Berry Farm is an underrated Orange County gem, located minutes from Disneyland this Cedar Fair owned theme park is 100 years old, and it’s one of the funnest places you can visit in Orange County.
Overshadowed by Disneyland, Knott’s Berry Farm is giving Disney a run for their money. They have really shined in the last year and a lot of us local fans are glad to see Knott’s re-opening and thriving.
Known for their boysenberries, fried chicken, and their Halloween Haunt this theme park is very family friendly. There is Camp Snoopy which has rides for children and there are plenty of roller coasters that mom, dad, and teens will love too. There something for everyone to do. And yes, there is a Parent Swap option if your little ones do not want to go on the ride. Tell the ride attendant before boarding.
You don’t need a lot of tips and tricks at Knott’s Berry Farm because they are only 57 acres, it’s not a very large theme park. You can do everything in one day, which is what makes it so wonderful. It takes out all the stress of having to do all this pre-planning and worrying that you have enough time to do everything throughout the day.
You just need to be there when they open before the locals show up and ride the most popular rides in the first few hours. Just be sure to use the Knott’s Berry Farm app and use it to mark your parking spot. Since the locals come and go, the same cars may not be around when you leave. This will make finding your car so much easier.
They are 40 rides total and many of them are in Camp Snoopy where the lines on a busy day seem longer than they are. Right now Knott’s Fast Lane pass that lets you skip to the front of the lines is not available, but if you get there when they open you won’t need it.
Foremost, know what rides you want to go on before you visit. If there are certain rides you want to go on, you could end up spending 2 to 3 hours in line just to ride three of the most popular attractions if Knott’s is busy.
My observation has been that especially on a warm day, the longest line is going to be for the Timber Mountain Log Ride. Ghost Rider and Calico Rapids have roughly the same wait time on a hot day usually, which is somewhere between about an hour to an hour and 40 minutes. If the Timber Mountain Log Ride, Ghost Rider, and Calico rapids are on your to-do list, rides these three first. I would suggest you just go straight for Timber Mountain and get that one done, since the line is always the longest.
I would suggest that if you plan on doing all the rides including the thrill rides, you ride Knott's Bear-y Tales: Return to the Fair early on.
This is the order I would prioritize the popular rides:
Timber Mountain Log Ride
Ghost Rider
Calico Rapids
Knott's Bear-y Tales: Return to the Fair
Silver Bullet
Hang Time
Xcelerator
Pony Express
Calico Mine Ride
Montezooma’s Revenge (down for refurbishment)
Jaguar!
Remember the wait times can vary, so I would ride the top 6 as soon as possible some days the Calico Mine Ride wait can be 45 minutes to well over an hour. It depends on the crowds and the heat. I feel that as of now the top three are the best rides to prioritize as well as Knott's Bear-y Tales: Return to the Fair.
If you are visiting with younger children and do not plan on riding on many of the coasters or water rides, priorities Knott's Bear-y Tales: Return to the Fair and Calico Mine Ride. Like I said in Camp Snoopy, the lines are not that bad. When I was there last week it was pretty busy and the longest line in Camp Snoopy was 20 minutes. I find having no proper plan and winging it with the kids is the best way to have fun and enjoy your day.
Because Knott’s is small, you will find getting there early is key, as long as you ride a few of the rides that have longer lines once the park gets busy you can ride all the rides you want with little hassle. As to food, unlike Disneyland you can prepay for your food, and this option is a great value. Even the souvenir bottle that offers refills is the best bargain and alone easily can save you a lot of money. If you are planning on eating at least twice and get peckish, I would go for it. You can eat with the various dining plans at:
Boardwalk BBQ
Calico Tater Spot
Casa California Restaurante
Coasters Diner
Fiesta Dogs
Fireman’s BBQ
Grizzly Creek Lodge
Panda Express
Papas Mexicanas
Strictly-On-A-Stick
Sutter’s Grill
Sutter’s Pizza
Wagon Wheel Pizza
Wilderness Broiler
I am a big fan of Prop Shop Pizzera. And my daughter who is a very picky eater loves the pizza at Sutters Pizza and Prop Shop Pizzera. I have found that once you get done with the line; you get your food quickly The line wait times are all over the place, I have waited a few minutes to about 10. Grabbing a meal should not cut into your time that much.
I love Knott’s so much because every trip there is easy and there is no stress or rush. You do not need to plan, deal with mobile ordering that does not work, or wait in crazy lines. Doing everything is as simple as getting there when they open and getting on as many of the most popular rides they have before the park gets busy, it is that simple. As long as you go on a few of those rides first thing, you are golden.
Tell me, have you been to Knott’s Berry Farm? If so, what was your favorite ride?
