Not trying to flood the board here but I just have to ask this…
Help me and my girlfriend settle a long time debate. (She works for the Mouse, I used to work for Knott’s) If you live in Southern California or otherwise are aware of what Knott’s Berry Farm is, I pose this question: What would it take for Knott’s Berry Farm to exceed Disneyland’s yearly attendance for a single year excluding the destruction of Disneyland itself?
Marketing. Disneyland has 50+ years of international name-brand recognition and a gazillion different products advertising the magic of the mouse. Knott’s has what? Jams and preserves? Also, Knott’s would need to grow: there’s just more to do at D-land that makes it more attractive.
(spent the 1st 18 years of my life within 10 miles of both places, really have no great desire to visit either ever again…)
What Stochastic said, I guess. (Hey, I know nothing about running theme parks, successfully or otherwise.)
Knott’s has got it’s own definite charm - and some of the best fried chicken anywhere - and boysenberry pie - and good roller coasters (though I don’t count as a roller coaster afficianado, either) - and has more history going for it than the house of Mouse - but these probably just aren’t going to draw as many people as the kind of fantasy for a day that you can get at the big D.
No, there’s no accounting for tastes.
It’s been several years since I’ve been to either one. I’m probably overdue, but yeah, a little theme parking goes a long ways with me, too.
I just had family coming in from Texas, and they did what just about everyone does when they come here. They asked to see Hollywood, Venice Beach, and Disneyland. Around here, if someone wants to go to a theme park in the general L.A. area, they choose between Disneyland, Knott’s Berry Farm, and Six Flags Magic Mountain. If someone’s coming from out of town, they will have heard of Magic Mountain if they’re a major roller coaster fan, and keep track of the highest, fastest, and newest coasters in the world. They might have heard of Knott’s because of Ghostrider or something. But I think you’d have to look pretty hard to find someone who has no idea what Disneyland is.
It’s just got much better name recognition worldwide, I think. And I know it sounds silly, but there is also something, for lack of a better word, magical, about Disneyland.
What can Knott’s do? Advertise in a wider area, maybe?
I knew that Knotts existed, & that it is some kind of amusement park, but nothing more.
It isn’t all that well-known.
The OP is looking for some ideas rather than a specific single answer to the question. So, let’s let the IMHO people in on this.
Moved, samclem GQ moderator
[sub]who visited both of the places in 1959[/sub]
Disneyland has more to do than Knott’s. I haven’t been to Knotts in probably ten years. It’s charming enough. I remember when I was a kid how much I liked it. I had the fried chicken and it wasn’t as good as when I was little, but still tasty. (So far the best fried chicken I’ve found is at Aunt Kizzy’s Back Porch in Marina del Rey.)
One thing really disappointed me. When I was a kid the steam train ride was more exciting. You know the drill: You’re riding on an actual wooden carriage being pulled by a real steam engine. You’re chuffing round the park as if you’re back in 1880. Suddenly two bandits barge in firing their six-shooters! ‘This is a hold-up!’ they shout. They procede to rob the ‘passengers’. Only last time I went there were no guns blazing. They just waved them in the air and said, ‘This is a hold-up! (haw haw haw) Yup, we’re bandits! (haw haw haw)’ I guess someone complained about the scary guns in the Wild West. :rolleyes: Lame.
Johnny L.A.
who wasn’t even alive in 1959. 
I’ve been to both repeatedly over the last 50 years. You got your answer with the first reply. The Mouse has better marketing and more to do. Personally I’d rather go to Knott’s, but that’s just me.
Short of the Disneyland’s destruction?
Hmm…
[ul]
[li]If Disneyland replaced the “Sword in the Stone” event with a “Whipping Scene From the ‘Passion of the Christ’ Starring Mickey as Jesus and Donald as ‘Sadistic Roman Guard #1’”, Knotts might edge them out.[/li][li]If Disneyland changed ‘Space Mountain’ so that all riders where decapitated moments after the start of the ride, Knotts might have a chance.[/li][li]If Knotts paid each visitor $50, and didn’t charge for admittance, they might edge out Disneyland–but probably not.[/li][li]If Disneyland went after the furry market, and put genitals and anuses on their anthropomorphic character’s suits, Knotts might edge them out (“Daddy, what are Mickey and Pluto doing?”).[/li][li]If Disneyland opened up a new section called “Scientology Land”, Knotts might gain the edge.[/li][/ul]
Short of that, I can’t see Knotts ever overtaking Disneyland. Knotts sucks. Almost as much as Universal Studios.
In ye olden days, the coolest thing about KBF was across the street: The Buena Park Alligator Farm.
I agree completely about the marketing aspect and this probably fits in there in a round about way.
The one thing Disney really, really nails is service. All the “castmembers” are smiling- ALWAYS. If you want something just ask and if it is reasonable it will be yours. Even the long lines aren’t all that long. The park is easy to navigate. You can get some good food at a semi decent price (Blue Bayou) Etc. Etc. Did I mention the employees are always nice? (If I recall, this stems from the fact that Disney implements the across the board happiness rule- everyone has to smile, all the time).
Magic Mountain has the rides, but the place just sucks. It’s a pain in the ass to walk around the park (they weren’t kidding about mountain part), it is common to wait 2-3 hours for a single ride, the employees are scowling and grumpy.
I would put Knott’s halfway between Disneyland and Six Flags on the service scale. Lines are shorter, but that is probably because less people are there. The food is awesome and the staff is nice, but they don’t have the across the board Disney happiness rule (I could be wrong, but I’m speaking from my experience).
What could Knotts do?
Nuke Disneyland, duh.
But then I’d kick Knott’s ass (yes, it has an ass), because no one screws with my Disneyland! (I <3 Disneyland)
Disneyland has things to do that aren’t rides. If you want to take a break from the line/ride experience in DLand, there are shows, parades, and little museums to watch and sit for a while. Knott’s doesn’t have those, and the shows they do have don’t seem to have changed in fifteen years. The stunt show will include a joke about a tourist from Florida who works at Disney World until the end of time.
Another thing Knott’s could do is somehow detatch itself from the corporation that bought it years ago. I can’t say it’s been run into the ground, but almost everything new gets greeted by “why’d they do that?” Painting Montezuma’s Revenge teal and red? Excuse me?
Then again, if somebody gave me a choice of which to go to for free, I’d have to consider many things. What day it is, for one - Disneyland crowded is much much worse than Knott’s crowded. Disneyland is usually open later.
Big Disney theme park fan here.
What can Knott’s do? Better theming and marketing. The Halloween events are the types o things that can increase attendance. Never been to one, but from what I hear, they are a blast and always super crowded.
Shameless plug time: My Tokyo Disney fanpage: http://www.jtcent.com
I would put Knott’s halfway between Disneyland and Six Flags on the service scale. Lines are shorter, but that is probably because less people are there. The food is awesome and the staff is nice, but they don’t have the across the board Disney happiness rule (I could be wrong, but I’m speaking from my experience).
I know many cast members. And I know what they say about certain guests. I dont blame them. But having worked at Knottt’s, where there is no you-must-be-happy rule, I promise you one thing: When you get a smile at Knott’s, its because the person who gave it to you wanted to, not because somebody forced him to.
Yeah, but I mean, do I really care if the smile is sincere? I’m paying to be in the damned Happiest Place on Earth, I expect the employees to be happy Who cares if it is false happiness? It makes my trip more pleasurable than it would be at any other park.
“Your forced smile and utter domination by the Disney corporation brings me pleasure, Donald. Now dance, DUCK! DANCE!”
Well, my wife and I went to Disneyland for our tenth anniversary a month ago, and I’ll tell you what Knott’s Berry Farm could have done to get us to go there instead of Disneyland:
Stay open a few hours later and open a few hours earlier!!!
I mean, Disneyland was open from 8AM until 10PM (and 11PM on Friday!), while Knott’s Berry Farm was only open from 10AM until 5PM. That’s only seven crappy hours of fun – barely half of what Disneyland offered. What’s up with that?!
So we went to Disneyland. And with California Adventures right next door, you can go on twice as many rides for the same price, and those of us who like the faster roller-coaster type rides have more to choose from than just Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, and the Matterhorn.