My first trip to Knotts Scary Farm 10/24/08

[tamasurvivor]

Ok so this was my first time going to Knotts Scary Farm and OMG!!! Now I am not going to lie that I am usually a bit of a wuss when it does come to some things [*cough* *cough* Slaughterhouse... *cough* also Aliens] so I did wind up skipping those 2 mazes because human cannaballistic food processing factories with chainsaws listed in the maze description was a little intimidating and also Aliens are one of my biggest fears... Like I will be down on the ground screaming and in tears type of fear... but all in all I had a blast and enjoyed every minute of The Berry Farm and have found a new Halloween Tradition... I so cannot wait until next year and I hope to bring some more friends from Phoenix to experience it with!

So I took a few pictures and actually will have quite a few of them... videos will be up soon on my you tube channel but omg!

So we started out by making it into SoCal from Phoenix early in the morning on Friday. So the first stop was the casino at the Morongo so my sister could join in since their rules are 18 and older to gamble [she is only 20 and has one more year so for her it was a treat]

Next we got into the Anaheim area and had time before checking into the Best Western Stovalls Inn so we went to just walk around the GardenWalk and see what was around there.



Here is my sister going all wild with a cute pose...



Overall the Gardenwalk was pretty much a dressed up and condensed version of the numerous outdoor malls we have in the Phoenix area like Desert Ridge, Tempe Marketplace, Westgate Center, and Mesa Riverview... needless to say most things were not open and we kinda just needed to get up and move around after driving that 365+ miles.

Next up for us before check in time was a trip to Huntington Beach to go kill some time before check in...

We parked for a while and walked the beach for a bit and then hit the pier for lunch at Rubys where we could overlook the ocean... if you have never been to Rubys its an experience and not to bad on price... We have Rubys diner out here in Phoenix but there is something special about doing Rubys in the middle of the ocean on a pier.







Finally we could check into the hotel and get a quick hours nap before going to get ready for the Haunt... The hotel was very nice and was nice enough to give us an early check in... Also it was unexpected that some friends of mine were going to meet my sister and I at Haunt so our trip went from just the 2 of us into many more by the time we entered the Haunt.

Getting into the hotel early allowed me to look all pretty and a little less dead!... Dead tired... lol



Next up was Black Angus which was free since I had gift cards and everything... nothing beats free Filet Mingnon



Here are our appetizers... These came in handy the morning after before doing Disneyland for the weekend...



Finally we get to the main gate of Knotts and have about 90 minutes to kill until rope drop... So we waited in the Marketplace for a while until our friends from Cali showed up.





So we met up with our friends and walked inside the main gate... One thing... I know security is there in the front and like most major events and parties, the metal detector kept going off for just about everything I had in my pocket... Needless to say I held up the line and had to take off my belt at one point... Now I know what its like for the people going through the airline terminal over and over... but after that we made it into the main gate and waited for a while until rope drop.










OK so rope drop hits and while I know the golden rule is to never hit the rides, some of my friends did want to hit a few rides up so we started at Silver Bullet right at rope drop and pretty much walked onto the ride with no wait. AS always, I cannot imagine a trip to Knotts without Silver Bullet so this was OMG! amazing... That and we all only hit up a ride if it was a really short line with almost no wait so even though we hit up the bullet, it didnt take anything away from the night.

Next up we got into Quarantine with no wait, my friends somehow got he idea to push me in front and being that this was my first Knotts maze and first time at Haunt I was very scared... OMG! Quarantine was very short but also very scary... I have seen pictures of Kritter doing his thing in the maze and OMG! He got all into my face and I was like OMG! Not to mention he followed me into the next room... so much was going on in this maze and I couldnt have enjoyed it any more... That older guy with the beard was also very scary and everything about thismaze was so amazing! So after completing my first Knotts maze, we cut through CarnEvil to hit up Pyromaniax

CarnEvil clowns were amazing and the perfect balance between funny and scary... Kind of like a comic relief but still keeping the whole scare and personality of a clown... Most of the clowns were so cool... The woman holding the rat to our faces was amazing.

Next up we lined up for Pyromaniax with not much of a wait... This ride was scary... and probably the scariest we did all night... you rush so fast past the scares that you cannot process what just happened other than the fact everything was dark and something was bound to happen around every corner... I think the fact that most things were dark and the scares were so sudden made it so scary... not to mention the ones who tapped the log as if they tried to grab you... OMG!






After that the monsters outside were lots of fun... they were roaming around scaring everyone... my one friend taunted the mutant from Pyromaniax and I was like OMG! You should not have done that... so he came by and got him good... Then they both posed for a photo





Then we went to do Lost Vegas before the hanging... there was no wait for Lost Vegas so we went inside to do it since it was a walk on.

On the way we found... The Marshmallow Man



All in all I didnt like Lost Vegas in the beginning... the trippy colors were cool but most of it was walls and not much to design... scares were actually plenty in there that night but the maze design and lack of theming really made it look like a cheap maze that could be set up and taken down in a day with walls you would find in a carnival fun house... I shouldnt have spoken too soon though becuase as soon as I screamed, this monster followed me through the entire maze... even past the exit... OMG! He even knew my name somehow and kept saying things like "where are you going"... "we are going to get you", and other stuff like that... not to mention he slammed those hanging dolls in my face and got those black things that hide in the walls and the coctail waitress to gang up on me... He even got me farther ahead of my friends and separated me off from them... I dont know who this person is but he knows his job and knew how to exploit every single fear... it really made my night and while the maze was pretty crappy, him and getting the other monsters along with him onto me really made this maze one of the most fun I did that night!

Anyhow after it was all said and done he let me take a picture of him... best experience ever for a crappy done maze... Now I know what people say when a maze can look like crap but the talent can be over the top and save it.



After Lost Vegas it was time for the hanging... lots of good humor and monster sliding around Calico Square... Sliders were so awesome and very entertaining and even creepy at times!

More to come...

[WheresMickey]

Nice report so far!

[tamasurvivor]

Ok, so we get to the hanging and I loved that show so much... It was nice to see that Knotts did not hold back on the humor either and that something edgy could be included into the event.





Next we walked around Ghost Town for a bit and ran into sme crazy monsters roaming around... it seemed just about any type of monster was walking the streets and the fog made it harder to see what was lurking around there.

So my friends and I could not decide on 13 axe murder manor or The Doll Factory since the lines for those 2 were so unorganized and attrocious and since we could not come to a compromise we skipped them both and just hopped on Bigfoot Rapids since there was no wait... While in line for Bigfoot Rapids I could not help but wonder that the que would make an amazing setting for a maze to be set up with a climax on the ride with people scaring you and exit being the maze ending... who knows if they would ever make a maze there but it seemed like the perfect set up to make one.

Since we could not decide on the 2 over in that section of the park, we opted to brave The Asylum so we could do Club Blood... Now I was so excited about Club Blood and also the Asylum but the idea behind Asylum was pretty disurbing and one of those things I would have prefered to not have done [as a child I used to visit a psychiatrist and was actually in one of those Psychiatric hospitals for a month... not to the exteme though as the Knotts maze but I was afraid something as far as characters or props in the maze would trigger a bad memory of my childhood or something]... all in all I did brave the maze and went in with everyone else.

Here I am in line for it... I know one member of our group said she exited this maze last year in tears and so the whole time I was like OMG! What did I get myself into which can be seen plainly on the look in my face?



For the above mentioned reasons, this maze was not too bad for others in our group but for me, this was the scariest maze of the night and yes some of the things in there did trigger some traumatizing memories, especially in the room near the end in the Maximum Security Area... The nurses did their job really well and their needles freaked me out, not to mention anything medical scared me so good, so needless to say most rooms in this maze were hella disturbing and I was hoping for this maze to be over everytime I saw something dangling in front of me [though knotts has a way of making you think you hit an exit and bam, you are still only less than halfway through]... So I could honestly say this maze really allowed me to get my moneys worth and knowing there was another one after that really added more to my value.

SO after Asylum, you go immediately into Club Blood and there is no break between the intensity and the 2 themes really do blend together well. I would have hoped they started club blood with the medical scenes first as a better transition but either way it worked... club blood was one of my favorites since I have been to all night parties/raves and some of the outfits and overall vampire themes reminded me of people that I know in the real life Goth community... Club Blood was also fun for the Vampire Pregnancies...those actually scared me pretty well...along with the nurses.

Heading along the way we all decide to hit up The Labrynth which then took us into my Favorite Scare zone of the night, The Gauntlet.

There is such a variety of monsters and fog in The Gauntlet and most of the monsters have amazing personality that can compete with the Calico Square monsters. Those jesters roaming around were some of my favorites of the night and kept their joker personalities into their scares... like the Clowns but better and creepier.

These pictures were taken later in the night, but we got most of our monster pictures with the Gauntlet Monsters.










Most of the fun parts of the monsters in the Gauntlet was that they would have a way of coming to scare you then getting a picture or scaring you after you snapped the picture... its things like this that really made my night.

So we do the Labynth and this was one of my favorite mazes... I hope it returns because the set pieces were pretty, the actors in there were creepy yet elegant and seductive... The maze was not too scary but it wasnt supposed to be since it was everything I liked as far as theme and ambience which really made the maze tella story... plus it was fantasy and I love Elves, Pixies, Gremlins and other mythical creatures so this maze was like a dark dream and so magical and enchanting... plus the trippy mirror and strobe light room was crazy yet added more to the mystery... my favorite and most fun maze of the night.

After that we hit up Johnny Rockets since my friends were getting hungy and we were in need of a snack.





So along the way we are walking around Carnevil and enjoying the clowns and their scary but silly antics... For one of my friends she has Coulrophobia so this was a little traumatizing for her but for the rest of us, I love clowns and Killer Clowns and Twisted clowns are even better... A few clowns even scared me pretty well with their goody bags of gags... lol

We then hit up Calico Square again before doing CornStalkers and we run into some amazing monsters who had some awesome personalities.



The guy who looked like a prospector was really good at what he does as far as scaring you and then getting a good picture as if nothing ever happened almost in a ninja like scaring type of way and the one with the faux hawk was also amazing at what he does [and I would assume he is pretty cute underneith that make up]... My sister and I even thought that for a monster he was pretty hot... LOL!! And this HOT monster could rave with glowsticks... I was like omg... that makes him cuter... lol!!



But before we knew it, some werewolf came out to scare us and the reactions were priceless... you cant get souvenier pictures like that without amazing monsters who are on top of what they do and very personable and photogenic... props go out to those amazing monsters... even after a good scare, its sad to see some guests were drunk and unruly with a lot of them.

These actors are Paid to scare you and if you dont like it or get too drunk to enjoy a good shock dont go out to Haunt... I wont lie that I did feel like physicaly reacting to the guy all in my face through the whole in the lost vegas maze [i would never think of doing anything stupid though] but I did think of at least putting my hands in a motion to say he has invaded my personal space and he scare had gone far enough... but I didnt because I also knew that this was all in good fun and he was there to make the experience a little more enoyable and personable and he was there to make sure I had my moneys worth of entrtainment for the night [especially when he used my name and got personal with the scare]... lol [and that ends my little Public Service Annoucement]

So for my last maze of the night, we did Cornstalkers... everyone was getting tired and this maze was scary... yes having it outdoors and close to fiesta village on the stagecoach trail did break some illusion but the switchbacks were scary since anythng could be on any corner and it was packed with monsters... including some that reached down on you and some on the ground... and the corn people at the end scared the crap out of me since I lead my group and again, got split up from them because some corn monster was following me making sure my group stayed far behind and I was alone... but overall I loved this maze... for an outdoor maze corn is the perfect theme although it was refreshing to find out there was no chainsaws in here since most corn mazes here in Phoenix are chock full of people in Jason or Leatherface masks weilding chainsaws.

As for chainsaws... this is the one and only thing that will cause me to run, freak out, and breakdown into tears... I heard one on the Ghost Town streets and luckily did not see it but the noise was seriously enough to freak me out! SO needless to say we did not hit the Slaughterhouse [just the name alone gave the idea that there will be props like chainsaws and other power tools used]

All in all we could have done more and maybe could have done all the mazes after everyone left but we all were hella tired and my sister and I had to wake up for park opening at Disneyland the next morning so we left and I am awaiting my next Haunt experience for 2009 when I wont be a Haunt Virgin... all in all my first Haunt was so enjoyable... I am not a big fan of Haunted Houses and stuff like that but this was a one of a kind experience that was the most fun I have ever had being scared!

[elly]

these Ghost Town Monsters are, from left to right: Slinky, Dusty Geezer and Necros. i dont' know Dusty too well, but Slinky and Necros are great guys..and Slinky in particular never ceases to amaze me, he's quite the bundle of energy!

[tamasurvivor]

Slinky was very impressive at personalizing everyones scare...not to mention staying in character with lots of energy... plus he got someone then slid onto someone else within seconds... but he seemed to make lasting impressions both good and creepy on our group... plus he was not afraid to actually speak and clap the noisemakers in a ninja like manner... not to mention he had a sense of humor that was kinda morbid and made his scares creepy and shocking but most importantly lasting with that funny twist.

he got Angie with a scare really well to get her creeped out reaction and then posed for the camera as if nothing ever took place [that first picture]... then the other comes out to get jasmine and I from behind as I hand the camera off to my sister... all in all I had so much fun that night! I cannot wait until next year and what they have in store for 2009

[niklj]

My sister and I even thought that for a monster he was pretty hot... LOL!!

Hahahaha! I know how your sister feels! Right before the mazes opened, one of the characters from the Labyrinth walked by us and he looked EXACTLY like Orland Bloom. But obviously paler and scarier. But still attractive.

(I never saw him again though...)

And Slinky is everywhere in Knott's videos on Youtube! He really gets out there!

Really cool, detailed trip report Tamasurvivor!

[JesterMn]

They actually have used he queue for Bigfoot Rapids as a maze before, and they gave the option of going on the ride at the end if you wanted. If you did, you were treated to a Yeti-like creature at the end of final tunnel who threw a boulder at you from above (it was tied to a bungee). That was fun! The rest of the queue maze was okay.

Glad you had a good time! If you return, the secrets are (1) do the Pre-Scare dinner... you get in 30 minutes earlier, and (2) do the ride mazes (Log Ride and Calico Train) first, as they tend to get the slowest lines of the night. These two tips often allow for me to do all the mazes, and many a 2nd time!

[redrocker]

u really missed out on 13 axe manor..that is a very great maze with the proto typical haunted house look..doll factory was great too ..its very disturbing to see dolls all chopped up and such

they did try to make bigfoot rapids into a scary ride..there was monsters around the queue and when u rode some monsters had big fake rocks that would swing by and look like they would hit u

ultimately no one really rides bigfoot at night especially when its cold and u would get a lot of guests walking the queue abd then not ride and go up the exit..

i always thought the could keep the ride drained and build a maze there..but no one ever listened to me with that idea lol

working huant is just as fun as goin to it

[DisneyIPresume]

Next time go to the Rubys at the end of the Balboa Pier in Newport Beach. Not only is it a Rubys in the middle of the water, it's also the original one!

[tamasurvivor]

We were actually going to head towards the Newport Beach Area but we were both half asleep and wanted to stay as close to Anaheim as we could so we could hopefully check into the hotel earlier.

Luckily everything worked out in getting checked in earlier and we got to Black Angus earlier than anticipated... but while the Pre Scare idea was tempting for my sister and I, my friends from Cali never do that and we were trying to arrange when we were all meeting up together and how things were going to work out [we kinda all wanted to enter the park together and leave togther type of thing]... Plus Filet Mignon is always better when its free and by the end of the meal, we still had leftover money on the gift cards and had hit them at Happy Hour and Lunch which meant the appetizers were half price... so in a way... everything had its way of working out

Not to mention we got onto the Silver Bullet at rope drop, the Log Ride with minimal wait also quarantine and Lost Vegas with no wait.... The extra Half hour seems to help, but for some reason they dropped the rope for us at 6:45 so it was really only an extra 15 minutes difference that night.

Though if I did not have the free perks of Black Angus and Chilis gift cards for this trip I would have so gone for the Pre Scare buffet, especially for that keepsake cup they had... To be honest this one decision was the hardest part about our Haunt Trip since I was going on a tight budget, it was my first time, and the pre scare thing looked interesting but I could not pass up free steak dinner... But at Black Angus the thought running through my head was "you can never say no to Mrs. Knotts Chicken!"... lol

[DisneyIPresume]

We were actually going to head towards the Newport Beach Area but we were both half asleep and wanted to stay as close to Anaheim as we could so we could hopefully check into the hotel earlier.

You should still go down to Newport the next time you come. Even though one would think Huntington Beach is closer to the DLR than Newport Beach is, it is actually about the same distance time-wise.

[tamasurvivor]

Well whenever we go out for Knotts or Disneyland or anything in the area we always choose Anaheim since its central to anything in Orange County and with the hotel chain I work for its really a given that most of our hotels are in the DLR area.

I am hoping I could save up and take a summer trip in 2009 with some of my friends here in Phoenix and then actually devote one day to the Beaches in SoCal since each Beach is different and lots of fun [on my last few trips out there we did go to Newport, Hermosa, Santa Monica, Huntington, and Belmont Shores in Long Beach, Mission Beach, La Jolla, and Venice]... and yes, I do love Newport Beach a lot... we used to actually go up there on our school trips when I was little and visit the Orange Julius and check out some of the stuff on the Harbor and then sit back and walk the sand... and now that I recall, there is a Rubys there on the pier which I so need to check out.

Seriously, after growing up in SoCal and moving out here at 16 I now realize how much stuff in the Orange County and LA area that I had taken for granted [even to the point that DCA is such a special and amazing place when we all know its a shadow of its sister park] But working for a call center for a major hotel chain our busiest time is in the summer so that makes taking time off the hardest thing which is usually why our trips are in October or during Disney's off season.... which now since I loved Haunt so much and am already thinking of going for 2009... it makes it even more of a reason to keep taking October trips to So Cal

Though I wont lie that after taking this trip as fun as it was, I am kinda bummed and sitting here at work all meh... a lot of this whole weekend made me want to move back to Southern California somehow since I still have some family out there and seeing all of my Cali friends together reminded me of how things used to be when I grew up out here and on the last day of Disneyland where I went someone I used to know from a long long time ago and spending the whole day with her and catching up after all these years as adults was tough [thats a stroy though for my DL trip report if I ever get around to it theres a lot of photos on it]... though the cost of living is so much worse than in Phoenix... like for a one bedroom apartment its about 1000+ which I pay only 700 out here.

To the california people, how does everyone do it and make ends meet out there... is there a secret?

[Rex Dopey24]

wow awesome trip report. my favorite maze is the club blood and the asylum because I was awed by it.

[CupcakeTerror]

I am so chicken when it comes to walking through haunts.... which is silly since I have worked at some great haunts over the years! I guess I like scaring people more than being scared.

Great pictures!

[tamasurvivor]

well if anyone is interested, I did take some of my video clips together and made them into one video... now my camera takes crappy video so most of it was done in the areas with more light meaning we got some stuff from the Carnevil scare zone, that walk between Asylum and Ghostrider and stuff in between and before... I dont have a nightvision option on my camera so I had more pictures than video clips but you could so tell I didnt know what to expect from the beginning of the night... then at the end I praise everything since the night was amazing.

Oh... and I did mention one of my friends was afraid of clowns... look in the bottom left hand corner before the end of the night video where I am dead tired and you will see a clown getting us [its dark but it was a fun gag that got us good] LOL

Als0 I just noticed... this is a family oriented site, so please be advised before watching the video... I may use some PG-13 language in there.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=<obje...mbed></object>