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Credit: Knott's Berry FarmTheme park employees are being heavily affected by recent closures in California, with some being turned away from the parks altogether.
Southern California is home to some of the most popular theme parks in the United States, including Disneyland Resort, which recently took the next step in bringing exciting updates to the resort; Universal Studios Hollywood, home to SUPER NINTENDO WORLD; Knott’s Berry Farm, currently carrying out massive changes to the park; and SeaWorld San Diego.
Unfortunately, following the heavy rain that impacted Southern California on March 30 and 31, theme park employees have voiced their concerns about recent closures across the Golden State, as some amusement parks have been forced to cease all operations in response to the severe weather.
Inside the Magic reported on the complete closure of SeaWorld San Diego over the past weekend, with the marine life park remaining shuttered on March 30 and 31. Similarly, Knott’s Berry Farm, America’s first theme park, ceased operations early on these dates.
Of course, these closures affect parkgoers. However, as one Redditor recently exposed, these sudden measures also heavily impact theme park employees.
Redditor u/Lord_1nternet recently posted in the r/KnottsBerryFarm Subreddit, asking netizens, “Anyone know if Knott’s is closing again today?” after being turned away from their shift at Mrs. Knott’s Chicken Dinner Restaurant in California Marketplace.
The user detailed that it was raining again at the time of their post and that they had a shift at the park. “But here’s the thing,” they continued, “I don’t know if I’m gonna be working today, since yesterday, I was supposed to work at Knotts.”
“I went there, just like I normally do,” said the Redditor, referring to March 30 when Knott’s shut its gates early in response to the inclement weather, “and that was when I was told, that all us Chicken Dinner Restaurant associates had to go home, because the park was closing early, due to the weather. So I couldn’t work yesterday.”
“I’m wondering if that’s gonna be the case today,” they concluded, referring to March 31.
Redditors were shocked at the lack of internal communication to inform the theme park employees of closures ahead of time. User u/vansss86 commented, “You would think they would have a number for you guys to call in to see,” to which the alleged Knott’s employee responded, “Yeah I know. Tell me about it.”
User u/-FR0STY-one commented, “Sheesh, hope you do get some hours. Seems unacceptable that the associates don’t have a number to call or an employee portal to login to check if they are working or not.”
The original poster mentioned that they were a “new hire” and didn’t know how to contact their bosses. “I’m still learning this new stuff,” they added.
Sadly, Knott’s Berry Farm had an early shutdown on March 31, though the Redditor did not provide any updates on whether or not they had been informed of this closure before arriving for their shift.
Last year, the Buena Park icon was forced to shut down at least ten times between January and March due to inclement weather. Unprecedented weather conditions in California caused a severe decline in attendance and revenue at Knott’s, impacting Cedar Fair Entertainment Company.
Due to the nature of Knott’s Berry Farm, closures due to inclement weather are necessary to ensure the safety of all guests and employees.
Since most attractions and areas at the park are outdoors, rain, thunder, lightning, heavy winds, floods, and other weather conditions could not only affect the rides’ operations but also create potentially hazardous situations for guests and employees, as we saw at a carnival in Mexico where a thrill ride spun out of control endangering dozens of riders and witnesses.
These closures could affect Knott’s Berry Farm and Cedar Fair Entertainment Company as they did last year. However, with the opening of the all-new Camp Snoopy at the Buena Park theme park coming up, the theme park could see a turn of luck in 2024.
The new Camp Snoopy area at Knott’s Berry Farm will be home to Camp Snoopy’s Off-Road Rally, the brand-new attraction Sally’s Swing Along — a super-sized swing that will take kids and parents up to 10 feet toward the sky — and the highlight of the ambitious expansion, Snoopy’s Tenderpaw Twister — an all-new roller coaster.
The reimagined land will also feature the Barrell Bridge and Waterfall area, a new play area packed with fun activities for the young and the young at heart; the newly upgraded Beagle Express, which will take guests on a locomotive ride through a new set of sights; the new Camp Snoopy Theater that will be the stage for a new Camp Snoopy show; and meet-and-greets with Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus, Pigpen, Sally, Marcie and, of course, Snoopy throughout the land at varying times every day.
Additionally, seasonal events like the iconic Knott’s Boysenberry Festival — taking place daily from March 8 through April 7 and on weekends from April 12 through 28 —Knott’s Scary Farm and Knott’s Merry Farm could boost theme park attendance and revenue this year.
Have these closures affected your visit to Knott’s Berry Farm? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments below!