Credit: Knott's Berry FarmFans of one of the oldest California theme parks call for better security protocols after a guest was stalked in the parking lot. The terrified Knottt’s Berry Farm guest believes they narrowly avoided a disaster by begging another family for help.
Founded by Walter Knott over a century ago, Knott’s Berry Farm is now owned and operated by Cedar Fair. It’s expanded beyond one theme park to include a water park, Knott’s Soak City, and the Knott’s Berry Farm Hotel–all located in Buena Park, California.
Days after a woman holding an infant loudly threatened other guests during a show at Knott’s, another guest reported a close call in the Southern California theme park’s premium parking lot.
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“I took my 4 year old to Knotts a couple of weeks ago on a slow Monday morning,” u/DigStreet5427 wrote on Reddit. “…Coming out of the park around 4pm there were no workers in the kiosk and hardly any patrons walking around. As I pushed my stroller on the sidewalk a guy riding slow on his bike with his hoodie pulled way down over his face started to head my way down Grand towards Knotts. “
Following their instinct, the guest steered into the grass closer to the parking lot. But the man on the bike followed.
“As I’m getting closer to my car this guy sharply turns his head toward me, gets off of his bike and starts walking toward me and my son,” the guest explained. “I became very alert and aware I was being targeted. I grab my son out of his stroller and I’m getting ready to run with him when I found another family, a woman and her two children. I tell her what is happening and she offered to drive next to us while we walk the rest of the way to our car.”
The guest credits the other family for saving them.
“That man was waiting at the crosswalk feet away from my car,” they said. “She glared him down as I fumbled to get us packed in and was able to drive off unscathed. I think when he saw I had joined a group he just went back to the sidewalk.”
Other Knott’s Berry Farm fans felt the incident was another example of lackluster security at the theme park.
“Between the posts about car thefts, the teens fighting in the park, and this… C’mon Knotts, step it up a little,” u/BoredBoredBoard replied. “Cutting back on security is the wrong way to save money because then the decent people stop coming to the park.”
“Knott’s needs better lighting in many areas of the park, and more security for their patrons,” u/mrsmertz agreed.
Knott’s Berry Farm initiated stricter security policies in 2022, including a chaperone rule for guests under 17. They later rolled back these rules, but promised to eject any guests who didn’t follow theme park guidelines.
Cedar Fair didn’t respond to Inside the Magic’s request for comments on their security teams.
Does Knott’s Berry Farm need more security procedures than it has? Share your thoughts with Inside the Magic in the comments.
Please note that the story outlined in this article is based on a personal Knott’s Berry Farm guest experience. No two guest experiences are alike, and this article does not necessarily align with Inside the Magic’s personal views on Cedar Fair operations.