America’s Original Theme Park Defeated by Grotesque Theft Problems

As summer crowds return to Southern California’s theme parks, one Knott’s Berry Farm guest is urging others to be more cautious after a ride on Silver Bullet turned into a frantic search for stolen personal belongings—and a completely ruined day.

In a detailed Reddit post shared earlier this week, a parkgoer described a stressful and upsetting experience that began shortly after they boarded Silver Bullet, a looping steel coaster in the Ghost Town section of Knott’s Berry Farm. Like many attractions at the park, Silver Bullet provides unsecured cubbies for guests to store loose items during the ride.

But when the guest and his girlfriend returned to the station after the ride, the bag they left behind—a tote containing a phone, wallet, and car keys—was gone.

“I triple-checked. Gone. She immediately started crying—she doesn’t handle stress well—and the fun of the day vanished,” the guest wrote. “I asked people near the exit to call my phone. Security was helpful and let me log into iCloud on their own personal phone and escorted us to the phone’s location. (They were awesome and did what they could.)”

The search eventually led to a snack shack near Calico River Rapids. A cashier told them that a young child, possibly around 8 years old, had turned the bag in. The phone and keys were miraculously still inside—likely thanks to the guest immediately pinging and locking the phone—but the cash and credit cards were missing.

“Phones and keys were still there… but my cash was gone and my cards were missing,” he added. “I’m not mad about the $40—I’m mad because someone caused my girl to panic and cry… We were split from her little sister with no ability to make contact and 19 miles from home.”

The guest went on to share how devastating the event was—not just financially, but emotionally. With no communication and no transportation, the group feared being stranded for the night.

“To whoever did this: hope the $20 bill, two $5 bills, loose $1 bills, and locked cards was worth ruining our day and our first time on Silver Bullet, you loser… Could’ve easily stayed stranded on the streets throughout the night with literally nothing on us.”

Guests Raise Concerns Over Cubby System

Others in the Reddit thread chimed in with their frustrations about the unsecured cubbies used throughout Knott’s Berry Farm and many other parks.

“I hate the cubby system. It’s outdated and anyone could grab your stuff,” one commenter wrote. “If I am going and know I want to do rides it’s either 1) don’t bring anything at all (which isn’t always an option) or 2) one person has to hold everything. So sometimes I’ll literally opt out of rides just because of the cubby thing.”

Another added:

“This happens often, not just at Knott’s but at any other park with cubbies… I suggest limiting what you bring to the park and considering wearing zipper pockets.”

Multiple users reported having drinks and personal belongings stolen from cubbies in the past, calling for the park to implement more secure locker options or require guests to carry smaller valuables on them.

What Can You Do?

While Knott’s Berry Farm does offer lockers for rent at the front of the park, many guests default to the free cubbies available at individual attractions. Unfortunately, these cubbies offer no security—there are no locks, no attendants, and no tracking system in place.

In light of this recent incident and the growing concern among parkgoers, here are a few things to consider:

• Use zippered pockets or invest in travel belts or neck pouches to keep essentials on you at all times.

• Don’t rely on cubbies for anything valuable—phones, wallets, keys, and IDs should stay on your person.

• If you do split up, designate a clear meetup location and time in case you can’t reach each other by phone.

• Know how to lock and track your phone using Apple’s iCloud or Google’s Find My Device.

• Report all thefts immediately and ask for assistance locating lost devices.

As for the original poster, they were ultimately able to recover most of their items, but the memory of their first ride on Silver Bullet will now forever be linked to this unfortunate experience.

“And to everyone else please be careful and learn from me,” the guest concluded. “Keep at least your phones on every ride, if you split have a meetup location and time after the park closes.”

Knott’s Berry Farm has not released any public statement about the incident, but the growing frustration among guests suggests it may be time to reevaluate the park’s current approach to ride storage. Until then, the best line of defense is staying vigilant—and never leaving something in a cubby you’re not prepared to lose.