Complaint Review: Knotts Berry Farm - Buena Park California

I can understand her frustration.

I used to work for Knott's back in the 1990's doing the rides.  We used to let handicapped people in through the back along with their friends.  Obviously it seems unfair when there's a group of 10 other people with them, but with 2 people the other riders might get a lil annoyed, but are for the most part understanding.  Btw, I hate when people say "they don't want special treatment" then act all rude and like a d****e to them.  So mean.  

We never had a huge problem with people faking their disability.  Sometimes teens would come in and you'd wonder if they really were faking it because they were acting all bad.

I understand she's used to how people in wheelchairs got priority.  Sometimes I would make them wait at least a round or 2 to be fair to those who waited for the front or back seat.  

Obviously she's frustrated because the rules got changed and she didn't know how it worked.  To avoid all this frustration she had to deal with and going from ride to ride and not being able to go on other rides in the meantime, the employees should be trained on how to explain the situation.  Hope Knott's does that!!!!!    Basically it's like waiting in line, but without actually having to be there.  Glad I know now.

I just sprained my ankle and am about to head over to knott's and rent a wheelchair.  I know some people are going to start hating and notice i can hobble and stand and not think i need a wheelchair.  But if you've ever tried walking for long distances on crutches or tried to hobble on a sprained ankle that still hurts, you'd understand.

Now that I know the changed rules of the rides, I'll be disappointed that my sprained ankle won't let me on first like before.  I never expect special treatment, but if they do it, cool!  So for everyone else in there coming who are a disabled at the moment, just realize they're trying to be fair to everyone who has to wait in line.  At least we don't have to stand or make our friends stand in line with us.  We can just come back later.  

I agree with the others because I know while employed at Knotts that the purpose of guests receiving the disabled rider card is that they are REALLY disabled & the time span is to allow other guests who don't claim they're disabled to ride the ride. This allows suffice time for this to happen because employees can't just stop all rides to allow you to ride it while there has been people in line for hours. You just got treated like a normal person which is what Knotts employees are trained to do so. Get over it!

I have been to many theme parks over the last 10 years and made use of accomodations passes for disabilities at parks. I am VERY grateful that theme parks offer these and am upset as someone else whom is disabled would act like you have a right to go to the front of the line or something. I am limited in mobility and also cannot be in the sun even with sunblock because I am extremely photosensitive because of my health conditions. Therefore, these passes are the only way I am able to enjoy theme parks. I have always found it fair that I get a wait time given to me that I have to come back for. Typically rides have markers in the lines that say "60 minutes til you ride" "30 minutes til you ride" etc. This is what they use to judge how long your wait must be. Why would it be fair that just because I am disabled they allow me on the ride after 5 or 10 minutes when everyone else must wait for 30-90 minutes per ride? You are always going to have a long wait on weekends and for special events at theme parks. If you don't want to have to wait so long, you should plan your trip for a weekday or day when there are no special pricing events. The other people waiting in line must also wait in line and don't even have the luxury of being able to walk around and perhaps go eat or sit in some shade before going on the rides like we do with the accomodations passes. Just to drive the point home, think about this...how would it be fair if you just went around with your pass going from ride to ride setting up your next ride time. You could go to pony express get on at 5pm, then go to a roller coaster get stamped to get on at 5:15, go to a swing ride and get stamped to come back at 5:30pm, etc....you'd go from ride to ride bypassing any wait time unlike everyone else who must stand in line for hours. They don't get to ride on other rides to pass the time while they are waiting to get on the major attractions. Prior to having disabilities that required me to be in the shade and sitting I went to theme parks on weekends and for special events and I would have waits of an hour and a half just for one roller coaster! So, even with the disability pass you often have a shorter wait time than the others on line, so be happy that you have at least that. Please stop complaining about a service they've provided you too so you don't ruin it for the rest of us whom are grateful to have the opportunity to even be able to go to theme parks still.

Unfortunately in SoCal, esp. at the largest theme park, locals have taken advantage of the special assistance passes to get easier admission to the rides and *AVOID* the lines. I see what their policy is, and unfortunately, you didn't use it the way it was intended. The intent is to give you the right to ride the ride as if you were a guest without a SA pass. So if the line at the time was 30 min long, your pass would give you the right to come back in 30 min. If you were in line for those 30 min, you wouldn't be able to ride another ride, correct? So after you go on that ride, you go to the next one, and get "your place in line" time from there. I think it's a fair policy, since if you weren't able to stand for long periods of time, you could still get the exact same number of rides as someone else who could stand in line. No above and beyond treatment, like what was happening before.

So basically you're upset becuae you were treated like anyone else - oh my gosh, how horrible is that?!?!?!?!?! You should be able to cut in front of everybody and ride without having to wait at all, d**n all the people who have been waiting for an hour - I'm the only importnat one here! In reality they did what was fair for EVERYONE. They required you to wait to get on the ride just like everyone else, however they accomodated your handicap by not actually requiring you to stand and wait in line by giving you a time when you could come back and get on the ride. You have to wait just like everyone else - except they have to stand in the actual line without being able to go somewhere else while they wait. What's wrong with that? Sounds to me you were trying to use your handicap as an excuse to cut in front of everybody and ride as many rides in as short a time as possible. Sorry, doesn't work that way, you have to wait with everyone else.

You had what is known as the Guest Assistance Pass. It is NOT a front of the line pass. You are expected to wait the same amount of time as the regular line. You stated you got there at 4:30pm and wanted to see Mystery Lodge at 5pm. So you then go to Pony Express where they give you a Return time of 5:30. So we can figure the wait time was about 60 minutes(which for a new ride was probably pretty close). "So technically you're stuck wandering around for the 30 minutes to an hour wait to get on a ride. Each ride I went to gave me a come back time of 30 minutes to an hour wait and during that time I'm not allowed to ride anything else just walk and wait for the time to pass" That is correct. Again the Guest Assistance Pass is not a Front of the Line Pass. It is to be treated as if you are waiting in line at one attraction at a time. You times also don't make sense. You say you got there at 4:30 and they closed at 10pm. This means you were there for 5 1/2 hours at most not 6-7 hours. You could have very simply gone on Pony Express be off by about 5:45 and go over to the log ride wait the x minutes and then go to the next ride. Even at an hour per ride(which by the end of the night would have been a lot less) you could have gotten on at least 6 rides(and probably more) "If I wanted to just wait 30 minutes to an hour for every ride I went to then I would rather just stand in line like everyone else." - Again the Guest Assistance Pass is NOT a front of the line pass. If you really were able to stand that long then why didn't you? Sorry but no RipOff here... FYI: Directly from the Knott's Web Site. Notice that it does mention that 1 party MUST wait in line while you are resting or sitting somewhere else. Since you only had 2 they probably gave you a return time instead so you would not have to be alone. Ride Admission Policy and Special Access Entrances Knott's Berry Farm's Ride Admission Policy and Special Access Entrances are designed to help you safely experience our facilities and will make boarding easier. If you require use of a Special Access Entrance to enter a ride, please visit the Information Center to obtain a Ride Admissions List and Rider Safety Guide. However, not everyone can safely enjoy every ride with a Special Access Entrance. Please refer to your individual Ride Admission Policy list for rides that will safely accommodate you. In an effort to be fair to all our guests, Guests with Restricted Mobility and one riding companion may enter via our special access entrance after their party waits in line. Guests may rest in a comfortable spot until the boarding time and then enter the ride via the Special Access Entrance. The following guidelines will be of assistance when using Special Access Entrances: Only one riding companion may enter through the Special Access Entrance with the Guest with Restricted Mobility. Other members of your party are asked to enter the ride in the standard manner through the line. Special Access Entrances are intended to accommodate wheelchairs and those Guests with Restricted Mobility and not to bypass others waiting in line. If you wish to ride together: Once your party is ready to board, you may enter through the Special Access Entrance. Those members of the party who waited in line should advise the ride hosts that you will be joining them. Ride Operators will tell you how to board each ride. Knott's Berry Farm personnel are not trained in transferring you from wheelchair to ride unit and are not permitted to do so. You should plan your visit with someone who can physically help you when necessary.

You wrote: "She ALWAYS thinks of herself as if she wasnt disabled." Well then she wouldn't have requested a "disabled rider thingy" then, would she? Furthermore, you lost all credibility when you admitted the source of the "real" complaintant.

*Quote :You were the cause of your own 'rip off' Had you not used your 'disabled rider thingy' as you call it, you would have been able to get on more rides. If you were able to spend '90% of your day walking laps' then you certainly are not disabled enough to need special treatment. You attempted to get more by claiming disability, and your plan failed. This is NOT a rip off.* To the person above who posted this. You misunderstood ! My girlfriend is in a wheelchair but she wrote the report as if I were writing it to sound more proper than saying something like I was wheeled around all day. She is disabled from the knee down and uses a wheelchair. Just didn't add that into her report that she was in one. But Knotts really needs to work on their disabled persons riding policies. They should at least let you ride something else in the meantime while you wait for one ride time. So that way you can maximize your FUN. I apologize for the misunderstanding about thinking she isn't disabled. She ALWAYS thinks of herself as if she wasnt disabled. =]

Had you not used your "disabled rider thingy" as you call it, you would have been able to get on more rides. If you were able to spend "90% of your day walking laps" then you certainly are not disabled enough to need special treatment. You attempted to get more by claiming disability, and your plan failed. This is NOT a rip off.