Budget Amusement Park

     Is there really any such thing as a budget amusement park?  I don't think there is.  But is you would like to visit a park that you can cover in one day, then Knotts Berry Farm is a good choice.  This park is full of roller coasters, high flying rides and water splashes.   Best part is that you can open the park and close the park and cover all the rides.

 Here's a bit about the park's origin -

    The theme park sits on the former site of a berry farm established by Walter Knott and his family. Beginning around 1920, the Knott family sold berries, berry preserves, and pies from a roadside stand along State Route 39. In 1934, the Knotts began selling fried chicken dinners in a tea room on the property, later called "Mrs. Knott's Chicken Dinner Restaurant".
 The dinners soon became a major tourist draw, and the Knotts built several shops and other attractions to entertain visitors while waiting for a seat in the restaurant. In 1940, Walter Knott began constructing a replica Ghost Town on the property, the beginning of the present-day theme park. Knott added several other attractions over the years, and began charging admission to the attractions in 1968. In 1983, Knott's Berry Farm added Camp Snoopy, which began the park's present-day association with the Peanuts characters.

     In the 1990s, following the deaths of Walter Knott and his wife, Cordelia, their children sold the family business; the theme park was sold to Cedar Fair, while the food business was sold to ConAgra Foods, which subsequently sold to J. M. Smucker. Cedar Fair has continued to expand the theme park, adding Knott's Soak City in 1999 and adding other rides to the original park.
 
     Last week the park had a problem with the Windseeker ride that had 20 riders stranded for almost 4 hours, 300 feet in the air.  Not exactly the thrill that riders were hoping for.  Don't let that deter you from enjoying the park.  Rides are safe, in all parks in the United States, over all. 

     Admission - reasonable compared to most others.   Let me show you what I am talking about.

Knott's Berry prices for a full day of fun -


Single-Day Regular (Ages 12-61)
Online:  $39.99       Gate:  $57.99         You Save $18
Single-Day Jr. (Ages 3-11) / Sr. (Ages 62+)
Online:  $25.99       Gate:  $29.99         You save $4

Disneyland day pass - (this is just to give you an idea)

1-Day Theme Park Tickets Valid now through December 31, 2013.
1-Day 1-Park Ticket	Ages 3 to 9 $81.00	Ages 10 & Up $87.00
1-Day Park Hopper Ticket Visit both parks each day of your ticket.	Ages 3 to 9  $119.00	Ages 10 & Up $125.00

Parking at both parks is $15 per day

      Are you thinking that this park must have a bunch of dinky rides, since the price is so reasonable?  Not so.  Take a look at a few.

 

Gotta say - this was the most relaxing day that I have ever had at an amusement park.  It was great.

     And - this is sort of neat.  There is not way, anything near as much food options at Knott's Berry Farm as other parks, and because I really like to eat at parks, I missed that.  But we are going for the budget here and they do have 'meal tickets' that can be purchased.

Here's what you are looking at for that -

Adult Meal with Theme Park Admission 
Just $9.99

JR/SR Meal with Theme Park Admission
JR just $8.99 (Ages 3-11) & SR $8.99 (Ages 62+)

Again - nice for the budget side of the day.

So how does our day end as far as budgeting?  Let's take a look.

Admission for 3 Jrs. and one Grandma ticket (not quite old enough for the senior rate)   $117.96

A meal ticket for each of us  -  $ 36.96

Extra food and drinks - $ 50
please note - you are allowed to bring water and baby food into the park.  Also - you are allowed to leave and re-enter making is pretty easy to enjoy a picnic at your car if you don't want to buy park foo.  This would have saved up $50 but we opted to eat in the park.

Parking   $ 15

  Our total for the day -   just under $ 220.00   which is a little less then two admission prices at Micky's house.  

Not too bad for an amusement park day! 

Keeping It Fun

     I'm not saying I do things right, especially when it come to the 'rules' of vacationing with Grandma.  But I do know that it works for me and seems to work for the kids too.

     I believe in letting the kids feel free to act a way that may not be allowed at other times.  This isn't a trip of cheer leaders where you have to be super proper.  This isn't a trip of honor students who are required to maintain their composure at all times.  This is a trip of kids with a grandma who has forgotten to grow up.  So, we let the fun begin as soon as we hit the road.

 

They may yell and holler but this really is sisterly love. 

The Costco bucket of Double Bubble is wonderful.  The years when they were not toting a mouth full of metal, there were bubble contest randomly and sporadically happening through out the trip.  Really, what is the worst thing that could happen?   Gum in the hair - that can get cut out if it doesn't get washed out along the trip.  Gum on the car seat or carpet - a little ice will take most of that out.  And we take precautions from the beginning by having towels on the seats.  The towels have a multitude of uses.  Bubble blowing is just fun. 

And then we have the bellman's cart.   This is a long story but the bottom line is - from the early on trips to the latest trips, the girls found some fun uses for the luggage cart.   Was this proper?  Maybe not but it was fun.  Nobody was in any danger.  Nobody was disturbed.  This became a tradition at the Best Western Sunrise Inn on the harbor in Redondo Beach, California.

And Mo got in on the fun also.  You will meet Mo later.                                                                        And you know what it is like when you get so tired that everything is funny.  That is when you really should be going to sleep, but there is always that kid who just can't settle down.   What do I say?  So what, as long as nobody is ready to strangle her.

So the kids play and fight and play more and joke around and have fun.  You may ask what this has to do with a budget - well I guess it doesn't.  It's just what I consider an important part of a good trip.  If a kid can't be a kid when they are young, they may end up like me; looking for the fun of childhood at the age of 60.