Knott's Scary Farm 2017

[foodstampsFTW]

Special ops is coming back according to the website

Special Ops: Infected | Scary Farm Attractions | Knott's Berry Farm

 

[Freak]

So here's what we know:

-Voodoo is returning, but you will walk thru in reverse order; swamp first, then the village
-Paranormal Inc. is back
-Tooth Fairy is back
-Trick-or-Treat: Lights Out has been announced
-New maze going where Slaughterhouse was; likely a fairy tale or Sleepy Hallow house.
-Shadowlands is returning
-Dead of Winter going for a new maze that's rumored to be aliens/old amusement park/both?
-Red Barn is back with some new effects added.
-Black Ops is back.
-Gunslinger is gone. Fairy tale maze is replacing it.
-No standalone skeleton key rooms (I'm glad. Heard they were't that great and I hate paying extra to "see everything").

So we have two more mazes to gear about. I really hope Jon Cooke is doing both of them.

 

[k_peek_2000]

That only accounts for 9 mazes. At midsummer they said there would be "13 haunted attractions".

 

[foodstampsFTW]

4 scarezones

 

[Freak]

It also occurred to me that Knott's has apparently retired the Skeleton Key. Can't say I'm sad about that since I hate paying for my pass but I still have to shell out more to see everything. I think they noticed a lot of people felt that way.

 

[k_peek_2000]

4 scarezones

Knott's has never advertised their scare zones as "Haunted Attractions". Parks and Cons just posted a video suggesting that what if Iron Reef and Showdown in GhostTown got scary farm overlay's this year? It's also curious that Nautilus has been completely closed up for a week or two now.

 

[AlexanderMBush]

I would imagine the Mine Ride would count as a haunted attraction if they theme it up once more, and that there is the likely possibility of Iron Reef/Showdown to me.

That would leave one more, and if there would be another..could they still theoretically do the Timber Mountain Log Ride in theming (but do it in a way of not using actors?)?

 

[AlexanderMBush]

The show has started...and I called it. Timber Mountain to be rethemed for the Halloween season.

 

[chris.g]

It looks so cute!! I hope I'm in town to ride it

 

[AlexanderMBush]

• Tooth Fairy has announced changes to it's finale, with the removal of an animatronic for a live actor
• Red Barn will return, as Chainsaws return with new effects; and that the maze will be pulsing guests
• Paranormal Inc will have characters from the Zozo Key Room last year arrive to the maze.
• Shadowlands Return, as a new showroom was added, and changes were made to multiple rooms
• Special Ops - Infected returns, with more zombies, new missions, and more guns than before, with the sewers updated
• Ghost Town will have Naneye Joe
• Fiesta De Los Muertos returns, with it being a full scarezone
• CarnEVIL returns with all new music and a maze themed to accompany it.
• The Hollow returns with a themed maze to accompany it.
• The Hanging returns, titled as "The Hanging: Fake Noose"....oh no.
• As a reminder, this will be the final year for Elvira.
• TrT was revealed once again, with the other two original new concepts; Dark Ride and Pumpkin Eater
• Dark Ride will put you in the place of an old abandoned amusement dark ride, with new effects not seen before at the event.
• Pumpkin Eater to be designed by Daniel Miller
• Jon Cooke designs TrT and Dark Ride.

TBU...

 

[chris.g]

Not gonna lie this year sounds pretty promising. Might check it out if I can.

 

[foodstampsFTW]

Eh, not really impressed.

At least Gunslinger isn't back

 

[AlexanderMBush]

So to summarize,

Return Mazes: Tooth Fairy, Special Ops, Red Barn, Paranormal Inc, Shadowlands, Voodoo
Return Scarezones: GhostTown, The Hollow, CarnEVIL,
Shows: The Hanging - Fake Noose, Elvira's Last Show
New Additions: Dark Ride, Pumpkin Eaters, Timber Mountain Log Ride Hootenanny, Trick or Treat - Lights Out, the change of Fiesta De Los Muertos to a full fledged scarezone

To sum it up, 8 Houses, Four Scarezones, and Timber Mountain Log Ride retheme to make thirteen attractions if you will.

And then Elvira and Hanging to add for shows.

Not a bad year, happy to see Timber Mountain Log Ride return to rethemed goodness, but I wish Calico wasn't the cost for that.

 

[foodstampsFTW]

You forgot Voodoo

 

[AlexanderMBush]

You forgot Voodoo

Must of been that I never cared for Voodoo.

In all seriousness, not terrible. Not fond though of the name of "Dark Ride". It's cheap and that it could be called something much better.

 

[MacMillian Crew]

Ever since 2013, their "13 haunted attractions" seemed to have decreased. Do you think the reason we aren't getting 13 literal mazes this year is because of them spending a significant amount on the guns and flashlights?

 

[foodstampsFTW]

Cause Jon Cooke blows the whole budget on his house

 

[Wesker69]

Not fond though of the name of "Dark Ride". It's cheap and that it could be called something much better.

Well... its an abandoned carnival ride.. its supposed to be cheap. I mean come on, its also clown themed. Also, according to the website description, the name is "DARK RIDE: CASTLE OF CHAOS"...

anyway, here is the maze art/logo & description for both...

"Journey through an abandoned carnival ride where cruel carny folk still linger in the shadows in Dark Ride: Castle of Chaos, Knott’s Scary Farm’s newest maze. The shunned performers have created an ominous world of terror which they plan to unleash on those who enter. Dark Ride will lead brave visitors through a treacherous path and into the bowels of a long neglected attraction, as sinister shadows and horrifying scenes cast gloom over the once pleasant ride. It’s everyone’s worst nightmare, being helplessly surrounded by clowns without a way out."

"Survive the wrath of the murderous 7-foot tall creature that haunts the old woods surrounding The Hollow in the new maze, Pumpkin Eater. The notorious creature is on the prowl hidden within the dark confines of the haunted town he once terrorized. To escape the sinister Pumpkin Eater’s wrath all that enter must go on a quest through the silent town of victims, face a cave of crawling insects and solve the labyrinth of thorns that blocks the way out."

 

[Freak]

Sounds like this will be the formula they will stick to for a while. Have three new houses: two of which are the Jon Cook big-budget bonanzas and the third will be the sorta cheap house that Dan Miller or Gus Kruger will design. With what we got I'm pretty happy with the content. I'm also excited to see that they're using the money that would have gone into Skeleton Key Rooms for improvements for the returning houses.

Pumpkin Eater sounds like a cool theme for a house, but I think this will be another Red Barn situation. Jon Cooke blows the budget on his two houses, plus improving the other ones, and this ends up getting a ton of reused props. I would love to be proven wrong, but I just feel like this will be the filler maze. It would be great if Miller realizes how effective trigger scares are because it would have greatly helped Dead of Winter or Red Barn.

Dark Ride is hands-down my most anticipated. For the longest time I have always wanted to see a maze based on an abandoned old-school dark ride as I've been fascinated by historic old amusement parks…..mainly Coney Island history. I think it's awesome Knott's is doing something like this and Jon Cooke is designing it to top it all off! Man, I can't wait to see what surprises he brings in here!

Trick or Treat sounds like it will be cool. I'm cautiously optimistic since blackout mazes usually aren't great.

 

[Wesker69]

Dark Ride is hands-down my most anticipated. For the longest time I have always wanted to see a maze based on an abandoned old-school dark ride.

FUN FACT: The ORIGINAL "Scary Tales" (originally titled "TerrorLand") house at HHN Orlando in 2001 was meant to be an abandoned dark ride theme. The two sequel houses did not continue this dark ride theme concept.

Enter an abandoned carnival attraction and find yourself in a nightmarish fairy tale world where there’s never a happy ending.

Promo pic