Amusement parks can be a source of magic. They can instill wonder in guests of all ages and transport us to a simpler time. They can bring out the inner child of our growing children and provide memories that will transcend time. With their ever-growing popularity, the expense, and our limited time to experience them, can quickly get out of hand. Let’s explore how to save money at Knott’s Berry Farm.
Table of Contents
What is Knott’s Berry Farms?
From humble beginnings as a small berry farm in the roaring 20s, Knott’s Berry Farm successfully transitioned over the decades to become one of the nation’s most beloved amusement parks. Now spanning 160 acres in beautiful Buena Park, California, Knott’s Berry Farm entertains over four million guests annually.
Thrilling guests of all ages with sixty attractions across four themed lands, seasonal events, and appearances by Snoopy and the gang, Knotts Berry Farms is truly “The Friendliest Place in the West”.
How to Save Money at Knott’s Berry Farm – Airfare
For those flying into the area to visit Knott’s Berry Farm, there are three airports to consider within 25 miles of the park. The closest airport is LGB, eight miles from the park. SNA is under fifteen miles away, and the behemoth that is LAX is just under thirty. Once you set where you will stay, run a quick comparison between the three and their various airline partners to find the best price for you.
When comparing airlines, include the price of any luggage you will take. Some airlines charge you for the first bag, while others include it in the base fare. Since bag fees apply to both sides of your trip, the cheapest base fare may end up costing you more.
How to Save Money at Knott’s Berry Farm – Tickets
Daily admission to Knott’s Berry Farm for the 2022 season ranges from fifty-five to ninety-nine dollars. While expensive, Cedar Fair offers a myriad of ways to save some money or your admission.
Opportunities to Save Money on Tickets to Knott’s Berry Farm:
- Purchase Tickets Ahead of Your Trip– This one is key: do not buy your tickets at the gate, instead buy your tickets in advance from knotts.com where the current prices are:
- $59.99 single day weekday/$65 single weekend(Saving you up to $39 a ticket!)
- Go on a weekday
- Not only will the crowd levels be lower, weekday tickets currently run $59.99 for an additional $5 savings over the current online price for weekend admission.
- Consider a season pass if you expect to spend 3 or more days (2+ for larger families/groups):
- Regular Season Pass- $140
- Discounted admission to Knott’s Scary Farm Halloween event
- 10% discount on food and merchandise
- 15% Discount at Knott’s onsite hotel.
- Season parking can be added for an additional $65
- Begins to provide value on 4th day!
- Early entry to select attractions on select days
- Gold Pass – $160 with the following additional benefits
- Unlimited visits to Soak City Waterpark
- Platinum Pass- $230 with the following additional benefits
- Access to any cedar fair park or water park
- Free standard parking (a $20 savings per day)
- An additional 10% discount on food an merchandise (20% total!)
- Early access to select attractions at select Cedar Fair properties.
- Regular Season Pass- $140
- If you know a Season Pass Holder- be their guest for a day
- Season Pass holders can purchase tickets for up to 4 friends at $35 a ticket
More Savings on Knott’s Berry Farm Tickets
- AAA
- AAA members can save up to 30% on tickets and up to 20% at soak city.
- These discounts do not stack with Junior/senior discounts and are do not include ticketed events including Knott’s Scary Farms.
- Under Cover Tourist
- One of our favorite sources for discounted tickets, undercovertourist can save you ~$33 over the gate.
- They can also save you money on the LA and San Diego city passes detailed below.
- Getaway Today, Goldstar, aRes Travel
- Additional popular sources for discounted admission tickets. I find UnderCoverTourist tends to have the best prices, but it is always worth a few moments to compare.
- Chase Rewards Members
- Tickets are available through the chase rewards portal at a rate around 1.5 cents per reward point.
- Appreciation for Military Service
- Active and retired members of the military can purchase single-day tickets at a $30 discount from gate prices on weekdays or $26 on weekends.
- Fire and Law Enforcement
- On a select group of days, fire and law enforcement members are provided free admission. They can also purchase up to six additional tickets for $35 for friends or family members.
- Families with young children
- Admission for children 2 and under is always free
- Children between the ages 3 and 11 are eligible for junior discounts.
- Experience pays
- If you are over the age of 62 you can save an additional $5 per day!
- Share the Day with a Group
- Groups above 15 members will pay 49.99 for a single day ticket
Future Ticket Discount Opportunities
- Watch Online for Event Sales
- Knott’s Berry Farms’ website has a promotion page which can include seasonal offers and is worth checking in on.
- Costco/Groupon
- Occasionally Groupon or Costco may offer discounted admission tickets to Knotts or the Go San Diego eCard respectively.
Parking at Knott’s Berry Farm
Knott’s Berry Farm offers three main parking lots which can accommodate guests even when the park reaches capacity. Parking will run you $20 per vehicle or $25 for busses and RVs. Knott’s offers preferred parking for an additional ten dollars. Drivers with a Disability Placard can park in any lot (including the hourly marketplace lot) at the $20 rate.
For locals or guests who might be in the area the evening before they visit the park, who would like to dine or shop at the boardwalk, 1 hour of free parking is available. Visitors can earn an additional two hours of free parking by spending $19 or more while shopping/dining.
How to Save Money on Parking at Knott’s Berry Farm
- Drive together!
- Do not purchase parking separately online- online transactions are subject to a service fee. If you purchase parking at the same time as your tickets, buy it online. If you forget to do so, wait and pay onsite to avoid paying the service fee a second time.
- Factor parking into your Season Pass decision
- Parking is free for platinum season pass holders ($20 value each visit).
Tip– only one member of your vehicle needs a parking pass, but they must be present each trip. If you buy season parking, be sure to link it to the person who will always be visiting.
Time is a Valuable Resource-How to Maximize Your Time at Knott’s Berry Farm:
Go at the right time
Knott’s Berry Farm is one of the world’s most popular amusement parks, and avoiding peak times can ensure you can enjoy everything it has to offer in a single day. There are a few steps you can take to avoid the worst crowds:
- Check a crowd level calendar and look for a light day
- Avoid weekends and the days around holidays.
- If you are attending Knott’s Scary Farm or Knott’s Merry Farm, consider going early in the season
- Going while school is in session may be best, as local families can pack Knott’s Berry Farm when school is out.
Know the Park Layout Before You Arrive
Before your trip, consider downloading the Knott’s Berry Farm mobile app and looking over the map. The park can be busy and the signage within the park is not great if you don’t know the general layout. Identifying your priorities and the area of the park they are in will ensure you don’t miss out on a potential favorite memory!
Use the proper entrance
On busy days, Knott’s will open up the Western entrance at the back of the park to admit guests. Choosing the entrance nearest the rides most important to you can give you a slight head start over those unaware of the option.
- The main entrance to Knott’s Berry Farm is by far the most popular. It opens into the front of the park near Camp Snoopy and GhostRider.
- The Western entrance will drop you near the Bumper Cars, Pony Express, Bigfoot Rapids, and the Boardwalk.
Parents- use child swap
If you have a younger child but still love high thrill attractions, take advantage of child swap. Let the ride attendants know you wish to child swap, and they will allow one parent to ride the ride while the other stays with the child. Upon exiting the ride, the parents switch roles and the second parent hops on the ride. Knott’s Berry Farm offers child swap at select attractions.
Can You Save Money At Knott’s Berry Farm With Fast Lane?
As one of Cedar Fair’s parks, Knott’s Berry Farm leverages its Fast Lane system. Fast Lane Knott’s Berry Farm’s equivalent of Disney’s Lighting Lanes, allowing you to wait in shorter lines on most attractions. Often rivaling the cost of admission, this additional purchase can be a difficult ask for any party.
Knott’s Berry Farm Fast Lane Discounts
Discounts on Fast Lane can be difficult across Cedar Fair parks, and Knott’s is no exception. One discount is possible if you either have, or know someone who has, a Platinum pass. If a platinum pass holder purchases Fast Lane passes in the park, visitors have reported they are eligible for a 10% discount.
Fast Lane passes must be purchased directly from Knotts however they can be added to tickets you purchased elsewhere.
My Advice on Knott’s Berry Farm’s Fast Lane
It might cost you a few extra bucks, but unless you are going at a peak time, I would wait until you are in the park to decide if a Fast Lane pass is needed. If you hit a peak time, don’t plan a return trip, and can afford it, fast lane ensure your once in a lifetime day is the best it can be.
The majority of fast pass eligible rides are high thrill rides, so families with children under 48 inches, or groups with non-thrill seekers may wish to purchase fast pass for part of the group. This allows you thrill seekers to get their rides in quickly return to the group to enjoy the rest of the day together.
For guests with little ones, much of your day may center around Camp Snoopy. Fast Lane will not save you time in this area of the park.
Fast Lane entrances are not always marked well. A good place to look is at the exit of a given attraction, show the staff member there your wristband, and you may be able to enter.
If a medical condition makes it difficult for you to stand in one place, fast lane can greatly ease this burden.
While Knott’s Berry Farm can be considered a one day park, its crowds can rival nearby Disneyland. Depending on the day, Fastlane+ may reduce your wait time by up to 70%.
Does Knott’s Berry Farm offer Single Rider Lines?
Not reliably. Attractions such as Ghost Rider have experimented with splitting off single riders within the main queue, but it is limited and should not be relied upon for your trip.
Single riders may occasionally skip the end of the lines as ride ops call down for riders needed to fill out rows. This practice has slowed significantly in recent years Post-Covid.
How to Save Money at Knott’s Berry Farm – Food
Knott’s Berry Farm is renowned for Mrs. Knott’s Famous Fried Chicken, creative integration of boysenberry in several dishes, and offers a fairly solid mix of food within the park itself:
- BBQ
- Tacos
- Pizza
- Burgers
- Fried cinnimon buns
- desserts
At their onsite hotel:
- Breakfast Buffett
- Burgers
- Pizza
- Pasta
- Steak
Or just down the road:
- The Cellar
- Craft by Smoke and Fire
For drinks, Knott’s serves Coke products throughout the park.
Opportunities to Save Money on Food at Knott’s Berry Farms
Ask for free tap water:
- Quick service locations will provide you with a free complimentary cup of water.
- Staff will gladly sell you bottled water as well, so be sure to specify if you are after tap water.
If Someone in Your Party Has a Season Pass:
Season pass holders receive a 10% discount on most on-site dining options. Have them pay for the group and pay them back after. Platinum season pass holders receive a 20% discount.
How to Save Money at Knott’s Berry Farm’s Scary Farm
Ghouls and ghosts ransack Knotts Berry Farm on select nights between September 22nd and Halloween, transforming this once peaceful park into Knott’s Scary Farm. With scare zones throughout the park, highly themed mazes, and night rides on some of California’s best rides, Knott’s Scary Farm has been a highlight of the Halloween season since 1973.
Knott’s Scary Farm is a separately ticketed event running late into the evening, running from 7 pm to 1 or 2 am, well after day guests have left the park.
Go Early in the Season
Crowds pick up as Halloween approaches, and the price of admission follows along. Going earlier in the season can save you a little money and help ensure you get to enjoy all that this event has to offer.
Boo-Fet
If you visit on a busy evening, it might be worth considering adding the Boo-Fet meal to your ticket. While $45 a head makes for an expensive meal, it provides you with exclusive photo opportunities to pose with the monster actors. After your dinner, diners will have access to four mazes a half-hour before other guests. An exclusive half-hour may allow you to get fit one or two more mazes into your evening or provide enough time for you to revisit a favorite.
If You Have Young Children
Knotts Spooky farm is a less intense event for youngsters and runs during normal park hours. Children ages 3-11 can walk around the park in costume and collect candy as they trick or treat their way through Knott’s famous Ghost Town. Admission is included with your park ticket.
If You Know a Season Pass Holder
Season pass holders may be able to save an additional $5 a ticket to the Knott’s Scary Farm event.
How to Save Money at Knott’s Berry Farm’s Merry Farm
From November 18th through January 1st, Knotts Berry Farm transforms into a winter wonderland: Knott’s Merry Farm! Lit by thousands of lights and featuring holiday treats and entertainment, the parks become even more magical for families and friends.
Knott’s Merry Farm runs throughout normal park hours and is not a separately ticketed event. Each of the tips we have discussed to save on standard park admission applies here as well!
What is Knott’s Berry Farm’s Boysenberry Festival:
Each spring from March 18th through April 24th, Knott’s celebrates its roots with a celebration of the Boysenberry. Live music permeates the park, and guests can find exclusive dishes and drinks throughout the area. The festival runs through normal park hours and is not a separately ticketed event.
How to Save Money at Knott’s Berry Farm’s Boysenberry Festival:
Guests can purchase the food and drinks on offer ala cart, but a discounted tasting card is also available. Review the options available, and if those on the tasting card align with your tastes, it is likely to save you a few bucks throughout the day.
Season pass holders may be able to score tasting cards at a greater discount.
How to Save Money at Knott’s Berry Farm-Hotels
Season pass holders may be able to save some money at the onsite hotel. A great stay for young ones, the hotel offers tuck in service from Snoopy himself. Discounts are stated to be off of the rack rate which is the highest price a room goes for, so the discount may only be worthwhile during peak times.
Hilton Honors members can book a room just 3.5 miles down the road at the Hampton Inn & Suits Buena Park starting around 40,000 points a night.
Best Western rewards members can book a room just a mile down the road at the SureStay hotel starting around 12,000 points a night.
IHG rewards members have several nearby options starting around 20,000 points a night.
If you book your stay through hotels.com check out the raise.com marketplace where a hotels.com gift card can be had for a small discount.
Other Attractions Near Knott’s Berry Farms
A Trio of Theme Park Titans
Located just eight miles from Knott’s Berry Farm is the world-renowned Disneyland and their second gate, Disney’s California Adventure. Families with a car are about an hour away from Universal Studios Hollywood, where they can Ride the Movies. Thrill-seekers may wish to make the sixty-mile excursion to Six Flags Magic Mountain, home of a world-record-holding nineteen roller coasters.
Dining With Style
A quick 2-mile jaunt from Knotts Berry Farms provides families with two unique dining experiences.
Pirate Dinner Adventure- enjoy a full-course dinner on a “pirate ship” while enjoying and interacting with a swashbuckling tale of the high seas.
Earlier shows are family-friendly, while evening offerings are geared toward adults with live music and comedy.
Check their special offers, and you may score free admission on your birthday or other discounts.
Medieval Times- Walk through a medieval castle and enjoy a four-course meal while cheering your knight to tournament victory in this unique dining experience.
Magic and Wine Theater – Those who visit the area on Friday evenings have an opportunity to regal in the wonders of magic and wine in a nearly three-hour experience.