Knott’s Berry Farm + Soak City In One Day

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We spent the last couple of weeks stretching every single last inch out of summer. 

One of our favorite memories from this time was a mini family vacation with our extended family. One of my sisters and her family came along with my parents. When we were thinking about where to meet, we all agreed Knott’s Berry Farm was perfect!

For years, this has been “our place”. Ever since I was little, we always met my grandparents there for dinner and the tradition has continued all these years. Special thanks for Knott’s for hosting this wonderful getaway!

We ended up getting there early in the day and the rest of the family arrived a bit later. This worked out perfectly since we were able to enjoy both parks in one day!

As soon as Knott’s Soak City opened, we had some water fun and then before lunch, we went to Knott’s Berry Farm. It was so much fun and I love all the fun we had.

If you haven’t experienced Knott’s Soak City, you need to get over there asap! It is open for a couple more weeks this season and you will love all the slides, lazy river, wave pool and more! 

When you visit, you will need to bring your own towels, but they have life jackets and plenty of chairs. There are also a bunch of food stands, and if you get the all-day dining passes like we did, you will love that they are available for redemption at both Knott’s Berry Farm and Knott’s Soak City. 

To make your time at Soak City even more amazing, I would recommend renting a tube and a cabana. We’ve done both and it definitely elevated the experience even more! I’m not really a water person so I loved having a base to hang out at while everyone else went off and had fun!

After Soak City, we headed to the Knott’s Berry Farm Hotel. The prices here for rooms are SO reasonable, and as a family of 5, we fit perfectly in two rooms and still find it very inexpensive. I feel like the hotel is a hidden gem being so close to all the fun like it is. Back at the hotel we showered and were ready for rides and more fun!

Our first stop was Ghost Town for Knott’s Ghost Town Alive! I wrote all about it here, and how it is one of my favorite parts of Knott’s Berry Farm. It is like walking through a real ghost town with real residents and they include you in their life. Emmy loved running errands for them and being a part of the story.

After that, we went on rides. Knott’s is known for having rides for everyone and that is one of the reasons it is such a great place for family meetups. With kids of all ages (and heights), we were kept busy with so much to do. From kid specific rides in Camp Snoopy to rides for everyone, like on the train. You could easily spend a couple days here and not experience it all.

Another thing I love is the dining plan. It is a bargain. Seriously. There are different plan options, but the one we chose allowed us to have a meal every 2 hours. You guys, there is no way we could eat a full meal every two hours… but we tried! We had lunch, and then a snack, and then another snack, and then dinner. We found that you could use a meal for fruit cups too, which made eating healthier easy. If you are vegan, vegetarian or gluten-free, there are options for you too. 

If you are looking to make your time at Knott’s even more exceptional, definitely get Fast Lane wristbands. We didn’t wait to go on any of the rides with the wristband. This is especially awesome to have for quicker visits like ours, where we were doing both parks in one amazing day!

I wonder if this is just a thing with our family? But my dad spoils his grandkids with fair games whenever we come here. They all look forward to winning stuffed animals and we have never left empty-handed. 

Ha! Look at these smiles!

Before we all called it a night, we watched the Circus of Wonders Shows!

It was on one of the stages and had a man walking on fire, people dangling from ropes, and all sorts of circus performers doing acrobatics. It was mesmerizing and a really good show. This is a show we would have paid more to watch, but we didn’t have to since it was included in the price. In Camp Snoopy, there is also a new to us show called Snoopy’s Magnificent Magical Revue Show which is perfect for the kids to enjoy while taking a water break. The shows in Camp Snoopy have long been a favorite of mine when I was younger, and my girls have all grown up watching them too. Definitely, make time to watch them when you visit… you will love them!

The kids don’t look exhausted, but they were. We had a jam-packed day of fun!

Pete surprised them all with bubble makers for the walk back to the hotel, and of course, we stopped at the candy shop for fudge. If you haven’t had the fudge before you haven’t been living your life to the fullest. It is the best!

We were all asleep in minutes. I’m not even joking. It was such a fun day and we were tired. I love days like this where we just spend time together and have fun! I know the girls will look back on these days as the best too. I hope they keep bringing their kids to Knott’s for many years to come. 

Here is a video of our Knott’s vacation:

We already are looking forward to our next visit to Knott’s. Ash, Emmy and I need more boysenberry in our life and Pete and Maddie are so excited for Knott’s Scary Farm to start next month! 

What is your favorite time to visit Knott’s?