The B-Side

Info has been compiled from Twitter, Theme Park Adventure and The Los Angeles Times:

So far the following mazes from 2009 are slated to return:

Dia De Los Muerto

Terror of London

Lockdown

New scare zone to replace Gauntlet will be Necropolis: The City of the Dead an vampire steam punk theme. Concept art seen above.

New mazes to raise the dead and shake the nerves of terrified guests:

Fallout Shelter - The denizens are insane and they haven’t seen the sun in decades. True terror in the atomic age.” - Designing your fears by Daniel Miller (Lockdown)!

Sleepy Hollow Mountain - Log Ride

Ghosts and ghouls, witches and goblins, long-legged beasts and things that go bump in the night…take a dark ride through haunted Sleepy Hollow. The witching hour is at hand and the legends of long ago haunt the living. Specters and witches are on your heels as you try to out run The Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow. Can you keep your wits? Or will you lose your head?
Brought to you by Haunt Designer, David Ortiz (Dia De Los Muertos)!

Virus Z - Fiesta Plaza explodes with a brand new zombie nightmare. The virus is out and the end is near…Virus Z - enter the barricaded town of Pleasanton where the virus has turned the entire population into ravenous zombies. Fiesta Village Virus Z - from the insane mind of Brooke Walters - designer of Doll Factory and Terror of London!

Date: Sunday, April 25, 2010
Time: 6:00pm - 9:00pm
Location: The Knott’s Resort Hotel (upstairs from lobby)
City/Town: Buena Park, CA

Vampire Queen and Labyrinth Fairy Queen Haunt Icon Sandy Graham has been battling cancer. A special art show benefit has been organized. The art pieces for sale will be original works by Knott’s Berry Farm designers and artists. The price points are lowered for this event. 100% of the profit will be given as a gift to Sandy to assist with her medical bills. A $3 donation will be asked at the door for admittance. Open to the public. Thank you to all!

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=30518918&id=1505340388&saved#!/event.php?eid=108289029207188

Also Theme Park Adventure’s T Shirt Benefit Drive is also available to help Sandy.

http://www.themeparkadventure.com/

Saturday, April 3, 2010
Disneyland
8am-Midnight

Sunday, April 4, 2010
Knott’s Berry Farm
10am-10pm

What is Mini Gay Day?
For many of you, one Gay Day a year just wasn’t enough. And we hate to disappoint. So in 2003, we came up with “Mini Gay Day” which happens exactly six months before the big bash. This year our Mini is getting just a little bit bigger with an extra day. We’ve added a Sunday visit to our fantastic, new sponsor Knott’s Berry Farm!

Schedule

Saturday, April 3, 2010

8am-Midnight, Disneyland Park
Don’t be an (April) fool-put on your red shirt and get ready to ride as we celebrate Mini Gay Day in fiery style!

BIG RED RIDE
11:30am, Disneyland Railroad, meet at Main Street Station
We want some ssssssteam heat. It’s all aboard for a grand circle tour of Walt’s original Magic Kingdom and everyone is welcome, Please wait until we give the go-ahead before jumping on, though. We want to make sure no one gets left behind. And speaking of behind, check out the caboose on the conductor! Woo wooooooo!

2pm, Sleeping Beauty Castle
Meet in front of the castle for our annual Mini Gay Day portrait. Make sure you’re wearing red!

3:15pm, Small World Promenade
Join us to watch the brand new Celebrate! A Street Party as it kicks off in front of “it’s a small world.” Get ready to dance because “You Can’t Stop the Beat.”

9pm, Hearthstone Lounge, Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel, Free!
Join us for a relaxing way to end the day. Kick back and enjoy a cocktail (or three) at this unofficial gathering in the stunning Grand.
Sunday, April 3, 2010

Mini Gay Day at Knott’s Berry Farm

10am-10pm, Knott’s Berry Farm, Buena Park
Put on your Easter bonnet (and red T-shirt) and join us for the day at this classic theme park, just up the street from Disneyland! Tickets-at the unbelievable Gay Days Anaheim rate of just $29.99-will be available at Knotts.com/GayDays beginning March 10.

BIG RED RIDE
Noon, Sky Cabin, meet in front
Join the (quarter) mile high club as we soar high above the park. Enjoy the view as we look down on everyone. Why should today be different than any other day?

Wanna Get Lucky?
9pm, Club Lucky, House of Blues Anaheim
Downtown Disney, 18+, $12 at the door
What better way to close out Mini Gay Day weekend than by kicking up your heels at Orange County’s most amazing gay night? Join us at Club Lucky. Who doesn’t like gettin’ lucky on Easter?

http://www.gaydaysanaheim.com/

CALL FOR ALL HALLOWEEN HAUNT FANS’ SUPPORT

Once in a while, life throws us a nasty turn that really makes us all stop and take pause. This is one of those moments.

Sandy Graham, long a familiar icon of the Halloween Haunt event at Knott’s Berry Farm as Queen of the Vampires, has been stricken with cancer. Out of respect for Sandy, the details of her illness are being kept out of the public spotlight. Sadly, we can assure you that this is a most serious case that requires the love and attention of her family, friends and fans everywhere.

To help counter the enormous costs that Sandy is soon to be facing between medical bills, home care and food, the Haunt Family is coming together as one to help raise money to help Sandy in her great time of need.

Theme Park Adventure was asked to design a logo that could be printed on shirts, with approximately $10.00 of every sale going directly to Sandy’s donation fund. TPA Founder Rick West created the logo, at the top of page; this is a brief explanation of the design:

Over the past many years, fans and employees alike of Knott’s Halloween Haunt have come to know and love Sandy Graham as the Vampire Queen. While Sandy’s contributions to the event have varied on and off stage, it is her Queen persona that has established her firmly as a cornerstone of the Scary Farm.

We chose Latin as the language of the designs text - it is ancient, beautiful, and allows us to convey the meaning behind the shirt itself without blatantly becoming a billboard for our cause. The word “Suscipio” in Latin translates as “Support” and/or “To Raise Up”. And that is exactly what we have come together to do for our beloved Queen - support her, love her and to raise her up in prayer, wishes of strength, positive karma - whatever you choose to call it. We come together as one in Sandy’s hour of need and stand as the hands at her back; she is not alone and never will be.

The shirts are being provided by PSYCO Designz in Southern California, which is offering its printing services free of charge. The only cost being recovered from each purchase will go toward the actual cost of the shirts themselves.

Below the logo is a drop-down size/order button; once you make your selection, you will be taken from the Theme Park Adventure site to the actual donation page, which is hosted on PayPal^TM.

We ask you to open your hearts and wallets and show your love and support for Sandy by proudly wearing one of these shirts. Thank you all so very much in advance - your contribution is appreciated.

Click here to visit site and purchase shirts.

http://www.themeparkadventure.com/

Chris Merrit and J. Eric Lynxwiler, authors of the long and anticipated book “Knott’s Preserved” has announced a special signing at Knott’s Berry Farm for April 18, 2010. There is a VERY LIMITED spaces available for this event! CLICK HERE to download the PDF sign-up form.

http://www.knottspreserved.com/Site/KnottsEventFlyer.pdf

Events include tours of Ghost Town led by Orange County Historians Phil Brigandi and Chris Jepsen, Lectures on the early history of Knott’s in the Bird Cage Theater, buffet dinner at Ms. Knott’s Chicken Dinner Restaurant, and a panel discussion with guests Rolly Crump, Chris Crump, Dean Davisson, John Waite, and Eddie Sotto.

Video exclusive: Knott’s grandson talks possible sale of park by Mark Eades on the OC Register blog site. Look for the link at the end.

Steve Knott, grandson of Walter and Cordelia Knott, gives his thoughts on the possible sale of Cedar Fair, which owns Knott’s Berry Farm, to a private investor group.

March 16, 2010 at Sandusky State Theatre in Ohio is when the final decisions will be made  whether the Cedar Fair Entertainment Co., the parent company of Knott’s Berry Farm, should be purchased and taken private by asset manager Apollo Global Management.

In addition to determining the future of Knott’s, the sale would mean that no one from the Knott family would have an ownership position in the park that Walter and Cordelia founded more than 70 years ago. Read the rest of this entry �

CIVIL WAR ENCAMPMENT
February 13- 14

Over 200 Civil War re-enactors will be at Knott’s Park Pavilion area (across from Knott’s Berry Farm, next to Independence Hall) with an authentic Civil War training camp. Blue and Gray will come together to bring history to life with displays of authentic artillery pieces and Calvary equipment as well as demonstrations of period cooking, infantry drills and special Living History presentations throughout the day. This event is free to the public. For more information, call 714-220-5244.

Or Check out the LINK:

http://www.forttejon.org/events.html

Pink’s at Knott’s Berry Farm reopened last weekend. An official grand opening will be on Sunday February 28 with a “Hot Dogs for Haiti” fundraiser, wiener dog races and dog costume contests.

Pink’s is open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays, and from 11 a.m. to midnight Fridays and Saturdays.

Pink’s can be found in the Knott’s Marketplace adjacent to the park at 8039 Beach Blvd., Buena Park.

www.knotts.com

This is interesting Apollo Management is looking to aquire Cedar Fair for about $650 million. Eleven Theme Parks including Knott’s, Cedar Point, Dorney Park and King’s Island would be part of this deal.

I am not sure what the possible outcome on this could be. How it could possibly affect Halloween Haunt at Knott’s Berry Farm is of course my biggest concern. I wonder if the theme parks would be possibly split up. Also I wonder if for example if Knott’s Berry Farm would receive attractions from other parks should they be closed. It will be interesting to see what will happen.

online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704541004574600443362702668.html

By Rick A Mortis

Awww Haunt….fog, boysenberries, screams, fog, boysenberries, screams…it’s like crack I tell you!

This year I hit up Halloween Haunt twice. I will be giving a point system out of 10 for the mazes and shows. 

10 = Pee your pants and get fetal - ok, ok The Jonas Brothers do the same for some of us.

1 = This sucked so bad it was like watching Twilight!

Also to any talent out there and may be reading this. You all rock and any grade I give is only due to talent that I experienced that night. As a monster I know some nights are good and some just plain suck.

So no more stalling away we go boils and ghouls.

PYROMANIAX (Timber Mountain Log Ride) = 4

Same theme from last year about moonshiners and firemen that mutated and there’s a fire and stuff. Talent wasn’t around much when I went through. Kudos to the guy on the harness at the end, you rocked it. I wish there was more time for this to get decked out.

BLACK WIDOW’S CAVERN (The Calico Mine Train) = 4

Same as last years about giant spiders in a mine. And like a broken record I wish they had more time to dress this. Also the second time I went this year the shows finale of the giant spider was broken, which is a shame for anyone.

Alien Annihilation = 3

The maze I hated last year. I will say the maze looked better artistically and the talent was a improvement. Of course a friend in our group got laser tag guns the first time we went, the second time did not. It is still very lame that most monsters will not interact with anyone that is not carrying a laser tag gun. I would like to see a overhaul on this maze still.

The Slaughterhouse = 7

This maze was a huge let down last season, the Slaughterhouse actually stepped it up this year. Uncle Willy’s BBQ, was more twisted this year. The only problem I did have is my second time all the girls where missing in the cages, which was a bit of a let down. Since it ruined the scene of a man selling the girl in the cage for meat. The VIP maze was awesome!

LOCKDOWN: THE ASYLUM = 7

I really wish that they would’ve just called this Lockdown. I think it made a lot of people compared it to the far superior Asylum. Talent was on the ball here. Lots of energy in here. The nurses rocked it well. The only annoyance I had was the song NWO by Ministry was on a loop and it gave me flashbacks of my days in Industrial Evil as a zombie. Read the rest of this entry �