This New Knott’s Berry Farm Ride Will Make Disney Fans Extremely Nostalgic
In honor of its one hundredth anniversary, Knott’s Berry Farm is bringing back a classic attraction — and it’s got a major connection to Disney.
Starting next summer, the Southern California theme park will debut Knott’s Bear-y Tales: Return to the Fair, a 4-D interactive dark ride based on the original Knott’s Bear-y Tales ride which opened in the ‘70s. The early attraction was designed by Rolly Crump, an artist best known for his work on Disneyland rides and attractions through WED, now called Walt Disney Imagineering.
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Crump, a Disney Legend, played a large part in the creation of early Disneyland attractions like Enchanted Tiki Room and The Haunted Mansion. He also helped create EPCOT and designed the Tower of the Four Winds, an oft-fabled installation for the 1964 World’s Fair, which sat alongside the original version of It’s a Small World. (That structure no longer exists, but he also created the Disneyland ride’s eye-catching “grandfather” clock marquee, which opens up to reveal characters throughout the hour.)
Now, over thirty years since it shuttered, Crump’s vintage attraction is returning to Knott’s Berry Farm with updated details to breathe new life into its storyline. Riders will again head to the Country Fair alongside Boysen and Girlsen Bear-y, but this time will see passengers utilize “jelly blasters” to hit coyotes who threaten the soon-to-be award-winning pies. It sounds as wholesome as ever with a perfect nostalgic twist — according to the Orange County Register, scenes from the original Crump-designed attraction will be digitally rendered to honor the age-old experience.
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The original Knott’s Bear-y Tales ride has a storied past — it was rethemed twice and suffered damage from a fire — so locals are ecstatic to see the familiar characters once again as part of Knott’s Berry Farm’s centennial celebration.The attraction replaces Voyage to the Iron Reef, an interactive shoot-out ride with eye-catching visuals.