According to a post on a Knott's passholder Facebook group, in August Knott's will be transitioning from calendar year-Season Passes to Annual Passes good for one year from first use.
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Robert, I think people who buy their passes later in the year will be happiest, since Knott's raises the price of the Season Pass gradually through the calendar year.
Doesn't it seem counter-intuitive that they charge more for a 2018 Season Pass on June 1st than in January 1st?
When I asked why a couple years ago, all they would say was that it was to reward Passholders who purchased early for their loyalty. I can see the logic in charging more on Jan. 31st than Oct. 15 of the previous year for a pass for that calendar year (you can get a nice discount by buying or renewing in the fall before you can actually use your pass), but not within the year itself.
Any thoughts?
Interesting. This makes a ton of sense for Knott's as they are open year-round, though it could get confusing if they keep the Platinum Pass as a season pass (that wouldn't make sense as an annual pass). I'm also curious if this will come with a price increase...Knott's could probably justify a jump to around $150 for a pass with all they've added in the past few years.
To continue my thought, perhaps this move to Annual Passes is partly to remove that discrepancy, so that everyone is paying the same price for a basic pass?
I don't see the proliferation of add-ons going away any time soon. Season dining passes, Photo passes, Season Fast Lane passes, Haunt passes.
Do you think Knott's is making money off people who buy a season dining pass for $130, and eat there every week? Or are they spending money on other stuff when they go? Some people seem to think Knott's is losing money on their dining passes, but I am skeptical.
AJ, I completely agree. The Knott's season pass that was selling for $90-120 pays for itself with roughly 1.5 - 2 visits.
A Gold Pass at Universal Studios Hollywood sells for over $300 and has about 7 weekends blocked out. The Knott's pass has been the best bargain in Southern California for many years, especially after Universal stopped it's "Buy A Day, Get the Year Free" promotion.
Knott's needs more "significant attractions" to justify an Annual Pass. They seem so once and done. I purchased their season pass and felt going 3 or 4 times was enough. They should do more festivals.
Anton, in addition to the Boysenberry festival and the holiday Knott's Merry Farm, Knott's has added the Peanuts Festival in January, Halloween activities for kids in October, and has the interactive Ghost Town Alive during the summer.
Also wanted to update that the rumor turned out to be untrue. Knott's 2019 Season Passes went on sale a few days ago, with a few more options like Season Locker Rentals (people were complaining about the high cost of lockers at Soak City and rampant theft from belongings left unattended there).
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They will sell more this way, and probably for a higher price. Disney's move up the economic ladder has left plenty of room for Knott's to take a step up and still hold onto its market share.