With no reopening date in sight for California theme parks, Knott’s Berry Farm is now extending its annual passes again.
Knott’s already extended 2020 passes through the end of 2021. Now, those passes will be usable into 2022 for however many days Knott’s remains shuttered this year.
“Our Season Passholders remain very important to us and we can’t wait to welcome everyone back to enjoy all Knott’s Berry Farm has to offer,” Knott’s vice president and General Manager Jon Storbeck said in a statement.
The announcement comes just after local rival Disneyland announced it would be “sunsetting” its current annual passholder program, cancelling all passes while promising to introduce new “membership options” in the future.
Universal reports two seizures in latest theme park injury report
Guests experienced seizures on two different rides at Universal’s Islands of Adventure, according to a quarterly state report.
Major theme parks in Central Florida are required to report any incident that requires at least a 24-hour hospital stay to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) as part of an agreement to avoid state inspections.
The latest report, covering the period between October and December, saw seven injuries reported. The two Universal incidents happened a week apart. On Nov. 27, a 14-year-old girl experienced a seizure on the Incredible Hulk coaster. On Dec. 4, 25-year-old woman had a seizure on Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, which was the attraction’s first appearance in the report since opening in 2019.
Disney World reported two injuries. 86-year-old guest tripped and injured herself exiting a vehicle on Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway on Oct. 28. On Nov. 21, a 60-year-old woman “felt ill” after riding Space Mountain.
Two additional injuries occurred at SeaWorld’s Aquatica Orlando park: a back injury on Whanau Way and a 44-year-old woman who reported difficulty breathing on Cutback Cove. The last reported injury was a hip injury reported by a 65-year-old man on SeaWorld Orlando’s Sea Carousel.
Combined, Central Florida parks reported a total of 20 injuries requiring a 24-hour hospital stay in 2020. While that’s far below 2019’s total of 49, the reason for the drop is obvious: all of the parks were closed for months due to the COVID-19 pandemic and have since operated at limited capacity.
Indiana Beach opens for the season on May 22
Indiana Beach in Monticello, Indiana has announced it will open for its 2021 season on May 22.
The park is celebrating its 95th anniversary this year and its second under new owner Gene Staples.
To mark the occasion, Indiana Beach will be adding a relocated triple looping coaster designed by coaster legend Anton Schwarzkopf. Formerly known as Quimera, the ride’s new name has yet to be revealed.
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