This past weekend I had the honor of joining some of the top Mommy and Daddy Bloggers from all over the LA/OC area at a special Knott’s Berry Farm VIP event in Buena Park, CA http://www.knotts.com/. The morning started off with a lovely character breakfast/mingle session and then was followed by the stage production “Love Is In The Air, Charlie Brown!” The show was absolutely ADORABLE and if I was to guess, it was likely geared toward kids between the ages of 0-9 years old. I say this because my teens weren’t as captivated by the performance as my 3rd grader was. I was actually very excited because my 8 year old, Chloe, was invited on stage to perform with Charlie Brown and friends in front of the crowd. It was fun to watch her light up in on stage and bust a move. Hmmm, a future drama queen, perhaps? ;)

Once the show concluded, the families were invited to experience all of the wonders of the amusement park at their own pace. Since my family has a diverse age span, we decided to divide and conquer to truly maximize the park experience. My teenage son and his best friend headed off to enjoy the likes of La Revolucion, Rip Tide,  Supreme Scream and WindSeeker (For a full list of THRILL RIDES Knott’s has to offer, check out http://www.knotts.com/things-to-do/thrill-rides). My middle daughter (age 12) took off with her Dad and rode Silver Bullet, Sierra Sidewinder, Montezooma’s Revenge & Jaguar! (For a complete list of Roller Coasters go to http://www.knotts.com/things-to-do/roller-coasters). My youngest daughter and myself, spent the day in Camp Snoopy http://www.knotts.com/things-to-do/children-s-rides enjoying the less “scary” rides and interacted with all of the fun activities that Knott’s put together for it’s special Valentines promotion. Chloe’s favorite attractions were the Hugging Booth, where the characters come out into the park and pose for pictures with the kids, and Cupid’s Craft Corner, where you can relax in the shade and make super cute crafts for your special “Valentine”. Chloe and I are less interested in all of the exciting rides that leave your tummy in knotts (Ha, pun intended), so we were definitely pleased to have a variety of activities to choose from to keep us entertained all morning and afternoon long.

Personally my favorite perks of the park were the Chocolate Dipping Station located in Ghost Town http://www.knotts.com/things-to-do/dining#Ghost_Town and the HEART HEALTHY MENU featuring Char Grilled Mahi Mahi Fish Tacos, Thai BBQ Salmon Salad and the Mediterranean Chicken Wrap. I have been watching what I eat lately and I always CRINGE when I head out to amusement parks because I fear I will only have fried, fatty foods to choose from. So needless to say these healthy menu items made my visit enjoyable without completely ruining my dietary goals. Thank you Knotts!

While I was admittedly a guest of the park during this event, I was pleased to learn how AFFORDABLE Knott’s Berry Farm actually is these days. In fact, during the month of FEBRUARY (1st-28th) you can purchase online admission to the park for only $34.99 per ticket! And for ONE DAY ONLY (2/29/12 aka “Leap Day”), everyone gets into the park for only $29.00! If you have older kids and want a season pass, I noticed that the special rate is only $64.99 and during the month of February, season pass holders can bring a friend for just $24.99. Not too shabby considering how expensive all of the other amusement parks in town tend to be. It’s tough when you have a large family to invest in season passes to parks like Disney or Magic Mountain, so having Knott’s as an option is actually really quite nice.

Last, but not least, I want to conclude with a quick shout out to some of the talented bloggers I have been following online for years and FINALLY got a chance to connect with face to face thanks to this wonderful event.

@MomFluential
@daNanner
@RockinMama
@FieldTripMom
@NibblesNFeasts
@FourFlights
@DontSpkWhinese
@HowToBeADad
@KristenHowerton
@MomsLA

As ALWAYS, it was great to also see:
@Maryannewendt

@SparklingLaLa & @Cyuskoff

@Eva_Smith
 

@SuburbanMama

So nice to meet those of you I met for the first time, and the rest of you (@GigaSavvy @JoelTanner @MikeUesugi @CandaceCendana @Jimmywendt)…it’s ALWAYS a pleasure! -xo

Thank you again to @Knotts for this wonderful experience, I know our family will definitely be back soon.