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[GoofySon'sMom]

But, on the plus side they have Pepsi!!

You can say that again! The one thing that I don't like about being in Disney! This trip they had Pepsi at the Observatory ... you would have thought someone gave me large sums of cash I was so happy!

 

[kaoden39]

You can say that again! The one thing that I don't like about being in Disney! This trip they had Pepsi at the Observatory ... you would have thought someone gave me large sums of cash I was so happy!

Too funny. I have in the past been known to take my Diet Pepsi into Disneyland in the past.

 

[DizNee Luver]

As they were off doing that, Nick, Michayla & I went to watch Tyler & Derek on the Boomerang. This is a coaster that pulls you up a big hill, releases you to go thru loops, twists & turns & then back up a steep hill. They then release you to do the whole thing again backwards!!:

When we met back up, Mike, Betty, Nick, Anthony, Addy & the twins decided to head back to the motel (it was about 1:30/2pm) They were hot & we just weren't finding a lot to keep most of the group interested. I stayed with Tyler & Derek so I could do a couple rides.

As the big group was heading home....they took a detour to at least see a beach. The drove to Huntington Beach & only paused long enough to take these 4 pics. They went back to the motel & let the kids play in Castaway Cove & also took short naps. The plan was for them to meet us back at Knott's for dinner at 7:30pm.

I didn't take any pictures of the rides Ty, Derek & I did but here's what we conquered. The first ride we went to was the Ghostrider. It is one of the longest & tallest wooden roller coasters in the world. That being said.....it was unfortunate it was the longest!! I have never ridden on a wooden coaster & didn't think it would be too bad. I was dead wrong!! We waited in line about 30 minutes & then go on. We started out & I thought, this isn't too bad. As you know....drops are not my thing....so when we started the climb for the big hill....I put my head down & held on for dear life. Problem was.....I never could get my head back up, open my eyes....or even scream. This was the longest, scariest, shakiest, joint-jarring thing I'd ever done!! I was so scared that I couldn't even scream. (I told the boys when I'm not screaming....that's a bad thing!) I felt like I had been hit by a semi-truck & then dragged for miles over speed bumps. I have fibromyalgia & I can tell you this was the only day I had to take a muscle relaxant. Never, ever again!!

Ok, with that being over (as I laid on the pavement kissing it & thank God for saving me that day) we decided to take a leisurely rafting trip on the Bigfoot Rapids. This is like Grizzly River Run but way shorter & tamer. It kinda felt like we just did an oval shape & then you were done. Tyler & I got soaked & Derek was virtually dry.....not sure how he does that, but always the scenario on these rides!

We stopped to do a bit of shopping & I found a tshirt saying I had rode the Ghostrider coaster. It also had all the stats on length, height, etc. I will wear this proudly....just like I did the tshirt in Hawaii after I mistakenly para-sailed with a huge fear of heights.....what can I say....the guys working the boat were yummy!!

Our next ride was the Calico Mine Train. I remember this ride from my childhood but couldn't believe how lame it was now. The people (animitronics??) were so bad that all we could do was chuckle on this ride. The narration reminded me of the Jungle Cruise....just not as funny!

The last ride on my bucket list for Knott's was the Jaquar. The boys had rode this earlier & said it was kinda like Big Thunder Mtn RR.....so they were confident that I would be ok with this one. Tyler had a massive headache after getting off the Ghostrider & decided to find some shade & rest. So Derek & I rode it. It was kinda like BTMRR & I had no issues with it.

We exited the park after picking up our family photo. When we were leaving....they said you need a stamp so you can get back in & I think it was Derek that said.....we definitely won't be coming back in....ever! lol

Next up.....outside the park gates & dinner at Mrs Knott's!!

 

[DizNee Luver]

But, on the plus side they have Pepsi!!

It sounds like you are having a great weekend, and I am thrilled for you.

I LVE Pepsi!! (but not at $4.00 each)

We went when I was 7 or 8 years old to Knott's and when we rode the stage coach and the robbers "robbed" us my family thought that it would be funny to not tell me that it was going to happen. I was hysterical and pretty much inconsolable. They were "taking" a prisoner and my dad volunteered. It was horrible. Really ruined the whole trip.

Oh man....that is kinda mean! Anthony & Addy's eyes go kinda big when they stormed in & said Hands UP! Mike & Betty were laughing so they knew it was ok.

You can say that again! The one thing that I don't like about being in Disney! This trip they had Pepsi at the Observatory ... you would have thought someone gave me large sums of cash I was so happy!

I wish we had a choice of Coke or Pepsi....I thought they used to have both.

Too funny. I have in the past been known to take my Diet Pepsi into Disneyland in the past.

lol
But you really can't beat the Cherry Cokes at Coke Corner!!
You might find this funny.......I drink Pepsi but I did a report in college on Coca-Cola (the business & how it started) & have collected Coke stuff ever since. Of course I've been thinning it out over the years & am down to 11 boxes that I can't find anyone interested in buying....been trying to sell it for 4 yrs now.

 

[kaoden39]

My BFF works as the west coast quality control for Coca Cola's plastic bottle making division. She was an even bigger Pepsi fanatic than I was when we were growing up. When she went to work for them she had to start drinking Coke products at work. Now all she drinks is Coke products. Somewhere along the line her MIL decided that she needed to collect Coca Cola paraphernalia, she has it all over house. I laugh when I see it all.

 

[DizNee Luver]

After leaving the park, we went & looked around at the stores on the street in front of the park. We picked up a few more items & then found ourselves at the candy shop. They had fudge, fudge, fudge!! All sorts of flavors.....we just couldn't resist! It was a good buy too.....buy 4 pieces (which is basically a pound) & get 2 more pieces (another 1/2 lb) for free. So for 6 huge pieces we paid $13.00. I sure wish I would have taken pictures!! We got mint, peanut butter, butterfinger, vanilla/choc, strawberry shortcake & one other....can't remember what it was. While we waited for the rest of the family to get there....we thought about going into TGIF for a drink...but Ty didn't have his ID so we found a bench & waited.

When everyone arrived, we joined the line waiting on the outside of the restaurant. There is a line almost all the time for this place. I thought the line was pretty short for a Friday night. We got in line at 7:45 & I believe we were ordering by 8:30....so not too bad.

Mike got a boysenberry float....yummo!

Derek & I were a bit fried. I burned the tops of my feet & the top of my head this day. I think this was the hottest day of the entire trip.

The biscuits were soft, warm & oh so good!

The kids start off with jello:

The dinner came with a choice of soup or cherry rhubarb (rhubard diced & cooked in cherry juice....very good!) & a garden salad:

Nick ordered the chicken salad while the rest of us ordered the chicken dinner:

The dinners came with chicken, mashed potatoes & gravy & a choice of cabbage & diced ham or corn.....I believe we all went with the corn. (the kids meal came with 2 drumsticks & the adults came with 4 pieces of chicken)

Betty covered this meal, so not sure exactly of the break down but it ran us $165 for 5 chicken dinners, 1 chicken salad, 2 kid meals & 6 drinks + tax + tip.
This meal was worth waiting in line for. The biscuits just melt in your mouth, the chicken was perfectly seasoned, the sides & starters were all good, the boysenberry punch/float were tasty (and different) & each adult meal came with a piece of pie. There is so much food & 2 adults could easily share one of these meals but hey, you only live once....chow down & enjoy!!
This made up for the rest of the day. It was that good & the service was wonderful. We ended our day on a high note!
We will probably never return to Knott's for the park...but we will definitely be driving there for dinner again!

Knott's Berry Farm, the park. Our experience may not be typical or may be the norm. The crowds for a Friday in the summer was surprising. Our longest wait for a ride was 30 mins. Knott's reminded us of a State Fair. It gets set up on a flat, treeless area with rides, carnies, boardwalk games & barkers, mass produced greasy food that is triple the price & just not super friendly workers. It was hard to find shade & when you did find it....there was usually no seating. Walking by games & having the employees calling to you to pay more money was annoying. We found that Camp Snoopy was set up for very little kids & the thrill rides are for the older set. Not a whole lot in the middle or for families to ride together. You could do the trains & stage coach but that tires quickly. We didn't make it to any of their shows, so I can't comment on them. We also didn't see one character running around greeting kids. I wasn't expecting Disneyland but I sure was expecting a bit more than what we saw. It was an expensive $45/per adult for more than half of them to leave in less than 4 hours. Lesson learned!

Next installment will be our Hollywood....lets drive all over day!

 

[kaoden39]

Oh my gosh that meal is huge. But, oh it sounds good. I told Scotty that we are driving over to eat dinner next trip for sure.

 

[DizNee Luver]

So we are on to Day 8 of our adventure. This was our 2nd non-Disney day....sorta....July 31st.

We started our day by sleeping in a bit & then driving to the Krispy Kreme, just south of Anaheim (in Orange I believe) at 10am.

Yummmmmm Krispy Kreme Doughnuts.....ahhhhh:

Next up: LA traffic & in search of the famous Pink's Hot Dog Stand.

 

[DizNee Luver]

Oh my gosh that meal is huge. But, oh it sounds good. I told Scotty that we are driving over to eat dinner next trip for sure.

It is definitely a huge meal & for $16 of good food...not too shabby of a price! Worth the trip & really, it's not that far away!

 

[DizNee Luver]

So we ate doughnuts as we went down the road.....it amazes me that it doesn't seem to matter the time of day or day of the week.....LA traffic is horrendous! Derek decided to take some pictures along the way:

The blimp was hovering & covering the XGames that were in town.....maybe should have done that instead of Knott's.....lol:

As we made our way to Pink's, we passed by Paramount Pics & I was able to snap this shot as we drove by:

Not sure where the boys saw this?:

The famous Pink's Hot Dog Stand.....not exactly what I was expecting.....tucked between other buildings on a busy street....we find Pinks....an older building, a bit run down looking...something you might pass by if not looking for it. We didn't get anything to eat here, but got a few (ok, a lot) of pictures:

From what I've read.....the line goes around the building at all hours of the day....so if you plan on stopping to eat....figure in the time you'll be waiting in line!

 

[kaoden39]

Looking at that line...I think I can make the same food at home and not wait in line my bad I am sure. And looking at the line I wonder how many are tourists and how many are locals.

 

[DizNee Luver]

So after getting our fill of Pinks, we got back into the van & made our way towards Burbank.....of course snapping a ton of photos on the way:

Warner Bros. Studios:

These buildings houses a few different record labels:

NBC Studios:

Not sure what this was, but included it anyways:

ABC Studios:

Next up...the thing(s) that made this not a totally NON-Disney day!

 

[DizNee Luver]

Looking at that line...I think I can make the same food at home and not wait in line my bad I am sure. And looking at the line I wonder how many are tourists and how many are locals.

Probably about half & half......the locals have kept that little place going for years! It's a favorite of local business people & celebrities still go there. I'm sure there were tourists hoping to catch a glimpse of someone important....but alas.....I stayed on the other side of the street!!! I kid, I kid!!

 

[kaoden39]

Woo hoo!!

 

[kaoden39]

Probably about half & half......the locals have kept that little place going for years! It's a favorite of local business people & celebrities still go there. I'm sure there were tourists hoping to catch a glimpse of someone important....but alas.....I stayed on the other side of the street!!! I kid, I kid!!

They really missed out then!!

 

[Sherry E]

I would say that Pink's has equal parts local following and tourists (and celebrities, although the celebs don't always go there in person, but I will explain that in a second). I am 43, but I remember long lines for Pink's way back when I was 14 and chowing down on their chili burgers! It has grown in popularity over the last few decades, for sure, but it has a diehard local following.

As for famous people at Pink's, a lot of the entertainment companies in this general area - and there are many - send their runners/assistants out to get mass quantities of Pink's Hot Dogs to bring back to the offices, or they order a bunch of Pink's stuff for cast parties and things like that. Every now and then a few celebs show up at Pink's - there is a famous story about Bill Cosby showing up there, for example - but mostly they order things to be sent to them on movie sets far away or they have their assistants do the dirty work and get the food for them.

Another reason why Pink's spiked in popularity - other than word of mouth - over the last decade is because another local favorite hot dog place - Tail o' the Pup - closed down. TOTP had a different kind of chili - it tasted different than Pink's, but was very yummy and had a definite following. TOTP was the place that is famous in photos - you've all seen it. It's the giant hot dog with a window in front. It was an iconic part of L.A. scenery, just like the giant doughnut that belongs to Randy's Donuts.

So when TOTP closed down, sadly, I think a lot of the chili dog lovers migrated over to Pink's, and crowds increased. I guess there just was not enough room in this town for two hot dog giants!!

 

[kaoden39]

I would say that Pink's has equal parts local following and tourists (and celebrities, although the celebs don't always go there in person, but I will explain that in a second). I am 43, but I remember long lines for Pink's way back when I was 14 and chowing down on their chili burgers! It has grown in popularity over the last few decades, for sure, but it has a diehard local following.

As for famous people at Pink's, a lot of the entertainment companies in this general area - and there are many - send their runners/assistants out to get mass quantities of Pink's Hot Dogs to bring back to the offices, or they order a bunch of Pink's stuff for cast parties and things like that. Every now and then a few celebs show up at Pink's - there is a famous story about Bill Cosby showing up there, for example - but mostly they order things to be sent to them on movie sets far away or they have their assistants do the dirty work and get the food for them.

Another reason why Pink's spiked in popularity - other than word of mouth - over the last decade is because another local favorite hot dog place - Tail o' the Pup - closed down. TOTP had a different kind of chili - it tasted different than Pink's, but was very yummy and had a definite following. TOTP was the place that is famous in photos - you've all seen it. It's the giant hot dog with a window in front. It was an iconic part of L.A. scenery, just like the giant doughnut that belongs to Randy's Donuts.

So when TOTP closed down, sadly, I think a lot of the chili dog lovers migrated over to Pink's, and crowds increased. I guess there just was not enough room in this town for two hot dog giants!!

You know that all makes total sense to me.

 

[kelmac284]

Loved the latest installment and I TOTALLY agree about the Knott's as I told you. Ghostrider just about killed me when I rode on it and like you NEVER again!! As I mentioned we just felt like it was NOT that fun. The rides were too big for our kids at that point and like you said NO shade and it just seemed dirty and just NOT fun. We left early so no chicken dinner either. I WOULD like to try it but don't know if we will ever venture that way since we very rarely have a car when we are there.

Loved your other day and all the fun places you saw. We used to have krispy kreme here in town but they got rid of them all. I don't know why cuz I loved their donuts and the kids loved watching them make them. Did that one have a pickle on it? It kind of looked like it LOL.

And I am not a huge hot dog fan so don't know if I would even venture a try or not.

Can't wait to see the next installment!!

 

[Sherry E]

You know that all makes total sense to me.

I actually liked the Tail o' the Pup chili dogs better than Pink's. Their chili was less, what should I call it, in your face than Pink's is. Pink's is good too, but I think it's a bit stronger of a chili than TOTP was. But when TOTP closed down, Pink's got some new business.

There's another chili place on Sunset Blvd. called Carney's (it's a restaurant in a big cable car/street car/train kind of structure) - they also serve yummy burgers and hot dogs, and they are locally popular but they never quite caught on like Tail o' the Pup hot dog or, especially, Pink's.

 

[kaoden39]

Loved the latest installment and I TOTALLY agree about the Knott's as I told you. Ghostrider just about killed me when I rode on it and like you NEVER again!! As I mentioned we just felt like it was NOT that fun. The rides were too big for our kids at that point and like you said NO shade and it just seemed dirty and just NOT fun. We left early so no chicken dinner either. I WOULD like to try it but don't know if we will ever venture that way since we very rarely have a car when we are there.

Loved your other day and all the fun places you saw. We used to have krispy kreme here in town but they got rid of them all. I don't know why cuz I loved their donuts and the kids loved watching them make them. Did that one have a pickle on it? It kind of looked like it LOL.

And I am not a huge hot dog fan so don't know if I would even venture a try or not.

Can't wait to see the next installment!!

Wow that sounds like Six Flags Discovery Park.