Knott's and Universal offer different interpretations of children's lands

Amid Roberts, 1, is all smiles as he competes in the Camp Snoopy Off-Road Rally at Knott’s Berry Farm at Camp Snoopy in Buena Park, Calif., on Thursday, June 27, 2024. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Knott’s Berry Farm started an industry trend when it opened its Camp Snoopy in 1983. Now, 41 years and several iterations later, is Camp Snoopy still the model for a children’s theme park?

Knott’s reopened its Camp Snoopy last week, after months of renovations and the installation of new, refreshed attractions. I visited the renovated land just weeks after seeing the reimagined DreamWorks Land at Universal Studios Florida in Orlando. The two lands offer very different visions of what a 21st-century kids’ theme park can be.

It’s hard to judge Camp Snoopy based on what I saw the day it reopened. Two of its four new or reimagined attractions remain closed, as do the cave and waterfall playground. Beagle Scout Acres remains a sun-drenched patch of artificial turf, which won’t be finished with the promised shade and amenities until midsummer.

But the essence of Camp Snoopy remains. It’s a collection of children’s rides, mostly from Italian manufacturer Zamperla, brought together in one country that pays homage to the late Charles M. Schulz’s Peanuts franchise.

Across the country, Universal has taken a different path for its DreamWorks Land. When Universal decided to change its children’s theme park, it started by ditching its theme. Woody Woodpecker and Curious George are now gone, replaced by Shrek, Trolls, and Kung Fu Panda from its DreamWorks Animation lineup.

DreamWorks Land also features a unique attraction: the Vekoma Junior Coaster, formerly known as Woody Woodpecker’s Nuthouse Coaster and now brilliantly renamed Trolls’ Trollercoaster. The rest of the land is devoted to shows, character meet-and-greets, and active play areas.

There’s a two-story play structure called Shrek’s Swamp for Little Ogres that includes a tube slide that makes Shrek’s signature farting sounds as you slide down it. King Harold’s Swamp Symphony lets visitors lead a frog choir as they stomp on lily pads. There’s also a Trolls-themed soft play area for toddlers.

While Knott’s has removed the live shows from Camp Snoopy, Universal has added shows to DreamWorks Land. The indoor theater that once hosted a Barney the Dinosaur show now features DreamWorks Imagination Celebration, a 20-minute show with live characters and multimedia elements. Po Live! is a “Turtle Talk”-style on-screen interaction with Kung Fu Panda himself.

Rather than forcing kids to spend time in lines for rides that are their size, DreamWorks Land gives them the opportunity to run and play, or relax and watch shows. This gives the park a different feel than the rest of the park. Camp Snoopy, on the other hand, is just a scaled-down version of the larger Knott’s Berry Farm, with lines and rides.

This model still works. Having access to attractions designed just for you is great. But other kids might prefer to run around and explore themed play areas, like in DreamWorks Land. There is no single right approach to this. Today, thanks to Knott’s creative leadership four decades ago, there are as many different models of kids’ lands as designers can imagine.