Knott’s Chief: Water Parks Expected to Draw 300,000

How many people will get soaked at the new water parks that Knott’s Berry Farm has opened in Buena Park and Chula Vista? A good estimate for starters is 300,000 a year at each park, according to Richard L. Kinzel, who should know.

Kinzel is chief executive of the company that bought Knott’s 3 1/2 years ago, Cedar Fair LP, which already operates separate-admission water parks at its Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio, and its Worlds of Fun park in Kansas City, Mo.

“(Attendance) might be closer to 350,000 some years and 250,000 others, but we’ve found it works out to about 300,000 over time,” Kinzel said. “So that’s what we’re predicting for the new ones.”

Kinzel spoke last week as the Soak City USA park opened at Knott’s, where Cedar Fair also has installed several large rides over the past few years and has fixed up the old Buena Park Hotel and renamed it the Raddison Resort Knott’s Berry Farm.

Knott’s hopes the hotel, always popular as a site for local weddings and social events, also will become a favorite for local diners. As a promotion through Sept. 4, anyone ordering a dinner entree at the new hotel restaurant, Cucina! Cucina!, will be treated to a free same-night performance of ElectroBlast, a Knott’s laser, fireworks and fountain show.

E. Scott Reckard covers tourism for The Times. He can be reached at (714) 966-7407 and at scott.reckard@latimes.com.