California amusement park expands weekend chaperone policy, may add weekdays

Knott’s Berry Farm has tacked on an additional day to its new weekend chaperone policy that went into effect after multiple fights broke out involving teenagers and may extend age restrictions even further to help restore order and confidence at the Buena Park theme park.

Under the updated policy, all visitors 17 years old or younger must be accompanied by a chaperone at least 21 years old on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays to enter the Knott’s Berry Farm theme park or Knott’s Soak City water park.

An initial announcement from Knott’s required chaperones on Fridays and Saturdays. The latest update adds Sundays to the list of chaperone days. Knott’s may require chaperones on additional days of the week as necessary, according to the park’s official Twitter account.

Knott’s instituted the new chaperone policy last week for visitors under 18 years old after a series of fights involving rowdy teens caused panic and chaos that forced the early closure of the park to ensure guest safety.

Knott’s saw dramatically lower attendance and noticeably shorter wait times during the first weekend with the chaperone policy in effect, according to Theme Park Insider.