Knoebels - two new flats for 2005

This is the same ride as what is at Dorney right? Only facing out? *** Edited 11/24/2004 6:40:35 PM UTC by eightdotthree***

Similar ride but differant manufactures.

LOL @ gator! That was a fun site wasn't it? At least I picked the correct flag so I wasn't getting ride specs in French. I know I'll have those four measures of "Take Five" playing over and over in my head for the next week. And excuse me if I don't get too enthusiastic about ever trying a ride called "Polyp."

Well, I finally got my question about Knoebel's plans for next year solved. Might make another half dozen trips up there next year.

Maybe it's jumping the gun, but any ideas about where the new rides will be located? Seems the general feeling was that Whirlwind's spot plus the adjacent open area would be reserved for another coaster down the line. Out by Power Surge and the Wheel? In the big open area across from Phoenix? Not that it matters, but it's something to jaw about off-season.

I like that type of ride, but I question them building a ride that another park has so close to them, even if it is a different manufacturer.

That's not really an issue. If it were, no parks would ever need to install wave swingers, or bumper cars, or...

Besides, the outwards-facing seats do give it a very different feel than the inside-facing ones.

If they do face outside then that is different enough.

I guess with Knoebels they arent trying to attract the people who decide one park over another for a year, they are just trying to keep their steady base of campers and local families. Thats my take anyway.

Well I've certainly been known to be wrong, CPunk ;)

I'm wondering where it will go as well. My guess is someplace near the Giant Wheel and Power Surge. Maybe even back near Skloosh.

But I'm not sure of it going in near the Giant Wheel because I think Knoebels has to keep the "old road" thru the park open. I know when they replaced the bridge near the enterance to Knoebels off of Rt. 487 you actually had to turn off at the Big Knoebels sign and follow that road thru the park past Power Surge to the right then turn left past the Bumper Boats and Boat Tag.

When I Drove thru there Power Surge was folded up and cover with a huge tarp like a giant car cover.

Too bad there wasn't room over near Twister for a flat other than maybe a Drop tower. They need somthing else over there.

Not to mention where would all the crafters' tents go for the covered bridge fest, coasterpunk? (Heaven forbid).

I know as far as the road goes, the state part ends right at the bridge by the pool. So I assume it's a private road beyond that. There'd have to be some kind of agreement between the state and the park to allow traffic to use that section of the road in case it's needed. The Parkway I think is also a state road up to the sharp curve where the sky ride passes above. Then it becomes a township road. But I don't see them working on that bridge again anytime soon. After all this is PA, coasterpunk.

At one time, that road was THE entrance into the park. Back in the late 60's, the only things on the right side of the road were the train, Merry Mixer and the pool.

I agree with you about the Twister area. It really does need something. Once you get off the ride, people either get back inline, go to the restroom, or they head back across the bridge. There's not much reason to hang out there unless you're waiting for someone on the ride.

I think they'll put Sidewinder somewhere with high visibility and lots of traffic. Or somewhere where they want to create more foot traffic. Guess we'll find out soon enough.

I remember the days at Knoebels when they used to have crossing guards where the Power Surge is now. Way back when the Flyers were 60 cents and passengers were 35 and the Phoenix was $1. Don't forget about the Petting Zoo that was someplace over by the Bumper Boats or Giant Wheel. I've been a regular at Knoebels since the mid 70's so I grew up with the place! :)

I got you beat by a few years there, coasterpunk. Probably around '68 or so for me. I remember when they put the Paratrooper in, and there were all these stories how wild a ride it was and all these people getting sick from it. Their website says that was 1969. If they only knew back then what people would be riding nowadays.

Phoenix was still thousands of miles and years away. And the Sky Slide was next to the Whip. Do you remember those little cages that swung back and forth suspended from these arms? Each cage was a different color. You had to work to move the cage back and forth to get it to go higher and eventually go over the top. Could you imagine telling people today that they would have to exert themselves to propel a ride? Now we're talking about a ride that swings 240 degrees while people just sit there.

But of course, at the age of 8, I thought the coolest thing in the whole park was the garbage sucking vacuum pig.

I remember the cages, they were where the handstamp booths are now. I was too small to ride them but I know they were there. That pig was the best I remember running around picking up trash to feed it and when I couldn't find trash, rocks! :)

Remember when the fishing game was up near the carousel and the shooting gallery was near the Swings and the Rocket Slide was where the Galleon is now?

I still remember the first year I could ride the Jet Star. No one that was with me wanted to ride it! :) Then some guy saw I didn't have anyone to ride with and he was going to take me on it. Even then I wasn't allowed because I had a broken collar bone! Was I mad!!!!

I still miss the old Ferris Wheel that sat where the Swings are now. I used to like rocking the cars! :)

Knoebels has changed alot but it is still the same place to have fun!

Wow, getting a Sidewinder will be a great addition for Knoebels. Being Adventureland is my home park, I have ridden Sidewinder dozens of times, and its always incredible fun. The spinning is a lot wilder then the giant frisbees, and the pendulum swings at a very fast pace. Sitting outward is a greater experience as its just you, the air and trees to view, not everyone else on the ride. Not holding the handlebars creates some fun airtime, and the spinning is very random. It takes up a small footprint, which is great for a small park like Knoebels.

Wonder if Knoebels will put in the banjo music like they play non-stop at Adventureland? It makes your ears bleed after listening to it for more then a half hour. *** Edited 11/25/2004 9:51:43 AM UTC by Dan D McD***

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I still miss the old Ferris Wheel that sat where the Swings are now. I used to like rocking the cars!

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Wow, I remember that thing. I used to love it in its final years (I believe it was around '90-'92, must have been closer to '92 because I was only a newborn in '90). The place is changing, but it is certainly changing for the better!

Mamoosh, I guess you were being sarcastic, but I was referring to the Flying Tigers ride in the first two lines of my post, not Sidewinder. Check the video out, it looks like a lot of fun if they'll let us big kids on without a smaller kid.

Twister looks cool, I love the Revolution/Frisbee rides I've been on at other parks.

I'll bet the one at Knoebels will be better than the ones at the corporate parks, because we'll probably get a nice long ride time.

I think these are great additions, knoebels really loves Zamperla! Im thinking at least one, like the Sidewinder will go in whirlwind's place, it would just look odd with that area completely vacant. I also hope they make them a little more permanent looking, especially if it goes on that side of the park where they had to dig it up from Whirlwind's removal (where the queue started there was some digging up and removing the boulders and such) Now that its gone, it did sort of look pretty cool walking down that path from the Phoenix seeing the Whirlwind's station right there with the sign and maybe the train passing overhead, ah well, hopefully they get that next coaster sooner then later! *** Edited 11/26/2004 12:08:54 AM UTC by P18***

Well, if they are planning to put another coaster in and around Whirlwind's old spot, which seems to be the general consensus, it wouldn't make any sense to put any new ride there next year. Even if the area is vacant now, it wouldn't be for that long. If a new ride is expected there for 2006, site work would have to begin sometime during next summer.

While I'm sure they know exactly where they're going to put the new rides, I wouldn't mind seeing the Sidewinder located in that large open area in front of Phoenix. There's really nothing there between the benches and the band organ. I can see the ride swinging parallel to the Phoenix lift hill. And I don't think the view from on the ride is that bad there either.

There would still be plenty of room for the seating in front of Phoenix, the new ride and queue, and still room to pass around it. But no matter where they place it, I'll still intend to ride it.

Just my $0.02, which continues to decline against the Euro and the yen.

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coasterpunk said:
YAY! for me. I just hope they don't raise the price of bargin night. I may only make it there twice a week instead of 3 times!

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My heart bleeds for you ;)