Knoebel's Coaster Question

"I also rode with a little girl on Magnum at Cedar Point ... I put my arm around her shoulder and held her down.... She was about white when the ride was over, and she ran over to her mom and cried and told her how scared she was, and how she never wanted to do it again."

In the end, it was much ado about nothing because Phoenix was closed! We did have an amazing day riding some amazing rides and eating some awesome food. Seriously, get the Tiger Tail at the eatery in front of the Phoenix!

Boys liked everything they rode, including Black Diamond, Flyers, Satellite, the Whip, tea cups, and the Sky Slide, among many others. They were both excited for Phoenix but got over it a lot quicker than I did (Haha).

Overall, it was an awesome trip and now that we've done it, we are planning a Hershey and Knoebel's weekend in October!

Thanks everyone for the excellent advice and tips for a first timer!

*And T-R; TWSS*

Haunted Mansion? Hello? Please say yes.

Disaster Dragon said:

... we are planning a Hershey and Knoebel's weekend in October!

An excellent itinerary! Those are two great parks.

RCMAC: next time...

Noggin: Hershey is one of our absolute favorites, and not a horrible drive for us, so we never considered staying around and hitting up a second park. Now that the boys are old enough to really do things, it's a no-brainier!

I feel sadness that you guys missed Haunted Mansion. It's pretty amazing. It could be difficult to get some kids to ride it though, so it's completely understandable.

With our day going so well, something called the Haunted Mansion was not a risk I wanted to take. How are the "spooks" compared to Black Diamond?

The ride was house-made in 1973 after a flood wiped out that part of the park. It's a traditional laff-in-the-dark type of ride (the kind with little Pretzel cars that bang through doors separating the rooms and hallways) so it's old fashioned in that sense. It's full of kooky scenery and some old Bill Tracy stunts. There are a couple/three really great startles that could make anybody jump, but over all I'd call it spooky fun. It certainly stays on the low tech side of things, and while there are frequent changes and updates, it is not gruesome or terrifying like haunts we see today.
It's been consistently rated by the Dark Ride and Funhouse Enthusiasts (DAFE) as one of the best dark rides anywhere and I'd agree. It's an old ride that is lovingly maintained and it endures.

It's all over YouTube, so you could try it there, but I'd suggest you avoid spoilers please and just do it "next time".

I'm glad you guys had a great day there. Trust me, I'd be at Knoebels a lot more often if it wasn't a nine hour drive from my house. It's my kind of place.

Disaster Dragon said:

Overall, it was an awesome trip and now that we've done it, we are planning a Hershey and Knoebel's weekend in October!

Just want to mention to check Hershey's calendar closely when planning - the park is subject to frequent buyouts near the end of the season...

Kids can be scared of any ride that has a ghost theme. Compared to Black Diamond, Haunted Mansion is a bit more thrilling. Things jump out at you. It's a lot darker. BUT, it's hokier than a lot of scary haunted rides. Jump scares and cheese. It's so much fun.

You know your kids. They might not be scared of it at all, or they may be terrified. A good friend's nine year old boy (at the time) got so scared of the haunted shooter at Kennywood a few years ago that he bailed after the preshow. On the other hand, I took my nephew into Camden Parks Haunted House when he was four, and even though he thought it was scary, he wanted to ride it over and over.