Knoebel's is a great park! (8/19/06)

How can a park be called a "permanent carnival" when it has two wooden coasters and a 4-across carousel. Many parks are loaded with carnival rides (Conneaut Lake for example) but they still have the features that make them a park.

By the way, have you been to a top-notch carnival midway lately? Some of them have really awesome flats and even have rides such as log flumes.

Every now and then somebody comes out with "its nothing but a carnival" as some sort of derogatory comment. But I've been to carnivals that have a collection rides far better than most major parks (not counting coasters). Not to mention most carnivals are far more attractive at night with the amazing light displays on the rides.

As for Knoebels, I've never seen a carnival that had that many trees. And I've never been to a giant theme park that had such a great collection of quality rides. You don't have to fight the heat, crowds, or Mr. Six sticking his hand in your wallet every step of the way.

Very few parks would operate Phoenix the way Knoebels does. And they don't get credit for it because it was relocated? I give them more credit for that!

Lakemont and Beech Bend look a lot more like a carnival than Knoebels, but I'll still take them over Paramount's Six Cedar Flags of Anticipointment.

Those "carnival" rides are exactly what some of the big parks are sorely lacking. Sure, its great to have a lot of big coasters but thrills also come in swinging and spinning rides. Also many of the family rides such as Tilt-A-Whirls, Paratroopers, and Scramblers are rides of this type.

Its time to bring more of these rides back to the parks that don't have enough of them. GL, are you listening?

I appreciate what happened at SFOT when they decided to add more rides of this type alongside their good collection of coasters and other rides. No wonder the Texas park is one of the "no touch" Six Flags parks. The Flags will fly over Texas for a long time to come, no matter what happens to the rest of the chain.

Knoebels is awesome in its uniqueness. It's a living tribute to the history of amusement parks - a living museum that is very alive, well and growing. They don't try to be anything they aren't and don't need to. Those of use here who love and respect Knoebels appreciate the fact they are attempting to bring back a ride from the 20s & 30s and love that they rebuilt a Looper and just open it up when ever it was ready becuase they wanted to. They respect the history, respect their customers and love what they do - in the past and in the present.

Is it a perfect park, no, but are any parks perfect? Do I think every move they have made has been great, no, some of the newer Zamperla ride don't fit the park; but all in all I think DK has done a masterful job positioning and growing the part under his watch. Not giving Knoebels credit for Phoenix is rediculus - it would have long been used to start a fire if it wasn't for them, it also was the first step in really putting Knoebels on the radar map - vs just a regional park.

I go to the big park - Hershey, GA & Dorney this year - they have the huge rides and the have the huge crowds and lines and prices and in the end, I personally prefer for my enjoyment going to Knoebels. Could they charge more, yes, but could its core customer base afford more? First and foremost it is a local amusment park, before it is a national park. Sure thier visability has grown over the last twenty year and this year they have for the first time started advertisin on TV, but in the end it is a park that is part of a community and loved in its home town just as must as it is loved by coaster enthusist around the world.

There is one negative comment they I saw here and have seen before regarding Knoebels that I would agree with: I wish they would make the rides look a little more perminent. They are a lumber company, look at what you did with Looper and do something similar with the other ride that you know are not going anywhere. Take down thas old metal fence around the Flyer and build a nice wood one - now that would look sharp.

Also take advantage of what is currently going on in the industry and continue adding to your collection of classic flats and maybe just maybe in the next 2-3 year, if you choose not to do a woodie down the side of the skyride mountain, pick up a nice steel coaster in a SixFlags firesale, also I'm pretty sure SF or CP would just about give you a FreeFall and at 25 years old, it is a classic and on the endangers species list. Also while am ranting - did I see someone mention there is a update European version of the Flying Cages with better safety controls? How much fun would that be to see back in the park, since the reason it was pulled out in the first place was insurance. *** Edited 8/23/2006 3:39:45 PM UTC by njmax***

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millrace said:Very few parks would operate Phoenix the way Knoebels does. And they don't get credit for it because it was relocated? I give them more credit for that!

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Guess I should stop trying to get people to pick up rides from Erieview and MBP, huh? I mean, they're USED now... ;)

Seriously, preservation may not mean much to many, but to some people it's a public service geared to keeping not only the memories alive, but the rides as well. Rides being relocated and or refurbished, and operating to thrill people in a different area, or in a different time, that gets me right in my nostalgia bone...CI Cyclone & Leap-the-Dips 4Evah! :)

*** Edited 8/23/2006 4:00:52 PM UTC by rollergator***

Great idea, a woodie on the hillside something like Boulder Dash. How about a Virginia Reel as well? That would be another great in-house project once the Flying Turns is done.

As for the possibility of old coasters, towers, etc. going on the block, thats worth looking at too. DelGrossos got a good future addition to their park and as a result will have the only looping coaster in western PA.

And looking beyond nostalgia, Knoebels could have invested a ton of money in a brand new ride and gotten a stinker. They have enough institutional knowledge of the industry to recognize a good design, and they had the skill and passion to pull it off. Not many parks can claim something like that.

We all know about some "stinkers". Nearby DPs Hercules was one that is not so fondly remembered.

Twister, of course, was based on the outstanding Mr. Twister at the old Elitchs Gardens and is regarded as being much better than Twister II at SFEG. Flying Turns is based upon that classic ride at Euclid Beach. In other words, Knoebels is using proven designs from the past.

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Arthur Bahl said:Great idea, a woodie on the hillside something like Boulder Dash. How about a Virginia Reel as well? That would be another great in-house project once the Flying Turns is done.

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Don't be too greedy there, Arthur, LOL. Once Starliner (CG) and Meteor (L-A-M-A) are up and running, then you can get Fetterman and Adams back in Elysburg to work on future projects. ;)

My Favorate Trads

1. Blackpool Pleasure Beach

2. Kennywood

3. Indiana Beach

4. Knoebals

5. Lake Compounce

:) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)

Maybe the Virginia Reel would be the one that should be considered. After all, this is an old classic that was found in several places including Coney Island. A Virginia Reel combined elements of a spinning coaster and a side-friction coaster and in some ways is similar to an Intamin white water raft ride sans the H2O.

One-way bumper cars are not for me. It's not driver's education for the blind if they only allow you to go one way. The fun of bumper cars is driving around and getting into wrecks head-on. The bumper cars at Sandy Lake Park in Carolton are the best in my book. I think they are Luss too, and man do they hit and move. The free-for-all bumper cars are the best. If they only allow you to go one way on the Knoebels bumper cars, I will not be joining you om them next year. I'll stick to the Flyers if I ever figure out how to snap them. We need more Rock-o-Planes in the world.

Idora Park used to allow their bumper cars to be driven in all directions. They called the ride Helter Skelter after they relaxed the rules.

Anyone else going there labor day weekend?

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Richie Reflux said:
While you had some weather issues, you can't really fault the park for that.

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Sorry if it sounded like I was trying to blame it on the park or say that it effected how I felt about the park, becuase that is not what I ment to say, I was just saying that the weather was one of the bad things about the expirience. I know that there is nothing Knoebel's could do about it, but it was awesome that they ran both trains on both woodies even in the rain *** Edited 8/25/2006 12:18:49 AM UTC by CarolinaCaniac***

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Can't believe it took that long for the flyers to get mentioned in this thread!

Despite the one-way restriction, you can still drive rather recklessly. ;) The one-way restriction makes for a different kind of attack strategy too. Those things are wicked!

P18, it's always a possibility.

CarolinaC ---> No need to apologize.

Am I one of the only people who prefers the One Way bumper cars? You can still hit, but at the same time things keep moving... you don't get all the cars bunched up in a corner in something that resembles a rugby scrum more than a amusement park ride.

My personal favorite tactic... just circle around the outside looking for someone who is "afraid" to get hit... and then its "Ram speed!" and BAM!

I prefer one-way bumper cars too. The free-for-alls tend to end up in a big tangle where nobody moves. Or maybe that's just a fading memory from the severely overcrowded arena at Cedar Point.

My favorite system is the set-up at Camden Park. They have the one-way rule but the center island is a series of tires spaced just far enough apart to drive a car through the middle. This allows you to take a short cut and cut people off, etc. instead of endlessly chasing somebody in a circle.