Phoenix Phall Phunfest

I just noticed that this year's PPP brochure is out.

http://www.knoebels.com/pdfs/Phunfest08.pdf

The price is the same as last year, and they're still billing it as "with a Twist and anything else we can come up with"...

New this year is a marshmallow peep contest.

The peep contest should be pretty sweet. ;)

Oh, I can't WAIT!!! I really shouldn't do it cuz it's so far away and everything, but I just can't wait. I didn't see the length of time for it: when does this start and end? Is it all day and some of the night? Has anyone else done this? How is it?

Far away? You wanna talk far: I'm travelling from Los Angeles to New York City, then driving to Knoebels.

The event begins at 6pm, ends at 10pm.

Most of the rides are open (except water rides, even if it's warm because they don't want leaves in the pumps) from noon til 5 or 6. During this time there is also a ridiculously large craft fair taking place in the parking lot / picnic area / front of the park, which will make for a ridiculously long line of cars trying to get in. (So come early.) There will also be a very limited number of restaurants and food stands operating. Phoenix Junction will be open the whole time, and additional food stands will be found in the craft fair during the day. (If you come really early, you can get breakfast at the International Food Court. Then it closes.) Also during the day people will have tables set up in Phoenix Junction selling all sorts of new and old amusement park collectables.

By 6, the flat rides will have shut down except for certain favorites. (Chief among these are the bumper cars and flyers, of course.) What's left will run til at least 9. The wooden coasters will run til 10. Phoenix will run in the dark, the tunnel will probably be smoked and possibly haunted. Twister will probably run dark and the station may be decorated. If it's like other years, the antique car ride won't open til dark (7ish) and will be extensively decorated and haunted. (It will also have a ridiculous line.) You can see some of the haunted car course from the double-double hill on the Phoenix, which adds a nice touch in the dark.

At 8 will be the costume parade and judging. The winners will be announced after 10, there will be closing remarks from Dick or some senior official, and then everyone heads to the campground for the bonfire and roasting of hotdogs and marshmallows.

You can just show up anytime and ride with tickets if you want (probably even from 6-10, which annoys some people who are used to having private events), or you can buy armbands good from 12-6, 6-10, or both. If you buy the 6-10 option you get certain benefits. Definitely Cesaris pizza and a drink, usually a free ride on the skyride (only time it's worth riding), free ride on the haunted house (ridiculous line again), and free game coupon.

There are a lot of diehard coaster enthusiasts (and bumper car enthusiasts and flyer enthusiasts) who come every year even if not in costume for the sake of being among like-minded people for one last time before winter. Sure, the big parks run weekends up til Halloween, but they're aimed at bringing in the masses, whereas PPP is more like an unofficial coaster club convention. (Although every year more and more of the craft fair attendees figure out that the rides are open too.)

Wow, Moosh...that's hardcore!!! The fact that you would travel all the way out here for this event makes me want to do it even more. I will definitely be clearing my calendar.

PPP is worth the drive from anywhere, its a ton of fun.

Knoebels all by itself is worth driving from anywhere, but the PPP makes it all that more special. I may live in PA now, but I made the trek from Iowa five times.

Don't be afraid of the "ridiculous lines". Some of them are easily avoided depending on your timing. The only one I've ever had a problem with is the antique car ride, but even that is only about 25 minutes. As long as it's dry, the park runs two trains on the woodies and the Phoenix wait is only about 10 minutes and the Twister wait is only about 5 minutes. The flyers are VERY popular at the event. It's by far the best time to see tons of expert pilots doing their things and the weekend is bound to result in a couple of cable-hookings. :)

Then there is Sunday, known as "Hangover Day". It is a blast as well, because the park tends to be very dead, but still full of hardcore Knoebels fans hanging around the coasters, bumper cars and flyers all day. I usually spend most of the day at the flyers myself.

Every PPP I've been to the line for Phoenix has often extended across the courtyard and sometimes down the pathway toward the Looper...and yet its never more than a 15-20 min wait. The line is constantly moving thanks to their under-30-second dispatches.

---

bunky666 said:
Wow, Moosh...that's hardcore!!! The fact that you would travel all the way out here for this event makes me want to do it even more. I will definitely be clearing my calendar.

---

What Moosh is doing should tell you something about this incredible event!

Don't forget the pizza! :)

-Tambo

Acoustic Viscosity said:

"The flyers are VERY popular at the event. It's by far the best time to see tons of expert pilots doing their things and the weekend is bound to result in a couple of cable-hookings. "

Please forgive me ignorance, but what is a cable-hooking and how does it work and is it dangerous?

What happens at The Phlyers stays at The Phlyers.

wink, wink

http://www.flyeraddicts.com/details.php?image_id=798

But is it dangerous? Can you flip it in a way that you would fall out?

No but its scary. Coasterqueen hooked it a couple years ago. I got vids and pics of it but thats for knowing eyes to see.

Id go but I have a better time on normal operating days and the cycle times are much longer on the flyers than the 30 second cycles we got two years ago.

Chuck, who thinks the event rocks but theres some things just not as good and a 600 mile drive is quite expensive for a one dayer.

I used to enjoy the Flyers at Phunfest until "the snappers" started taking things way too seriously. I might ride once but I'd rather be playing Fascination or riding Phoenix.

The lines are always way too long on the Flyers at PPP. I agree with Moosh and would rather ride the Phoenix.

-Tambo (counting the days)

PPP is the bomb! It's one of those events (like Holiwood Nights) that I haven't missed for several years and will continue to go every year for the rest of my life. :)

Actually I just booked my motel room. :) The fall weather, Phoenix, the skylift, the friends, the food.....it's heaven! The lines can get long but it really doesn't matter. Everyone is having fun regardless!

Oh, and the flyers. That's the MAIN reason why I go. There is nothing more orgasmic than snapping those babies during the (sometimes) cool fall weather at night! :) They can get insane! There have been a few times where I was literally scared for my life (PPP 2005 I think....where it was raining and the winds were on CRACK!)

It's just an all-around great event and a chance to catch up with peeps that you only see a few times a year. :) I can't wait!

-Tina

<---who is going to Kennywood before and Dorney afterwards!

*** Edited 8/13/2008 1:12:14 PM UTC by coasterqueenTRN***

No, it's not dangerous and the cable-hooking is not intentional. It just happens. in fact, I'd say the harder you snap the cables, the LESS likely you are to get one to catch on the bolts and, thus, "hook". It's neat to see, and I have done it myself (opening day this year), but it's not intentional and actually ruins your ride since you can't do anything but sit there and wait for the ride cycle to end. *** Edited 8/14/2008 12:09:46 AM UTC by Acoustic Viscosity***

If Knoebels would take the step to weld a little plate above the bolt they hang on, It would never happen. I actual wondered why it didn't and I seen a metal guide to make the cable slide over the bolt over every bolt on KI's before it was moved.

Chuck