Tips for Knoebels/Hershey Park

Hey, I am planning on visiting Knoebels and Hershey Park this coming week. I was wondering if anyone had any good tips to share, like what rides to do first before lines build up, must do attractions/ what to skip... things like that. Thanks.

For Knoebels it would be Phoenix, Phoenix, Phoenix...and then some more Phoenix. Ride Twister once...then go back to the Phoenix. Oh, and really dont skip the High Speed Thrill Coaster. Yeah its only ten feet tall, but that one hill gives some killer airtime!

Did I mention to ride the Phoenix?

Don't pass on Knoebel's Haunted House even tho it costs extra. And that kiddie boat ride next to High Speed Thrill Coaster is a hoot, too. We usually ride that as soon as the park opens because it gets a LONG, SLOW line later.

Don't pass the best bumper cars in the US, or the Whip either.

If the Chicken Fries stand is open, try 'em! They're delicious. Same with the corn nuggets, too. Actually all the food at Knoebels is great.

If they offer a ride-all-day pass buy it...you'll want to marathon on Phoenix at the end of the day.

Otherwise the only other tips I have to enjoy Knoebels is lather, rinse, repeat ;-)

Hershey: Ride everything, espicially the best modern mouse in the country. Take time to just chill out. It's a nice place for just plain R&R. The shows are also pretty decent.

Knobels: Everything mentioned before plus the carousel. Maybe the only chance left to grab a brass ring. Do not skip the ride throught fun house. The best old fashioned fun house around.

On June 15th, the Phoenix is celebrating it's 20th anniversary. The allday hand stamp includes admission to the Phoenix, but it will be really crowded, as it usually is on their celebrations. If you want to celebrate, go on the 15th, if you want many rides, go anyother day, but don't skip it!!! Also, keep an eye on the Twister. I am no expert (yet!!) but the turn before the first major drop makes the ride sway outward, I swear, 10 feet... As for Hershey, most people start in the front of the park so make your way to the back, to Midway America and do the Lightning Racer a few times. The Wild mouse line is always insane. As for the chocolate factory, if it is crowded in the morning, go later in the early evening. There usually isn't a line and you can walk through the shopping area afterward where they sell the best chocolate chip cookies ever. If you like barbeque, near the Trail BLazer is some really good barbequed food and the price is decent for what they offer. Plus you are right below the Storm Runner.

For Hershey, you are going to want to enter the park and head straight for Storm Runner. After Storm Runner, hit up Sidewinder, then head down into the valley and ride Trailblazer. Next head up to ride Great Bear, followed by Superdooperlooper (which rarely has a line). Skip the Comet for now, it will have a long line early in the day, and instead head for Midway America to ride Wild Cat, the Wild Mouse, and Lightining Racers. If you want to get soaked, ride the Roller Soaker. Get the Comet midday. That should get all of the coasters for you without a problem. Flats you can do at your leasure, though the Claw can sometimes get a good line going.

The nice thing about Knoebels, it gets busy, but never seems to be very crowded (maybe I just get lucky). Basically, there is no real stratagy to doing the park, as you really will rarely wait more then 10 minutes for anything. Just be sure not to miss anything, and rides are scattered all over the place with no real layout. Must rides are of coarse the Phoenix, Twister, High Speed Thrill Coaster, Skooters, Flyers, Grand Carousel, and Fandango (which, personally, is a close second to a KMG Afterburner, and blows the Claw at HP away).

Have fun.

Thanks for the advice, I really appreciate it.

Even though I dislike Knoeblels, Twister is one of my favorites. Phoenix is great also. The food, and the best old fashoned dark ride in the world saves this park from me totally writing it off, imho.

Every time I have gone, it was very busy and I had to wait 30 minuts for the coasters. I guess that I was unlucky.

No one has mentioned the skyride yet. It is very exciting and unique, as it climbs up and down a mountian and you really get a great view of the park.

Now Hersheypark...WOW! It's a really large park. Every time I go, halfway through the day I realize that I have yet to do a lot the park has to offer. HP really can keep you busy, but do not skip out on Chocolate World outside the front gate, or the FREE tour ride within. If the tour is crowded in the morning, I agree that it is a nice thing to do halfway through the day to let it break up the park visit.

Have fun and after your HP visit, try to remember what it was like to not know that Hershey makes the best candy and you should buy it all of the time.

At Knoebels, the musts are Phoenix, Twister, Fandango, Haunted House, Carousel, and some other smaller rides. On the Carousel, my brother and I always take some of the rings as a little souvenir. ;)

Well apparently coastergurl doesn't or cannot read the sign that says "Do not remove rings from the building." tsk-tsk-tsk. Wonder if there's a reward for their return. ;)

The Twister at Knobels is a great coaster, so is the Phoenix, completely different rides. The Haunted House is a must, the Scooters are a blast, the Carousel is a classic. The funnel cake there is to die for. I hear they have a great log ride too. Parking and park admission is free.

I was at Hershey over Memorial weekend and it was great. Lighning Racer you can ride all day with little or no wait. Wild Cat is a shorter, more intense ride, but wonderful. Great Bear is short and still one of the best inverts of all time. The mine train by Storm Runner is also a great coaster.

The biggest surprise was Storm Runner. Again short, but the first Intamin rocket coaster to give you a full preview of rides to come. Just fantastic, way ahead of its time. Storm Runner is quick to shut down when threatened by storms. Given its name you would think they would at least try to run it in some rain. You may want to check to see how Storm Runner is running before you go. Rocket coasters seem a little tempermental these days.

You may want to wear your bathing suit at Hershey. Raging Rapids, Roller Soaker and the giant flume are all packed together like a little water park. All are designed to get you soaked to the bone. Early in the day you can ride them all with no lines to speak of. Later in the day is a different story. *** Edited 6/13/2005 7:05:45 AM UTC by rc-madness***

Knoebels: other than what everyone else already said.

--If it's really a hot day, take the train ride. The trip through the woods will cool you off just a little bit, if you're lucky you might even see some deer.

--If you want to get really wet, ride Skloosh, somewhat wet, ride the Flume. The flume also has one of the best observation areas of any ride I've ever seen.

--Do the Merry Mixer (scrambler)-- the ride cycle is usually at least half again if not twice as long as you get at other parks.

--Do the Skyride in the evening when the park's lights start coming on. It's a fantastic view on the way back down the hill. The Ferris Wheel is another great evening ride.

--I think everyone should be made to ride the Giant Rocket slide at least once too if only for the entertainment value for the people waiting at the bottom.

--Cosmotron is an enclosed Music Express ride that goes forward and backward and has some lighting/ strobe/ laser effects going on. More fun than the usual ME ride.

--Great old-fashioned Whip too.

Foodwise, depending which day/evening you're there, the Oasis (cafeteria) and the Phoenix food court have some great specials. Plus you can't go wrong with the pizza. Old Mill and the soft ice cream stand across from the Carousel are both great.

Hershey-- The other posters have given you good advice for hitting the major rides. I have found sometimes that by late afternoon/early evening that Midway America isn't very crowded, meaning lots of rides on Lightning Racer and sometimes even Wildcat.

--Great Bear at night is a great ride. SR is spectacular at night.

--Coalcracker Flume is a good flume ride too with bigger boats and a tall lift/drop for a flume ride. That will have long lines during the afternoon. Tidal Force is one of the tallest splashdown rides around.

Other fun non-coaster or thrill rides--

--Skyview is a fun relaxing ride too. Depending on the timing, Great bear might zip right in front of you. Kissing Tower is a space needle type ride with good scenic views of the park and town of Hershey.

--The monorail can be enjoyable too, although I only usually ride it during Halloween/Christmas events when the park is decorated. It does take you over the Zoo and past the actual chocolate factory.

Food isn't as good as Knoebels IMO, so it might be a bit of a letdown if you visit Knoebels first. But I agree with Blondee about the Pit BBQ. And it's in a low traffic area so it usually isn't as crowded as other places.

I bet so many other people take rings, not just us. ;)

So that makes it ok?

Yeah, next time I go to Knoebels and ride the carousel, they'll be dispensing those rings they put on the lids of plastic milk jugs because coastergurl and her brother will have stolen all the other rings.

I have been to Knoebels over 400 times, thanks to location, and I have never even thought of stealing a ring. That is like using a public rest room and ripping off the stacks of spare toilet paper.... Do you do that too?

Right, like that compares. Get a life, people.

allrighty there thiefgurl. Let's see how you like it when something special is stolen from you. Maybe then you will return the rings.

At Knoebel's make sure to give a couple of tries to the flyers. They look like a kids' ride, but when piloted correctly, they are anything but...

Yea, they are a lot of fun.