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"I'll just eat my way through this park..."
Heading South from Rochester, my map shows that the closest park is Knoebel's...and it is a long drive. A far cry from these short hops around the Great Lakes.
I think it is interesting that I have driven my car to Knoebel's twice on vacation now, and twice I have had to stop for repairs. Last time it was a tie-rod end; this time I had to have a tire plugged before leaving Rochester. Something about gravel parking lots at amusement parks is rough on tires.
When I arrived at Knoebel's, I parked not on gravel, but on grass in a huge parking lot. There have been some big changes on PA-487 since my last visit, with the building of Knoebels Parkway and the closure of the access road through the middle of the park. This makes for really quick efficient access and egress to the parking lot.
I hadn't eaten much all week so when I arrived at Knoebel's, I bought my POP wristband, then made a beeline for Caesari's Pizza. There I managed to get two big slices of pizza and a large drink for around $6. It is worth noting that large drinks at Knoebel's are $1.50 and smaller ones are $1.00. Because Knoebel's is an ungated park, food is reasonably priced. For good reason, of course...if Knoebel's food were as expensive as typical amusement park food, there would be no buyers. The park is ungated, and picnic baskets are welcome. But this has a curious effect. I probably spent more on Knoebel's edibles than I spent several days later at Cedar Point. It makes me wonder about parks which increase prices in an attempt to increase per-cap spending, when my personal experience is that lower prices usually cause me to spend more. Hmmm...
I began riding with a trip on the Whirlwind. It is as unremarkable as ever. The really close clearance on the last turn gets my attention, though, in a way that the loops cannot. So I guess the Whirlwind isn't without any redeeming qualities. But I was ready for a wild ride. I headed for the Flyers.
Knoebel's Flying Scooters are unlike any others anywhere. I don't know if it is because of the propane engine, or because they rotate backwards, or if they are faster than the others out there. But these things provide a wild ride, almoost a frightening ride. Cable snapping? Anyone can get the cables to snap on this ride. Tree trimming? I wimped out before I caught any branches. Instead of merely strong oscillations, the tubs on this ride actually bounce. Wheee!
I had to head over to the Phoenix. It was really my first good major wood coaster outside of Cedar Point, and it has proven to be a dependable performer. I've gotten better rides on it in the past, but it certainly wasn't bad. But it was behaving a little strangely, for instance, the strongest airtime moments were at the top of the double-up (but not on the double-down!) and on the third of the four final speed bumps. The changes to the station are interesting as they make for some overcrowding at the corners where the chutes for seats #3 and #4, and for seats #9 and #10 converge. But Knoebel's has made it easy to find and wait for your favorite seat. They also deserve credit for a very efficient operation, getting the trains out on-time every time when both trains were running. Is it a coincidence that there are no platform gates? The weather was spotty, with intermittent rain throughout the day, so I didn't carry the computer and did not take measurements of the Phoenix.
Speaking of measurements, it is now official. The High Speed Thrill Coaster is NOT a kiddie coaster. All riders on the High Speed Thrill Coaster must be at least 42" tall (same requirement as the Phoenix), and riders under 48" must be accompanied by a responsible adult. Only the Skooters (bumper cars) have a higher unaccompanied height requirement.
The Skooters, incidentally, are still the only sheet-metal-bodied Lusse cars I have ridden. The rule, as stated by the operator as the ride starts, is "One way only, no head-on collisions." But the cars move at a decent clip, and in spite of the one-way rule, there is a lot of bumping going on because of the large number of cars on the floor. Tim O'Brien of Amusement Business has called these the best bumper cars in the country, and he may well be correct.
A visit to Knoebel's is not complete without a ride or two on the carousel. Remember, Knoebel's carousel is complete with a ring machine, which even dispenses the occasional brass ring. I don't think I have ever ridden a jumping horse on this carousel; it is the only carousel I have ever seen where the outside-row horses go first.
Knoebel's is home to a nice variety of flat rides, including a few (such as the Zamperla Mixer and the Eyerly Roll-O-Plane) that I do not have to ride. 8-) It is also worth noting that they have a Garbrick Merry Mixer instead of a Scrambler; for a Garbrick story, have a look at the Supplement. I stayed at Knoebel's longer than I really should have, and finally ended up in a less-than-outstanding motel near Hershey. My notes on Knoebel's are sketchy at best due to the bad weather, so no ride list here. It was a great way to break up the drive to Hershey. Knoebel's is a no-pressure park deep within a hardwood forest. It's hard to not have a relaxed good time. A few more Phoenix rides, then it's time to move on.
--Dave Althoff, Jr.
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