Yoshi Posted August 27, 2017 Report Share Posted August 27, 2017 On Thursday I took my 3rd overall trip to Knoebels. I was there in June 2016 and July 2008 before that. This was my first time visiting the park on a weekday and got there later than expected at around 3:40. I would have gone for the 4:00 - 9:00 wristband and handstamp for $28 but had already bought vouchers at Weis last week where you pay $16 and get a voucher to redeem at the park for a $20 ticket book. The Flyers were first. Unlike Dorney where the ride operators check each seatbelt and make it tighter (and they can't be unlocked on their own) or Hershey where they just look to make sure everyone has a seatbelt on, the ride operator here doesn't even look to make sure the seatbelt is on and the seatbelt doesn't even go across your lap, just over the front of the seat. After getting much more practice on Flying Scooters since last year I was able to snap these easily. It was so much fun to be able to snap and know you are allowed to and there were some other riders on the cycle going even crazier causing the cables to bounce around like I have never seen before. The cycle was great too, at least twice as long as Dorney's. Phoenix sadly has gotten air gates since my visit last year. Dispatches were still really fast with no seatbelts and just a buzz bar to check and with 1 train running the wait was just over 10 minutes. The coaster is a lot of fun with some great air time but I still think it's overhyped and not in my top 10. While waiting in the station, one of the ride operators crossed the tracks while the train was on the circuit by just walking on the tracks not even telling the ride operator at the controls. That would probably get someone fired at a Cedar Fair park but at Knoebels, it is just standard procedure (this is not a complaint). The Log Flume had about a 5 minute wait and has a good layout for not taking up a lot of space including 2 drops. You get cooled off and not soaked which was nice considering it was around 75 degrees out. Black Diamond had no one in line. It barely counts as a coaster with 2 small drops and is more of a dark ride. There is a lot to see and still fun. The Flying Turns had the longest wait of the day at around 20 minutes. The ride is so different from any other coaster I have ridden and I'm glad the park was able to get it open after all those years of working on the ride. I did ride the coaster last year but it still felt like a new coaster to me. The only complaint is that the coaster is short and on a crowded day, I'm sure the line movies painfully slow. It was also nice the only restraint was a seatbelt. Haunted Mansion had almost no one in line. This and the Skyride are the only rides not on a handstamp and wristband. For small park, it is really well done with a lot of theming and props throughout the ride. Twister had a 2 train wait and still doesn't have airgates. Like Phoneix there are no seatbelts but individual lap bars. 1 train was running. This is probably my favorite coaster in the park. I think the layout is great and unlike last year where was some jackhammering in the double helix, the ride only had a few rough spots. I like how even though it is a twister layout, there are still some big drops. Whipper didn't have a line and although it's a little more tame than Dorney's Whip, I think this ride is better overall. There are not seatbelts, just a lap bar and no Cedar Fair ride operators walking around each car to tighten the seatbelt and wrap it around the lap bar where it takes around 7 minutes to start the ride. Like at the Flyers, the ride operator started the ride just looking around to make sure each lap bar was lowered. The cycle was much better than Dorney's as well. The last ride of the day was Impulse. Unfortunately only 1 train was running. Even with low crowds, the posted wait time was 30 - 45 minutes and since I was riding alone, I used the single rider line. There were only 2 people in front of me and it still took almost 20 minutes. The grouper was going through the line and if there was a group of 2, she went through the line until she found another group of 2 even if they were further back so the only way a single rider got to ride was if a group of 3 was in line which didn't happen too often. I guess I'm used to Great Adventure where if there are 2 people in a row for Green Lantern, the person at the single rider line just sends 2 people from the single rider line into that row. It's usually the same at Zumanjaro. I like that the ride just has lap bars and the layout is good with 4 inversions and the helices. It's a little short but packs a lot of coaster in almost 2000 feet of track. I like Impulse a lot more than Untamed at Canobie and slightly less than Fahrenheit at Hershey. We went to Cesari's Pizza for dinner, I wanted to try the International Food Court but I guess that will have to wait for another trip. There were more tickets leftover than I was expecting, so that's a good excuse to get back maybe in the Fall or sometime next year. Overall Knoebels is a really nice park. I like that there is a great variety of rides and I like how they don't go overboard with unnecessary extra restraints on the rides and it is very inexpensive. $3 for a coaster (or $2.40 with discounted tickets) is a great bargain when rides like Hydrus are $10 or as much as $15 for 1 coaster ride in Las Vegas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viper26 Posted August 27, 2017 Report Share Posted August 27, 2017 I like that Knoebels has fast dispatches and minimal restraints factor in it but they should probably run 2 trains on their coasters to shorten the wait a bit. The only problem is that they may have to slow down their operations a bit if they do. The park's cheaper than normal pricing also makes me want to go there next season even though they don't do discount wristbands unlike Morey's Piers or Casino Pier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yoshi Posted August 28, 2017 Author Report Share Posted August 28, 2017 I have heard that they will run 2 trains on days that they only have tickets and no wristbands although last year it was a ticket only day and Phoenix and Twister were both running 1 train then as well but crowds were low that day. Impulse really needs to run more than 1 train unless the park is empty. I forgot to mention Flying Turns did have 3 trains running. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viper26 Posted August 28, 2017 Report Share Posted August 28, 2017 It's good that Flying Turns runs all their trains as it helps with its low capacity. If Flying Turns can run all their trains, then Impulse should too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrpq Posted August 28, 2017 Report Share Posted August 28, 2017 The Flyers here are almost out of control. I scared myself last time I was on them lol I like that Knoebels has fast dispatches and minimal restraints factor in it but they should probably run 2 trains on their coasters to shorten the wait a bit. The only problem is that they may have to slow down their operations a bit if they do. The park's cheaper than normal pricing also makes me want to go there next season even though they don't do discount wristbands unlike Morey's Piers or Casino Pier. Cheap prices, free admission, camping and the fact you can walk through the park with you best 4 legged friend make its a great park Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougdrummer Posted August 28, 2017 Report Share Posted August 28, 2017 I've loved going to Knoebels several times over the years, but it's probably been 6-7 years since we've been there. I like the fact that they still have a train ride, and it runs all the way around the property, around the water slides and through a tunnel under the campground entrance road. I also liked the chairlift ride that goes up the mountain side. Unfortunately the Flyers were not yet up and running last time I was there. Knoebels is an amusement park with the emphasis on "park". It is one of the most aesthetically pleasing amusement parks you can visit. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yoshi Posted September 6, 2017 Author Report Share Posted September 6, 2017 With the forum update, here are the photos from the report. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougdrummer Posted September 7, 2017 Report Share Posted September 7, 2017 It doesn't look like it has changed much, which is a good thing. But I wouldn't exactly describe the Haunted House as a "Terrifying Adventure in Darkness". LOL 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yoshi Posted September 8, 2017 Author Report Share Posted September 8, 2017 Maybe they have that to warn parents of little kids not to ride? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougdrummer Posted September 8, 2017 Report Share Posted September 8, 2017 9 hours ago, Yoshi said: Maybe they have that to warn parents of little kids not to ride? If my wife can ride it, anyone can ride it! LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lemur Posted September 12, 2017 Report Share Posted September 12, 2017 On 9/7/2017 at 6:55 PM, dougdrummer said: It doesn't look like it has changed much, which is a good thing. But I wouldn't exactly describe the Haunted House as a "Terrifying Adventure in Darkness". LOL It's got that one really good scare in it. I'd put it on par with the Coney Island Spook-a-Rama. But yeah, not exactly terrifying, but a ton of fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougdrummer Posted September 16, 2017 Report Share Posted September 16, 2017 On 9/12/2017 at 9:58 AM, Lemur said: It's got that one really good scare in it. I'd put it on par with the Coney Island Spook-a-Rama. But yeah, not exactly terrifying, but a ton of fun. no doubt - I wish GA had something similar remove Houdini and build one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lemur Posted September 19, 2017 Report Share Posted September 19, 2017 (edited) On 9/15/2017 at 10:31 PM, dougdrummer said: no doubt - I wish GA had something similar remove Houdini and build one! In a perfect world, GA would buy the old Keansburg Spook House that they've been restoring since Sandy and put it in the old flight sim hangar. I love Houdini, but can do without the pre-show. They need an express lane for those who don't need to see it for the 84th time. Edited September 19, 2017 by Lemur Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pashacar Posted September 19, 2017 Report Share Posted September 19, 2017 Yoshi (or anyone else), where do you like to sit on Twister? I liked it years ago but these days find it a little too rough for my taste. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yoshi Posted September 19, 2017 Author Report Share Posted September 19, 2017 I went for the first row of the 3rd car since that was one of the shorter lines. I was trying to remember if last year if it was the green train running or not since it wasn't nearly as rough this year compared to last year. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertleax Posted September 20, 2017 Report Share Posted September 20, 2017 My daughter and I rode the front row last month and it was a lot smoother than i remembered. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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