Knoebles and Dole-Whip Perfect Together

[jayandstacey]

Knoebels (pronouced: Ka-no-buls) is a purist park. What I mean is this:

- Disney is built/operated by people who love to see the magic in kids, which oftentimes is best conveyed through characters and fantasy storylines. Disney is the best at this.

- Cedar Point is built/operated by people who love thrills - taller, bigger, badder, faster. Is it the best in this category.

- Knoebels is built/operated by people who love parks - the sights, the sounds, the nostalgia, the timelessness and spacelessness of it. In Knoebels you're just in the moment- not in a fantasy story, not screaming. Just enjoying the same exact things that generations before you did - concepts that don't have names or sponsorship but just involve good cooking, time on a bench, some warm sunshine and a spin on some swings.

I highly recommend anyone who loves Disney to check out Knoebels. It is VERY different but in the end, as pure an experience as any you'll find in Orlando.

 

[Quin]

I highly recommend anyone who loves Disney to check out Knoebels. It is VERY different but in the end, as pure an experience as any you'll find in Orlando.

Amen.

 

[amypetecar]

we go to knoebels all the time (one hour away) sometimes just for food! I never noticed the dole whip but this will be a must do next time YAY! I love the little things that take me back to WDW!

Last year on a roadtrip from Pittsburgh to Massachusetts, we literally stopped there just to eat dinner. Homemade fried raviolis and funnel cake for dessert. Amazing!

We rode the coasters with the kids too, since we were there.

 

[StructuralImagineer]

I used to go to Knoebels all the time. Great family park! It is really amazing that they do what they do.

Best parts are:

Phoenix and Twister - Great wooden coasters that aren't too smooth and give you the old coaster feel. Phoenix is an old classic. The smell of the grease on the lift-chain is a smell I'll never forget.

$1 Pickle on a Stick - You can get a pickle on a stick for a buck at the little food shack near the front of the park. It is amazing that it is a still $1 during this crazy economy. I guess pickles on a stick are recession proof.

 

[suemom2kay]

LOVE Knoebels. We should doa DIS meet there.

 

[rotlex]

Knoebels, along with Hershey Park, is one of our favorites. It's maybe a 1-2 hour drive from where we live, and we make a point of visiting a few times a year! It's just a fun place, that brings back some very fond memories of my youth. It also doesn't hurt that they have free parking and admission, along with a really pleasant location to just spend the day!

 

[Seeker615]

We were there this past Saturday. We went with some family and friends. It is such an old school park. It seemed to be pretty crowded but we never waited longer than 15 minutes for anything. Most rides were pretty much a walk on.

The rides are a lot of fun. A lot of old school rides like the tilt a whirl, scrambler, pirate ship, swings, etc...The two wooden coasters were excellent. I was literally standing up for half of the ride! You get so much air time on it! (Do the front seat!)

Food was excellent. I was in heaven with my funnel cake!

 

[peekinglemer]

Hey - we were there this past Saturday too. Loved it. Our first time but we will be back. Loved the chair lift into the hills. So pretty.

 

[tefrench]

We live about 1 hr 15 min away and love it!

If you have little ones, this is a great park. Lots of rides for little kids, lots of shade trees. And I love that you only pay for what you ride - very economically friendly. And if I got on the carousel to hold my little ones, for example, they waved aside my tickets.

We also ate at the pavilions. They have places where you can bring your own food - a lot of families and businesses have meetings there and that is just really nice if you are trying to save some money.

And now my kids are bigger, they love the coasters, etc. I just enjoy the experience. I think the last time we went, we bought $80 of tickets, and that did the four of us all day (I don't do many rides, just the spinny ones!)

the chair lift does give you a better view, but since I am terrified of heights, this is one ride I will never do again! Going up wasn't too bad, but coming down.....

 

[Buckimion]

Pictures from July 4...yes, I should have gotten it in a cup.

 

[mcd2745]

You can now also get Dole Whips at Dutch Wonderland. For those unfamiliar with DW, it is a small amusement park in Lancaster Co, PA geared towards kids under 10. It is owned by Hershey. For those familiar with DW, the Dole Whip stand has replaced the stand where you got the melted chocolate with the stawberries, bananas, etc for dipping.

 

[LPZ_Stitch!]

The Haunted Mansion ride at Knoebels was voted as the #1 dark ride anywhere by the Darkride and Funhouse Enthusiasts. I still don't know why, unless it's a joke of some kind.

Something to consider; the group (Darkride And Funhouse Enthusiasts -- DAFE) that consistently rates Knoebels Haunted Mansion 1st is not saying it's better than Disney's Haunted Mansion. It's the best "traditional" darkride, not the best of everything out there. The DAFE folks are very category-conscious.... Also, I believe they state "#1 favorite" and not "best." Access could play into it, as well...

When compared against other amusement park darkrides of a similar type, Knoebels holds up *very* well. It's well maintained and the "tricks" as they're usually called all work effectively. Are you telling me you didn't jump at the truck airhorns or the cannibal jumping up from behind the tree? I know exactly where they are and they *still* get me every time!

Sadly, there are really few of this sort of darkride left in America. There used to be tons; every park had one (or more). Unfortunately, there are precious few real darkrides or funhouses left, anywhere....

 

[Seeker615]

I loved the haunted house. I think it is pretty cool how it is set up and I think I screamed through the whole ride. Especially the loud train noise and then there was some loud scream. My daughter was cracking up at me for screaming at everything. It was old school and a lot of fun. (My hubby didn't get it all though...)

 

[Seeker615]

Hey - we were there this past Saturday too. Loved it. Our first time but we will be back. Loved the chair lift into the hills. So pretty.

Hi Lemer. I know you were there. I was with you!