ActsAsFlinn

Yesterday I took my family to Knoebels Amusement Resort in Elysburg, PA. It was about an hour drive most of which was on 80 and 81 which sucked because of the sick amount of trucks on those roads. Once we got off the highway it was a nice scenic country drive to the park. If you’ve never been to Knoebels I highly recommend it for a family trip.

We’re fortunate to be in the vicinity of a few really nice parks. Dorney Park and Hershey Park are not much further than Knoebel’s. We went to Hershey last year and it was a blast. This year we decided to checkout Knoebels since my wife and I haven’t been there in years. I think we all had a really great time.

Knoebels is often featured on travel guides and amusement park guides on a few cable channels and wins awards for food and atmosphere. Yesterday I really got to see why.

1. Fun for Kids: Most of the parks rides are classics that kids will love. The part features a kiddy section for the little ones but most rides are kid friendly anyway.
2. Fun for Parents: The park sports two world class WOODEN roller coasters (and they’re building a 3rd). You won’t find the really big productions you get at Hershey and Dorney but you also won’t find the lines!
3. Staff: Most of the ride operators were middle age and seniors, not rude teenagers! At the international food court, you’ll find a lot of food most parks just don’t offer and the staff are excellent.
4. “Environment:” The park is set in the middle of the woods on a country road. The park is covered by trees everywhere which provides a really nice cover from the sun and lots of shade. Last but not least, the park is flat – no hills to constantly walk up and down (like Hershey).
5. People: The crowd (mostly PA, NY and MD what I could tell from the accents) were families. Like any park it has it’s share of mutants, but the ratio was better than most. Also in other parks you sometimes feel like you need to guard your wallet, not so at Knobels.
6. Money: For the three of us we spent only about $150 on day passes for all rides and food. The best part – Knoebels is an open park and you can bring grandma and grandpa along to eat, watch the kids and enjoy a day out with the family at almost no cost.

The only tip I would offer anyone planning a trip there is just to order tickets online because you can bypass the day pass lines and go straight to the office and pick up your hand stamp and bracelet.