Friday, July 21, 2017

Knoebels : Ten things to Know





Recently we took a trip to Knoebels! This Pennsylvania Amusement Park has been in existence for over 90 years and is really a tradition all its own. If you've never visited before (or even if you have) we have some great information to share with you from our visit! These , tips, and tricks on visiting, how to save money on your tickets and what the BEST perks of visiting this park are!

1. Visit During the week
In most cases amusement parks operate pretty much the same no matter when you visit. Knoebels is an exception and thus you should plan your visit accordingly if possible.

On weekdays Knoebels offers daily "handstamps" or wristbands which allow for unlimited riding from park open to park close (with a few attractions excluded). These are available for both adults and children Monday through Friday. We have visited on a weekday before and our experience is as follows kids who ride a lot and will ride all day will get a huge bang for your buck on an all day ride pass. I actually calculated when we bought these the value based on how many rides they did and it far surpassed what we paid for the passes. So if you have kids who LOVE to ride and have the time to be there for most of the day a handstamp is definitely the way to go.  Tickets are also available for weekdays for light or occasional riders who don't feel they would get value from the cost of a ride pass. 


Can't go during the week? No worries!
On the weekends the park operates with a ticket system, patrons purchase tickets and pay for each ride they do with different amounts of tickets based on the ride (values vary and can all be seen here Kiddie rides  and Family rides).



2. Plan ahead! 
Buy your tickets before you get there or pack your coupon book!


 Discounts and coupons for Knoebels all day ride passes are available a few different places, Including KidsStuff Books, Pepsi cans and more see the full list here.

You can also plan ahead to buy your tickets in advance and you can save up and over 20%! Local grocery stores stores (Weis and Wegmans) sell tickets at their customer service booths, jut remember to pick them up before you head out of town (see purchasing details here).




3. Your tickets NEVER expire
If you purchase their ticket booklets and end up with leftovers, you can keep them for the next time you go back! Unlike those pesky Muskiest tickets that leave you fired up after finding $10 worth left in your pocket in September. 



4. Eat all the Food.
Seriously, Its really really good! and you can actually afford to do it!  Knoebels is world renowned for the the variety of food they offer in their park and the quality - they're actually rank above Disney World Accoring to  XXXXX . There is something for everyone! Different food stands around the park offer all kinds of different food choices which really is unique if you think about it, many times in similar attractions the will offer the same food in 15 different places.





My two personal favorites from our visit this month are the Boom Shaka Laka Burger (pictured above) and the Tiger Tail both available at the Phoenix Junction stand.

A close second is just about everything available at the Mexican station in the International Food Court.




This is a shot of a meal (above) I bought to split between my 3 kids it cost $5. Feeding kids on the go can be a challenge and super expensive especially when you are in a amusement park or attraction. This is a feature of Knoebels that really makes the place stand above the rest. If you haven't purchased a meal at Dorney Park recently you may not truly appreciate the value here... It would cost you nearly three times as much for the same amount of food.

Additionally the variety of food choices really makes it easy to find something everyone well like. 


5. It is always cooler there

Yup! this place is absolutely loaded with super tall beautiful trees and shade is everywhere. Still bring your sunscreen of course, but really comparing directly to the local park we visited last week in the same weather Knoebels is hands down way more comfortable to be in on a hot day.




6. You can stay! 
Knoebels offers a number of great lodging options including a huge campground for campers, motor homes and tents.  They have cabins also available for rent - reserve these far in advance they get snatched up fast.  It is easy to spend multiple days here exploring, snacking and riding.


7. Admission and Parking is FREE 
Yes really! You only pay if you ride! This park is perfect for a group with a bunch of people who only lightly ride or want to watch the kids enjoy the experience. It won't cost you anything to bring grandma and grandpa along for an extra set of hands!

Paying for parking is the one thing I hate more than paying for shipping.  A little piece of my soul dies each time I have to hand over a $20 bill to park my car. You won't pay anything to park at Knoebels.

8. Bring in your own food and snacks!
If you are looking to stay close to a tight budget, have allergies to work around or just want to make sure you have food your kids will eat Knoebels welcomes families bringing their items into the park. Pack a picnic, bring your meals, snacks and drinks and use their free picnic facilities to enjoy your visit! 


9. Don't miss the Pool!


We sadly didn't get to visit Crystal Pool when we were there due to some badly timed thunderstorms and rain! But this pool is gasp worthy. It is huge first of all and offers 3 different levels of diving boards, not to mention all of the other awesome features of the water area.


Swim, splash and slide! Knoebels Crystal Pool is filled with refreshing spring fed water and they offer water slides, a kiddie splash area, rope climbing course and more with pool admission.



Pool admission is separate from the daily handstamp pass and requires payment of an additional fee but is part of the reason you can easily spend more than one day at Knoebels! 


10. Get a Map!



The size of Knoebels is surprising for many and its can be difficult to navigate if you aren't familiar with it. In order to make sure you can easily find everything you are looking for a map will come in handy. 


With a number of amusement parks in our local proximity people often ask if Knoebels really worth the drive. After laying out all of the tips and tricks we've discovered the conclusion is pretty simple. It absolutely is worth the drive, and honestly I'd properly drive further if I had to.  Knoebels is simply a gem the history and tradition that Knoebels comes along with this park is like no other.  Their attention to detail is impeccable the rides are clean and well maintained,  the park is blooming with flowers all over the place. My hope this that some new families will considering checking this park out  and we're really excited to offer a giveaway to allow a family to enjoy the park for a day for free this summer!



We owe a HUGE thank you to the staff at Knoebels and thank them for hosting us to help gather all of the information we needed to complete this article. Here are a few of our favorite shots of our family from our visit to the park!












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135 comments:

  1. Great post! Such good info! My kids would love to check out Knoebles! Lived here my whole life no I've never been there! And your kids are in an orange car #6! And pink bumper car...for the extra chance to win ��

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  2. #6 orange with both girls

    Pink single girl no number

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  3. Pink no number...orange with 2 girls on whip #6 :)

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  4. Pink bumper car and orange car #6

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  5. 6 orange! And the other in pink :)

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  6. Orange #6 and a pink bumper car

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  7. Pink bumper car, orange #6 whip car

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  8. 6 for the whip, pink bumper car

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  9. We would love to go to Knoebels - looks like fun! Gotta have a PINK car ;)

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  10. Orange car #6 and pink bumper car.

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  11. Orange. Number 6 and pink bumper car!

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  12. Pink and orange bumper cars!!

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  13. Orange #6 and pink bumper car (Erin Kolb on FB)

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  14. Orange number 6 and pink bumper car!

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  15. 6 orange and pink - Katie Mast

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  16. Knoebels is amazing! Pink & Orange #6! Our oldest enjoyed his first real ride also in "Orange #6" - I still remember his little squeals of delight!

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  17. Pink bumper car and Orange #6 car - Alexis Rausch

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  18. Pink bumper car and orange whip car

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  19. That's a great place to visit. Your daughter was in a pink car and two of your daughters were in an orange car. My daughter is exited to ride the Sky Ride. She was too short last year.

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  20. That's a great place to visit. Your daughter was in a pink car and two of your daughters were in an orange car. My daughter is exited to ride the Sky Ride. She was too short last year.

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  21. Pink bumper and orange whip number 6

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  23. Great tips, even for someone who has been there before!
    Orange #6 with both girls and one in the pink bumper car

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  24. Pink bumper car and orange #6 whip. We've never been and plan to go 8/4 for my son's 7th birthday day trip. Thanks for the tips on this blog, very helpful!

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  25. On the whip it was a orange car wit a number 6 and on the bumper cars it was a pink color car wit no number.

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  28. My name is Sara Trapper. I couldn't figure out how to make any of the accounts to mwke a profile. But the answer to the question is a Pink bumper car. Thank you for the chance to win!

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  29. We would love to go to Knoebel's! Your kids are in the orange #6 whip car and Pink bumper car! which happens to be my favorite color! <3

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  30. Love how close the park is and how family and pet friendly it is and low cost of it all!! I grew up in Nepa and Knoebles is one of my favorite parks ❤️

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  31. Orange, pink, yellow, blue

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  32. If our 2 year old could ride the bumper cars it would be a pink one for sure!

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  33. We had our first go at bumper cars in YELLOW!! ��

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  34. Pink and orange. We were just there Friday love seeing my boys laugh and smile!!

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  35. Pink and orange. We haven't been this year yet due to older kids sports but it is always one of our favorite places

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  36. Surprisingly my family has never been here yet. It sounds like a really fun place to go! Your kiddo was in a pink bumper car and both were in the orange #6 whippet car.

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  37. Pink bumper car :)

    -Faith Hartman

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  39. We want to try Knoebels!! Pink

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  40. Pink bumper car. Great great review of Knoebels !! We have been visiting Knoebels for many years now, the last 6 consecutively with our son & each year gets better & better . This year we have a new addition with us , my 2nd son so we are extra excited to share the great experience Knoebels has to offer .

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  41. Pink bumper car! Having a blast!

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  42. Pink bumper car! My fav color :)

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  43. Absolutely love Knoebels! Have been going since I was a kid now planning to one day take my little girl for her first trip.

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  44. Can't wait to get back to Knoebels next month. Love ur blog. Pink bumper car.

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  45. Your kiddo was in the pink bumper car �� On the whip they were in the orange #6 car.

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  46. Pink!
    Love knoebels! And love that we live so close! It truly is the best amusement park!
    Amanda Beth Tokarczyk on fb

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  47. The WHIP our favorite! Orange #6!

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  48. Orange #6 with both and just the one in pink

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  50. Thanks for the post. Pink bumper car and orange whip.

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  51. #6 orange whip ride with both girls

    Pink bumper car single girl no number.

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  53. Pink Bumper Car 💕(Tara Bergstrom)

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  54. Pink no number and orange with 2 girls on whip #6

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  55. Pretty little pink bumper car. Thank you for the great giveaway💖

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  56. Favorite ride..phoneix..
    Pink/Orange bumper cars

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  57. Great article my kids would rife in the blue and pink bumper cars��

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    Replies
    1. My name is under my Maiden name . ( Regina D'Ancona)

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  59. pink! Such awesome tips! We love Knoebels!

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  60. Pink and orange. Great blog knoebels rocks

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  61. Orange # 6 car and the pink car

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  62. To your FB post question..."Get a bonus entry for each of the following! Bonus: Comment on our blog and tell us what color bumper car our kiddo rode in!" She rode in a PINK bumper car!

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  63. you forgot to tell about the museums and novelty stores and visit the bald eagle and free entertainment that happens everyday at the park

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