AmyUD06

The SF parks, Hershey, and Knoebels have as many smoking zones as ever (and they are appreciated!). I think CF is the only chain who used COVID as an excuse to go smoke-free.

They'll probably institute something like SV's new locker system, after the FP merge point, but in typical SF fashion, dedicate zero employees to it so it turns into a massive shitshow.

After they lost the entire 2020 season, I'd be very surprised if they add anything for 2022. Officially, nothing has been announced.

No offense, @tndank, but anyone not recommending the very front, let alone the back car, for Beast is just a glutton for punishment. Not sure how old you are, but bodies with some years on them can't handle it. Here's my overall recommendations for @bert425: Adventure Express - Row 2 or 5. Backlot - Back row. Banshee - Back row. Dem forces. Bat - Back row. Beast - Front row. Nowhere else. Especially at night. Diamondback - Row 2. Do not get stapled. Flight of Fear - Back row. Flying Ace Aerial Chase - Back row. Invertigo - Don't. If you must, somewhere in the middle. Mystic Timbers - Do two rides, Front and Back rows. They're both awesome but back holds a slight edge for me. Orion - Back row. Don't get stapled. Typically I'm a front row guy on coasters based on speed, and don't get me wrong, it's good here, but that first and second drops in the back.... Racer - Row 1 or 2. It's a lot smoother now, but you still want that non-wheel seat if you're not in the front. Woodstock Express - Back row or not at all.

RMC hasn't done a traditional loop on any of their coasters. It could just be the bottom portion of a hill too.

Carowinds: Obviously don't skip Fury. Copperhead Strike is also great, but don't expect Maverick. Otherwise every coaster there is worth riding, and if you're there on a weekday you should be able to hit everything easily. Never been to the water park. Kings Dominion: Obviously don't skip I305 or Twisted Timbers. Backlot and Flight of Fear are identical to their Kings Island counterparts. Dominator is possibly the best floorless in the US. Racer 75 and Grizzly can be decent. Anaconda can be skipped unless you want the credit. Avalanche is awesome but won't be open this year. Water park is pretty good, but you probably won't have time for it. Dorney: Obviously don't skip Talon. The rest of the coasters, except Wild Mouse, are decent. They've got a lot of rare flats (Whip, Apollo, Enterprise) too. Water park is awesome, and you'll definitely have time for it here.

Gotta agree with @bert425 on this one. A closed park is better than a park where many major rides are not running - this way you know not to go. At least Knoebels has the courtesy to keep their website updated so people know not to go. Of course, that leads to a self-fulfilling prophecy - with enough rides closed, people won't go, decreasing their revenue, making those days less profitable to open at all, leading to them not opening at all.

There are also signs trying to relate the Jersey Devil legend to the coaster bordering the hut-covered queue, and possibly all the way up to the station.

Fair enough regarding Haunted Mansion and scaring the kids, but be advised the "upcharge" is only $3 a person, so don't let that dissuade you. I too noticed a lot of the rides I listed as being "closed" on the website right now....I have to assume they're either temporary or staffing related, because everything I mentioned in my list (except Flying Turns and the Flyers), were running during my visit on May 1st. Power Surge I think was running, but rides with that kinda rotation mess me up so I skipped it and can't be sure. A month from now who knows what might be up and running. Good luck. It truly is a magical place.

Sorry, my only trip there was on a Saturday (the second one they were open for the year, in fact), so I can't comment on crowds. Things to not miss at Knoebels, roughly in order of importance: -Phoenix -Twister -Haunted Mansion (why don't you plan on doing this?) -Looper -Black Diamond -Stratosphere -Cosmotron -Scooters (bumper cars) -Motor Boats -Flyers (if they're running) -Whip -Paratrooper -Grand Carousel (outer, ring-grabbing seats only) -Skyride -Flying turns (if it's open) -Satellite (if your stomach can take that kinda rotation) I'd say you can safely skip Impulse; it's smooth but nothing really special and it tends to have the third-slowest-moving line in the park (only ahead of Flying Turns and the boats). If you're there on a weekday, and crowds are anything like they were in 2017, pre-COVID, (which they probably won't be), you should be able to hit everything I listed in four hours. If you have any time left, check out the museums, particularly the park history museum in the back of the mining museum (it's kinda hidden). Many people also rant and rave about the food here, which is decently cheap, but I'm not a foodie by any stretch of the imagination so I'll just say it's generally better quality than most park food. Many people also rant and rave about Fascination (kinda a combination of bingo and skee-ball), but I don't particularly see the draw, particularly if you never come to the park and can't save up a massive amount of tickets.

I don't mind it. It spent most of its life being called "Dreier Looping," which literally translates to "Triple Loop." Then again, I also see nothing wrong with CF naming their drop towers "Drop Tower."

As @A.J. said, if you've already been to Kennywood, your full day would be better spent at Knoebels. If you haven't been to Kennywood, but have been to Knoebels before, then the trip as you've planned it makes a little more sense to me. If you've never been to either park, definitely choose Knoebels. No idea on Flying Turns. My guess is that they're in no hurry. It'll open when it opens.

I got attacked by no less than 3 birds over the course of my two days at the park at the end of May. I think they might have been nesting in the bushes and we just got too close.

So, unfortunately, my big trip to the southeast is cancelled due to a variety of factors: impending weather, financial constraints, and the general state of parks this year. I'm going to try to get down to SFoG and SFStL independently, to make the most of my SF pass, but nothing set in stone yet.

Staffing for rides has never been a problem. They have no issue dedicating 20 people to work the carousel (a slight exaggeration but not by much). The staffing problems have been food service aside from Melt.

The parking gates open at 8:30. You want to be there at that time. Get FL+. Sorry. For the double post; can't figure out how to edit to include a quote on mobile.

So the hits keep coming for CP... Gatekeeper's chain snapped today.

I swung by the park today at around 4:30, to find the main parking lot 80% full, Flash Pass sold out (they were giving all-season FP holders 2 skip the line passes,WTF?), And Jersey Devil with a 2 hour line. Yeah I'll try another day LOL.

I had the Fast Track Unlimited for my trip in 2020. It is indeed a wristband (with a RFID chip in it) that you need to touch to a panel in each FTU queue; that got kinda annoying since it didn't really work that well, but on the positive side most employees didn't care. As for how it actually works, yes, each coaster has a separate queue with a merge point where you join the regular line; none have designated seating. Where this merge point is varies by ride. From what I remember, Fahrenheit and Great Bear are the only ones where the FTU line goes all the way to the station. On SkyRush, Comet, Lightning Racer, Candymonium, and Wildcat, the merge is DEFINITELY right before the stairs/ramp to go up to the station. Storm Runner and SuperDooperLooper were closed last year, so I'm not sure where the merge is for those....and any of the other rides I don't remember. As for if it's worth it? If it's busy, which it will be, I'd say yes. Fahrenheit and Great Bear especially, but even on Skyrush you skip a large portion of the queue, and if you're not waiting for the front, it's definitely reasonable.

So....not tomorrow.

Jackson Township is decidedly Central Jersey, thank you very much. And the 80s were a weird time.

Have you been to a park this year, 2021? If no, then all of your experiences are invalid for this conversation. It doesn't matter what day of the week it is...unless the weather is absolute shit, parks are packed.

Is your trip on a day that ends in y? Buy QuickQue. Rides that are open and closed are listed on the website.

I think you did. They were selling it in stores on Memorial Weekend Sunday, when the place was packed.

Let them kick you out, then make a boat load of money in the lawsuit. Chances are they won't actually kick you out though, just harass you. Yet another reason why I refuse to give that dumpster fire any of my business.