Dick Knoebel Interview
September 6th, 2004

Kevin Toth: Tell us a little bit about yourself, the history of your career, and where things are at for you at this point in your life.

Dick Knoebel: I’m 65 years old now and have been working in the park since before I went to first grade. My only time off was for college and 3 years service in the USMC. I, along with my family and employee team, have built Knoebels into a world class family resort. I’m still actively engaged in the continued growth and improvement of the park. I have 2 sons who are involved and my brother Buddy has a son and a daughter also involved.

Kevin Toth: Your Park has been in operation for over 75 years now. To what do you attribute this great feat?

Dick Knoebel: Hard work, perhaps some foresight and dedicated employees.

Kevin Toth: How is it that your park manages to offer free parking and free admission, both of which are very rare these days?

Dick Knoebel: That’s a large part of our niche. We are very conservative and are able to offer this so the average family can afford to enjoy the park together.

Kevin Toth: Explain to us the difficulty in moving a coaster (Rocket) and reconstructing it? Did people doubt your chances of making it happen? Did you know that you had purchased a world class coaster? Could you ever imagine that your purchase would be a crowd favorite still today, and world renowned as one of the best coasters in the world?

Dick Knoebel: Yes, many people doubted we could successfully move the Rocket. In retrospect, it wasn’t really that difficult. We knew the Rocket was a good coaster and with a few tweaks it became a great coaster. It is still among the best largely because it is thoroughly and lovingly maintained.

Kevin Toth: Will you be attending the IAAPA trade show in November? Will you have your “checkbook”, so to speak?

Dick Knoebel: I’ll attend IAAPA in November and my checkbook will be along but we buy little at the show. The Rockin’ Tug was an exception.

Kevin Toth: What makes Knoebels different from the big corporate parks that are more common in this era? And how is your park able to compete?

Dick Knoebel: Our free admission, free parking, free entertainment and free picnic facilities are a large part of what makes us different. Our mission is to be a true Family destination where all generations can afford to enjoy a day together. We also pay a lot of attention to tradition. Our Grand Carousel where you can still catch the brass ring and listen to real organ music is a great symbol of this dedication to tradition. This is our niche and how we continue to compete.

Kevin Toth: Tell us a little bit about the experience of being part of the design team for Twister, and building a coaster “in house” from scratch? Would you do it again?

Dick Knoebel: Yes, we would do it again, but I did not have as much to do with the “design team” as did John Fetterman of our staff. I believe he has mastered the art of coaster design, I was mostly the provider.

Kevin Toth: How does your park manage to maintain the rides so well? Is maintenance one of your top priorities?

Dick Knoebel: Yes and Yes. If you care for something it can last almost indefinitely. My mechanics CARE.

Kevin Toth: How many acres does Knoebel’s own? How many of those are currently developed?

Dick Knoebel: We own approximately 300 acres but only about 150 of these are developed. Some can never be.

Kevin Toth: What do you think it is about Knoebel’s that makes it so appealing to enthusiasts?

Dick Knoebel: I think the same things appeal to enthusiasts about Knoebels as the general public. Our attention to detail, our sense of tradition and our commitment to service. We want the park to be the best it can be.

Kevin Toth: It’s been said that Knoebel’s never throws anything away, and reuses anything. Can you give an example of this?

Dick Knoebel: When we built the shelter for the bald eagles, we used old cables from our 16 car Eli wheel for support. That statement may be a slight exaggeration but you never know what you’ll need in the future.

Kevin Toth: Knoebel’s is 100% traditional. Will we ever see this change?

Dick Knoebel: Never, not as long as my brother and I direct its course and we have instilled these same values in our children. We anticipate that they will follow the same path.

Kevin Toth: What does the future hold for Knoebel’s?

Dick Knoebel: Your guess is as good as mine, but we’ll continue to do what we feel is best for the park and our guests and what works.

Kevin Toth: Several new cabins were built for the 2004 season. How did they fare? Did the crowds warrant the new lodging?

Dick Knoebel: Very well, we needed more cabins. In fact, we’ll be constructing 5 cabins at Lake Glory, our satellite campground.

Kevin Toth: Can you explain when/why/how Phoenix Phall Phunfest began? How has it grown over time?

Dick Knoebel: The Phunfest began as a small celebration of the arrival of the Phoenix at Knoebels. Several people involved in the move approached us about having this party and inviting enthusiasts. Since we already hosted the Covered Bridge Festival, that was the ideal time to hold it. From there it’s just evolved into this great event thanks in large part to the members of our staff who put so much effort into preparing for it.

Kevin Toth: Have you ever considered having a season operate through October?

Dick Knoebel: By September 1st, our staff is nearly exhausted.

Kevin Toth: What sparked the new sign at the Flyers about “no whipping”?

Dick Knoebel: There has been too much abuse of the front sails and we’ve had structural problems with them.

Kevin Toth: There have been strong rumors that the Whirlwind roller coaster will give its last ride in 2004, is there any truth to this?

Dick Knoebel: Too early to tell.

Kevin Toth: How far does your advertising extend, and do you receive more business from campers or day visitors?

Dick Knoebel: Our primary advertising area covers the eastern half of Pennsylvania. Recently we’ve had some success reaching into southern NY State, working our way toward Rochester and Syracuse We also network with PA’s tourism efforts for a more distant reach. Campers set a wonderful foundation for the park but we do more business with day visitors.

Kevin Toth: What’s the best kept secret of Knoebel’s?

Dick Knoebel: The best kept secret about Knoebels is how much hard work it takes to keep the park successful. That’s the way it should be, we don’t want guests thinking about that, we just want them to have fun.