Knoebels Announced as America's Favorite Traditional Amusement Park

The National Amusement Park Historical Association (NAPHA) released the results of its 33rd annual NAPHA Amusement Park and Attractions Survey and Knoebels tops the list.

“While exchanging opinions about favorite amusement parks and rides is fun for enthusiasts,” noted NAPHA’s Survey Coordinator, Marlowe McClasky Futrell, “Parks also are interested in the survey findings, and many incorporate the results into their publicity materials.”

Some of the attractions seizing the top ratings in the 2018 NAPHA survey include:

• Favorite Traditional Amusement Park: Knoebels Amusement Resort (Elysburg, PA), for seven consecutive years.
• Favorite Theme Parks: Walt Disney World (Lake Buena Vista, FL) and Disneyland (Anaheim, CA).
• Most Beautiful Park: Busch Gardens Williamsburg (Williamsburg, VA) for the 29th consecutive year.
• Favorite Wood Coaster: Phoenix, Knoebels Amusement Resort, for eight years running.
• Favorite Steel Coasters: Phantom’s Revenge, Kennywood (West Mifflin, PA), for the first time. 

NAPHA members are typically experienced riders who have visited countless amusement parks and have ridden a diverse assortment of roller coasters and other rides. The average member has been to more than 110 different amusement parks and has ridden about 368 roller coasters. 

FAVORITE TRADITIONAL PARKS

For the seventh straight year, NAPHA members voted Knoebels Amusement Resort as their Favorite Traditional Park, and Kennywood (West Mifflin, PA) as their second favorite park. The two parks have been neck and neck in the standings since 1996 with each holding one of the top two positions in this category throughout the years.

FAVORITE TRADITIONAL PARKS

1. Knoebels Amusement Resort (Elysburg, PA)
2. 2 Kennywood (West Mifflin, PA) 

FAVORITE THEME PARKS

For the second year in a row, Walt Disney World (Lake Buena Vista, FL) tied with Disneyland (Anaheim, CA) for Favorite Theme Park. These theme parks are perennial favorites, occupying the top spots virtually every year since the survey was first fielded in 1986.

FAVORITE THEME PARKS

• 1-tie Walt Disney World (Lake Buena Vista, FL)
• 1-tie Disneyland (Anaheim, CA)
  
  

MOST BEAUTIFUL PARK

For the twenty-ninth consecutive year, Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, VA, was voted by members as the World’s Most Beautiful Amusement Park. Dollywood (Pigeon Forge, TN) tied with Knoebels Amusement Resort as the second most beautiful. Busch Gardens Williamsburg and Dollywood had been voted the top two favorites since 2013.


FAVORITE WOOD ROLLER COASTER

For the eighth consecutive year, Phoenix was voted by NAPHA members as Favorite Wood Roller Coaster. It has been named the favorite wood roller coaster thirteen years since 2000. In a surprise, Kennywood’s 99-year old Jack Rabbit replaced park’s Thunderbolt, as the second favorite.

FAVORITE WOOD COASTER

1. Phoenix, Knoebels Amusement Resort (Elysburg, PA)
2. Jack Rabbit, Kennywood (West Mifflin, PA) 

FAVORITE STEEL ROLLER COASTER

For the second consecutive year, Phantom’s Revenge at Kennywood was chosen as the Favorite Steel Roller Coaster. Cedar Point’s Millennium Force tied with Fury 325 at Carowinds, a new contender, for the second spot.

Millennium Force has been the top ranked or tied for the favorite steel coaster since 2002. Phantom’s Revenge has been the second place coaster since 2011.

FAVORITE STEEL COASTER

1. Phantom’s Revenge, Kennywood (West Mifflin, PA)
2. 2-tie Millennium Force, Cedar Point (Sandusky, OH)
3. 2-tie Fury 325, Carowinds (Charlotte, NC) 

FAVORITE POST-SUMMER SEASON AMUSEMENT PARK EVENTS

NAPHA members’ favorite Halloween, Fall or Christmas amusement park-related seasonal events is Knoebels’ Hallo-Fun, which is kicked off by their Phall Phunfest. Dollywood’s Smokey Mountain Christmas and Holiday Lights at Kennywood shared the title for the second favorite post-season event.

MOST ANTICIPATED ATTRACTION IN 2019

is the most anticipated amusement park attraction among NAPHA members. is the most anticipated amusement park attraction among NAPHA members. The ride is 220 feet, has nine inversions and speeds up to 75 miles per hour.

Members are also looking forward to Copperhead Strike at Carowinds. The ride is a double-launch roller coaster with five inversions, shooting riders from 0 to 42 mph in 2.5 seconds.

The National Amusement Park Historical Association, founded in 1978, is an international, educational and enthusiast’s organization dedicated to preserving and documenting the heritage of the amusement park industry, past, present and future. The survey is the oldest of its kind.