Phoenix • Knoebels

Airtimes First Drop Comfort

Fun

Airtimes Harness Ejectors

Airtime city

Airtimes Lap Bar Smoothness

I know a lot of enthusiasts say that this ride is overrated, but I can't say that! The 2 rides I got on it both blew me away. The ride itself was easily the smoothest wooden coaster I've ever been on, and that's shocking considering it is over half a century old! Every airtime moment is unique. Sometimes, I was floating right in between the seat and the lap bar, creating a very odd sensation. Others, I was slammed up into the lap bar with no warning other than the sight of the hill in front of me. The fact that there's no seat belt amazed me as well! It just made the ride even better. It currently ranks as my #5 coaster, and for a good reason too!

Airtimes Lap Bar Theming

Phoenix is a great ride, and an amazing headliner for the park. It gives some of the best ejector in the northeast, only challenged by skyrush, my 1, it is amazing that a coaster this old can be this good, the only con is the trim break. The double down is insane, and the ride is still glass smooth(As of 5 years ago), My favorite woodie(Until I ride toro).

Airtimes Lap Bar Ejectors

Incredible operations, tunnel is pitch black and great fun, airtime is almost dangerous with the buzz bars. Ride in row 1, 3, or 12.

Airtimes Lap Bar Masterpiece Dead spots

The ride was a great ride, especially the sequence of the ejectors in a row, the turnarounds do slow you down but may be benefitted as it prepares us for the ejector after ejector to come, a great wooden coaster and although not the tallest, longest or fastest still delivers some of the best ejectors of any wooden coaster, not to mention it was taken down and rebuilt again as a relocation, great ride, solid airtime and good experience overall

Airtimes Lap Bar Fun

While I slightly prefer Twister, Phoenix is still an excellent ride that is worthy of its great reputation. The ride is exceptionally smooth for its age, and contains fantastic airtime with its minimalistic buzz bar restraints. The ending series of bunny hills is downright bonkers. It is a very rerideable coaster and a true crowd pleaser. I usually like more intense rides, but I totally understand why people love this ride so much.

Theme/Presentation: 4/10......Restraint: 10/10......Ascent/Launch: 6/10......Drop: 6/10......Speed: 7/10......Smoothness: 8/10......Air/Hang Time: 10/10......Elements: 7/10......Intensity: 7/10......Duration: 7/10......Overall: 72/100

Airtimes Fun Smoothness

My new favorite standing coaster! Just kidding, but not really. This ride is ridiculous. Just silly amounts of airtime. An old wooden coaster which is best in the back because it is shockingly smooth and is an airtime machine. This ride is elite and is fun for all ages.

Airtimes Smoothness

Love wooden coasters and this thing mostly made me stand up in my seat mid ride that's how good the airtime gets.

Airtimes Location Harness Layout

Phoenix is so fun, definitely one of the best wooden coasters I’ve ridden for pure ejector air. With a buzz bar and no seatbelt you go absolutely flying on 8 or 9 moments and it just feels like a bunch of double downs on Jack Rabbit at Kennywood. It also has some ok laterals but the airtime is the focus and highlight here, some of the moments like rising into the turnarounds are kind of weaker but still good floater and I guess it could get repetitive but still awesome. Also is in a great forest setting and is just an all around classic.

Airtimes Lap Bar Ejectors

If you love ejector airtime like me, you'll absolutely love this thing. The buzz bars make every hill absolutely scary. Need to get to Knoebels to ride this.

Airtimes Lap Bar Fun Discomfort

What an amazing ride. I thought it looked overrated and I wasn't going to like it that much before riding but I was totally wrong. The buzz bars make a huge difference, lots of hill give great floater airtime but some of them have kinks in them that send you absolutely flying and you get standing ejector. The ride also has surprisingly good pacing and laterals too which I wasn't expecting. Now the ride can kind of hurt your knees but if you grab the buzz bar and push away on the airtime it won't hurt. Overall this ride may not have the most diversity but its really as good as a classic woodie can get. the airtime is amazing and the buzz bars make it feel like you are going to die its just insane.

Airtimes Fun

On my first visit, I was a little bit underwhelmed by Phoenix but a year later we went back and got some wet night rides and this ride went from a great ride to a full experience. I've only had a handful of rides that get to the level of being a real experience. Multiple rides had us laughing like mad at the air we were getting. This is absolutely a top tier coaster and a ride that becomes an event unto itself.

Airtimes Lap Bar Ejectors

My favourite woodie in the world

Lap Bar Masterpiece Ejectors

"They don't make them like this anymore" - A true classic and so much fun every time I ride. I will never get over this coaster!

Airtimes Lap Bar Smoothness

Incredible wooden coaster with some insane airtime moment that’s are made even better by the buzz bars

Airtimes Smoothness Ejectors

The airtime is why this ride is so great. Non stop ejector from start to finish. Its also incredibly smooth for its age. My #6 overall.

Airtimes Lap Bar Ejectors

Love this ride, never fails to disappoint and has the most solid airtime on a wood coaster I’ve experienced.

Airtimes Lap Bar Disappointing!

Good ride but it’s only floater and it didn’t blow me away pretty overrated

Airtimes Comfort Fun

I didn’t know what to expect from Phoenix. I classic woodie with a fairly basic layout but at the same time is a golden ticket winner. Well this thing is legit. The airtime is insane. Standing up the whole time. Easily one of the best wooden coasters in the world.

Airtimes Lap Bar Masterpiece

The fact that's there's only a buzz bar and no seatbelt makes this ride one of the best wooden coasters out there! If you're planning on going to Knoebels, make sure to come early and on a weekday if they're open.

Airtimes Harness Ejectors Dead spots

The airtime is AMAZING! I'm into an airtime filled ride, but I like it to also be high speed. This just needs to be faster, but it's a great ride either way!

Airtimes Lap Bar Ejectors Discomfort

I'm what is known in the industry as a "Big Boy." Just a warning, if you are as tall as me (6'3"), brace yourself accordingly. On my second ride I decided to go hands up whole time since I felt like I got the layout down the first time. Seemed easy enough, just a bunch or airtime hills. Well somewhere during the beautiful flying machines run I jackhammered my knee into that old PTC front wall pretty aggressively. Had to rub some dirt on it and walk it off. That being said this thing is loads of fun for an old well loved woodie. Knoebels rules.

Airtimes Fun Harness

If you think your local hyper coaster makes you feel like flying, wait till you ride Phoenix. The buzz bars and lack of seatbelts make you fly out of your seat on every hill, and the airtime gets better with each hill. Plus, the coaster is butter smooth. That and the setting at the back of the park by the forest makes this coaster a blast for all ages, the tall and the small.

Airtimes Lap Bar Fun

The secret ingredient that makes this ride so much fun are the buzz bars, 100% (google them if you're unfamiliar); you're just flying in your seat over every hill (especially in the back), making for a pretty unique experience compared to your average woodie. This one is definitely worth the trip for. They also do some pretty neat theming stuff for Halloween, which you should try to experience if you have the opportunity.

Disappointing!

5.5 out of 10! I just do not get the high rating with this one. Just a old throwback 1900's coaster. I was expecting something huge to enjoy, a long drive for this one. The Blue Streak at Cedar Point a lot better old school coaster.

Airtimes Nice surprise! Comfort

I love this coaster to death. Maybe it was that Phoenix was my 100th credit, or Phoenix shocked me by how strong its airtime was, or that this ‘40s woodie only had one rough spot, but this coaster is my #10 overall — most notably besting all 3 RMC’s I’ve ridden so far (New Texas Giant, Lightning Rod, Twisted Cyclone). I had been told by a Pennsylvanian coaster enthusiast that Phoenix was overrated and that Twister was the real gem at Knoebels — but I found it quite the opposite. After a hot dog lunch, I got into line for my 100th coaster. There was only one train, but the Knoebels ride op crew dispatched that train within thirty seconds of its return to the station. The line was around twenty minutes long, even as I chose to wait for the front row (something I rarely, if ever, do on coasters) to commemorate this special occasion. I boarded the train, and was almost alarmed at how high the buzz bar was locked above my lap. “This is amazing!” I proclaimed to my Pennsylvanian cousin who was sitting beside me. We rolled out into the metal tunnel, somehow blocking all sunlight for a few seconds right before we ascended the chain lift. I could see the antique cars, band organ and a few other rides from here — I contemplated my life as a coasterfan leading up to this point, waiting for the true ride to begin — and then we were off! The first drop isn’t anything special, merely giving Phoenix some energy to work its magic with, as is the turnaround succeeding it and in turn the first half. I remember first feeling airtime through Phoenix’s very loose buzzbar restraints at the top of the second turnaround, which set the train up for the “Mayan hill” — a double up and double down in one. At the top of the “Mayan hill”, I was given my first taste of Phoenix’s insanity — and nearly stood up, instinctively clutching the buzzbar in hopes of safety. The next turnaround is the one rough spot on Phoenix, but it is astonishingly smooth considering the sheer age of this coaster. I mistakened the next four consecutive bunny hills to be a speedy little finale, but oh boy was I wrong; on every single hill, I was forced to stand up in my seat and sheer, childlike joy was injected into my veins. All too soon we rounded the final turn, which is the brake run, and Phoenix was over. This coaster is absolutely amazing.

Airtimes Disappointing!

The Phoenix is a much loved coaster, in a great setting. There's absolutely nothing wrong with it, however I just don't find it "all that". Sorry!

Airtimes Lap Bar Pace

Airtimes Fun Ejectors

Airtimes Fun Ejectors Discomfort Lap Bar

Airtimes Lap Bar Fun

Airtimes Lap Bar Fun

Airtimes Location Fun

Airtimes Lap Bar Masterpiece

Airtimes Lap Bar Fun

Airtimes Lap Bar Smoothness

Airtimes Lap Bar Masterpiece

Lap Bar Fun Smoothness Airtimes

Airtimes Fun Harness Dead spots

Airtimes Lap Bar Nice surprise!