I genuinely love visiting Knoebels. It's a beautiful park with so much to do, free admission, great…read morefood and my family has enjoyed coming here for years. Many of the employees have been kind, welcoming, and patient, which is why it disappoints me to have to write this review.
Unfortunately, this is the second year I've experienced what I believe was discriminatory treatment toward my Black and Brown family, including my autistic children. This isn't something I'm saying because I was upset in the moment. These experiences were serious enough that I felt obligated to report them to Guest Services.
We visited on July 9, 2026. My children are autistic and were wearing Knoebels' accessibility wristbands. We understand how the program works because we've visited before. The wristband allows individuals who cannot tolerate long waits to board through the designated accessible entrance according to the park's accessibility procedures.
The first incident occurred at the Satellite ride. There were only two children waiting and virtually no line. My son went to the accessible entrance with his wristband, and the ride operator refused to let him board. I explained that he was autistic and showed his accessibility wristband. The operator acknowledged that he knew what the wristband was for, but still told my son to go wait at the regular entrance while allowing other children to board first. My son became increasingly distressed, repeatedly asking why he couldn't ride. Guest Services later told me that the operator had not followed the accessibility policy correctly and said they would report the incident to a supervisor.
The second incident happened at the Looper. Three male ride operators were working that attraction. My son and nephew absolutely love this ride. They are polite, well-behaved boys, but like many autistic children, they ask a lot of questions and become excited about rides they enjoy.
The park was not crowded, and there were little to no lines. I watched from a nearby bench as the boys rode several times. As time went on, I noticed the operators becoming visibly irritated whenever the boys returned.
Eventually, the operators told them they had to wait 30 minutes before riding again. I understood that this applies when using the accessibility entrance, so I instructed the boys to simply enter through the regular queue instead, which only had a few children waiting.
When they walked to the entrance, the situation escalated. One operator, Carl, scolded my nephew for going under a bar instead of walking around it, even though the children immediately ahead of him had done the exact same thing. When I respectfully pointed this out, Carl responded, "Well, I didn't see them, and stop shouting at me." I was not shouting.
Another operator, Mark, then began yelling at me, telling me that if I had a problem, I should go to Guest Services. My sister became upset because of the way he was speaking to me. When my husband came over, Mark stated that he "yells at children all day long" and that our children were no different. I found that statement especially concerning given that he knew they were autistic. No employee should be yelling at children, regardless of disability.
Supervisors eventually came over, but instead of addressing the employees' behavior, they largely defended it. One operator also insisted the boys had to wait another 30 minutes before riding again, despite the fact that they had unlimited ride wristbands and were now entering through the regular queue, where there was almost no wait. I asked why they hadn't simply told the boys they were welcome to use the regular entrance if they wanted to ride again. There was no response.
I want to be clear that not every employee at Knoebels treated us this way. In fact, many staff members throughout the park were wonderful, patient, and kind to my family. However, these interactions left us feeling singled out, dismissed, and treated differently. Whether it was because of our race, our children's disabilities, or a combination of both, it was deeply upsetting.
I sincerely hope Knoebels takes these concerns seriously by providing additional training on disability accommodations, respectful communication with families, and ensuring that all guests are treated equally and with dignity. We love this park and want to continue making memories here, but no family should leave feeling the way we did.