Florida used to have many smaller amusement parks until Disney came and they all went under..........
I’d say the other ripoffs on the east coast/south are probably Six Flags, Great Adventure, Hershey Park, Kings Island.
DollyWood and Cedar Point get a lot of love from the park enthusiast community. Better rides and not as ghetto.
At Knoebels your family just walks in (after parking for free) w/ your dog on a leash and Grandma - who isn’t going to ride anything. You can even bring a big cooler full of sandwiches and drinks and set it on one of the dozens of picnic tables and leave it while you explore the park. No one will bother it. They’ll know you were there first.
You buy some tickets (or splurge for wrist bands if you want) and go send the kiddies on some rides. You can ride the #1 rated wooden coaster in the world for the last 6 years for I think $4.50.
There isn’t even a fence around Knoebels and there are single family homes located within the confines of the park. Crazy cool.