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Park Hoppin
In association with Park Hoppin’with Susan Storey O
ne of the most talked about and special aspects of the amusement industry is its people. Professionals of all ages, from
all backgrounds, are united in their shared passion for rides, attractions, food, creativity and serving others. They will also refer to their colleagues and peers as members of their ‘extended’ family. Industry events, like this month’s IAAPA Expo, are just as much family reunions as they are business meetings. Discussions about per caps and travel
trends also include birth announcements and wedding celebrations and shared photos of children who are growing up in the middle of it all. There truly is something special about being part of a family that is made up of talented, smart, and fun people who live around the world. There’s another layer of the industry though that includes related families.
Those whose family focus includes their company. This year, my family’s travels, as well as professional assignments, connected me mostly with family owned and operated companies. Industry suppliers including Extreme Engineering, Sally Dark Rides, Galaxy Multi Rides and Daniels Wood Land are fascinating, successful businesses that understand family runs deep. Their family tree can be overlayed on an organisational chart. I’m fascinated by these companies. I try to imagine what it would be like to have the stresses of running a business while rising above petty childhood rivalries and worries of whether the grandchildren will want to take the helm one day. I’m also jealous of them. Their family bonds are stretched yet strengthened as together they build upon a generational legacy or are first-generation organisations that are creating the future for the next. I often imagine meals as the dinner scenes from CBS’ Blue Bloods where everyone tries not to talk shop, yet the connected focus and passion for what they do brings them back to discussing what did, could and should happen. I picture minor disagreements over pricing strategy occurring while passing the vegetables and celebrating honor roll accomplishments. I’m sure I’m simplifying it, but I also think there’s something really unique
about growing up in the industry and truly understanding what it is your parents do, and why what they do matters. As children, the concept of ‘going to work’ can seem abstract and foreign. Park families create tangible fun. Work is not just work, it’s a lifestyle that teaches flexibility, celebrates ingenuity, embraces quality time over quantity, and understands that together everyone achieves more.
My son, Aiden, and I visited Knoebel’s Amusement Park during the last
operating weekend of the 2023 season. Since 1926, the park has remained a family owned and operated, free-admission destination with a ride collection unlike any other. (The Flying Turns is as much fun as it is a wood-working masterpiece.) Throughout my career, I have been blessed to call Dick, Brian, and Haley Knoebel dear friends. Industry insiders will tell you they are the third, fourth and fifth generations of the park. We were excited to visit the park during the fall season, and the Knoebel family truly made sure we felt like we belonged. Serving the thousands of families who were experiencing that final weekend of operation was still focus number-one and it gave me a firsthand glimpse into how a family that works together truly succeeds together. Probably the funniest moment of the visit was within minutes of our arrival
when we were in the park’s Marketing offices. We were catching up with Brian and other team members when suddenly Dick Knoebel called Brian over the radio stating he could “see in the window he was hanging out in the office” and wondered why he wasn’t out helping during the busy night. I’m sure for most of us, such a call from a leader would prompt us to reply that we were coming right out. Brian was quick to say his office visit was my fault. When I went over to said window to wave down to Dick, we luckily got a smile back – but Brian still went back to work. It was memorable for me watching Brian respond to both Dad and company leader. Throughout the rest of the weekend, we met more of the extended Knoebel family members - by blood and marriage - along with so many long-tenured team members who in essence were also family members by being a part of the Knoebel’s park experience. At Knoebel’s, each building has a purpose and history, each ride has a story, and every aspect is lovingly safeguarded and shared. They work hard. They play hard. They are connected. My hometown park is Seabreeze in Rochester, New York. Also a family-
owned and operated park, Seabreeze is where many of my earliest childhood memories were made. Years later, when I met Rob and Deb Norris I felt like I was already part of their family, although I’m pretty sure they thought I was just some crazy fan of the Jack Rabbit. Their family business has impacted my family in so many ways. You could probably even say it may have helped spark some of my earliest ideas about my future career goals. So that brings me full circle. As the vast extended amusement industry family
comes together in Orlando, many are traveling with colleagues who have the dual titles of dad, sister, mother, brother, grandfather. I believe they are the VIPs of the industry. They create experiences for families just like their own. It’s why they are focused on safety. It’s why they adapt. It’s why they innovate. You could say they are the reasons this vast industry is really the incredibly large family we are all proud to be a part of.
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023 5
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