{"id":1452471,"date":"2022-04-25T08:15:55","date_gmt":"2022-04-25T12:15:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1452471"},"modified":"2022-04-25T08:16:16","modified_gmt":"2022-04-25T12:16:16","slug":"my-childhood-memories-dont-include-mickey-mouse-ears-and-i-have-no-regrets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/my-childhood-memories-dont-include-mickey-mouse-ears-and-i-have-no-regrets\/","title":{"rendered":"My Childhood Memories Don\u2019t Include Mickey Mouse Ears, And I Have No Regrets"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fmy-childhood-memories-dont-include-mickey-mouse-ears-and-i-have-no-regrets%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1452471&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Disney, Disney, Disney. Whether it\u2019s executives announcing their \u201cnot-at-all secret gay agenda,\u201d debates over whether to call those activists \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2022\/04\/07\/weirdos-who-want-to-sexualize-your-children-should-absolutely-be-stigmatized-as-groomers\/\">groomers<\/a>,\u201d or Gov. Ron DeSantis swinging back at the woke corporation, Disney keeps dominating the news cycle in one form or another.<\/p>\n<p>Soon it will dominate the season too. Summer is right around the corner, and with it many long-awaited vacations to a Disney park. As I\u2019ve been following the Disney news and anticipating my own summer getaways, I\u2019ve also been reminiscing on my childhood vacations.<\/p>\n<p>Like my colleague Joy Pullmann\u2019s recent <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2022\/04\/08\/cancel-your-disney-vacation-and-go-to-dollywood-instead\/\">excursion to Dollywood<\/a>, my family\u2019s annual theme park trips were equally devoid of Mickey Mouse ears and in-your-face Disney commercialism. Yet those vacations absolutely rocked, and someday I hope to take my kids to the same spot. You should too.<\/p>\n<h2>A Childhood to Remember<\/h2>\n<p>My mother is from Pennsylvania, so our vacations were always more of a chance for our family of four to visit extended family on the East Coast than to travel to a touristy spot. Every year over the Fourth of July, however, the Pennsylvania trip wasn\u2019t to my Granny and PopPop\u2019s house. <\/p>\n<p>It was to the campground at Knoebels Amusement Resort for a holiday weekend o\u2019 fun with our best family friends; my aunt, uncle, and cousins; and other friends from the Quaker State for a grand total of four neighboring campsites, 18 people, and more s\u2019mores than we\u2019d care to admit.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"680\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/1040417_10200199023360642_777358186_o.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-271187\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/1040417_10200199023360642_777358186_o.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/1040417_10200199023360642_777358186_o-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/1040417_10200199023360642_777358186_o-768x510-1.jpg 768w\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Our travel was always by minivan, caravanning with our Wisconsin friends, which always made the experience even more fun. We\u2019d stash walkie-talkies in each car so we could kill 16 hours of windshield time with sporadic banter because none of us kids had cell phones. With tents and rain flys strapped to the roof, fluffy headphones on hand to block out my parents\u2019 \u201cold-people music,\u201d and an excessive stockpile of Pringles and Twizzlers, we were set.<\/p>\n<p>Knoebels actually opened on a different July Fourth nearly 100 years ago with nothing more than a pool, a merry-go-round, and several food stands on some old farmland. It accumulated more rides over the years, with the Grand Carousel purchased just 10 days before the start of World War II. And since the \u201960s, when the campground was started with just nine sites, it has grown to more than 600.<\/p>\n<p>Much of the park\u2019s history remains, in the form of rough wooden roller coasters, weathered signage tacked to tree trunks, and a kitschy mascot. The aesthetic was reminiscent of \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=c0GeGHkiIfk&#038;ab_channel=MOVClips\">The Sandlot<\/a>\u201d rather than a princess blockbuster derivative.<\/p>\n<p>Those who require fairy dust and castle grandeur to pique their interest might wrinkle their noses, but as far as I\u2019m concerned, the quirks of the Pennsylvania park are assets, not weaknesses. The real magic isn\u2019t in bringing life to the characters from <em>someone else\u2019s <\/em>imagination; it\u2019s in bringing <em>yourself<\/em> more to life, as it were, by stimulating your own.<\/p>\n<h2>Rather Amusing<\/h2>\n<p>Knoebels accomplishes this masterfully through so many of its attractions. On its Antique Cars ride, children can get behind the wheel of a full-sized Model T and drive along a winding woodsy trail. It\u2019s not fast. It\u2019s not flashy. But as a child, I loved chauffeuring my parents around and pretending I had my drivers\u2019 license. <\/p>\n<p>My brother loved the handcarts until he outgrew them, which devastated the little guy. Here\u2019s how Knoebels <a href=\"https:\/\/www.knoebels.com\/rides\/hand-cars\">describes<\/a> that ride:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p>This kid-powered ride has been a popular choice for generations! \u2026 Kids sit with their legs outstretched and use a hand crank to propel the cart along a set of miniature train tracks. The faster they crank the wheel, the faster they go!<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>It\u2019s literally an upper-arm workout for children. There\u2019s nothing propelling them but their own baby biceps \u2014 and they still love it!<\/p>\n<p>And while carousels likely round out the list of rides Disney-goers never waste their time on, Knoebels\u2019 Grand Carousel is a fan favorite. It\u2019s one of the biggest carousels in the world and one of only a few that still has a ring dispenser, which hangs from a wall within reach of the outside-horse riders and dispenses steel rings one at a time \u2014 plus one brass ring each ride. The lucky winner who snatches it is rewarded with the cost of the ride in free tickets, plus their name announced over the loudspeaker.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"S12jqxpmiP\"><\/p>\n[embedded content]\n<p><\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Now if you figure out how to game the system (or if you have an older boy cousin who figures it out and teaches you), you can dangle almost all the way off the horse for maximized wingspan, reach an extra arm\u2019s length ahead of your horse and behind, and use all your fingers to hook a handful of rings in rapid succession. This little maneuver added a ridiculously competitive layer \u2014 never before seen on a merry-go-round, as you can imagine \u2014 to the otherwise humdrum enterprise, resulting in plenty of gut-busting laughs and the occasional jammed finger, plus an unappreciated exercise in hand-eye coordination and balance.<\/p>\n<p>Knoebels\u2019 roller coasters will take your breath away like not much else can. People born and raised on metal coasters that twist and turn with buttery smoothness and plush-covered bars securing them snugly inside can\u2019t possibly grasp the thrill that\u2019s possible on their rickety wooden counterparts. In fact, the first time I ever tried a steel coaster, I was bored. <\/p>\n<p>Never so on the Phoenix, which has won national awards as the best wooden coaster. Its lap bar locks a good 4-10 inches above the legs of the rider, meaning every hill tosses passengers into a near-standing position before they\u2019re finally caught by the safety mechanism. The result is pure adrenaline and masochistic whiplash.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"863\" height=\"597\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/17021551_10208808534033028_4967657623573516245_n-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-271189\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/17021551_10208808534033028_4967657623573516245_n-1.jpg 863w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/17021551_10208808534033028_4967657623573516245_n-1-300x208-1.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/17021551_10208808534033028_4967657623573516245_n-1-768x531-1.jpg 768w\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Besides its free admission (great for non-thrill-seeking grandparents) and remarkably low day-pass rate of <a href=\"https:\/\/tickets.knoebels.com\/webstore\/shop\/viewItems.aspx?cg=BP&#038;c=PS22&#038;utm_content=passes\">only $27<\/a> for kids under 48 inches and $40 for everyone else, one of the park\u2019s best features is the fact that lines are almost nonexistent. This is especially true first thing in the morning and as the sun is setting, to the point that if you can wriggle off a ride and hustle back past the ticket lady quickly enough, you might catch the very next cycle.<\/p>\n<h2>The Art of Appreciation<\/h2>\n<p>As children, we tuck away more meaningful memories than the sensation of thrill we derive from rapid spinning and mechanical plummeting. When you remove paid actors in fairytale attire from that equation, you\u2019re left with only mental snapshots of family time well spent \u2014 and those require no greedy branding to supplement them.<\/p>\n<p>A park ranger hollering at our dads for stacking three campfire rings into a veritable burn barrel. Dropping a quarter into the geyser machine to ambush unsuspecting Log Flume riders. Sprinting and shrieking through a torrential downpour. Trying on all the wacky hats from the hat stand to find the funniest fit. Sleeping outside under the stars. Watching my brother ride the StratosFear 100 times. Studying my dad\u2019s technique to develop the best Bumper Car strategy \u2014 and then using it against him on the Bumper Boats. These are the memories I cherish.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"539\" height=\"399\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/254380_1798124835252_1092336_n.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-271188\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/254380_1798124835252_1092336_n.jpg 539w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/254380_1798124835252_1092336_n-300x222-1.jpg 300w\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cNow I can\u2019t claim to be an expert on parenting, but I do think keeping your children\u2019s expectations low is a key to success,\u201d The Federalist Books Editor Mark Hemingway wrote in an old <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/weekly-standard\/easily-amused\">column<\/a> about Lakeside Amusement Park near Denver. \u201cMaybe my kids have no idea what they\u2019re missing because they\u2019ve so far been denied the pilgrimage to Orlando or Anaheim. As amusement parks go, Disneyland is impossible to top. But I see the looks on their faces every year at Lakeside as proof that the happiest place on earth can be wherever you want it to be.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Like training kids\u2019 tastes with off-brand groceries so they aren\u2019t picky snobs (another of my parents\u2019 tactics), experiences like Lakeside and Knoebels cultivate in children an appreciation for nonconventional and non-commercialized entertainment. Eliminating the overstimulating bells and whistles minimizes the unsatisfaction that occurs when a person encounters something so indulgent and over-the-top it desensitizes them to grandeur. How does one top the best of the best once they\u2019ve seen it?<\/p>\n<p>I still have never seen Disney. But I wouldn\u2019t trade our Knoebels memories for anything. My childhood had all the magic it could have ever needed, no Mickey Mouse required.<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" \/>\n<div class=\"article-author-description fst-italic\">\n  Kylee Zempel is an assistant editor at The Federalist. She previously worked as the copy editor for the Washington Examiner magazine and as an editor and producer at National Geographic. She holds a B.S. in Communication Arts\/Speech and an A.S. in Criminal Justice and writes on topics including feminism and gender issues, religious liberty, and criminal justice. Follow her on Twitter <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/kyleezempel\">@kyleezempel<\/a>.<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Disney, Disney, Disney. Whether it\u2019s executives announcing their \u201cnot-at-all secret gay agenda,\u201d debates over whether to call those activists \u201cgroomers,\u201d or Gov. Ron DeSantis swinging back at the woke corporation,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":514,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1452471","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1452471","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/514"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1452471"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1452471\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1452471"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1452471"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1452471"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}