If you dislike amusement parks because of the lines / pricing / feeling like cattle, you'll probably enjoy Knoebels. It's the only amusement park I know of where you can ride a coaster, watch someone carve a tree, play some mini golf, take a train ride (without any "edgy" animatronics trying to force a hamfisted story in your face), watch a metalsmith do their thing, catch a ring on a merry go round, and eat the world's most amazing food for about $20.

Their banana split at the watermill is to die for. The thing weighs about 20 pounds and it's, I dunno, a dollar. Probably two now due to inflation.

Avoid Kennywood on weekdays in May, it's full of students on class trips.

Knoebels is great for families with kids. You have the option to only pay for the rides they get on, which is great when you've got small kids who tend to be unpredictable. They have award winning food that doesn't break the bank. And they are dog friendly, which is a huge bonus for some.

They have specials for a lot of weekends and half off wristbands Wednesday nights. It's almost always busy but a comfortable busy, lots of room for everyone to spread out so you don't feel claustrophobic.

Well, what is it that you hate about amusement parks? If we know that, we can give you ideas for times to go that mitigate those problems.

For example, if wandering around in the heat is a problem, then we could tell you to visit around opening day of the season, or during Halloween or Christmas events the park night have. Or, if crowds are the problem, we can suggest going on weekdays. If price is the problem, we can suggest lower admission days or discounts (not to mention, Knoebels is free to enter, and works on a wristband/ticket system). You get the idea.

So what headaches are you trying to minimize?

How old are your kids? If you're in the Pittsburgh area, Idewild is cheaper, less hectic, and has more stuff geared towards smaller children.