The Phoenix

Awesome coaster they did a great job in preserving this coaster and moving it across the US years ago. It was running like greased lightning this fall!

Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! This is a hell of a wooden coaster. Tons of airtime and an incessant feeling that you’ll fall out of your seat, but it’s never too rough. Highly recommended.

Excellent Ride! Had a great time with my teenage daughter.
Had the opportunity to sit front seat and enjoyed everything about this coaster.

4.5 to 5 stars!
Rollercoaster preservation must be gaining in momentum. For example, just last year Six Flags Great America bought a classic junior coaster, the Little Dipper, from Kiddieland near Chicago when that park closed. The Phoenix was previously known as the Rocket, located at Playland Park near San Antonio, TX. It was built in 1948 by the famous Philadelphia Toboggan Company and in 1985, it was sold and moved to Knoebel’s. Knoebel’s carefully rebuilt it piece-​by-​piece and renamed it the Phoenix.
The Phoenix is a classic double out-​n-​back (meaning it takes you out and back to the same point twice) woodie that’s 3,000 feet long and 76 feet high. I’m not sure exactly how fast this thing goes, but between the Phoenix and the Twister, Knoebel’s has two awesome wooden coasters on its hands.
The Phoenix begins by dropping slightly into a very dark tunnel, wheels screeching loudly as it rounds a sharp curve. Emerging from the tunnel, it goes right into its lift hill. The safety ratchet really rattles as the ride lifts skyward, cresting the hill under a short canopy with the American flag. For a brief moment, riders get a glimpse of the drop and the 180 degree boomerang at the other end of the ride.
The Phoenix makes a very quick drop, then it’s back up again and into the boomerang, after which it takes a second drop. From there it takes some quick bunnyhop airtime hills and briefly goes through its own structure, before doing another 180. Then it does another quick drop before going into a series of about 4 or 5 airtime hills. It does its last 180 before doing a final set of airtime hills again. Finally the ride enters the station canopy, still going at a great clip before it hits the brakes.
Like all woodie fans, I judge a great one on the number of airtime hills and on how rough the ride is. And believe me, this thing delivers on both!