On our trip to DL last year, we did one day at Knotts. N E V E R A G A I N !!
Not only was it run down, dirty, and poorly staffed, my son had a terrifying experience at Camp Snoopy. He was 4 at the time, and was running from ride to ride. His one "thing" was that he was terrified of "spinny" type rides and anything that puts him high in the air. We were very proud of him for trying so many new things at Camp Snoopy! Well ... we see a school bus ride and he runs for it just as the ride is about to start. I ran behind him, watched him get in, stepped back AND THEN saw the signage. AND THEN saw that the school bus was not a gentle rocking back/forth ride ... but rather a platform that raises high up in the air and drops, then swings back around again and again. The ride operator was about to push the button and I told him that my son had to get off or he would completely freak out.... that it was totally my fault for not seeing the sign before letting him on (DS was just so excited to see a school bus he ran straight for it!). He should have been able to tell from the panicky look on my face that I had made a HUGE mistake allowing my son onto that ride.
THE OPERATOR REFUSED TO LET MY SON OFF THE RIDE.
He started the ride, my son started screaming in terror and yelling "I WANT OFF I WANT OFF MOOMMMMYYY!!!". I was livid. I MEAN ABSOLUTELY LIVID.
It took another child's very buff father threatening to wipe the floor with this obnoxious teenage operator before he would stop the ride. All of the other people watching were yelling at the operator, and he just WOULD NOT stop the ride. Finally he stopped the ride, my son ran bawling into my arms and the other guests behind him wanting to "talk" to the operator. Right after he stopped the ride, the phone rang at his booth, then "management" came over to talk with him.
This kid was gone from Camp Snoopy for the rest of the day (I hope he was fired) ... but my son was scared of rides for the rest of our trip. We did Knott's on the first day of our 6 day trip, with 5 days of DL to follow. He cried in line at every other ride until we finally got him to warm up with Peter Pan at DL.
My fault for not watching the signage better, yes. But there is ABSOLUTELY NO EXCUSE for starting the ride with my son on it. It's not like there was some mechanism that would only "undo" itself after the ride stopped. He just didn't WANT to help us.