Arrived at the park at 10:45 and walked around a bit to get our bearings. Some of this park is tough to navigate if you haven't been there before. Went right to Wildcat. I'll say it now, before any suspense...this is the best ride in the park. I have never ridden a WOODEN coaster that is as out of control as this one. It's fast, furious, and never let's up. Every corner is banked hard and the dips before the inclines are unique to give the greatest air time that we've ever experienced. Each time you hit air, you slide laterally in your seat, too. OH MY, I can go on and on...This coaster payed for the $30 admission right away...so we took two laps. This was a walk on ALL day, too!! 6 laps total before the rains or else it would have been 10 or 12!! We are coming back next year just to ride this coaster.
We rode the Wild Mouse accross from the Cat, and I'll say it again. CP needs one of these...retire the Wildcat and replace it with the Wild Mouse. Steve said, "it's CP's Wildcat on Viagra." We laughed and giggled around the whole track twice.
Lightening Racer: One lap each side and it's not even 11:30am yet! This is a good coaster, not the best, but very, very good. So many different elements make this special. My favorite is the weave. When you come off of the first duel and dive in and out of each other is truly dynamic. We'll get back to the LR in a minute.
We go to Comet Hollow, the Sooperdooperlooper is shut down for the entire day...that's a pooper! So we hit the Great Bear. Very good ride, but very short. We agreed that it needs a helix somewhere, but it has some great elements, too. Flying down Comet Hollow next to the Ski lift and the paddleboats is exciting. I still have no idea why people wait 6 extra trains to ride in the front, when the best ride is in the back, the g's are amazing, especially through the immelmann and corkscrew. We had 4 laps there also.
We hit the Comet, which is a classic. Then hit it ag椀渀 氀愀琀攀爀⸀㰀戀爀㸀䰀唀一䌀䠀㨀 䄀 爀愀挀欀 漀昀 爀椀戀猀Ⰰ 挀漀爀渀 漀渀 琀栀攀 挀漀戀 愀渀搀 吀攀砀愀猀 吀攀愀⸀ 䤀琀 眀愀猀 攀砀瀀攀渀猀椀瘀攀Ⰰ 戀甀琀 眀攀氀氀 眀漀爀琀栀 椀琀⸀ 㰀戀爀㸀吀爀愀椀氀戀氀愀稀攀爀㨀 圀愀礀 琀漀漀 猀栀漀爀琀Ⰰ 昀漀爀 愀 洀椀渀攀 爀椀搀攀Ⰰ 戀甀琀 椀琀✀猀 椀渀 琀栀攀 琀爀愀挀欀 爀攀挀漀爀搀 渀漀眀⸀㰀戀爀㸀匀椀搀攀眀椀渀搀攀爀㨀 䠀愀搀 琀眀漀 氀愀瀀猀 漀渀 琀栀椀猀⸀ 一漀眀Ⰰ 䤀✀瘀攀 渀攀瘀攀爀 戀攀攀渀 漀渀 愀 戀漀漀洀攀爀愀渀最 氀椀欀攀 琀栀椀猀 愀渀搀 椀琀 眀愀猀 琀攀爀爀椀昀椀挀Ⰰ 攀猀瀀攀挀椀愀氀氀礀 最漀椀渀最 戀愀挀欀眀愀爀搀猀⸀ 圀攀 琀栀漀甀最栀琀 愀戀漀甀琀 挀愀瀀愀挀椀琀礀 愀渀搀 挀愀洀攀 甀瀀 眀椀琀栀 琀栀椀猀⸀⸀⸀⸀䄀搀搀 愀渀漀琀栀攀爀 漀渀攀 琀栀愀琀 眀爀愀瀀猀 愀爀漀甀渀搀 琀栀攀 昀椀爀猀琀 漀渀攀Ⰰ 琀栀攀渀 挀愀瀀愀挀椀琀礀 椀猀 搀漀甀戀氀攀搀⸀ ⠀夀攀愀 爀椀最栀琀Ⰰ 愀渀搀 洀礀 渀攀砀琀 猀琀攀瀀 椀猀 漀渀 琀栀攀 洀漀漀渀⸀⸀⸀䤀 欀渀漀眀Ⰰ 䤀 欀渀漀眀⤀ 㰀戀爀㸀䤀琀 眀愀猀 最攀琀琀椀渀最 栀漀琀 猀漀 眀攀 眀攀渀琀 琀漀 吀椀搀愀氀 䘀漀爀挀攀⸀ 䤀 栀愀瘀攀 渀攀瘀攀爀 爀椀搀搀攀渀 漀渀攀 漀昀 琀栀攀猀攀 猀椀渀挀攀 愀氀氀 䤀 眀愀渀琀 琀漀 搀漀 椀猀 爀椀搀攀 挀漀愀猀琀攀爀猀Ⰰ 戀甀琀 眀攀 眀漀爀攀 漀甀爀 猀眀椀洀 猀甀椀琀猀⸀ 䤀 最漀 琀漀 䌀倀 攀瘀攀爀礀 礀攀愀爀 愀渀搀 渀攀瘀攀爀 栀愀瘀攀 爀椀搀搀攀渀 匀渀愀欀攀 刀椀瘀攀爀 䘀愀氀氀猀⸀⸀⸀琀栀愀琀 椀猀 挀栀愀渀最攀搀 渀漀眀⸀ 䤀昀 礀漀甀 眀愀渀琀 琀漀 最攀琀 挀漀漀氀攀搀 漀昀昀 漀渀 愀 栀漀琀 搀愀礀Ⰰ 一椀欀攀 猀愀礀猀⸀⸀⸀䨀唀匀吀 䐀伀 䤀吀℀℀ 圀栀愀琀 愀 最爀攀愀琀 琀栀爀椀氀氀⸀ 䤀 眀漀爀攀 洀礀 猀甀渀最氀愀猀猀攀猀 琀椀攀搀 琀漀 洀礀 栀攀愀搀 愀渀搀 琀栀攀 眀愀氀氀 漀昀 眀愀琀攀爀 漀渀 ㌀ 猀椀搀攀猀 漀昀 琀栀攀 戀漀愀琀 椀猀 樀甀猀琀 愀洀愀稀椀渀最⸀ 圀攀 眀爀椀渀最攀搀 漀甀琀 漀甀爀 挀氀漀琀栀攀猀 愀渀搀 栀攀愀搀攀搀 漀渀 琀栀攀 䘀氀礀椀渀最 䘀愀氀挀漀渀⸀ 一漀眀Ⰰ 眀栀礀 椀渀 琀栀攀 眀漀爀氀搀 愀爀攀 琀栀攀礀 最攀琀琀椀渀最 爀椀搀 漀昀 琀栀椀猀㼀㼀 䨀甀猀琀 洀漀瘀攀 琀栀攀 琀栀椀渀最⸀ 䤀琀✀猀 愀 最爀攀愀琀 爀椀搀攀⸀ 吀栀攀礀 栀愀瘀攀 瀀氀攀渀琀礀 漀昀 爀漀漀洀 琀漀 洀漀瘀攀 椀琀℀㰀戀爀㸀圀攀 洀攀琀 䌀漀愀猀琀攀爀瀀甀渀欀 愀渀搀 匀栀攀氀氀礀 椀渀 䴀椀搀眀愀礀 䄀洀攀爀椀挀愀 愀昀琀攀爀 琀栀攀 昀椀爀猀琀 爀愀椀渀 猀琀漀爀洀 栀椀琀⸀ 䜀漀漀搀 瀀攀漀瀀氀攀Ⰰ 椀琀 眀愀猀 最爀攀愀琀 琀漀 洀攀攀琀 戀漀琀栀 漀昀 礀漀甀℀℀ 圀攀 栀椀搀 椀渀 琀栀攀 戀愀琀栀爀漀漀洀 昀漀爀 ㌀ 洀椀渀甀琀攀猀 眀栀椀氀攀 昀氀愀猀栀攀猀 漀昀 氀椀最栀琀渀椀渀最 栀椀琀 戀礀 琀栀攀 爀愀挀攀爀⸀⸀⸀最漀 昀椀最甀爀攀℀℀ 䌀漀愀猀琀攀爀瀀甀渀欀 ⠀䐀愀渀⤀ 猀愀椀搀 琀漀 爀椀搀攀 䌀漀渀攀猀琀漀最愀Ⰰ 猀漀 眀攀 搀椀搀⸀ 䤀琀✀猀 挀椀爀挀甀氀愀爀 眀愀最漀渀 爀椀搀攀 琀栀愀琀 栀愀猀 猀漀洀攀 最爀攀愀琀 愀椀爀 琀椀洀攀⸀ 圀攀 栀椀琀 吀椀搀愀氀 䘀漀爀挀攀 愀最愀椀渀 愀渀搀 䌀愀渀礀漀渀 刀椀瘀攀爀 刀愀瀀椀搀猀 愀爀漀甀渀搀 㔀瀀洀Ⰰ 琀栀愀琀 挀漀漀氀攀搀 甀猀 漀昀昀⸀ 䌀刀刀 椀猀 愀 最漀漀搀 爀愀瀀椀搀猀 爀椀搀攀⸀⸀⸀樀甀猀琀 戀攀眀愀爀攀 琀栀愀琀 椀昀 礀漀甀 琀栀椀渀欀 栀愀氀昀 眀愀礀 琀栀爀漀甀最栀 琀栀攀 爀椀搀攀Ⰰ 琀栀愀琀 礀漀甀 眀椀氀氀 渀漀琀 最攀琀 眀攀琀Ⰰ 戀攀眀愀爀攀 漀昀 琀栀攀 䌀愀渀礀漀渀 漀昀 搀漀漀洀℀℀㰀戀爀㸀㰀戀爀㸀圀攀 爀漀搀攀 琀栀攀 䴀漀渀漀爀愀椀氀⸀ 䤀昀 礀漀甀 最漀Ⰰ 琀愀欀攀 洀椀渀甀琀攀猀 愀渀搀 爀椀搀攀 琀栀椀猀⸀ 䤀琀 最漀攀猀 椀渀琀漀 琀栀攀 挀椀琀礀 漀甀琀猀椀搀攀 琀栀攀 瀀愀爀欀 渀攀愀爀 琀栀攀 䌀栀漀挀漀氀愀琀攀 䘀愀挀琀漀爀礀 愀渀搀 愀爀漀甀渀搀 娀漀漀 䄀洀攀爀椀挀愀⸀ 䜀爀攀愀琀 瀀椀挀琀甀爀攀猀 挀愀渀 戀攀 琀愀欀攀渀 昀爀漀洀 栀攀爀攀Ⰰ 琀漀漀⸀ 㰀戀爀㸀㰀戀爀㸀吀栀攀 眀攀椀爀搀攀猀琀 琀栀椀渀最 栀愀瀀瀀攀渀攀搀 愀爀漀甀渀搀 㠀㨀㌀ 瀀洀⸀ 圀攀 爀漀搀攀 琀栀攀 圀椀氀搀挀愀琀 琀眀o more times and the Wild Mouse again, then headed for the Lightening Racer. BUT, it was only running ONE train on both sides. How disgusting. The wait was about 30 minutes. As we approached the trains, we see this huge, ugly cloud looming to the north. We are only two trains away and the phone rings. I said, "That's the call from hell." Sure enough, they closed the ride!! People were completely pissed. I mean, one guy got into a serious shouting match with the operators since they would only let us exit through the entrance. PLUS, why were they only running one train per side, when earlier in the day it was a walk on with two?? We almost got into a riot with upset patrons. It was wild!! Security was called up and it almost became brutal. We ran back to the arcades before the rains hit, thank god, I won a stuffed animal for my wife in skeeball.
When the rains subsided at 9:45pm, we began walking back to the front to go back to the hotel. I heard something....it was the Comet still running in the rain. We ran back to it and rode it 2 times without stopping in the back seat!! What a way to finish a great day.
Even though the rains took about 2 hours of our ride time, we rode 14 different rides about 35 times.
If you go to Kennywood or Hersheypark, notice the attention to detail at both parks. It's beautiful. Park attendants go out of their way to please. PKI and SFO should send committees out to take notes, because it was truly a special two days. The God's of wooden roller coasters planted seeds in Pennsylvania...go see what they've reaped.
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There's nothing like a woodie...
*** This post was edited by Woody on 7/22/2000. ***
To add to this: Jeff (our webmaster...or Webmaster J our friends affectionately call him) wrote about the same type of trip report in May when he went. He hit it right on the head. Kennywood and Hersheypark are outstanding. Each ride is completely unique with it's own bloom. Thanks for the great tips, Jeff, Dan, and Ryan!!!
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There's nothing like a woodie...
If you think Hershey's great wait untill you hit Knoebels next year. :) It's best mid week when Twisters a walk on.
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Parks hit for 2000!
PKD,BGW,Knoebels,DP,HP,PKI,HW,SFKK,SFA,SFNE,LC,GE,QP, Camden, SFO,CP,WL,IW,KW
