Kennywood 8/5
Associated parks:
None
Of all the places I've been this year I wanted to make it a point to go back to Kennywood. I didn't want to do it on the traditionally busiest day of the year, but with other various things scheduled it was the only time we could go. Steph and my friend Brandon (his first time) made the three hour drive from Cleveland.
I have to pause and say that navigating Pittsburgh sucks. As nasty as it was, how could people get anywhere on a business day?
The payoff was good weather and an efficient park staff. It was busy, no question about it, but the lines moved very quickly for everything. The longest wait we had was a half-hour for Thunderbolt.
Steel Phantom: OK, I thought I'd give it another shot. Bad idea. The forces applied to your body are extreme, and certainly not healthy. I can take sustained G's and disorienting motion. I can even take the tossing about on your average wood coaster. But when people are grabbing their necks and backs, something just ain't right. Even on a busy day, it was a walk on, and no wonder that they're going to tear it down. Now I wonder what those metal surveying stakes in the asphalt are about outside of the exit...
Exterminator: Wow! I didn't get to ride this on my last ride. I don't understand why people give it bad reviews. It's superb! Great fun, especially when the cars are let loose to rotate. The seating positions are clever, the theme of the giant rat cars is fun, and overall it offered a crazy ride. Different every time! Every park needs one of these, enclosed or not.
Thunderbolt: Wow, what a different ride it gave compared to its opening day. I wouldn't go as far as to say it's rough, but it felt more "broken in." The last drop still blows me away. They did seem to have some kind of alignment problem at the transfer, because the train was banging through it pretty hard.
Racer: This was the other one I didn't get to ride last visit. What a very neat 漀愀猀琀攀爀⸀ 䤀 爀攀愀氀氀礀 氀椀欀攀搀 琀栀攀 眀愀礀 椀琀 爀愀渀⸀ 䤀琀✀猀 椀渀 最爀攀愀琀 挀漀渀搀椀琀椀漀渀 挀漀渀猀椀搀攀爀椀渀最 椀琀猀 愀最攀 愀渀搀 琀栀攀礀 栀愀搀 椀琀 最爀攀愀猀攀搀 甀瀀 琀漀 瀀攀爀昀攀挀琀椀漀渀⸀ 吀栀攀 漀渀氀礀 琀栀椀渀最 漀搀搀 眀愀猀 琀栀攀 氀愀挀欀 漀昀 䜀攀洀椀渀椀ⴀ攀猀焀甀攀 栀愀渀搀 猀洀愀挀欀椀渀最℀ 㰀戀爀㸀 㰀戀爀㸀㰀戀㸀䨀愀挀欀 刀愀戀戀椀琀㨀㰀⼀戀㸀 䈀礀 猀漀洀攀 猀琀爀愀渀最攀 挀栀愀渀挀攀Ⰰ 䈀爀愀渀搀漀渀 愀渀搀 䤀 攀渀搀攀搀 甀瀀 椀渀 琀栀攀 昀爀漀渀琀 猀攀愀琀Ⰰ 瀀爀攀挀椀猀攀氀礀 琀栀攀 漀瀀瀀漀猀椀琀攀 攀渀搀 䤀 眀愀猀 栀漀瀀椀渀最 昀漀爀⸀ 匀琀椀氀氀Ⰰ 攀瘀攀渀 椀渀 琀栀攀 昀爀漀渀琀Ⰰ 琀栀攀 愀椀爀琀椀洀攀 漀渀 琀栀攀 搀漀甀戀氀攀 搀椀瀀 眀愀猀 椀渀猀愀渀攀氀礀 最漀漀搀⸀ 䰀椀欀攀 吀栀甀渀搀攀爀戀漀氀琀Ⰰ 琀栀攀 爀椀搀攀 椀猀 漀瘀攀爀 眀栀攀渀 椀琀 爀攀愀氀氀礀 猀琀愀爀琀猀 琀漀 氀攀琀 最漀⸀ 㰀戀爀㸀 㰀戀爀㸀吀栀攀 昀漀漀搀 眀愀猀 漀甀琀猀琀愀渀搀椀渀最 愀渀搀 琀栀攀 猀攀爀瘀椀挀攀 攀瘀攀渀 戀攀琀琀攀爀Ⰰ 戀甀琀 䤀✀洀 渀漀琀 猀甀爀攀 䤀 眀漀甀氀搀 爀愀琀攀 椀琀 愀戀漀瘀攀 䈀䜀圀 昀漀漀搀 愀猀 琀栀攀 㰀椀㸀䄀吀㰀⼀椀㸀 瀀漀氀氀 搀椀搀⸀ 㰀戀爀㸀 㰀戀爀㸀䬀攀渀渀礀眀漀漀搀 椀猀 愀渀 漀甀琀猀琀愀渀搀椀渀最 瀀愀爀欀 椀渀 愀氀洀漀猀琀 攀瘀攀爀礀 眀愀礀⸀⸀⸀ 最爀攀愀琀 爀椀搀攀猀 ⠀攀猀瀀攀挀椀愀氀氀礀 琀栀攀 瘀愀爀椀攀琀礀 漀昀 昀氀愀琀 爀椀搀攀猀⤀Ⰰ 昀爀椀攀渀搀氀礀 猀琀愀昀昀Ⰰ 挀栀愀爀洀Ⰰ 最漀漀搀 昀漀漀搀⸀⸀⸀ 栀椀最栀 洀愀爀欀猀 愀氀氀 愀爀漀甀渀搀⸀ 䤀 氀漀漀欀 昀漀爀眀愀爀搀 琀漀 琀栀攀椀爀 渀攀眀 爀椀搀攀℀ 㰀戀爀㸀 㰀戀爀㸀ⴀⴀⴀⴀⴀⴀⴀⴀⴀⴀⴀⴀⴀ 㰀戀爀㸀䨀攀昀昀 㰀戀爀㸀圀攀戀洀愀猀琀攀爀⼀䄀搀洀椀渀 ⴀ 䌀漀愀猀琀攀爀䈀甀稀稀⸀挀漀洀
I have to pause and say that navigating Pittsburgh sucks. As nasty as it was, how could people get anywhere on a business day?
The payoff was good weather and an efficient park staff. It was busy, no question about it, but the lines moved very quickly for everything. The longest wait we had was a half-hour for Thunderbolt.
Steel Phantom: OK, I thought I'd give it another shot. Bad idea. The forces applied to your body are extreme, and certainly not healthy. I can take sustained G's and disorienting motion. I can even take the tossing about on your average wood coaster. But when people are grabbing their necks and backs, something just ain't right. Even on a busy day, it was a walk on, and no wonder that they're going to tear it down. Now I wonder what those metal surveying stakes in the asphalt are about outside of the exit...
Exterminator: Wow! I didn't get to ride this on my last ride. I don't understand why people give it bad reviews. It's superb! Great fun, especially when the cars are let loose to rotate. The seating positions are clever, the theme of the giant rat cars is fun, and overall it offered a crazy ride. Different every time! Every park needs one of these, enclosed or not.
Thunderbolt: Wow, what a different ride it gave compared to its opening day. I wouldn't go as far as to say it's rough, but it felt more "broken in." The last drop still blows me away. They did seem to have some kind of alignment problem at the transfer, because the train was banging through it pretty hard.
Racer: This was the other one I didn't get to ride last visit. What a very neat 漀愀猀琀攀爀⸀ 䤀 爀攀愀氀氀礀 氀椀欀攀搀 琀栀攀 眀愀礀 椀琀 爀愀渀⸀ 䤀琀✀猀 椀渀 最爀攀愀琀 挀漀渀搀椀琀椀漀渀 挀漀渀猀椀搀攀爀椀渀最 椀琀猀 愀最攀 愀渀搀 琀栀攀礀 栀愀搀 椀琀 最爀攀愀猀攀搀 甀瀀 琀漀 瀀攀爀昀攀挀琀椀漀渀⸀ 吀栀攀 漀渀氀礀 琀栀椀渀最 漀搀搀 眀愀猀 琀栀攀 氀愀挀欀 漀昀 䜀攀洀椀渀椀ⴀ攀猀焀甀攀 栀愀渀搀 猀洀愀挀欀椀渀最℀ 㰀戀爀㸀 㰀戀爀㸀㰀戀㸀䨀愀挀欀 刀愀戀戀椀琀㨀㰀⼀戀㸀 䈀礀 猀漀洀攀 猀琀爀愀渀最攀 挀栀愀渀挀攀Ⰰ 䈀爀愀渀搀漀渀 愀渀搀 䤀 攀渀搀攀搀 甀瀀 椀渀 琀栀攀 昀爀漀渀琀 猀攀愀琀Ⰰ 瀀爀攀挀椀猀攀氀礀 琀栀攀 漀瀀瀀漀猀椀琀攀 攀渀搀 䤀 眀愀猀 栀漀瀀椀渀最 昀漀爀⸀ 匀琀椀氀氀Ⰰ 攀瘀攀渀 椀渀 琀栀攀 昀爀漀渀琀Ⰰ 琀栀攀 愀椀爀琀椀洀攀 漀渀 琀栀攀 搀漀甀戀氀攀 搀椀瀀 眀愀猀 椀渀猀愀渀攀氀礀 最漀漀搀⸀ 䰀椀欀攀 吀栀甀渀搀攀爀戀漀氀琀Ⰰ 琀栀攀 爀椀搀攀 椀猀 漀瘀攀爀 眀栀攀渀 椀琀 爀攀愀氀氀礀 猀琀愀爀琀猀 琀漀 氀攀琀 最漀⸀ 㰀戀爀㸀 㰀戀爀㸀吀栀攀 昀漀漀搀 眀愀猀 漀甀琀猀琀愀渀搀椀渀最 愀渀搀 琀栀攀 猀攀爀瘀椀挀攀 攀瘀攀渀 戀攀琀琀攀爀Ⰰ 戀甀琀 䤀✀洀 渀漀琀 猀甀爀攀 䤀 眀漀甀氀搀 爀愀琀攀 椀琀 愀戀漀瘀攀 䈀䜀圀 昀漀漀搀 愀猀 琀栀攀 㰀椀㸀䄀吀㰀⼀椀㸀 瀀漀氀氀 搀椀搀⸀ 㰀戀爀㸀 㰀戀爀㸀䬀攀渀渀礀眀漀漀搀 椀猀 愀渀 漀甀琀猀琀愀渀搀椀渀最 瀀愀爀欀 椀渀 愀氀洀漀猀琀 攀瘀攀爀礀 眀愀礀⸀⸀⸀ 最爀攀愀琀 爀椀搀攀猀 ⠀攀猀瀀攀挀椀愀氀氀礀 琀栀攀 瘀愀爀椀攀琀礀 漀昀 昀氀愀琀 爀椀搀攀猀⤀Ⰰ 昀爀椀攀渀搀氀礀 猀琀愀昀昀Ⰰ 挀栀愀爀洀Ⰰ 最漀漀搀 昀漀漀搀⸀⸀⸀ 栀椀最栀 洀愀爀欀猀 愀氀氀 愀爀漀甀渀搀⸀ 䤀 氀漀漀欀 昀漀爀眀愀爀搀 琀漀 琀栀攀椀爀 渀攀眀 爀椀搀攀℀ 㰀戀爀㸀 㰀戀爀㸀ⴀⴀⴀⴀⴀⴀⴀⴀⴀⴀⴀⴀⴀ 㰀戀爀㸀䨀攀昀昀 㰀戀爀㸀圀攀戀洀愀猀琀攀爀⼀䄀搀洀椀渀 ⴀ 䌀漀愀猀琀攀爀䈀甀稀稀⸀挀漀洀
You know, before I got on this site I never had any interest to visit Pennsylvania but after all the great things I hear over and over again about Kennywood I now have a reason.
On Thunderbolt, I noticed the transfer track banging coming into the station, too. That was strange, since the rest of the ride was outstanding. And I also noticed the lack of hand smacking on the Racer. Then, I remembered that the bathrooms did not have that hand sanitizer outside the doors like CP... :]
You really hit it on the head, K-Wood is a great place to be.
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There's nothing like a woodie...
You really hit it on the head, K-Wood is a great place to be.
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There's nothing like a woodie...
I agree Chitown. Heck, I didn't really know all that much about the PA parks, but now that I have seen the light, I can't wait to go next year. I may even cancel my semi-annual CP trip just to add an extra day in PA. I plan on hitting Kennywood, Hershey, Dorney, and Knoebles. I think that's all of them. I'll only have 4 days to spend so I need to make it worth my while. If anyone has any suggestions send them along. I'd love to hear them. :-)
-JJ
-JJ
Jeff, while we disagree on Steel Phantom, I totally agree with you on Exterminator. I thought this ride was alot of fun. Spin, spin and spin. I was cracking up the whole time.
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