The pigs are flying! Kennywood has a map!

Can't believe it, but Kennywood has finally created a park map. I think this is the first year for it. In the past you could get a really basic black and white map at the park, but it was nothing more than a xerox. You can see a JPG of the new map on their site.

http://www.kennywood.com/img/map/KW_05_printmap_1.jpg

Wow... Old news.

If you find that exciting just wait until you see that you can fit our map in your pocket!

Wow! Look at all the space the park has on the left and right side of the map. I'm sure they will put in THREE B&M COASTERS next year! ;)

I know... I know... they are getting a Screaming Swing :)

Anyways, nice to see they actually have a full-fledged map. It was news to me!

~Rob Willi

And a very attractive map it is. Much more useful than those cartoony maps most major theme parks use.

Sweeeeeet.

Gee, the parks looks so much smaller and less confusing than I remember it. ;)

Meh, who needs a map? ;-) The best part about Kennywood is "discovering" things on your own, at least for a first-timer.

-Tina

There map kind of reminds me of Knoebels. Must be a K thing. ;)

actually, millrace, I beg to differ. This map communicates nothing except the size and distance between rides.

If you were visiting the park for the first time and just looked at the picture and not the text, how could you tell what was a roller coaster and what was a log flume or car ride? What's underneath all those brown roofs? A swing ride or a whip? And what the heck is Exterminator, anyway?

The worst example of this type of map is Herschend's. Dollywood's map shows Thunderhead's station but none of the coaster, so a first timer could theoretically not even know there was a coaster back to the left of the entrance. I think a well done, exaggerated map can actually convey much more meaning and be much more useful than this bland-o accurate but uninformative overhead crap.

coasterniece,
that's b/c both maps are done by the same company, who do lots of other park maps as well. The map is free to the park, and the company charges advertisers (such as National Bank on the Kennywood map) for ad space on the maps and in-park signage.

Give me the Bland-o but accurate overhead map any day over the cartoons.

On some of those cartoon maps I have to stop and wonder... "Okay, does that path really connect or is it just to the entrance to that building". I also find the cartoon maps to be very deceiving of the size of parks... and I suppose that is intentional. to me, the parks always look bigger than they really are on those cartoon maps and show no sense of size or walking distance.

Some, such as Cedar Point, I even had some trouble trying to figure out just exactly where the stations were for some of their coasters.

I like the Knoebels style of map the best. Giving enough of a 3-D view to be Interesting... but yet being 2-D and overhead enough to still be informative and helpful with out being confusing. Kennywood's new map is a close second. I will take this style any day over the Cedar Fair (and others) cartoon style.

I thought the pig flying moment was when Kennywood finally offered Season/Annual passes?

Flying Pigs? Does this mean SFMM Revolution is getting fully restored for its 30th Birthday?

Please, please, please, please, please. :)

Oh wait that involves some sort of freezing incident.

Never mind. :(

That's really different the way the park is surrounded by peas-- or are those green M&Ms? Just kidding, it's a pretty good map.

On the other hand, I found King's Dominion's map uninformative and mostly worthless. They only highlight about a dozen or so major rides-- no mention of any other ride. So you're left to find where things are by guessing at their shape on the map.

They also list the shops, food stands, and games with a number and a colored symbol for each. The only problem is, the list where they're all located is in alphabetical not numerical order. If you're looking for a specific place and you know it's name, that might be helpful. But if you're trying to figure what building you're standing in front of and how to get to Point B, forget it. I'd expect much better from an operation of that size.

I love the block violation on Phantom.

Well while we're dissing the map, I'd like to add it would be much less confusing if the map were rotated 180 degrees. When I read a map after walking in the entrance, I expect the entrance to be at the bottom not the top, with what's ahead of me well, in front of me on the map. Granted, I'm not entirely sure which direction is north at Kennywood, but still.

Am I alone on this?

The Kennywood map would be facing Southwest. Believe me, I've fielded quite a few questions from people who can't quite figure out where things are because of the orientation of the map.

Marimba,

nope, you're right. The entrance should always be at the bottom of the page unless there's a REALLY good reason. A perspective view of kennywood might merit the entrance at the top due to the hills at the back of the park, but I can't see why they'd do it on a straight on overhead.

The only acceptable reason (not good) I can think of for displaying the map this way would be if it was set up with North being straight up - but that isn't the case here at all. North is actually down and to the right. Strange decision.

I am still happy for the map though :)

i was just at Kennywood last week for the first time and thought the map was a nice touch, considering that the park is built on the hilly terrain of western PA and not all rides are right in front of you.

I guess that this is a sign of modernization for Kennywood.