Kennywood PTR 7/3/07

[Bubba Z]

First off,  Thanks guys for posting some photos from the trip you took!

My Kennywood trip has been three years in the making. I left my house at 5am so I would arrive at park opening. Well, the park didn't open till 10:30 and I was an hour early driving into my paid parking spot. After I parked I took in some scenery. Not much of a skyline,  but the older woodies would make up for it.


Once inside we headed straight for Phantom's Revenge only to find it closed.



Just like Phantom's we found everything else was closed in the park as well. It wouldn't be until 11 for our first ride.


If you couldn't tell or know ..That's Noah's ark.  It's a dark ride that you walk through. The fun part was the rocking boat and looking at the creepy animals.  I really had no Idea what to except but it turned out pretty fun at the end. After that we kept walking around wondering what coaster would open first. Here are a couple of things we saw along the way.
 
Cedar Point or KW ?


PKD or KW?


The original park facade when it opened


An over Hyped French Fry place


Once that was done we found ourselves in Lost Kennywood staring at Pitt Fall


It was the only thing running in the whole park at the time so I jumped on with no hesitation. The drop was rather quick, but I did enjoy the views of the river. After that,  it was two more laps around the park until our first coaster of  the day ...Thunderbolt.  The drop out of the station was great, followed by some crazy laterals  and head choppers.



Taken while eating Patch Fries.


The turtles were running so we took a ride before heading to Phantom's Revenge


Finally in the station for Phantom I was excited to finally experience the "Second Drop"  and the side lift restraints. Once out of the station we spent the next two minutes climbing the lift hill. I really do think the lift is the longest part of the whole ride.  The first drop was like any other Arrow banked and straight but this time with no loop. This was followed by  another hill leading up to the second drop. This was my favorite part of the ride. The speed followed by the Thunderbolt head chopper was great.  The only other part I liked was the final drop into the brake run.  I only rode it once , which is ashame I guess ....but I really thought there would be more to it. Maybe night rides will be better in October?  Here's my only photo with a train .



The only other coaster that wasn't old or wood was the exterminator.



Here's another ride I had no clue about. I thought it was a dark ride for some reason not a coaster. This has to be the best themed mouse coaster I've been on. The spinning became to much for at the end as I gave up and closed my eyes so I wouldn't get sick. Even after all that I found it to be a great ride.

So, I continue on the dizzy scene as I hit up the screaming swing, and the new Disko'



The alien music was a little annoying, plus the program seemed a little short compared to Sea side and A.C.



We finished up most of the rides on that side of the park and headed for Racer. The smell of old wood alone in the station was fantastic. This was a fun ride even if nobody wanted to slap hands with me at the top of the lift.


awesome station


Red train ruled all day


final brake run.


Yes..If you were wondering,  I went back and rode the other side for the full credit.

4 down and only two credits Left.   The double down of this ride is amazing. That's all you need to know and no it's not Lil' phantom



Another coaster I wasn't really excepting much from the layout, but the air time was crazy!  Plus that final hill into the brake run seemed it could fall over at any time. This turned out to be my favorite coaster of the day even after Thunderbolt warmed up.

Last couple of rides of the day were ..



 ^  To cool off,  To Whore...


 ^ 217 Chuck. Don't worry not even close yet.

And finally  the old time racer taken from the train ride which was relaxing, but a waste of time.




Kennywood was fun and enjoyable, clean and Historic, but I left with a feeling of disappointment. I guess it's Phantom's fault for being so blah. Or maybe the fact I had to wait around for an hour and half to ride something got me in a bad mood to begin with.  Even with great rides on Thunderbolt , Racer and Jack Rabbit still have the park at a soild 7, sorry.

I'll give it another run in October for Phantom fright Night

[PcMan]

Phantoms Revenge gets better the more you ride it.
I think I got about around 6 rides in that day
did a few jump back in empty seat maneuvers for re-ride

Great TR

So it took you about 4 1/2 hours not bad

[darkridedan]

Nice trip report Bubba. I'm glad you made it. I waited 6 years between visits. I wish you waited for us but I have a feeling we'll be back!

[PcMan]

it was my first visit and a Nice Classic park
Rob what was the word on a new coaster at kennywood ?

will be back
Definitely next year with the New Ravine Flyer 2 going up in Erie

edit:
Rob I found the info  posted below

Park planning for 2 new coasters, 7 more rides, hotel and indoor water park on 45 new acres.

Below is a Year old so behind schedule

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

WEST MIFFLIN, PA - Kennywood park announced its $60 million expansion plan to the public yesterday afternoon at a small press conference inside the park. Since last May when Kennywood announced it had bought property in the neighboring borough of Duquesne, the park has spent $2 million planning the expansion. "The planning process took us around ten months to complete," said Harry Henniger, Jr., president of Kennywood Entertainment. "We contacted several firms, some ride-based, some landscaping-based, and some architecture-based and came to agreements with several of them."

The ride companies include the Swiss company Intamin, AG, The Gravity Group, LLC, S&S Sports Power, Huss, and Zamperala. The company that will handle the architecture will be HOK, Inc. of Kansas City, MO, the same company that designed PNC Park for the Pittsburgh Pirates. This is the first time that Kennywood has worked with HOK; however, Kennywood has worked with all but one of the ride companies in the past. "We have a good working relationship with Intamin, Huss, S&S, and Zamperala and are looking very much forward to working with the very talented and creative engineers at the Gravity Group," said Henniger.

The Gravity Group will construct a brand new, state-of-the-art wooden coaster for the park, set to open in 2008. In classic Kennywood fashion, the new wooden coaster will take advantage of a huge natural ravine on the new property. "We've designed it so that the ride flows with the grade and travels deeper and deeper into the ravine as the ride goes along, allowing the ride to actually gain momentum instead of losing it," commented Henniger. In addition to being the biggest of Kennywood's wooden coasters, the ride will be the longest of the wooden coasters at an expected length of over one mile. The Gravity Group opened its second coaster this spring called the Voyage at Holiday World Park in Indiana. That coaster is over 6,000 feet long and has received several acclamations. A Gravity Group spokesperson commented that Kennywood and the Gravity Group have come up with a design that will "out-do" the Group's first two projects. "As a new company, we feel that we need each project to be better than the previous, and in working with Kennywood, that is what we feel we have done here." The new wooden coaster will cost approximately $5 million and will open for the 2008 season.

Builders of the 1997 Pitt Fall and the 1985 Raging Rapids, Intamin, AG will again be called for a major Kennywood project, only this time it will be for a roller coaster. Intamin will construct what they call a "rocket coaster," or a coaster that is launched instead of pulled up a hill by a chain. Such rides include Cedar Point's Top Thrill Dragster and Hersheypark's Storm Runner. Two big differences between previous rocket coasters and the one planned for Kennywood are the length and the terrain. Kennywood plans on taking advantage of the ravine in order to increase both the total drop and total length of their new steel coaster. "By using the terrain, we can keep adding momentum to the train throughout the course, allowing for a longer layout, let alone a huge drop," commented Henniger. The new steel coaster is to boast five inversions, a 177 foot tall "top hat" element with a total drop of 272 feet, an 80 mph launch in 2.8 seconds, a top speed of 93 mph, and more than 4,000 feet of track. "We wanted something that will capture the riders, scare them, flip them, dominate them, while still keeping them safe," said Henniger. This will also be the third attempt at a looping coaster for Kennywood, the first since the Steel Phantom, which was modified in 2001. In addition to being Kennywood's single greatest ride investment at $21 million, this will be Intamin's most extensive rocket coaster project ever at over 4000 feet and five inversions.

With the largest expansion in park history, Kennywood has announced that ticket prices will increase from $28.95 to $32.95 starting in 2008; however, for the first time ever, Kennywood will offer a two-day pass for $59.95, along with an optional room package at Kennywood's new hotel/indoor water park, to be built as part of this expansion. Two-day passes will be valid for both Kennywood and Sandcastle to accommodate guests who may prefer an outdoor water park experience, according to Harry Henniger. In addition, Henniger nor any park spokesperson would comment on whether or not Kennywood plans on offering a season pass to guests.

[Robert T Ackerman]

Holy Crap!

I knew the wood would be big, but longer than the Voyage!!!?!?!?

AND a Rocket coaster.... wow. Just Wow.

[Robert T Ackerman]

By the way Tom... can you find a link to where that story was posted???

It was on coaster buzz a while back, but no one had a link then either... it seems that some of this article might be bogus.

[Bubba Z]

Phantoms Revenge gets better the more you ride it.

I hope your right, I just never gave it a chance.

So it took you about 4 1/2 hours not bad

Well I did stop at Dunkin 

I have a feeling we'll be back!

Phantom Fright Night, Dan!

[PcMan]

By the way Tom... can you find a link to where that story was posted???

It was on coaster buzz a while back, but no one had a link then either... it seems that some of this article might be bogus.

Yes I was reading it may be bogus but then found all this info
looks like it will just be some time but they did buy those few areas listed in the below links

Thursday, March 09, 2006

www.post-gazette.com/pg/06068/667153.stm

Monday, July 11, 2005

www.post-gazette.com/pg/05192/536000.stm

www.kennywoodinsider.com/expansion.html

And I'm sure after seeing Waldemeer getting the new woodie they will want to top them soon

Also ACE is having its Convention at Kennywood in in 2010  So I'm sure Kennywood May have it ready by then: So ACE may know more then the general public ?

Coaster Con XXXIII

This event will be held in June 2010, at Kennywood Park (West Mifflin, PA)

NEW ROAD

 If the park does expand, it will bring in more tourists to spend more money in the valley. Second, is the completion of the northern, and final portion of the Mon-Fayette Expressway (Toll 43). When completed the expressway will have an interchange within about 800 yards of the third level parking lot. This will make it much easier for out of towners to get to the park

[ChuckR]

Wow! Kennywood with a new GG coaster and a Rocket Coaster! Holy shinanigans!

[Bubba Z]

This will make it much easier for out of towners to get to the park

If that happens,  I could make it to the park under 4 hours. Stupid orange, green and yellow Karate streets.

[Millennium Force 44]

Both coasters sound awesome!

[SilverBullet]

Woah.


Kennywood does not strike me as a park that would do that.

[overlord]

So are we talking pushing these dates back a year or what?