PhantomNick

Wow! Those trains look awesome!! I love the deep red color and logo/flames across the front. This coaster just keeps looking better and better. And how can you not love a train going through this layout with just a lap bar? Hopefully this means testing will begin fairly soon!

^ One of our local news stations, KDKA, had a video pop up on their website shortly after the steel construction was complete. It was some "raw" footage shot from the station's chopper. It's a neat video and a great aerial perspective of the ride's layout. Enjoy! Sky Rocket from above! A rumor was also posted over on KPConnection stating that trains were supposedly going to arrive later today. That would be awesome, cause I'm itching to ride this thing!

Fantastic trip report!! Thanks for posting all the great photos, especially of STR. Nice work! Sounds like you had a good time. I have to say that the park did a really nice job with STR. It looks great with all the rockwork and water effects. And the paint job on SRF looks good too!

Now that the layout is officially complete, I have to say that the ride looks simply awesome! That first hill looks worlds better complete than in some of the cruddy renderings that were released when the ride was announced. It really looks good and totally different than anything else in Kennywood's skyline. I'm still saying that this will be the surprise hit of the coaster world for 2010! Can't wait for Sky Rocket to start testing!

Sorry to double-post, but I just wanted to post a little trip report from my first 2010 visit to the park with my wife Erin yesterday. The weather was simply perfect, with partly sunny skies and temps in the lower 70s. Crowds were fairly light, as we didn't wait longer than about 15-20 minutes for any rides (some even shorter than that). The lone exception was Phantom's Revenge, which produced tolerable waits of around 30 minutes since it was only running one train (not sure why they're seemingly allergic to running both trains on Phantom, but no biggie). It was great to be back in the park again after the offseason, and I have to say it looked great. Everything seemed in working order, and the employees were doing a fantastic job on the rides, especially the coasters. Some of the crews were really flying, especially at Phantom. Great job guys! All in all, just enjoyed a perfect day at the park with my wife, leisurely strolling around and riding whatever we wanted. Also got my first Patch fries of the year.....yummmmo! Some notes and observations: Season Pass processing was a breeze, and those folks working on that were doing a great job! Saw signs that allowed guests to apply their day's admission towards a season pass purchase. I thought that was pretty cool. Kahuna area looks fairly decent, all things considered. I'll be interested to see what their long term plans are for that area. If there was any downtime yesterday, we certainly didn't see it. Like I said, things seemed to be in top form. They ran just 1 arm on Swing Shot, but I think that was more a product of the lack of lines. The "VIP Coaster Pass" sounds like a great deal for busier days! For just $15, you get an exit ramp ride on each of the park's 6 major coasters (once Sky Rocket opens). It's a "one and done" kind of deal, with only select numbers sold, so I think it will be a great system that I will probably take advantage of once or twice this year. Paratrooper got new lights, and although we left before dark, they looked great and I'd like to see them all lit up. Sky Rocket looks even better in person, and I really am excited to ride it! The pictures really don't do the ride justice until you see it firsthand. Speaking of Sky Rocket, all is done layout-wise except finishing off the first hill. A new update is up at KPConnection showing it off: Sky Rocket - May 16th Update Final Ride Count: 2 each on Phantom's Revenge, Thunderbolt, Racer, and Jack Rabbit 1 each on Log Jammer, Kangaroo, Merry-Go-Round, Kennywood Railroad, Cosmic Chaos, Swing Shot, Pirate, Whip, Turtle, and Ghostwood Estate Pretty awesome, considering we took a couple breaks to eat, watched a couple shows, played some games, and were there from just 12 - 7:30

Part 2 - Dorney Park (2006) Well, the pictures are from a 2006 trip (when I was loving my new camera), but I have been to Dorney Park several times over the years. And to me anyway, Dorney Park is a great "upper mid-sized" amusement park that has plenty to offer. Not once have I had anything less than a fantastic time there during my 4 or so visits. Nestled in Allentown, PA, Dorney has a nice location and the park itself has a good atmosphere. It is, of course, a "corporate" park owned by Cedar Fair, but I honestly don't think it feels like it....well, other than having the customary trash cans lining the midways every 5 feet or so! Some have called Dorney a "concrete wasteland", but quite frankly, I just don't see it. Several areas are bustling with trees and very nicely landscaped. Dorney's biggest asset though is having a rich assortment of rides - including several "big park" coasters - without having "big park" lines. From a coaster standpoint, Dorney's got all the essentials for a well-rounded mix. There are a couple kiddie ones, along with a decent wild mouse. Their woodie, Thunderhawk (the oldest in the park), is solid with some surprising moments of airtime. They have a great hypercoaster in Steel Force, which has always given me some fantastic rides. It has great speed and some good airtime, along with a powerful mid-corse helix turnaround. I've heard this coaster referred to as "forceless", but based on my rides I would have to disagree. It may not be a Top 10 ride for me or anything, but it is a still a winner of a ride! If anything, I think Steel Force gets far less credit than it deserves. The same could also be said for the park's floorless coaster, Hydra: The Revenge. I feel Hydra is another solid coaster in Dorney's lineup, with a nice mixture of elements and forces in its punchy little layout. For me though, the park's highlight sits right up at the front of the park, greeting guests as they enter the gates. I'm talking about Talon, the park's B&M inverted coaster that, as of today, is the best inverted coaster I have ridden. Talon is wonderful non-stop action from start to finish! Dorney also used to have a terrific Schwarzkopf model in Laser (which you will see below), but sadly it was removed to make way for a Geauga Lake "hand-me-down" named Possessed, an impulse coaster that seems to be more closed and enduring problems than it is open and thrilling guests. Overall though, a trip to Dorney should be on your list if you're swinging through the area. It's a great park with a variety of rides and coasters to please everyone, along with a sizeable-looking waterpark that's included with admission. And although it may be overshadowed at times by a bigger Six Flags park not too far away, when it comes to a complete park experience, Dorney Park delivers the goods! Ok, enough talking, let's get to what everyone really wants to see in these things.....the pictures! What is that coaster geek oasis I see from a rest stop in PA?? As Dominator confirms for us, it's Dorney Park! I LOVE these things....although Dorney's is an upcharge (boooo) Is this an acceptable amount of wetness? I like me some Wave Swinger action! *Whistles* My, those are some nice legs! Spinny, spinny BAD Sea Dragon!! Do NOT try to eat Dominator!!! Thunderhawk's "I think I just crapped myself" airtime hill. It may look unassuming, but the top of this hill launches you from your seat! Thunderhawk, with its big brother Steel Force towering over Steel Force's great first drop, with Thunderhawk's lift hill below 2nd hill yumminess! Nice picture, dummy, but why wouldn't you get a train in it?? There!! Are you people happy NOW? Token Wild Mouse pic This one's for Larry Gone, but not forgotten Loop da LOOP! Although smaller, Hydra's first drop is awesome! Oooooo, look at that zero-g spot! There's some great hangtime in this corkscrew Hydra's funky cobra roll Purty cobra Pervert!! Quit looking up my lift! I dunno who the hell "Jojo" is, but he/she/it makes one great start to a coaster! Hydra's track snakes around....oh....wait.....NOW I get it!! Cobra roll....snakes....I smart now! T is for Talon, that's good enough for me! Ready to be "Gripped with Fear".....or something like that? Um, I believe the word you were looking for was....wheee I heart zero-g rolls on inverts! Now show me your profile! Oooo, nice! Insert witty comment here Ground-hugging goodness! And now for something we hope you really like! First drop action! And again.... And one last time....incidentally, I love how the imposing storm clouds cast the shadow on this pic Immelmimmelman! Did I mention that Talon is my favorite ride here? I'm sure you couldn't tell.... Do you prefer red? Or perhaps white? ZOMG!!1!1! A Meteor in Dorney Park?!?! Everybody ruuuuuun! The stuff nightmares are made of You spin me right round, baby, right round I really like this particular flat (called Apollo here), which isn't found in too many parks anymore Lift hill chaser lights for the win! Their ferris wheel looks gorgeous at night They also have a nice carrousel And here you were thinking I was done with Talon pictures! Haha!! I showed you! I dig Hydra's sign, especially at night Ooooo....Ahhhhhh.....Ohhhhh And I leave you with this pretty cool blurred train pic of Hydra's Jojo Well, that wraps up Part 2 with a pretty little bow! Hope you guys enjoyed it! More to come soon.....

Nice trip report! I loved Waldameer when we visited during RFII's inaugural season. Definitely need to make it back up there. And thanks to that last picture, now I really want a burger!!

Local news station KDKA had a brief report on "What's New" for 2010 at Kennywood. At the end of the video, they mention a "Coaster Pass" that will be sold allowing guests to "cut the line". Rumors floating around KPConnection state that the pass will be good for 1 ride each on all the park's coasters, and those purchasing one will be given a time window to show up and ride. No word on pricing as of yet. The park's website makes no mention of these passes....although, to be fair, the park website is not routinely updated either. Interesting, and probably a direct result of season passes being offered this year. I'm all for it, as I don't see a problem with this "one and done" setup. Don't know if I'd use it though, since I have a season pass. Great for out of towners though who hit the park on a crazy day. Here's that video - New for 2010 at Kennywood

The laser show sounds like another cool addition for this upcoming season! I'm positive my shiny new season pass is gonna get quite the workout this year! In Sky Rocket news, the great folks at KPConnection have provided another juicy update as track construction speeds along. I wouldn't be surprised if vertical construction was done in about another week or so. And I totally agree with some earlier posters, as the more I see of this bad boy, the more I think it could be the surprise hit of the season! You can see the full update here: Sky Rocket Construction Update - 5/4/10 In the meantime, here's a few teasers. Credit for these photos goes to KPConnection/TPR member "Myself". (Sorry they are so small, but I was trying to get them under the 100k limit) This looks simply delicious!! A look at what's left to construct The second drop, awaiting its track, looks pretty sweet also!

Wow, those are some superb pictures! Thank you very much for sharing them. Worlds of Fun looks like a really fun park that I would definitely like to check out someday. Drove past it once on a work trip, but that's as close as I've gotten. Patriot looks fantastic! Again, very nicely done!!

I really don't think there's going to be an overflow problem with the queue for Sky Rocket. I'm sure the last thing the park wants is to have the entrance become all congested. Who knows, they may even install queue rail on the outside to control any overflow (heading around towards the Turnpike's old entrance). In other news, the great folks at KPConnection have posted yet another update showing off the completed launch track and new supports. Check it out! 4/20 Construction Update By the looks of where the big crane is situated, I'm assuming the last thing that will be constructed will be the first hill/drop. Can't wait to see the fully constructed product!!

Well, if there's one thing I've learned here at TPR since joining in 2008, it's that one of the coolest parts are the copious photo trip reports that our many gracious users post for our viewing pleasure. I thought that it would be neat to do a sort of retrospective photo report for parks I visited from 2005 through 2008 (most of which before I joined here), which were some of my busier years traveling to parks. I'm not looking to post every photo I took here, just some of my favorites. I will break it down into parts, and each part will have a brief overview of the park with some of my thoughts before gettin' to the good stuff! With that all said, let's begin our journey, shall we? Part 1 - Kennywood (the home park) Ah, Kennywood. The park I've grown up with, visiting every year for as long as I can remember. Nestled in a suburb of Pittsburgh, Kennywood to me is one of the finest amusement parks in the country. They have an eclectic and wonderful assortment of rides and coasters, seamlessly blending the best thrills of yesterday with the newest ones of today. The park is home to some truly unique rides that you will not find in many parks anymore, such as Noah's Ark, Turtle, Auto Race, and the beloved Kangaroo. As for the coasters, while they do not boast double-digit numbers like some of the giants in the industry, they have a solid assortment including 3 great older woodies, a themed spinning mouse, and in my view one of the most underrated hypercoasters in the country. The woodies (Racer, Jack Rabbit, and Thunderbolt) are loads of fun and impeccably maintained, as they continue to dish out smooth rides after decades of operation. The Exterminator is a quirky and fun take on a rather common coaster. Then there is Phantom's Revenge, the park's centerpiece and star attraction. This steel hypercoaster boasts a swooping first drop followed by a mammoth 228-foot plunge into a ravine while knifing through another coaster! Add to that some blistering speed and massive airtime, and you have yourself a real winner. This year, Sky Rocket joins the mix, and it looks like it follows the Kennywood tradition to a tee - blending fun and thrills together in a unique ride experience. If you have the chance to visit Kennywood, I would highly recommend it! The park has a nice mix of attractions, some lush landscaping, and some great food (at an affordable price!). Not to mention, with it being more of a mid-sized park, lines are usually very reasonable. Take a visit, and I'm fairly sure you won't be disappointed. Now, onward to the pictures! Uh...wait a minute, where the heck are we again?!? Wave Swinger....through the trees! Kennywood has a gorgeous carousel Is that an Intamin drop tower in your picture, or are you just happy to see me? For some reason, I find this sign to be pretty cool Swing Shot - a swing set on crack! One, two, three....kick! Kersploosh! Where's Don Quixote? Hmmm, mounting this carousel horse could prove to be a bit more challenging! Arrrrr!! Me thinks this ride's fun matey! A themed Enterprise?!? Is that one of the signs of the apocalypse?!? I wish more parks had this flat Kangaroo = unique flat awesomeness! *Boing!* Nighttime park beauty Blurry Jack Rabbit train goodness! Givin' the Racer some love Thunderbolt sneakin' around Phantom Ok, show of hands, who besides me thinks TPR is awesome? Score! A totally unique Kennywood picture I'm sure nobody has ever seen before!! Phantom's Revenge keeping an eye on Lost Kennywood Taking the tunnel.....err, I mean, plunge! Them's some sexy Phantom curves! Double-down airtime bliss, with some front seat hairtime to boot! My favorite coaster drop anywhere Phantom's first drop is....well....TWISTY!! That's all for now. Hope you enjoyed reading! Part 2 coming soon.....

Awesome to see track going up now as well! I have a feeling this coaster is going to pack a nice little punch for its size.....I think it's a perfect fit for Kennywood. Also makes me wonder if more parks will look into this if it is successful. It's like Premier's answer to the Eurofighter. I think this was my favorite picture from the Facebook update: This overbank leading into the bunny hops looks like a sweet combo!

This ride is really looking great! I'm definitely a fan of the rockwork they are adding along the flume path....nice touch. Certainly looks like a fine replacement for WWL!

It really is amazing how quickly the crew is working on Sky Rocket. Kudos to them if this pace keeps up! That's a very pleasant surprise to me to hear that track is being placed already.....I wasn't expecting that until early April. On a side note, I really do think the coaster is going to look awesome on Kennywood's skyline with that bright blue track and gray/silver supports. Excellent color choice, in my humble opinion.

For me, it's The Beast at Kings Island, no question. When I finally got a chance to ride the coaster that so many have raved about last summer, I was very excited and expecting a rollicking tear through the woods. After the ride hit the final brakes, I was considerably underwhelmed overall. In fact, were it not for the ending double helix that was quite awesome, I would've said the coaster was only slightly above average. As it is, I still liked the 3 laps I took on it (and YES, that included a night ride - I honestly saw no real difference other than a slightly cooler experience in the pitch black trip into the woods), but I was left wanting far more from the longest wooden coaster in the world. Was it a good coaster? Yes. A great coaster? Not really. Did it live up to the incredible hype it's given by some? Not even close. That to me is the definition of an overrated coaster. Here's a thought, and honestly this was my biggest gripe with it, ditch the stinking trims and let this coaster live up to its name! The pacing over the first drop and following hill is butchered by them....and I for one cannot stand a trim on the FIRST drop of a coaster....pure silliness!

Nice photos, thanks for sharing them! The more and more I see of this park, the more and more excited I get for our visit there in July! The place looks awesome!

As of today, Sky Rocket has officially gone vertical! There's a picture of the first few supports over at KPConnection. Just scroll down a bit to check it out: Supports goin' up! I can't wait to see this coaster continue to take shape over the next few weeks! *EDIT - ^ D'oh! You beat me by a few seconds....

First Park - Kennywood First Coaster - Jack Rabbit @ Kennywood First NEW Park - Busch Gardens Europe in July First NEW Coaster - Sky Rocket @ Kennywood First Food Purchase - Easiest one, Potato Patch fries with cheese and bacon! Mmmmmm!! First Multi-Park Trip - BGE to Carowinds and for good measure..... First Flat Ride - Wave Swinger @ Kennywood (one of my wife and I's favorites!)

This is a tough one, at least on the steel end of things. I'd say it's pretty neck to neck between B&M and Intamin for steel coasters, but based on overall ride quality I have to give the slight nod to Intamin. B&M delivers an awesome product, from their hypers to their inverts (which tend to be some of the funnest rides for me), but they fall just short on the "Wow factor" that Intamin coasters give (like their launchers and hypers/gigas). For wooden coasters, it's the Gravity Group all the way. The 2 of their wooden coasters that I've ridden both reside firmly in my wooden top 5, and one of them (Voyage) is my #1 coaster overall. Their designs are edgy and aggressive, and their coasters are an intense ride without being rough. That said, if the Intamin woodies were more prevalent here in the US, it could possibly turn into a clean sweep for Intamin. El Toro was simply mind-boggling, and I only wish I could've been able to ride it more than once during my visit (which was literally on the day it soft-opened to the public and it's first full day of operation).

Looking good! I have to say, this looks like a fine replacement for WWL, and I love the area they placed it in. Considering that WWL leaving the park led to the awesome Maverick, and this came in a mere 3 seasons later, I'd say it all worked out pretty well. That's also a rather impressive first drop for a "log flume" type of ride.

That certainly does sound like a targeted opening around mid-June. Works for me, although I was hoping for the park's sake they might have been able to hit a Memorial Day weekend opening. Sounds like footers are pretty wrapped up then. I can't wait to see this puppy go vertical! I'm intrigued to see it take shape, especially since the park has taken an admittedly odd PR approach in that they've still yet to release any major info on their new coaster (such as a layout or pov rendering). As for the season passes, I'm getting one for sure! You really can't beat that 90 buck price tag!

^ That's a valid point....I hadn't thought much about it, but they easily could have noticed it when they were riding through test runs of it prior to park opening. It's just funny how some people were pretty vehement about their dislike of the change, while others (myself included) thought it was perfectly fine. I always thought of it as a "bucking bull" sensation that was kind of cool. Even my wife, who usually is not one for any sort of "rougher" transition thought it was "pretty neat". I wonder if they still would've went through with fixing it if the response from guests would have all been positive?

Thanks for the quick replies guys! We ended up calling a number listed for questions on the BG website, and based on the reply here and what we were told, it's definitely the Williamsburg Bounce ticket for us! I'm honestly surprised how much you get for such a reasonable (in fact, downright cheap!) price, not to mention it apparently also includes BG parking. We're thinking of leaving early enough on that Saturday so we can process the Bounce tickets at BG, then enjoy the afternoon/evening there.....then have a full day there again on Monday. We are definitely getting excited about this trip! Glad to hear that we may not even have to use the Quick Queue. Also glad to hear that we don't really have to get there at 1 am!

Great update pictures guys! Looks like things are steadily moving along with footer pouring. Looking at the pics of the supports and track, it looks like most of the supports are on site (which would make sense since they'd start going up first). As for the track, anybody have a thought as to how much of it is there? From the pics I'm guessing maybe a third (or quarter) of it? The top of Phantom's second hill looks better, although to be honest, I never really felt a huge difference in how it felt last year. I felt like the claims of "extreme roughness" were somewhat overblown. Regardless, it is good to see that the park heard complaints of something relating to one of their star coasters and were very proactive in correcting the issue. Somehow I can't picture the Six Flags and Cedar Fair parks having a similar rapid response.