jslim39

Once I heard I would be visiting my grandparents in Rochester, I took advantage of the trip and made sure we stopped at Darien Lake. I was worried a little bit, because there were BIG crowds, and it was around 90 degrees out, so I was worried about wait times. But luckily, the worst was a 45 minute wait at the end of the day for Mind Eraser (front seat). All coasters were running two trains though. Despite these factors, I still had a great day. I give Darien Lake Theme Park an 8/10 Ride of Steel - 10/10 AWESOME coaster! I rode it a few years ago, and forgot just how powerful it is. The first drop is like a freefall, and EVERY hill after it has some airtime, especially the 3rd hill, and the bunny hops after it, you got some MAD ejector airtime. Predator - 4.5/10 Errr.... I'm not sure what to think. I was expecting worse, but that by NO means makes it a great ride. There was NO airtime, and the train had a seizure at the bottom of every drop. I still don't think it is AS bad as everyone says, (I think Zeus at Mt. Olympus is worse), but it still isn't much fun. Mind Eraser - 8/10 WOW! I braced myself the whole ride, after hearing the bad stories about Vekoma SLC's, but I LOVED Mind Eraser. I guess I can see how it could be uncomfortable to some, as you are WHIPPED around the inversions, but I didn't find my three rides (2 in the front seat, one near the back) to be bad at all. Underrated coaster, IMO. Viper - 7/10 ***NEW CREDIT*** While not the biggest, fastest, or most inverting (anymore), I still liked the coaster (I've always admired Arrows). The vertical loop was really forceful, and the corkscrews produced some mad hangtime. The tunnel was cool too. MotoCoaster - 8/10 ***NEW CREDIT*** I thought this coaster would be a pile of boring CRAP, but this thing is snappy. The launch was short but sweet, and the thing was just a little wild monster. Boomerang - ?/? CLOSED Well I missed another new credit... boo hoo... I rode Sidewinder at Hershey, and didn't enjoy it much, so I wasn't to worried about missing this one. I'll finish off with this overview of MotoCoaster's crazy little layout I was pleasently surprised, Zamperla, keep on making coasters! MotoCoaster signage ...which was closed all day Boomerang... Mind Eraser doing it's thing The park's extra charge Slingshot ride The park's log flume Mind Eraser again Slingshot, Shipwreck Falls, Viper, and Mind Eraser Heading towards the corkscrews Signage Viper's boomerang, or double batwing, or inside out cobra roll... whatever you want to call it Here's some more Viper Time to spin the big wheel! Closest to a dollar without going over goes to the showcase! In case you forgot where you were... Carosel My sister, my grandpa, my cousin, my uncle, his girlfriend, and her daughter Painful swooping turn Predator again Big drop Those front seat riders are wise to have their hands down Ooh... floater airtime hill Ferris wheel again I loved this sideways camelback hill Another lift shot Mind Erasing in progress Speeding towards the brakes I know most of you TPR readers HATE SLC's, but I loved this one In case you forgot what ride you're heading to Mind Eraser doing it's thing The credit whores rejoice! The psychology section of the park: Brain Teaser and Mind Eraser Going up... The Ranger Lift shot Viper's TECHNICAL first drop Beautiful corkscrews Helix fun A fun, forceful Arrow loop Technically, this is Viper's 3rd drop... It's the Arrow masterpiece, Viper! What's that I see? MotoCoaster from across the lake My grandpa, who is 60+ years, and still enjoys a good ride on the Viper. Congrats pops! Darien's skycoaster Big ferris wheel Lift fun Pre-lift fun Going up... fast CRAZY MAD AIRTIME?!? Not so much... MAD CRAZY AWESOME airtime! Seriously! Brake shot B Brake shot A Something was wrong with the wait clock. It said one hour, then half an hour about a minute later, then an hour and a half five minutes later! WTF? Not horrible, but not really fun either Yea boi! Sweetness Yeah.... ummm...... Owwie Don't tell me what to do! YAY! Darien Lake!

Glad you like KW. And for a bit of advice, once you stay after dark nextime, you MUST ride The Phantom in the front seat in the dark. I swear it feels 50mph faster!

Wow you're the first person that I've seen to not bash a Vekoma coaster, especially Ninja! Maybe we can be friends... I secretly LOVE SLC's. Sweet TR, this place looks like what ALL Six Flags should be like.

Wow... harsh critics on TPR! Something must be wrong with me because I enjoyed EVERY coaster I have EVER ridden at CP. (Yes, I even didn't mind Mean Streak, feel free to flame me). Obviously the prices sucked, but I love CP.

Well, yesterday I FINALLY got back to Kennywood, and it was GREAT. Minus a 20 minute downpour at around 4 o'clock, the weather was pretty nice, and ALL coasters were doing two train operation, and Exterminator's line went pretty fast. And that thing about the top of the Phantom's Revenge being messed up? Pfft... it was fine, and I still love the Phantom. Ride count: Phantom's Revenge - 8 Thunderbolt - 6 Racer - 3 Jackrabbit - 3 Exterminator - 1 Pitt Fall - 8 Volcano - 1 Aero 360 - 1 Log Jammer - 1 Swing Shot - 1 Anyways...here are the pictures... And there goes another amazing day at Kennywood... remember to click-it or ticket One last shot of the Thunderbolt, my favorite woodie Airtime going into the brakes The Phantom is awesome enough to maintain his speed throughout the whole ride, even with the trims Phantom's big turn Hey, it's Gus, the second most famous groundhog in Pennsylvania, and he wants some Gatorade! There goes the Thunderbolt into the ravine Kennywood's Wave Swinger Pitt Fall again ... but was still lots of fun The Swingshot seemed VERY short today... Straightaway And also about to drop down the equally fun first drop About to take the signature second drop Just a lil more Phantom; going up the lift hill The Whip, which feels like nothing after riding the Exterminator's hairpin turns Similar shot, but with me in the back seat, which I have to say, is the BEST spot to ride the Phantom More PR T-Bolt about to hit the MCBR Thunderbolt WILL give you extreme laterals Midcourse on the T-Bolt Thunderbolt's mid-course lift I've been hit by the ThuuuuuuundeeeeeeeeeerBOLT (as the op said it) Thunderbolt, with me and my sister in the front Over the top Me waiting for the sluggish A360 team to lower the restraints Time for some Aero 360 Log Jammer again Pitt Fall... through the trees! They just got Log Jammed Obligatory new-view Racer shot More Racer SPLOOSH!!! Log Jammer going down ...and ends on the left Racer; red starts on the right side... Skycoaster, it was sold out Another Jackrabbit trainload goes up the lift Here they come Great airtime on the double dip, which is where your onride photo is taken More Jackrabbit, which is showing Pittsburgh Pride with the new black and gold train Going up Me and my sister on the Pitt Fall Ejector airtime There's Mr. Phantom, inviting you into his house There's a lift shot for everybody And I have no problem with the bank at the top, I actually liked it an thought it made the ride a little more intense. Still has an amazing first drop Me and my sister in phront of the phantom Time for a spin on the re-tracked Phantom Cosmic Chaos Bayern Kurve... I got robbed! It was closed all day > Random windmill I'll take you to the candy shop... I'll letcha... nevermind Garfield's Nightmare... meh... Double dip through the fence And Jackrabbit going down Jackrabbit going up Some Racer action from across the valley Almost in... PHANTOM'S REVENGE!!! There it is... poop Pointing the way Edgar Snyder... he won't get paid unless he get's money for YOU One of the city's great bridges Mellon tower USX tower Beautiful skyline Random traffic sign There's the Burgh

Kennywood on Sunday!!!!

BEST Kennywood Photo TR of 2009, and EVER!!! Thanks for showing how amazing my home park is, I really can't wait to get back to Pittsburgh on Saturday, and get to Kennywood on Sunday!

http://rcdb.com/ig123.htm?picture=20 Phantom's Revenge's trains are sweet, I'm surprised they were only mentioned once. They are a sweet hybrid of the old Arrow cars. I love how they streamlined the original car's body, and added those sweet looking "spoilers" on the back. Also, the lap bar is SO simple and it is very comfortable, and is on the SIDE of the train, unlike ANY other coaster, at least that I can think of. And the color scheme just makes the PR's trains my favorite.

Whoa... scary. My grandparents live in Rochester, I hope they're all ok. Also glad to see nothing happened to the park, especially since I'll be going in August.

Oh yes, usually they add train 2 around maybe 1 or 2 o'clock, right when the real crowds start coming. But on one occasion, I remember the second train being added at noon. While I agree it would be nice to constantly have two train operation, I've learned that it probably won't happen at KW unless it's needed, and usually doesn't pose much of a problem. And the gates, I've never heard of ANY issues whatsoever, and most people with common sense know to what for the next train to empty out, and on the Phantom, the intercom tells you to wait behind the line until the train empties out, and I've seen the ops yell at people for just standing ON the line. As for Jackrabbit/Racer, they let you on in groups, thus solving the issue there, and the Thunderbolt empties the train in the back of the station, then loads at the front. There really doesn't seem to be a need for gates here, so why would KW spend extra money for the actual gates, and the electric wiring, etc, when there is no need for it? I think it works out fine, and makes it a little different from most parks.

Nice pics! You seemed really harsh, but I'm just a KW fanboy. But really, the lines never tend to get horribly long on ANY of the rides, so usually there's no need for double train operations, and in the times I've been there, (I've been there LOTS of times), when the Phantom line gets past where it crosses under the lift hill, they almost ALWAYS put the second train on. But I'm glad you enjoyed the park, but I think the things you critisized were minor and really wouldn't affect the average park-goer's day, especially the lines, as you stated yourself, you didn't wait too long for anything. Either way, great pics!

Sweet TR! I hope to get back there someday to ride Fahrenheit... my visit was the year before it opened... Glad you agree on Great Bear... I liked it more than Raptor at CP... love the short but snappy layout.

Our trip started off great… With three near crashes, and hours added onto our drive due to construction, things weren’t doing amazing. It didn’t help our cause when watching the weather forecast at the hotel, which called for severe thunderstorms, an 80% chance of rain, and hail in the Wisconsin area. But luckily we woke up to sun, and clear skies, and the good weather persisted throughout the day. The Park – Mount Olympus was quite clean, didn’t see much trash anywhere, and there were garbage cans everywhere. Prices where HORRENDOUS! I was paying $3.00 for a 20oz. Of Coke! I know Cedar Point charges the same, but this park is nowhere near being on Cedar Point’s scale. Ride ops weren’t AS bad as I was told, but were still nowhere near being efficient. They DID make sure you were safe, and surprisingly enforced the Cyclops back-seat rule, but otherwise, they weren’t good. At Hades, one of the two workers had her head down on the railing, sleeping, and her co-worker had to wake her up. Also, all the workers were moving like sloths, sometimes taking up to ten minutes to dispatch a train. But lines were short mostly, so I will complain no more. The water park(s) were fun, but nothing amazing, and I’ve seen better, but I still enjoyed them. The “indoor theme park” seemed more like an arcade with a spinning wild mouse in it. Overall, I’d give Mount Olympus a 6.5/10. I had lots of fun, but there wasn’t much to choose from aside from the coasters, (unless you’re a go-kart fan), and the prices were just STUPID. Now for the coasters ---- Zeus – My first ride was pretty good. It was in the front seat of the front car, and wasn’t too bad, but gave a less than expected amount of airtime. I’d give the front, which I rode three times, another 6.5/10. My views on Zeus changed though, after riding further back. I was in the front of the 4th car, and after the first drop, the shaking was so bad that I couldn’t enjoy the ride at all. Back seat gets a 3/10. Hades – This was the ride I was anticipating, and it delivered. In the front, the speed was amazing, and the air rushing by was awesome. In the back, the airtime on the big drop was INCREDIBLE! The tunnel was crazing, I loved flying through the ground with the airtime hops, and the 90 degree turn. The coaster was surprisingly smooth, but the left turns that banked right in the tunnel whipped me around a lot, and the sweeping turn after the station fly-by produced some violent shaking. But overall this coaster was astonishing, and gets an 8/10 by me. Cyclops – With the 18+ restriction for the back seat, I expected the worst. But my four front seat rides, and one mid-train ride were great. It had great little pops of ejector airtime, and the last drop packed a punch. There was some shaking, but nothing terrible. 7/10. Pegasus – Well, there isn’t much to say about this; it’s a kiddie-woodie. It gave a nice ride above the trees and the midway, but there wasn’t any airtime, and none of the turns were banked, especially just before entering the last breaks and the station, and I don’t know if its good to have your child’s first coaster whipping them around. 5/10 Little Titans – N/A didn’t ride Opa – N/A didn’t ride Now for the photos sorry if you got bored/angry reading or disagree with my views so here are the pics! I'll leave you with one last shot of Hades. Hope you enjoyed the pics! Zeus first drop again Cyclops and Zeus Nice Hades theming Cyclops lift shot Random kids enjoying Little Titans I'm not a credit whore (yet) Cyclops again Random Pegasus riders Pegasus, lift hill shot Cyclops last drop (with train) Cyclops last drop Zeus first drop again Hades hurls you into the sub-parkinglot area GREAT airtime on Hades big drop Zeus and Hades again Zeus diving down Swooping drop of Hades by the highway Beautiful drop Zeus Hades and Zeus There goes Obama... Close up HADES!!! But I WILL get on this Too bad I didn't get to ride it... It's the Avalanche! What could that be? I wish my local Wal-Mart had a Gyrotron! Ooh nice Vette Me Idk why we passed it... we could've just drove UNDER it Quite an odd truck WTF is this?!?

Yeah, I'm totally lost on how to post my most recent photo TR. I know you are to use the "add photo" option, but how would I add multiple photos? And even when I do use it, my picture doesn't show up in the preview AT ALL! I'm sorry but I'm horribly lost...

ooohhh.... nice tr, but it looks like Idlewild has gone downhill a bit since i last visited... no speed slides?!? I guess I've just FULLY outgrown Idlewild.... always been a Kennywood fan.

ooh... didn't see that one sorry but anyways thanks for all the advice and info, I'll be sure to watch out for those employees

I'll be going to Wisconsin Dells a week from tomorrow , and I'm just wondering what some of your views on the "Mount Olympus" park are. I've heard about Hades, and it looks awesome, as well as Cylcops, and even Pegasus, although Zeus kind of scares me, as I saw in a YouTube video, a train overshot the brakes and stopped one car too far out of the station. Otherwise, I'm just wondering, based on your expieriences, how the park is, with ride ops, food quality/prices, crowds, etc. (there's only two, short photo TR's, that don't explain too much, but I plan on taking pics myself). Thanks I apperciate any input

Ah, a fellow Yooper (albeit a transplanted one). Surely you understand the plight of the Yooper coaster enthusiast just as well as I do. Someone should build a park up here. Of course, the weather would only allow it to be open for a few weeks out of the year, but I think it would do well during those few weeks! Definitely. They should build... maybe a SFUP? Six Flags Upper Peninsula?!? Mabye with a few 4 lane expressways leading there too...

July 19th can't come soon enough... haha I agree... I hope it is a new coaster, but OBVIOUSLY we'll have to wait and see. although I won't be back in Pittsburgh until August, and won't be at KW till then, I'll be keeping track on July 19th.

Greetings from Houghton Michigan! Haha i almost never post here either, but yeah i saw you're in marquette. great TR, I'm possibly headed to SFGA in July, and if I do I'll try to get pictures myself for TPR. Anyways pictures were awesome and make me wanna get to SFGA even more.

AWESOME pictures! I can't wait to ride the Phantom, the new track looks soooo good, can't wait to ride it. Bayern Kurve looks nice too.

Kinda sucks Rosemeyer will be gone, but she's had a great history with the park, and will always be remembered. You gotta accept change sometimes. As long as they aren't turning the Potato Patch into a taco stand and start having Spanish quartets wandering the park, I'm not really worried about the new KP ownership As for the new PR track.... AWESOME!!!

Yeah CoD5 is awesome. I'm level 53 and i'm addicted to it. Not prestiging though, would take WAAAAY too long.

Her Portrait In Black - Atreyu

One things for sure, Kennywood isn't Cedar Point! Even if its raining, they seem to be pretty good about keeping all the rides open. I mean, it's been pretty rainy the past few days and all the rides seem to remain open. The only time they really close rides during rain is if theres a thunderstorm within a 10 mile radius or something like that, so I'm pretty sure it stays open during rain. I don't see why it wouldn't. Yeah, they almost never close anything, which is usually a good thing. But i felt bad for a group of riders on the Phantom in August when i went there. They sent a train full of riders out when it was downpouring like there was a hurricane going on. All the people had their heads ducked when i saw them go by the station on the bunny hops.