Samuel

It's not an Ohio thing or which state has the largest spider -- it's simply an amusement park on a lake with a lot of lights attracts insects, which attracts spiders. Those orb weavers get free 24/7 dining plans from August-October.

The bugs were absolutely insane for us this trip as well. We just got back yesterday. We've been going to CP during late July / early August for a 4 night stay for 4 days now, and this was by far the worst we've experienced. Made the mistake of hitting MF at night in the front (we've done it before with only a few splats here and there) and it was torture. Had to squint and keep mouth pressed tight, and had to change clothes back at Breakers. Even just walking through certain sections of the park we had to look out for swarms of those things. I've read articles about all kinds of insect populations thriving and sticking around longer these days. I'm no entomologist, but the mufflehead population supposedly gets suppressed during harsh winters with cold lake water, so it'd make sense that hotter seasons with warm water could give them a boost. Mosquitoes are thought to be rising because pesticide use is less prevalent now and has allowed their populations to return. Ticks & Lyme disease have risen because populations of host animals that ticks parasitize have also risen. And then across the board these insects are getting weeks-long head starts in warmer spring weather, and this early overpopulation isn't kept in check by birds and other predators. Just wait until the fall spiders come out with their silverware and bib napkins. Mean Streak rarely had much of a line in its later years, but people are going to freak out when they remember that the long path in the Steel Vengeance structure is home to hoards of huge, crazy spiders that set up shop right over their heads!

Same here -- similar seats, too! Some of the GG woodies can be ornery, but I think Ravine Flyer has been running really well. It's definitely wild and aggressive, but the park has kept it fun and totally free of jackhammering and potholes. That said, there are a ton of factors that influence ride experience; for example, Magnum reviews are regularly all over the place -- and I've had my share of terrific, terrible, and just okay rides on it. I've also had night rides on Millennium Force that are coaster nirvana, and then I get back on it the following morning and both the coaster and I are groggy. It's definitely possible to get thrown around on Ravine Flyer, but I hope you'll give it another chance, DarienPoint!

Given Cedar Fair's efforts to address aging coasters and improve parks from within, is anyone else surprised that this new coaster is coming before a Vortex or Hurler transformation? And disclaimer: this isn't a complaint! I look forward to the new Mack; a unique coaster that spreads out the quality attractions in the park sounds good. But even if Hurler/Vortex are addressed next, they'll be a few years behind the other parks that moved on redos like Patriot, Rougarou, & Twisted Timbers.

Google Maps is showing roughly a 3.5 hour drive from Dollywood to Carowinds, and a 6.5 hour drive from Dollywood to King's Dominion. If you're then backtracking to Ohio from one of these parks, Carowinds would make your trip a lot easier -- from Charlotte, I-77 and 64 take you almost straight north to the Cleveland area. I think King's Dominion is a slightly better park (coasters debatable), but since you've already visited both parks before and will do so again next year, I'd just go enjoy Carowinds this time given your itinerary. I'm sure Twisted Timbers is awesome, but you can get on it next year with hopefully Volcano repaired as well, and you'll still get to enjoy Steel Vengeance this trip.

So, it's largely what I didn't want. As both a Steelers and Kennywood fan, Steel Curtain doesn't float my boat. I would've loved a fluid, variety-filled coaster with three inversions (based on the clues) from a number of manufacturers, but nine inversions from S&S is just, ugh, no thanks. I wouldn't bet my precious space and money on S&S, given its whoopsie re-do of Gale Force and the many other ways you can go about building a Top Ten-calibre coaster. I appreciate the ambition of the new area, but I think Kennywood should have its own identity of thrills, flowers, and carousel music -- there's already a whole North Shore area of the city that exists to glorify football and tailgate parties. The NFL partnership might have business upside, but given the league's national PR issues and some Steelers players having their own PR battles over the years, I wouldn't decide to so overtly tie the park to the league.

The park itself will be streaming live on Facebook. The fan site linked to above ^ should be in attendance and also plans on streaming it, but the park's Facebook account looks to be the official source.

I'll go with a big Mack or Gerstlauer.

As my home park, I feel 95% excitement and 5% trepidation because I really want Kennywood to get this right! Kennywood doesn't have a ton of shots at major new coasters, and we haven't seen management's approach to a big attraction in some time. I also want it to be something that I can enjoy for years to come -- no Smilers or spinning, please. Even with the clues and an alleged blueprint leak, the project has a lot more questions than answers, and it's impressive that this thing has remained under wraps. Can't wait!

Whew, I loved this report! What an awesome story that you shared -- just reading it made my day, too. There's a Pittsburgh-famous documentary called "Kennywood Memories" that you can find chopped up on YouTube, and the gist is that for all the rides and attractions at the park, Kennywood's magic is the memories you make with your friends and family. It sounds like you had the quintessential experience! And yep, Thomas Town is now coming together, but it's been a work-in-progress over the spring and summer. I don't think it was planned to open with the park -- it's been one of those "coming this summer" kind of projects.

The head-chopper on the turnaround dive looks so cool! The pacing and track length looks like it's right in the Goldilocks zone...not too short, not too long, maintains really good speed and should deliver a variety of airtime. I like this final layout better than the earlier concept that went heavy on the s-turns and directional changes; this looks like it flows really well.

A big secret to living well is being able to have moments that become memories with the people you care about, and I'm glad that you and Michael got to enjoy many good times in this hobby that binds us all together here. I'm very sorry for your loss, Phil.

I've always received a much tougher, no-nonsense, dead-eyed experience from the U.S. border guards than the Canadian guards. Heading into Canada, they'll ask what I'm up to and then tell me to go have fun and enjoy my visit. On the U.S. side I expect to get asked three times where I live, get stared at for 30 seconds of silence, and then get asked a fourth time the same thing while receiving a nightmare stare. "Go" or some similar one-word directive is all I get in return. It's not fun, and I don't know how chipper they'd be to hear that you're just visiting the country to hop around a bunch of amusement parks and ride roller coasters -- that seems like a good reason for them to say "pull over."

Skyrush & Lightning Racer (one's crazy, the other's fun -- I love 'em both) Magnum & Millennium Force (iconic record-breakers and faces of the franchise) Dragster & Millennium Force (my pick) With all of the one-trick pony talk, Kingda Ka being a little bit bigger, downtime, and having Maverick/Steel Vengeance there, I feel like the most exhilarating ride in the park has become a little bit underrated. Dragster is it still the only coaster that makes me say "gulp," and then I giggle like an RCT peep at the exit and run right back in line.

I'm really digging this report so far! I had a similarly awesome time at Waldameer recently but didn't get many pics, so I loved perusing these. I'll definitely be checking back to read your thoughts on the rest of the parks. Also, as a Primanti Bros. fan, I'm glad you enjoyed the sandwich!

OK, so it's a word search puzzle -- not a full reveal. To be fair, the language used at the end of the scratch-off didn't suggest a whole announcement, but something along the lines of "What happens next? Find out tomorrow." Within the anticipation last night, the park's social pages also attracted a few impatient and rude adults who deserve to get smacked with a word search today, so while I think it's a bummer that we're not getting a July 4 full announcement, a part of me is chuckling at the "enthusiasts" who'll get totally bent out of shape. You also get a chance to be a first rider if you play along: "Project 412: Phase 2 is here! Inside this word search you'll find all sorts of word clues relevant to our newest ride. Your mission: find them and determine out which feature matches the 9 figures from the Ride Scratcher Card. Then, make your predictions at kennywood.com/project412entry - the first 12 correct entries win the right to be among the first riders next year! You can enter once per day until July 16. No purchase required. U.S. residents 18+ (13+ with parent or guardian). Contest ends 7/16/18." https://www.kennywood.com/project412entry

I'll take 4000 feet all day! Phantom's Revenge is still better than most hyper coasters that have 5K+ feet of track, but I'd love for the park to have a slightly longer coaster in its lineup.

Yeah, if you're not coming back to the park for a while and don't mind paying a little extra, that's definitely the way to do things most comfortably. It also gives you plenty of time to check out some of the wacky and obscure rides that you might otherwise miss (Turtle, Kangaroo, Whip, Bayern Curve, dark rides, etc.).

$25 for one ride on each of the coasters: Sky Rocket, Exterminator, Jack Rabbit, Racer, Thunderbolt, and Phantom. or $15 for one ride on each of the three big thrill flats: Black Widow, Aero 360, & Swingshot or $80 for unlimited rides on all coasters + thrill rides mentioned above (you have to supposedly wait 15 minutes before re-riding something -- I've never tried this package) or $7 for a single line skip on Sky Rocket, Black Widow, or Thunderbolt Unless the park has nightmarish crowds, you should be fine without the passes and get to do everything comfortably...I'm not sure about major picnic dates or special events when you attend, so there's always the off chance that the park will be crowded. If you notice long lines for basic flat rides as soon as you start walking around, that's a sign that the VIP stuff might be a good idea.

My last time there in a similar time frame was about 20 minutes for Racer & Jack Rabbit, 30 minutes for Sky Rocket, Phantom, and Thunderbolt, & 45 minutes for Black Widow & Exterminator. As others have mentioned, I recommend doing Exterminator early, because the line can long in a hurry with low capacity. Black Widow's line can also get pretty long with a generous ride cycle and slow loading. The dark rides and flats often have steady but reasonable waits (15 minutes or so), and I recommend them because they're often unique (and Garfield stinks, but try to appreciate the age of the ride itself). The Phantom tends to run two trains on the weekends or when the park gets busier, and I hope that'll be the case for you. It's worth plenty of re-rides, and I highly recommend a ride in the front seat and also in the front row of the last car.

Haha, yep that's the case, unless something has changed this year. I've watched a fair amount of people heading up the exit ramp and getting on the next train on various coasters. The stand that sells the VIPs is right at the front of the park near Garfield & Sky Rocket, and I have seen it sell out once or twice.

The lagoon is just a few feet deep; I don't think it's the kind of pool that'd support a splashdown. Space is also pretty tight right now with the SkyCoaster, and the area around the footers is lined with food vendors. I've read that those lagoon footers may actually support some future light show effects, rather than be for the coaster. We'll see, but I would seriously doubt a splashdown. Lagoon area

I think a park can best impress just by building a custom, unique, and really fun coaster -- and that attraction can be overlaid with any kind of immersive theme or housed in a building, if that's what a park wants and can afford to do. Outside of Disney and Universal parks, Phantasialand and Efteling are examples of two parks that usually do a great job with their themed attractions. If Vekoma or another manufacturer sells updated versions of its illusion concept or the suspended swinging coaster, then that might be cool to explore! But I don't think a park needs to dig into the past and commission a manufacturer to resurrect old coaster styles in order to build a spectacular and original ride. I would also be wary of wanting to bring back the long helix/80s layout of the illusion coaster, since coasters can do so much more these days. For example, Vekoma's warmly-received Lech Coaster is currently found nowhere else and has great aesthetics, and a custom coaster like it with an immersive theme or indoor section could be one of the best rides in the world. Premier Rides' Deep Space is an example of a newer indoor coaster, and TPR has taken nice footage of it if you want to pitch an indoor coaster with any number of effects/themes. Intamin, S&S, and Vekoma have built "family-thrill" suspended coasters recently, and the right layout and theme could also produce a solid ride. If no manufacturer is currently offering the Arrow-style full swing, is it worth the investment to commission a modern prototype when there are so many coaster types already on the menu that can give your park a top coaster? If I want to build a coaster found nowhere else, I'd start with an original layout with modern engineering from a solid manufacturer.

It's negligible, but I feel like a 220' drop would produce a tad more oomph than 75 mph unless it's a dive coaster, which would put it in the ballpark of Valravn. I'd be pleased if that's the case, but it'd be a little bit stinky if Kennywood plans a record-breaker and then Wonderland's new coaster debuts at the same time and tops it. I'm still not ruling out S&S, Mack, Gerstlauer, Intamin, etc...still a lot of mysteries surrounding these juicy clues.

These clues are dropping fast: "75" is the latest one, and the coaster's top speed would be the obvious guess.