Samuel

Thanks and good to know. I'll remember this spot next time I travel through Kentucky.

^ This is glorious to see. We haven't seen this kind of structure rise to such heights since the late Sonny.

There are many rides that have reopened after fatal accidents or malfunctions. Check out some of them here.

I enjoyed the report! Here's a strange question because the wigwams intrigue me...was the air in the wigwam fresh? One time I spent a night in an old B&B that had such an awful musty smell that now I'm hesitant to book more rustic/kitschy places. I know that old wood and original furniture can harbor lots of mold and mildew, which isn't a big deal for some people, but they drive my nose and allergies bonkers.

It seems like a vape-inspired thing. Sure, it's silly. I understand the banging on the "ugh stupid people" drum when it's adults, but kids are going to act like kids. Antics and attention-seeking are part of that phase; this isn't new evidence of a downward trend in society. When I was a kid, classmates of mine would do something similar with the fog machine that was brought in for school dances. If you earned yourself a "hey kid, knock it off," you scored points with your friends for getting a reaction from an adult. Sorry if this sounds harsh, but if I'm going about my day as an adult and I see kids being kids at a public place where they tend to roam without their parents, they're none of my business. I leave them alone and give them a wide berth. If there's a real incident, get security or police if possible. You shouldn't approach unknown children or teens, period. If they act stupid, that's not a conversation starter. I'm not saying you didn't have innocent intentions, but since you weren't going to get anything but a defiant response anyway, there was no reason to question them. Just don't do it.

I'm delighted to see this coaster go in, and I love the Oscar theme! "Scram!" He's always been one of my favorites on Sesame Street, although I'm happy when it's any of the old-school characters & not the dumbed-down modern Elmo, Baby Bear, etc.

Yeah, I agree that the height requirement is disappointing. Safety is clearly #1, but I wonder if all of the steps are cumulatively a bit of an overreaction. I'd think that seat belts and mandatory adults (not slightly older children) riding with younger children would be OK. I just took a four-year-old on the Log Jammer at Kennywood, without any seat belts or anything, and we were certainly, well, "responsible" and fine. That's a much larger, faster ride than the ol' Rollo Coaster. The inspectors also flagged the coaster for some loose dirt or debris around its footers -- come on, now -- that's just nitpicking. At the same time, following the steps gives the park a clear path toward PR recovery from this accident, a child was hurt, and since Idlewild isn't a carny operation, modifications or a permanent closure were going to be the only options. I know we love to bang on the "I hate stupid people" drum, but I just feel bad for the toddler. Continuing with the train that was the scene of a kids' accident would be bad juju and keep a stench around the ride; it was a lovely vintage train, but PTC will get some business and cook up something new. I'd like the new train to be plush and not hard foam, but ultimately I just hope that the child is OK.

Peruse Twitter & Instagram...there are tons of pics and videos from both fans and the park. ==== "Pittsburgh Dad" is an online comedy series that embodies the stingy-yet-caring persona and heavy accent of traditional blue-collar Pittsburgh fathers. It might be over the heads of people visiting the city today, but it's hilariously accurate to anyone who grew up in Pittsburgh. When people refer to "Yinzers," this is who they're talking about. Their numbers are dwindling as the generations evolve, but you can still find plenty of Pittsburgh Dads within the city's neighborhoods. The man behind the series has been embraced by the sports teams and Kennywood. He portrayed Noah at the media event for the Noah's Ark rehab, and he returned to Kennywood to say goodbye to the Log Jammer: Pittsburgh Dad's original Kennywood video (this is not merely an over-the-top stereotype...EVERYONE had or knew a father like this growing up in Pittsburgh):

I get a real kick out of these videos every fall, and I usually catch more details in the POVs than when I'm walking through the houses myself. Thanks for the highlights, Robb! The woman sawing off her forearm in the Saw maze made me think, "GOOD LORD, I DON'T SPEAK JAPANESE!"

True But I can see it Close your eyes!

Very cool! The hotel themed to a museum is the kind of above-and-beyond imagination that I really appreciate. I have no doubt that Europa Park will do it well. The concept art with the skeleton reminded of a scene from the Dark Souls game series:

Remember, while Kennywood hasn't used the moniker in years, it's the original "Coaster Capital of the World." I love Log Jammer, and Kennywood does have a nice, well-rounded collection, but if the park can add a totally original terrain coaster down the road, that is Kennywood's DNA, and that is respecting the park's legacy. Converting the Pippin into Thunderbolt took guts. Taking out the Laser Loop to build the world's biggest, fastest coaster took guts. Kennywood has had to play sensibly for various constraining reasons (amusement tax, land availability, waiting endlessly for the expressway to be built, etc.), but it's a park that has adapted many times over, outlived West View and White Swan, been a Western PA treasure, and isn't afraid to make bold moves when it can.

I love Log Jammer and flumes in general, and I'm sad to hear that it's leaving, but it's not a big secret that something really good is coming down the road. And yes, Log Jammer really has been the perfect size and fit for Kennywood; it's an awesome flume. While I enjoyed White Water Landing at Cedar Point, I think the trade for Maverick was worth it. If the area is developed tastefully and allows Kennywood to add another major terrain coaster, then we're suddenly talking about one of the best pound-for-pound lineups in the country. Nothing but <3 for Log Jammer, but I'm excited about the next couple of years.

Have mercy, another great-looking coaster; this ain't your grandpa's Vekoma. Next time you face a challenge & the odds aren't looking good, remember that Vekoma has become a top manufacturer of hotly-anticipated coasters; anything's possible! I'm liking everything about this layout and can't wait to see more construction progress.

I also loved the back on Valravn; it's just a ton of fun. I'll have to try for that specific seat next time. Getting yanked over the drop from the 3rd row puts a huge smile on my face and makes me laugh the whole way down. For a new coaster, I think it gets overlooked as "new B&M w/ vests = meh," but I thought that aside from some abrupt braking, it's an excellent and comfortable ride. The vests have never tightened whatsoever on my rides, and there's a lot more elbow room over the older B&M trains. Glad you enjoyed the ride, too. In a previous report up ^^ the page, someone just mentioned being a little exhausted after Wicked Twister. I agree; that back spike remains one of my favorite elements in the park, but it's a sneaky-intense ride. Those pullouts feel tight for how fast you're going, & I wonder how many positive Gs it pulls. I try to hit WT when I'm feeling good (not hungry/thirsty/too hot) because it can really deliver a punch, especially when I opt for the ends of the train. Thanks for the recent reports, everybody.

Whoa, glad to see this is going to be a reality! It looks crazier to me from the outside than on the POV, where I wonder how thrilling the frequent back-and-forth stalling and incremental progress will actually be, but this is nevertheless one of the coolest and imaginative ride concepts I've ever seen. What an idea!

Kennywood...I've cut out pretty much everything that spins, including Exterminator and the really good Black Widow, but I've ridden both and pretty much everything else already. I'm also selective about which days I'll go on the two drenching water rides, but I enjoy them whenever I do. Between the other coasters, Log Jammer, dark rides, classic flats, Sky Coaster, and food, I'm still loving all the best parts of the park. Hats off to the maintenance team because the rides have been kept in good condition; there's nothing that I have to skip due to roughness.

The best rides I've had in the last several years have all been during Halloween events at night. I cherish slightly cool air and low humidity when riding coasters, and when you factor in heavy fog, earlier nighttime, & some coasters shutting off their lighting packages, I get so many memorable rides that are unique to the season. Even if you're not a Halloween person who likes the haunts or pumpkin themes, it's a great time to be on a roller coaster. Last year at Kennywood...you don't have to love Halloween to appreciate how awesome this is! Good luck getting an experience like this during the regular season! Flying through the foggy night

I agree with you, A.J., the track looks crisp against the backdrop of the wood, and I thought it was a refreshing color choice. As for the coaster reveal, I loved the reverse cobra roll concept, but I did have a "that's it?" initial reaction when it hit the brakes without another lap. After a few more viewings, I think it'll still be a really good ride. If it's going to be short like Goliath, it trades the latter's size for more elements and action. I like that there are juicy-looking bunny hills in the layout; I enjoy RMC's little hops and misdirections, too, but there's nothing better in my books than full, uninterrupted bunny hills. Even with a shortened track length, the quality of SFOG's lineup is about to improve. I'm down with this announcement.

Lol, your description made me chuckle from first-hand experience. Good ol' StealthBorgHawk. A few years ago I'd think, "better head to it first thing before the line builds," and now I just skip it as you do & think of it as a photogenic centerpiece for the park.

Awesome photos! Hershey is one of the more reliably-nice parks I've visited; I don't think I've ever had a bad time there, even when the park was crowded. The coaster collection was sneaky-good even before SkyRush, but now it's great. While the Intamin trio steals the headlines, I think Lightning Racer is one of the most underrated hands-up fun coasters out there. Glad you had a good time!

You can do a heck of a lot worse than Dollywood, even if Lightning Rod isn't running all the time. There's nothing wrong with taking a year or several off from visiting a park, but I noticed that you seem to take a lot of swipes at different parks. Don't forget to have some fun once in a while, too!

During my last stop around Halloween, the haunt atmosphere was pretty good and the scare actors were into their jobs. Superman is also worth the price of admission if you've never been on it, and Joker's Jinx & Wild One aren't bad. For me to go back, it would take RMC Roar or a truly new coaster. Even then, I think it's more of a zip-in-zip-out park than the kind of place where I'd spend all day. Like Robb mentioned, the clientele can be sketchy. In my visits, the vibes fluctuated between unwelcome rowdiness and areas of pin-drop silence and desertion. Superman, which really is the star attraction and a lot of fun, had a station that just felt downtrodden. Miserableness hung in the air. Operations were slow. A lot of teens in line were acting too cool for school instead of allowing themselves to have fun. Those bad vibes really needed to be vacuumed out somehow; perhaps easier said than done, I know, and maybe things have improved since. I didn't come across too many responsible families or nearly anyone over 50. I find that parks that get the whole family to come out are more pleasant than those that attract teen hordes, young couples, and unsupervised children. "Where are your parents?" popped into my head several times. Also, that very non-immersive, unconnected back of the park from Joker's Jinx-on felt low-rent and was an atmosphere killer. The path to Batwing epitomized the cheap feel of Six Flags' circa-2000 attractions dump, which plopped in a ton of coasters and spammed superhero logos on trash cans, but didn't know how to make a park charming. I had similar thoughts about Six Flags Worlds of Adventure, which also received a circa-2000 steroidal package of superhero rides and Looney Tunes cutouts, but I never had a great time there. But all that said, thanks for the report & pics, OP! There are still some good rides, nice areas, and highlights to be found around the park, for sure.

Regardless of manufacturer rumors or timelines, I found this cool video from a few years ago that tours the area of the proposed coaster and heads inside the former railroad building that's now used for park storage. To appreciate the topography differential, you can see a bit of Racer high up on the hill. I think there's awesome potential for another big terrain drop and totally unique coaster if the park eventually builds one back there.

Just reading this put me into a diabetic coma. Sounds like you had a good time, though. I can't wait to visit this park, hopefully next year. Lol, thanks Zach. There was lots of sharing to go around with the food, so I didn't totally eat everything myself. Still, amusement parks are places where I don't mind bending the diet a bit. I think you'll have a great time when you visit; the park's in great shape.