KPfan

Agree. After being at the park twice last week I got tired of seeing the advertisements. I wouldn't be surprised if to hear then start incorporating them into the ride announcements. "This ride in El Toro is brought to you by your local Kia dealer. Check out the Kia Soul at "

We're visiting the park today for the first time. Finding it hard to really enjoy after a couple days at Great Adventure. Couldn't ride Superman unfortunately. Even with a 38" waist the lap belts were a good 4-5" too short. Really wanted to try the VR experience.

Skyrocket at Kennywood is the smoothest I've been on. Gatekeeper is a close second.

I can confirm although I am certainly not an official source. I am related to someone on that team.

I find rows 1 and 4 to be comfortable. Seems to be just a tad more leg room in those seats. Definitely not the most comfortable trains made.

Yes, Black Widow only has the ring in the underside of the disc. White lights during the season and blue during their Halloween event. No lights on any of the arms. It actually looks cool at night with the minimalist effect.

Black Widow is a great ride. Compared to other models, this one is fantastic. Better restraints, smoother swinging motion, tall, fast, great views, etc. Kennywood hit a home run with this ride. The wait can hit an hour during peak times so that can be a downer but it's worth the wait. I've ridden 5 similar pendulum rides but Zamperla has them beat. Pit Fall was a really good ride but it fell out of popularity with guests. I don't know if it was too intimidating or just a general lack of interest but the lines significantly shortened over the last few years of operation. Black Widow has helped bring more foot traffic back to that section of the park. With regard to ride order, I usually hit Black Widow first, then Exterminator. Then hit SwingShot on my way to Phantoms Revenge. After that, down to Thunderbolt, Aero 360, Racer, Jack Rabbit and finally SkyRocket. Most days that's about a 3-4 hour circuit.

I'm about 20 minutes from Kennywood. It's great to have access pretty much whenever I want. Great for killing a few hours after work.

Black Widow is sort of like a coaster in that you need to sit in different seats to change the experience. The cycle is fixed. Personally I like facing down at the apex. Such a great feeling with hands up and legs out. Compared to the Huss or Mondial, the ride is smoother on transition and the gforces at the bottom are great. Try keeping your hands up the entire ride and your shoulders will be sore.

They were considering a modification to randomly simulate a launch failure. Will be curious to see if that made it into the final design. I recall it being a costly change so they may have nixed the idea.

I think it'd be a great career, one that I'd love to have. I think it would be important to realize that it may never happen and be willing to accept alternatives. Technology is rapidly changing. Coaster design is becoming automated. In 5 years they'll likely only need humans to assemble one.

There is no hope left for this coaster. It's beyond just retracking at this point.

For me, my favorite layout is Racer at Kennywood. An old school racing coaster that is actually a single circuit. This means you finish the ride on the opposite side from which you started. One thing that impresses me the most is how consistently close the two trains finish. its not the biggest or fastest just a fun wooden coaster all around.

It's really nice to stay inside the park but there are alternatives. There are several hotels and restaurants over near Sandusky Mall. It's about 15 minutes from the park. We saved a bunch of money last summer by staying over there last year. We also had another trip and stayed at the new Breakers. It was great being within walking distance but overall it was more expensive.

If you ever get a chance, check out the piece on the underside of the train that holds the car for the drop. Compared to the rest of the train it's such a tiny piece of steel plate. It's especially amazing considering the fully loaded weight of a train. I've been fortunate to spend time under Griffon. B&M engineering is impressive. The articulation and bearings in the arms that hold the train onto the track are the key to the smooth ride.

I guess in that case couldn't they grandfather the Drachenfire approval? If they reuse the station and keep it under the same height then I suppose it's possible.

I was fortunate to ride it shortly after it opened. At the time it was my 2nd favorite steel behind Steel Phantom. I really enjoyed the ride and didn't think it was that rough. Then again, I had ridden so many Arrow loopers I was probably used to it. As for the current teaser, can't wait to see what is planned. Would love to see something that is a spin off of Drachenfire.

That's a good one. My personal favorite has been Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts. Everything from the queue, theming and ride was really well done.

There is a link on Screamscape to a Reuters article about it. Apparently a private group is interested.

Would be an interesting addition given that they removed the old Pit Fall not long ago. I could see a tower like the one at Waldameer but nothing bigger.

We should start a support group or something! lol I think for me, I'm still able to really ride just about anything. My biggest hurdle is my fear of heights which is actually something that has gotten better for me as I've aged. I no longer feel the same levels of anticipation and anxiety on really tall rides, especially coasters. However, I'm still unable to get on something like Falcon's Fury. I also have 2 kids that are soon to be 9 and 12. That certainly keeps me going as they're just now at the point where they're riding just about everything. That keeps me pushing myself to keep up with them.

Sucks getting older but it's the reality we all have to face. I find that I have to work my way up to certain rides. Not because the mind is unwilling but because it is easier on the body. For example, a ride on Maverick throws me around a good bit. I will usually hit up a few other rides first and then I'm good. Kinda like warming up before you exercise.

Hmm, I thought the front was a bit rougher. Personally, I liked the 4th row after trying them all. I think it's a fun little ride though I'm not a fan of all the brake sections. Unfortunately it's necessary in order to run 5 trains.

Twister wasn't amazing by today's standards but I'm sure it was a hit when it was released. I'm grateful for getting to experience it a couple weeks ago but I could see why it was time to replace it. Hopefully they have something good in store.

Absolutely: Kennywood Lakemont Park Hershey Park Dorney Park Knobels Six Flags Great Adventure Cedar Point Possibly: Carowinds Canadas Wonderland kings Island