Canobie Coaster Posted June 3, 2021 Share Posted June 3, 2021 Yesterday, it rained very hard for a 15-20 minute stretch. Kennywood kept most things open during that time except Steel Curtain. The bigger issue is if the park uses the rain as an excuse to close the park early, but while they're open, they're good about keeping rides open as long as there's no thunder and lightning. I would prioritize Steel Curtain if its clear when you arrive at the park. The ride is only on one train and a lot of people will head there first since it was closed all of last year. The line was around 45-60 minutes most of the day, which the employees were saying was less than the 2 hour waits it has been getting most weekends. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canobie Coaster Posted June 3, 2021 Share Posted June 3, 2021 Also, just a FYI to anyone who bought the Palace Platinum Pass. I bought mine with Lake Compounce as my home park and when I went to the turnstiles at Kennywood, they couldn't scan it. I'm not sure if the other Palace parks that aren't your home park are like this, but you need to have your Platinum Pass scanned by guest services. They'll then print a paper ticket that you use to enter the park. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmyUD06 Posted June 3, 2021 Share Posted June 3, 2021 23 minutes ago, Canobie Coaster said: Also, just a FYI to anyone who bought the Palace Platinum Pass. I bought mine with Lake Compounce as my home park and when I went to the turnstiles at Kennywood, they couldn't scan it. I'm not sure if the other Palace parks that aren't your home park are like this, but you need to have your Platinum Pass scanned by guest services. They'll then print a paper ticket that you use to enter the park. Good to know. I was planning on buying a Palace Platinum at Idlewild later this year to use at Kennywood, Story Land, and Lake Compounce later this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kstr737 Posted June 3, 2021 Share Posted June 3, 2021 @KPfan @PennStater Any more word on the VIP tours? I got the same response from the park as here that they’ll be available online in June (but still not). Are they being sold at the gate? Or somewhere else? Looking to be there Sunday the 13th AM as part of a larger trip... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coasterbill Posted June 3, 2021 Share Posted June 3, 2021 57 minutes ago, Canobie Coaster said: Palace Platinum Pass My birthday isn't for a few months but I just wanted to let the forum know that this would be a great gag gift for me. 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canobie Coaster Posted June 3, 2021 Share Posted June 3, 2021 46 minutes ago, Mike240SX said: Good to know. I was planning on buying a Palace Platinum at Idlewild later this year to use at Kennywood, Story Land, and Lake Compounce later this year. It'll be interesting if the other parks in the chain make you do the same thing as Kennywood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canobie Coaster Posted June 3, 2021 Share Posted June 3, 2021 20 minutes ago, Kstr737 said: @KPfan @PennStater Any more word on the VIP tours? I got the same response from the park as here that they’ll be available online in June (but still not). Are they being sold at the gate? Or somewhere else? Looking to be there Sunday the 13th AM as part of a larger trip... I didn't look yesterday since crowds were so light, but I didn't see anyone using one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJLehto Posted June 3, 2021 Share Posted June 3, 2021 Wow the coaster gods took mercy on me today! When I left it was like 75-80+% chance of rain and thunderstorms. I arrived at KW at noon and it was light drizzle on and off, eventually stopping. Got the perfect combo of dry AND crowds kept away! Went to Steel Curtain first, (since I was there an hour in figured the Exterminator line was already screwed) and the line wasn't that bad physically but took about 30 mins due to the 1 train ops. It was not the crew, they seemed to be moving and were quite efficient. It was simply the 1 train. Did 2 rides, once 2nd row once towards to rear, fun ride but weirdly underwhelming. It has it all: speed, elements, a unique layout, airtime but it was just a bit...well I guess forceless. Air was good. Guess I thought it'd have a little more oomph esp the 2nd half. Over the Phantom's which was a walk on, literally. Forgot how sick that ride is, especially in back! Knocked out Sky Rocket which was better than expected (granted expectations were low). Honestly I really liked the first half, I got back row and those drops had some (brief) pops of pretty nasty air and it was a speedy little ride. It did peter out hard after the 2nd barrel roll, the twisty part and final hills etc were pretty lame. That said running 2 trains and ops were fast, so this was also a walk on. Jack Rabbit I lucked out hard and got cut off next to board. This was great as naturally I took back row, and it also had 2 trains so the wait was like a minute. This was better than expected. I had the vibe its "eh" with the sick double down but I got some pretty good air on a couple other drops! Also by a year this now takes record for oldest coaster I have ridden. Racer was also better than expected, which again wasn't much but it wasn't too bad in back. Line was again short, only 2 cycles ahead of me, though it did move pretty slow. IDK if this is common but ONE person was doing both trains, felt bad for that woman. But yeah solid little ride. Perhaps unpopular opinion(?) but I like Thunderbolt least of the 3 classic woodies there. Exterminator's line was indeed looooooong and I know how slow it goes, by this point I was getting tired and Phantom's again was empty. I count creds but not a cred whore, so I made the choice to not wait. I love a spinner too but long wait for that or 3 rides in less time on Phantom's? Which I did, it was wild 3 walk ons, right to the train in one case it timed perfectly that I barely broke stride and jumped onto the loading train. Maybe it warmed up by this point but felt even wilder. What a ride truly. All in all this experience was the polar opposite of my last (hot as hell, crowded as hell, few rides closed/down) and in a better mood, it wasn't a bad park. I did kinda like the more forested parts and the whole fountain area by the splash boats was wonderful. Now that redemption has been had not sure I'll make a case to stop here at least for a while but considering I got near all I wanted done, (even snuck a ride on Swingshot) in 3 hours and it was not the total washout I feared, not too shabby! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KPfan Posted June 4, 2021 Share Posted June 4, 2021 On 6/3/2021 at 9:52 AM, Kstr737 said: @KPfan @PennStater Any more word on the VIP tours? I got the same response from the park as here that they’ll be available online in June (but still not). Are they being sold at the gate? Or somewhere else? Looking to be there Sunday the 13th AM as part of a larger trip... They’re available as of today. There’s a booth setup near Sky Rocket where you can purchase them. Would recommend getting them early before they sell out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tndank Posted June 7, 2021 Share Posted June 7, 2021 Kennywood adding days back and going to 7 days a weeks soon (if not now). Expanded hours expected soon. Good to hear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PennStater Posted June 7, 2021 Share Posted June 7, 2021 Yup, starting the 9th we're open daily! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clem2754 Posted June 7, 2021 Share Posted June 7, 2021 I went to Kennywood for the first time today and came away impressed. Phantom's operations were quite good as was the ride. I got about 8 rides on it, most of them late in the day. My type of ride with all of the air time. And they really pushed those trains through. I actually went to Steel Curtain first and was on the first train of the day. They opened it about 30 minutes late. Felt it was a bit slow but I really enjoyed that one air time hill. They are running one train and it sounds they will be doing that for a while. They managed the line well as I came back later in the day and rode it again after a 60 minute wait. Second ride was an improvement. One of the inversion as quite whippy. This is my second favorite ride in the park. The 3 woodies were overall much better than Hershey's. Of the the three I enjoyed Jack Rabbit the most as the air time from the double down in the back row as outstanding even if much of the rest of the ride was average. Racer was better than expected but it was the one coaster where the ops could improve Saw a rollback on Sky Rocket. They had to evac riders. First half of the ride was good, but the second half was pretty weak. Only rode it once. It was about what I expected. Exterminator had a long line but I rode it as a single rider so it was spinning a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CenturyFlyer Posted June 9, 2021 Share Posted June 9, 2021 Steel Curtain was running two trains today! 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jagnyc Posted June 23, 2021 Share Posted June 23, 2021 I went to Kennywood for the first time on Sunday, and I had a blast! Due to a weather delay on the first leg of my trip and weather concerns for Monday, I decided to take a chance and fit Kennywood in for the second half of the day after riding Leap the Dips at Lakemont. I realized that I probably wouldn't get much in at Kennywood and decided to just take it easy and enjoy what I could. Because of the change of plans, my original coaster riding companion couldn’t join me, so it was just me and my coaster-phobic friend. Kennywood wasn’t as busy as I expected for a Sunday at 3:00pm. I walked straight to Steel Curtain to check out the line. It was posted at 45 minutes. Not bad compared to the reports of 2 hour waits, so I got on line. It seemed like all was well until they began cycling empty trains. After the 3rd or 4th empty train, I left and went to Phantom's Revenge, which was my most anticipated coaster. They were only running one train at that time, but the 25-30 minute wait was worth it! This ride lives up to the hype. It was hauling, and I loved the air and view coming over the second hill. After Phantom’s Revenge (or is it Antom's Evenge?), I went on my most anticipated woody, Jackrabbit. They were running two trains and the line wasn’t very long, so there wasn’t much of a wait. The line cut off right before me, so I got the front seat!! Such a fun ride! I love the classic woodies that don’t break my back (like Leap the Dips did!), and the double down is, like many have said before, a high point. My coaster-phobic friend snapped this on-ride photo of me! Next I rode Racer, which also had a short wait. It was my first racing coaster, and I had fun on it. I was in the blue train, and we tied with the green train! After Racer, I rode the Whip, which has always been a favorite flat of mine. My coaster phobic friend also turned out to be whip phobic, so I rode it alone and my cart was extra bouncy. Surprisingly, my friend suggested the Pittsburg Plunge because there was no line and we wanted to cool down. We walked right on, got seated in the back, and of course came off soaked. I haven’t been on a Shoot the Chute since the 90s, so it was a fun way to cool down. We also took a spin on the carousel, which is quite nice! I snapped a photo of Phantom's Revenge and the Whip while waiting for the ride to begin. Because my friend had fun on the Pittsburg Plunge, I tried to get him on the Jackrabbit. I wanted a second ride, and I hoped I could work him up to riding Thunderbolt, but he didn’t trust my description of the Jackrabbit as mild ( I did however get him to ride Leap the Dips earlier while at Lakemont, and he had more fun on it than I did!). I didn’t want to waste time looking for a solo rider for Thunderbolt, so I skipped it. It does look like a lot of fun, and I will make it a priority on my next visit, whenever that might be. Finally, I went back to Steel Curtain where the trains were no longer empty. They were running two, but loading seemed quite slow. Overall I think I waited about 30 minutes because I got to skip the line when they needed a single rider. Not bad for a Sunday!! Going into the visit, Steel Curtain wasn’t one of my most anticipated coasters, but wow! It was smooth, forceful, and fast! I loved the dive drop, and there are some strong positive gs when they snap the photo! It was a quick trip, but it all worked out and I had an excellent time! The park was nicer than I expected based on descriptions I’ve read from those who lament the passing of the good old days. I would agree that it doesn’t match up to the old-timey charm of Knoebel’s or Waldameer, but the stellar lineup makes up for the somewhat sterile feel. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KPfan Posted July 2, 2021 Share Posted July 2, 2021 Things are looking up for Black Widow. (Literally) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KPfan Posted July 7, 2021 Share Posted July 7, 2021 Black Widow has officially reopened as of yesterday. Another step closer to having everything operational. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KBrylczyk Posted July 8, 2021 Share Posted July 8, 2021 ^ This Disney marketing team is on point. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King of Ka Posted July 22, 2021 Share Posted July 22, 2021 Hi everybody! My wife and I are planning on visiting Kennywood for the first time this Saturday. We'll be landing in Pittsburgh at 11 and then taking a rental car right from there to the park, so we'd probably be getting to the park right around 1. I had looked into the Coaster Tour a few weeks ago when they weren't being sold on the website. I just checked again today and now both the coaster tour and ultimate VIP tour packages are being sold, but are unavailable for this Saturday. Does anybody know: 1. Does being unavailable mean they're sold out, or is there just a minimum number of days in advance you need to purchase? Should I expect that they'll be sold at the park? 2. If they are available at the park, what are the chances that any would still be available by 1? 3. If I'm unable to get either, is it still worth going to the park? I don't mind waiting in lines, but if everything is going to be 2+ hours I might rather spend the day sightseeing in Pittsburgh. If anybody has a good rule of thumb in terms of "If the parking lot is X full, the park is slammed" that might also come in handy. Any other tips or tricks for the park are also greatly appreciated! Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KPfan Posted July 22, 2021 Share Posted July 22, 2021 There’s a booth for the VIP tours as soon as you enter the park through the tunnel. I would expect it to be open at that time but it might be worthwhile reaching out to the park directly via FB or Twitter directly to confirm. Lines for most rides are usually 20 - 45min on average days. Steel Curtain is usually the longest wait, sometimes exceeding 90 minutes depending on crowd size and number of trains. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BitterOldHag Posted July 22, 2021 Share Posted July 22, 2021 I reached out to the park the other day about this and they had this standardized response: "We have a limited number of VIP available at the park and they are on a first come first serve basis. If purchasing online, the VIP must be purchased 48 hours in advance. My suggestion is to try and be in the park when we open at 10:30 am and make the VIP Coaster Tour booth your first stop." While that didn't really clarify if the booth is open at 10:30, when I do end up going, I'll be sure to be there at 10:30. I'd rather wait for a half hour to get a VIP pass than 90 for Steel Curtain! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CenturyFlyer Posted August 6, 2021 Share Posted August 6, 2021 Keep in mind if you're visiting the park this month that they've been running Jack Rabbit and Racer starting right around 10:30, while the rest of the rides don't start until 11. Steel Curtain was also on one train today and during my last visit in July, so I'm not sure if they're having maintenance issues with the second train or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KPfan Posted August 7, 2021 Share Posted August 7, 2021 Not aware of any issues with the 2nd train on Curtain. So not sure why it was only running 1 unless it was a slow day and lines were short. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larrygator Posted August 7, 2021 Share Posted August 7, 2021 Went to Kennywood last Monday (July 22nd) and had a great time again. I was probably my 6th or 7th trip but for my niece it was her first visit. We got there at opening and stayed until 5PM with a goal of riding all the woodies and major coasters at least twice. My niece is pretty fearless, but Phantom's Revenge freaked her out and she didn't want to ride twice but we got everything else in. Random Thoughts Besides the rides, I loved partaking in and introducing my niece to Potato Patch fries and the chocolate dipped ice cream Steel Curtain - I love everything about it except the one train operations Sky Rocket - Still can't believe Premier only sold one, because the Sky Rocket II blows. I know it's all about the small footprint I'm not sure when Kennywood started their chaperone policy but it seemed to make a difference to me. The woodies all still deliver the goods in surprising ways. Very happy to finally ride the Old Mill, GOODBYE GARFIELD. I know that progress has to happen, but sad about the following developments over the past few years: Kangaroo is gone, Bayern Kurve is gone again, Noah's Ark changes (miss that old ending), and Ghostwood Estates is a complete joke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joey Cerasi Posted August 20, 2021 Share Posted August 20, 2021 Hey guys, long time lurker but don't usually post here. I'm making the drive from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh next Wednesday night with an Airbnb for one night to go to the park on Thursday. However, poor planning on my part, I looked at tickets today and there are no weekday tickets available for the park on 8/26. The next available weekday tickets are either 8/23 or 9/6. Luckily, I can still cancel my airbnb, or my friends and I might just drive another 3 hours to Cedar Point, but wanted to ask if anyone knows if the park would honor tickets purchased for another day? I emailed them asking about my situation as well, and am waiting to hear back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KPfan Posted August 20, 2021 Share Posted August 20, 2021 I’m not certain if anything has changed so definitely best to get an answer from the park directly. But I know that FunDay tickets bought through local school districts are redeemable for any day during the summer operating season. So I would think that also applies to any FunDay ticket. https://www.kennywood.com/avsd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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