Kennywood (KW) Discussion Thread

[jmicha]

^First off, great song choice. Second, it appears that the pacing of the ride is a little bit faster since the POV was shot which is a nice improvement. The two big drops look like a great time, as do both of the barrel rolls/zero-g rolls. The ending appears to have a little bit more speed too which should be fun. Those last few turns (not sure of the name of that element) look like an interesting experience. This is the type of ride that I really like. It isn't huge so it has to stand out by being pure fun (like old video games. No glamorous graphics, great sound, etc. Just pure fun in order to be successful) and innovative. Seems like the perfect fit for a park like Kennywood. I'm glad it has turned out so well for them.

[EastCoastn07]

After they took down the fin on the first drop today the first few tests it had a lot of speed going through the whole course, but throughout the night it was slowing down. I have a pretty good feeling that they are gradually reducing the launch speed to try and lower the speed it is going at the top of the first hill. So like I said the other day, even though the coaster was technically done they are still making a lot of adjustments to the ride before its open to the public.

[StormFreak]

I have also heard that they are trying to reduce the launch speed so it isn't going so fast over the top of the hill. I wonder if it is causing wear on the wheels?

[B-RadG]

Awesome to hear that Kennywood is onto such a winner with Sky Rocket. Everything about this ride looks awesome, the Cilffhanger, the surf curves, and the inversions.

Going back to the thing about airtime during the Corkscrew, Joker's Jinx and both FoFs had that sensation so I'm assuming it's the constant forward rolling that Premier uses on their Corkscrews (as opposed to Arrow's Corkscrews, which shift backwards slightly instead of constantly moving forward)

[Voyager]

That's when the power of insinuation comes in handy. They could take some negative stuff and spin it around to sound positive, but no ACE member in their right mind would call Mean Streak smooth. Perhaps they'd say something like, "It's the kind of crazy wild ride that only a wooden coaster could provide."

I'd say it is heavily braked, somewhat rough ride that bores me, and I usually avoid it!

 

Posting here is not "interacting with the media" like the code of conduct states, so I can say whatever I please. We know that some people have to find something to complain about because they are an "expert", and the "speaking enthusiastically" clause discourages people from complaining when they have a camera or microphone stuck in their face. Anyone reading this is a supporter of the industry, and should act like it when they are in the public eye.

 

I'm in ACE and TPR because I have fun with both groups and have friends in both. I ride coasters because it is fun, period. Different clubs have different things to offer, and I'd encourage everyone to form their own opinions based on real experiences rather than what they hear secondhand.

 

Moving on to Sky Rocket....

 

I was lucky enough to ride it once on Tuesday night and seven times on Wednesday during the commercial/photo shoot. EVERY ride I had was in the back row, but I didn't have any choice as I was assigned a seat. (They were looking for teenagers and couples to show the family friendliness of the ride, and as I didn't fit into either of those categories I was simply a very happy seat filler.)

 

In a nutshell, the ride was just plain FUN.

 

It had some intense parts with lots of airtime, particularly the second drop and hang time through the corkscrews. I liked rolling straight out of the station and into the launch without stopping. The launch is very smooth and feels like other Premier launches in terms of force, but it is much quieter.

 

After shooting straight up, you hang over the first drop moving fairly slowly (thanks to magnetic brakes), so there is not nearly as much "pull" over the top as on the second drop. On the second drop you go over much more quickly. I hit the lap bar with emphasis, one of the strongest airtime moments I can recall. It is gonna scare people. I was definitely hanging during the corkscrews, too.

 

The ending of the ride is not intense, but is quite fun. The whole ride is freakishly quiet and ultra-smooth.

 

I would have liked to try a different row because I found that my shins were pretty tightly squeezed by the restraint when it got near my lap. This was because the base of the seat was in the way, and because I'm 6' 2", my feet aren't small. There just wasn't enough room for my feet. It wasn't comfortable, but it wasn't painful either. Other people said other rows were not like this.

 

That's the ONLY issue I had, and I hope they can address it because I really liked the ride in the back row. The upside of the shin issue was that because I'm fairly thin, the lap bar was not really on my lap, and I had some room to fly!

 

The seats themselves were super comfortable and a little bit soft. You sit higher up than in older Premier trains. This is great for taller people and those who have trouble "folding" themselves into rides like Mr Freeze.

 

I think this is a ride that families can and will enjoy, but only after catching their breath after some seriously thrilling moments that should make enthusiasts quite happy. Based on what I saw of the commercial filming, the TV spot should be entertaining.

 

Go ride this ride, you won't regret it! Here I am sitting in the back seat.

 

I want to thank the people from Premier and Kennywood who worked around the clock so that the Coaster Con attendees could get their first ride on Sky Rocket. I am eager to return to Kennywood in the future, and I had a great time at the park. -Mike

Ready for my back row ride on Sky Rocket

[eddie200330]

^ Nice review. I also find with the FoF rides that Premier seems to have that "room" issue on their trains as well. There is really no room for marginal error in tall people as to where to cram your legs into the cars. Hopefully be getting up that way in the next few weeks to give this thing a whirl, looks pretty sweet!

[PhantomNick]

This morning the park held its preview of Sky Rocket for the media. Here's some of the coverage on our local stations here in the 'Burgh. I have to say, seeing the ride in action with a train full of riders, I am pretty much giddy with excitement for my trip there on Wednesday!!

 

And the adjustments they made to the ride really show, as the pacing looks simply perfect in these videos.

 

WPXI Coverage (includes TONS of awesome pictures!)

Fantastic "raw" video of Sky Rocket from WPXI

WTAE Coverage (includes a very nice video)

[Dailey Enterprizes]

^ The videos are cool and the coaster looks awesome, but the media still cracks me up with things like, "...it's unlike any of the 6 roller coasters at Kennywood because of its launch-technology which makes it so smooth."

[rckrazy06]

Well i'll be at the park tomorrow for the grand opening, anyone else going?

[PennStater]

Well i'll be at the park tomorrow for the grand opening, anyone else going?

 

Chances are I'll be there in the afternoon after work, although I already rode it last Tuesday. I bet V.I.P. Coaster Tour passes will sell out tomorrow for sure!

[cowboyjoe]

I'll be there bright and early, seeing how I was lucky enough to not be scheduled to work tomorrow. I can't wait!

[philthephorce]

I'll be there! I'm leaving my house in about 90 minutes!!!

[mandog987654]

I will be there as well

i can't wait! I'm leaving my house in about 45 minutes! it will be awesome to see all you guys there!

[ahecht]

I have a quick question, now when the train hits the lims, I can swear i hear like a plane taking off, and once it's off the LIMs, the sound is gone. Is this coming from the magnetic systems, or was this something Kennywood had put in?

 

Is this sound there in person, or only on the videos? I can easily imagine that the LIMs might interact with the magnets in the microphone on the camera and cause such a sound if the camera were mounted low enough.

[Astrojack]

I heard the sound while on the ride, but it's pretty faint from the wind and the screams.

[rckrazy06]

Just got back from the park and got 4 rides in on Sky Rocket!(in addition to one ride on PR and one ride on Aero 360) The line was surprisingly short when i was there and was roughly 45 minutes the entire time, and was down to 30 minutes by the time I left at around 3. Now onto the ride itself, of the four times I rode, 2 were in the first row, one was in the second row, and one was in the 5th row, and after those 4 rides I can easily tell you that this is definitely a front row coaster. The airtime in the front two rows seemed much more prominent then in the 5th row. The airtime going over the first hill after the launch was pretty intense and the cliffhanger element seemed to be done just right. As mentioned already, the zero g roll and corkscrew provided for some great hangtime. After the corkscrew though the ride pretty much dies as the surf curves were a huge disappointment and the final two airtime hills were just average. Overall the ride was great and was extremely smooth and definitely a perfect fit for Kennywood.

[philthephorce]

I agree with most of the above review. I also got 4 rides in: 2 in the front row, one in row 6 and one in row 5. I wouldn't describe the sensation going through the barrel roll as 'hang time,' to me that insinuates that the ride isn't really going fast enough to go through the element and give the floating sensation you're used to with B&M zero g rolls. I'd describe it more like the ride trying to literally throw you off of it. Call it "get the hell off of me time!" The corkscrew felt more like what people (people like...me!) thought the barrel roll would feel like. Yes, the surf curves provided no lateral forces, so I didn't really understand them but the last two bunnies are just bonuses. Trust me, after getting bigger doses of airtime in unexpected places earlier in the ride you don't need El Toro strength air time to finish off the ride. I'd give the ride a 9.75/10. I'm not one of those people who look at a ride, or even ride it and immediately think, "they should've..." I just try to enjoy the ride for what it is, and this ride is something special.

[AlphaMaster]

Dear fellow riders sitting behind me on the Sky Rocket: Please do NOT grab my hands while going through elements. Very annoying.

[rckrazy06]

^I swear to god it wasn't me!

 

We shouldve had a little TPR KW fanboy get together for the opening today, it wouldve been fun. Maybe an idea for the future?

[nowaymang]

^^ Thanks to all who posted their ride experience. I cannot wait until the 5th of July where my opportunity hopefully awaits.

[FeelTheFORCE]

Speaking of the 5th, how might crowds be that day? Like a normal Monday because the holiday is over, or greatly inflated because a lot of people have that day off? For comparison purposes, I've been to Kennywood on the busiest Fall Fantasy days, so I assume it couldn't be worse than that.

[eddie200330]

Not sure about the crowds, but I got an email from them that July 6 & 8 are BOGO days when purchased at the main gate.

[nowaymang]

I'll be there on the 5th. Love work holidays!

[FeelTheFORCE]

Here's my mini trip report:

 

Just got back from the park. Was a little more crowded than I had hoped, but still wasn't as bad as some of the times I was there for Fall Fantasy. The wait times weren't bad either, but the heat made them seem worse than they were. Sky Rocket's queue was full the entire day, and even spewed out significantly at times. But even so, the wait time was never more than 1:15, which I don't think is bad at all, considering I've waited 2+ hours many times at other, larger parks. Also, I saw someone with a Club TPR shirt on in the SR queue! It was around 2:30 pm.

 

When I walked out of the tunnel at the entrance to the park, instead of waiting for SR to open, which was what everyone else seemed to be doing, I decided to go to Phantom first, then work my way around back towards Exterminator, Thunderbolt, etc. knowing they would be walk-ons...and I was right. I was on the first Phantom train of the day, and walked right on Exterminator and Thunderbolt. I'm glad I did this, as those lines (except Phantom, which stayed stagnant at about 20 minutes when they added the 2nd train) were fairly long throughout the entire day. Overall it was a great day, a little hot, but one of the best days I've had at Kennywood in years. I'm happy the Bayern Kurve is back, that ride rocks! I have been going to Kennywood ever since I was in a stroller, but I have never 'ridden' Noah's Ark. I did that today finally and I must say, while it's not the greatest thing in the world, it's still pretty neat! I also rode the Jack Rabbit (in the back seat), which I have ridden before, but not in a few years, and the airtime was great! Also, I remember Thunderbolt last year getting fairly rough, and to the point where it was on the threshold of being painful, but it was great this year, it was much smoother and back to it's old form.

 

Now, on to Sky Rocket. I really like the ride. I rode twice, in row 4, then row 2. I definitely liked 4 better. I was a tad disappointed my first ride, because there was some rattle, and I had heard everyone say how smooth it was. But I will just chalk it up to this: it broke right before I was about to get on, and the mechanics were working on the wheels for about 10-15 minutes before it was reopened. I assume that's what it was, because my second ride was 100% rattle-free. I really enjoyed the airtime on the first hill and the zero-G roll, definitely more than I had expected. I liked the hangtime too in the corkscrew. Also, if you sit in the back car, you will get noticeably more airtime on the bunny hills at the end then towards the front, I was pleasantly surprised by that. All in all, it's not the most thrilling ride in the world, but it's really fun, and a great addition for Kennywood. Overall I give it a 9/10.

 

Here is my ride count for the day:

-Phantom's Revenge - 2

-Sky Rocket - 2

-Thunderbolt - 1

-Jack Rabbit - 1

-Racer - 1

-Exterminator - 1

-Aero 360 - 1

-Cosmic Chaos - 1

-Volcano - 1

-Bayern Kurve - 1

-Noah's Ark - 1

-PittFall - 1

-Swing Shot - 1

-Ghostwood Estate - 1

 

One complaint I do have is the ride ops. I realize it was hot, but every ride I rode seemed as if they were ALL moving in slow motion. Sky Rocket's line could have easily been cut by 15 minutes if they were working as fast as they should have been. Not to mention when I rode PittFall...the two restraint checkers sometimes just stood there and talked for 5 minutes instead of checking restraints, or letting people in the gate to board (it happened more than once). What was funny was the one PF girl rotated to Phantom later, and she was doing the same thing!

Edited July 6, 2010 by FeelTheFORCE

[nowaymang]

^That was probably me. My partner and I got there around that time and rode SR 1st. Were you the person wearing the shirt from Woot that my partner commented on the awesomeness of?

 

(I doubt I'll wear a black shirt again in that kind of heat)