Thunderhead Posted July 9, 2011 Posted July 9, 2011 Hey guys! I'm planning a trip to Kennywood for sometimes this fall! I was wondering if it would be worth it to head up to Waldameer while I'm going north( I'll be coming from Richmond, VA). I've heard great things about Ravine Flyer II, and I'm wondering if it's similar to Boulder Dash in the sense that It's worth visiting just for that one coaster. It would be an extra night in a hotel and car rental, plus another day off work and 6 hours of driving. Thoughts?
robbalvey Posted July 9, 2011 Posted July 9, 2011 It IS a good coaster (especially at night), but again, it's up to you how important it is. Sounds like you're talking about spending about $150 on getting to one ride. It ranks fairly highly in the polls and it IS a good ride, so you'll have to just decide if it's something you want to go all out for. On a plus side, the rest of the park is also very nice.
Thunderhead Posted July 9, 2011 Author Posted July 9, 2011 Precisely... Similar to Lake Compounce (Which is almost entirely a home for BD), Waldameer seems like a fine second stop if I'm already up there. It would be a day trip up there, grabbing the credz, then heading back to Pittsburgh. So yeah, fun!
Perilous Chris Posted July 11, 2011 Posted July 11, 2011 Waldameer is a little over two hours from Kennywood, and the park can be completed fairly quickly. When I did Waldameer, they were having school picnics, and I still got a lot of rides in the two hours I was there. I would strongly recommend it. Ravine Flyer II is both an outstanding and unique coaster. As of now, it's definitely in my top ten list. Aside from RFII, Waldameer also has a spinning Mauer Sohne mouse, and a historic junior woodie. The Wacky Shack is a classic dark ride that is not to be missed! Quick question: Is this your first time visiting the Pittsburgh area? Also, are you just doing Kennywood, or are you planning on stopping in downtown Pittsburgh? Maybe it's because I got caught in a storm, but I found downtown Pittsburgh to be an extremely challenging area to drive in.
Reon Posted July 11, 2011 Posted July 11, 2011 Being someone who enjoys small parks, I LOVED Waldameer. 2 interesting haunted houses, one of my favorite flumes in the area, and ofcourse RF2, along with various other fun rides and an overall afordable park make it worth a few hours in the park to play. Its up to you, but I'd say its certainly worth a little side trip.
Thunderhead Posted July 12, 2011 Author Posted July 12, 2011 ^I also enjoy small parks! Dollywood and Lake Compounce are both in my top 5 parks! Stress-free, leisurely fun! Awesome! ^^Yes, It will be my first time driving through there! However, I will be using a GPS, so I should be fine. I hope So a resounding "Yes" from you all, from what I hear! Fantastic! Now, let's move on to another question: Let's say that I do not take a trip until next summer. Would it be better to take a trip to Hershey/Knoebels (maybe SFA for 2012 attraction?) or Kennywood/Waldammer? I have been to Hershey (before Fahrenheit, missed a few credz. So it will be worth going back) but Knoebel's is hopefully (FINGERS CROSSED) finishing Flying Turns and Black Diamond for the 2012 season. It would be much closer and easier to hit Hershey/Knoebels. Thoughts?
Perilous Chris Posted July 12, 2011 Posted July 12, 2011 ^ If you like small parks, you will most likely enjoy Waldameer. Also, Waldameer is in a pretty accessible area with restaurants and shops near by. If you are just passing through Pittsburgh, you should be fine driving. However, if you are planning on doing anything in the city, make sure you have great directions! Choosing between Kennywood/Waldameer or Hershey/Knoebel's is a tough call. If I were you, I would consider doing two separate trips. You may consider doing Kennywood/Waldameer early in the season, and hitting up Hershey/Knoebel's later in the season. However, I would add more parks and extend your trip if you did Hershey/Knoebel's. If you are set on riding Flying Turns, I would actually wait a season before planning a trip. Not that I'm being a downer, but I would expect it to have at least some problems and periods of downtime during it's first season.
Thunderhead Posted July 12, 2011 Author Posted July 12, 2011 More parks?! Lol! Two trips seems farfetched, as I will be visiting Seattle (Family) and Silverwood in the Spring! But I think waiting *ANOTHER* Season for Knoebel's would be the right thing to do So Kennywood/Waldameer it shall be! Any helpful hints on these parks? Or just trip planning in general? I planned my expedition to Dollywood, but that was pretty straight-forward. Day 1: Drive, Day 2: Park, Day 3: Drive HAHAHA. How many days should i plan to be gone? Any hotel recommendations? Plans of attack for the parks? Sorry for all the questions
dj snow Posted July 13, 2011 Posted July 13, 2011 For what it's worth, Conneaut Lake Park is on the way between Kennywood and Waldameer. Might be worth a quick stop if you have the time. Double-check their operating status before making the diversion. But it's not far off the interstate (maybe 20 minutes?) and it's an easy in-and-out visit if you need to make it so.
Perilous Chris Posted July 13, 2011 Posted July 13, 2011 More parks?! Lol! Two trips seems farfetched, as I will be visiting Seattle (Family) and Silverwood in the Spring! But I think waiting *ANOTHER* Season for Knoebel's would be the right thing to do So Kennywood/Waldameer it shall be! Any helpful hints on these parks? Or just trip planning in general? I planned my expedition to Dollywood, but that was pretty straight-forward. Day 1: Drive, Day 2: Park, Day 3: Drive HAHAHA. How many days should i plan to be gone? Any hotel recommendations? Plans of attack for the parks? Sorry for all the questions I would actually consider a day and a half at Kennywood if you can pull it off. The park can get crowded, and you will probably want to ride certain attractions multiple times. I did Kennywood on a Thursday early in the season and it was pretty crowded. For hotels, you could probably find a less expensive option in the Monroeville area. I stayed at the Days Inn Monroeville which was about $70 a night. It was alright, but not great. If I was doing a trip similar to yours, here is what I would do. Day 1: Drive, arrive at hotel Day 2: Kennywood Day 3: Idlewild in the morning, Kennywood in the evening Day 4: Waldameer, possibly Conneaut Lake Day 5: Drive home If that is too much, I would do the above schedule minus day 3
Thunderhead Posted July 13, 2011 Author Posted July 13, 2011 Ahhhh, very nice! That's a very nice trip, thanks for the tip! I'm thinking one hotel for all 3 (4?) Nights would be reasonable. Adds more stability to the trip, which is nice. This looks to be shaping up nicely, thanks for the help!
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