Kennywood/ SFGAm Trip this Weekend! (6/7, 6/9)

[UrbanLegend]

Hello all, my girlfriend and I will be heading to Kennywood this Thursday, and Six Flags Great America this Saturday. Both of these parks will be firsts for me. Does anyone have any tips and strategies for us, places to eat, ride orders to hit up, for either park? I'd like to get every coaster in both parks if at all possible, and we'll be arriving pretty close to opening for both parks. Thanks from the future for any tips people might have!

[adavis]

For Kennywood hit up the Phantom and Skyrocket first, though I've heard the Phantom's line can dissipate in the late afternoon, I've yet to see it happen. Jack Rabbit and Racer, though old, can accumulate some crowds as well. Put plainly, KW is an odd park, and can get very busy. Based on when you're going you should be safe.

 

For GM, X-Flight is the x-factor. I would do Superman first, then X-Flight, V2, Batman, and whatever else you want after that. Rajin Cajun and The Dark Knight can pack in the crowds too, but neither is a priority for me. If they are for you, do Cajun after Superman, and hope for the best in regards to X-Flight. In my experience Raging Bull never seems to be a long wait, and well it is by no means the worlds best hyper, is still really fun, and very re-ridable.

 

Have fun!

[deathbydinn]

Assuming you aren't going to get a flash pass at Great America, go to Superman first. The line may long, but they don't let people in the queue right away if the ride is still finishing testing, so it is actually much shorter than it appears to be. It's line should continue to get longer as the day goes on. X Flight will have a longer line at park opening as people seem to be heading to it first, but after a while it should go down a little. Don't be deceived by it's line. The crew has been very good and the actual line itself isn't very long and usually doesn't have all the switchbacks open. I've waited in a line out the entrance for the ride and it was still just under an hour. (Make sure to ride both sides if you can and switch from front to back too!) American Eagles line can also be a bit harder to gauge as it's very hidden. I'd reccomend watching to see if both sides are open before getting in a line spilling out the entrance (although I highly doubt it would). Dark Knight, Rajun Cajun and V2 are lower capacity so I'd reccomend doing those early as well. All the other coasters have good capacity, so after that it should be up to you.

 

If you have time and care about the past, Great America has a great movie called Screams and Dreams showcasing the parks history and rides from 1985 - 1999. All rides also have bins in the station to hold stuff if you have anything and don't want to pay for a locker.

Edited June 5, 2012 by deathbydinn

[Airtime&Gravity]

Great America is probably going to be awful being a Saturday in the summer. You might want to buy a Flash Pass. As for the order, hit up X-Flight first, followed by Superman, Ragin Cajun, and V2. Other than that, there is no real trick as to what to ride next and avoid crowds. Kennywood has a lot of good food options, but make sure you visit the Potato Patch. Great America on the other hand is for the most part your standard Six Flags fare. However, the chicken and sit-down Italian restaurants are the best options in the park. There are also a lot of food options down the road by the Gurnee Mills mall.

 

As for Kennywood, ride Sky Rocket and Exterminator first. Other than those rides, the queues seemed to move quickly.

 

Another option is that depending on what way you go, you might be able to hit up Waldameer on the Friday you are traveling to Chicago. The state park by Waldameer is nice, and there is also the Rock-and-Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland if you have time.

[TDB]

Kennywood shouldn't be too busy on 6/7. The Exterminator line gets VERY long and does not dissipate at all. I would suggest going to Sky Rocket first, then make your way to the Phantom. The Phantom's exit ramp leads to the corner of the park where the Exterminator is located, ride it. After that I would suggest going back to the front of the park and working your way around counter clockwise. VIP Coaster Tour passes could make the day much more productive if you are willing to pay. However, I wouldn't buy them until after things pick up and you can determine how busy the day is going to be. You have to get Patch fries with bacon and cheese! Have fun, let me know what you think of Kennywood.

[UrbanLegend]

As much as I would love to go to Waldameer, it's pretty out of the way. We're coming from a Philly suburb (Malvern to be more specific); Dutch Wonderland would actually be a lot more along the way