Kennywood (KW) Discussion Thread

Anyone gonna get pics of deconstruction?

We have some pictures from inside and outside the park as well as a video over on the Kennywood Connection Facebook if anyone is interested.

Some people over at Kennywood Connection, who I'm pretty sure has reliable sources, are throwing around the phrase "BLACK WIDOW". Whether this is a ride theme, ride name, or a code name, I'm not sure. They also mention that the ride and its name has been released already, it just requires some looking.

Well, for what it's worth, both Giant Discovery's in Scandinavia is themed after spiders..

I don't really care if the new ride is indeed a Star Flyer, but I would really like to see another drop tower at some point in the future. This park needs another huge thrill ride like that.

The Pitt Fall removal kind of makes me think about the Skycoaster. The park has always made changes around the lagoon, but for what it's worth it's always been sold out when I go to the park. I always wanted to see a dive coaster do a splash down in that lagoon.

New for 2012.... Black Widow, a Zamperla Giant Discovery (as expected by many)!

Official press release with the ride details here.

Ride height: 90'

Maximum swing height: 146'

Capacity of 40 riders per cycle

Something wicked is coming to Kennywood. With the start of the summer season a short five months away, Kennywood is proud to announce Black Widow as our newest ride for 2012!

 

“Black Widow will have a combination of height, airtime and thrill factor,” explains Kennywood General Manager Jerome Gibas. “Kennywood offers a great variety of ride experiences and Black Widow will provide our guests with a new dimension of thrill.”

 

The Black Widow experience starts with riders sitting in outward-facing suspended seats that form a giant circle with a total of 40 riders. With legs dangling freely, each rider is secured with a shoulder restraint. Then the thrill begins. The giant circle begins to swing in a pendulum motion while rotating counterclockwise. At the peak of the swing riders will reach a height of 146 feet above the ground and experience that feeling of weightlessness coveted by thrill seekers. The counterclockwise rotation and pendulum motion creates a variety of different sensations depending on a rider’s specific position. The combination of both elements results in a unique ride experience every time!

 

Black Widow will stand at 90 feet tall but will reach a height of 146 feet in full swing with an angle of 120 degrees from the center. The pendulum motion propels riders back and forth at 68 miles per hour.

 

While riding Black Widow, guests experience a one of a kind perspective of Lost Kennywood.

 

Black Widow will have a height requirement of 52” tall. Each of the 40 seats has an individual shoulder lap restraint. For pictures or more information on Black Widow’s manufacturer, Zamperla, visit http://www.zamperla.com/en/product/145/giant-discovery.html

 

Experience the excitement of Black Widow all summer long. Purchase a 2012 Kennywood Season Pass for only $84.99. Hurry before the sale ends.

 

For further information please visit http://www.kennywood.com or http://www.zamperla.com/en/product/145/giant-discovery.html

Has anyone been on one of these? To me, they look to be potentially more fun than a Huss Giant Frisbee. Any truth to that?

ADMIN EDIT: I went ahead and copied the press release so people didn't have to jump to see it. Thanks for sharing this with us!

Great news! I love these rides.

The main differences I've noticed between the Giant Zamperla, Huss and Mondial versions are restraints. The Huss version seems the most constricting, including the view. Otherwise they're all awesome to look at and ride. I'd put the Mondial at the bottom since it isn't as tall I don't think.

It is taller than both the Mondial (115') and HUSS (138') versions, and I think the thin design of it makes it look even taller. Speaking of the restraints, Zamperla lists the minimum passenger height as 57" which is pretty tall when you compare 52" for both HUSS and Mondial.

Should be lots of fun!

^ Kennywood's press release states a 52" height requirement, though.

That logo guarantees I'm not heading back to Kennywood anytime soon. That's something their marketing department should have -really- thought about in depth prior to creating it: Spiders are one of the most feared items in the USA- and I know for me I'd not be headed to a park where that was on an attraction.

Bad Kennywood. Bad bad Kennywood.

Another ride to look forward to next year. I love Delirium and maXair so it will be great to see how the Zamperla version of the giant frisbee compares to the Huss models.

The best part of Pittfall was being on the Thunderbolt side as it felt like you were much higher than you really were. Now to swing over the valley below at 120 degrees will be really interesting next year.

That logo guarantees I'm not heading back to Kennywood anytime soon. That's something their marketing department should have -really- thought about in depth prior to creating it: Spiders are one of the most feared items in the USA- and I know for me I'd not be headed to a park where that was on an attraction.

Huh? I really see nothing wrong with naming a ride after something scary or intimidating. Isn't that the point?

Maybe this is more your style.

That logo guarantees I'm not heading back to Kennywood anytime soon. That's something their marketing department should have -really- thought about in depth prior to creating it: Spiders are one of the most feared items in the USA- and I know for me I'd not be headed to a park where that was on an attraction.

 

Huh? I really see nothing wrong with naming a ride after something scary or intimidating. Isn't that the point?

 

Maybe this is more your style.

 

Arachnophobia is -nothing- to laugh at. For ANY reason. There's a difference between a scare, a thrill, and paralyzing fear. One can call a ride Black Widow and not necessarily put an enormous arachnid on the logo.

^ Kennywood's press release states a 52" height requirement, though.

Oh, I missed that... I guess Zamperla's site is supposed to say maximum rider height. (http://www.zamperla.com/en/product/145/giant-discovery.html)

57 inches max height, that can't be right. That is almost 4 foot 8. That doesn't make sense either.

Well, can parks choose their own height requirement which may differ from the manufacturer's? Maybe the manufacturer's is just a recommended/suggested minimum? I forget how that works in general.

The manufacturer specifies a minimum height by way of their calculations and liability. The parks generally take the same height requirement or go higher. If they go lower, the manufacturer ends up not being liable if there is an incident. An example would be with Knoebel's and PTC. Since Knoebels took out the seatbelts for PTC, PTC will not supply to the park. Cedar Fair won't go below 48 inches on a major coaster, whereas many places with Wood Coasters or mine trains will have the height at 42 inches.

Sounds like a thrilling enough addition to the park, and the views should indeed be interesting.

I've had mixed experiences with pendulum rides, but this sounds like it could easily be one of the better ones. My favorite Frisbee-style ride is Sidewinder at Adventureland in Iowa, a scarily intense Moser model. Huss Frisbees can be hit-or-miss; they're often much tamer than they appear to be, and the restraints can be awkward.

That logo guarantees I'm not heading back to Kennywood anytime soon. That's something their marketing department should have -really- thought about in depth prior to creating it: Spiders are one of the most feared items in the USA- and I know for me I'd not be headed to a park where that was on an attraction.

 

Bad Kennywood. Bad bad Kennywood.

You really aren't going to Kennywood because there's a spider in a logo? Arachnaphobia or not, that seems a little extreme. It's a logo.

Excited to see this built, and hoping it swings out over the hillside! Should be quite a thrill!

Arachnophobia is nothing to laugh at, I don't have a serious case of it at all but they do creep me out a lot, and I know people with extreme cases of it who can't be anywhere near anything spider-related. At the same time, I wouldn't let it outright prevent me from going to the park. I understand the logo may bring out that fear, but the ride will be tucked in the back corner of the park and can be easily avoided.

On another note, I'm happy with this addition. Ideally I would have liked a replacement drop tower, but I've always liked Maxair a lot. I know some people are complaining because we already have similar rides in Cosmic Chaos, Swingshot, and Aero, but a Giant Discovery is a unique combination of the best of all those rides.

57 inches max height, that can't be right. That is almost 4 foot 8. That doesn't make sense either.

Gah, I just realized that a minute ago and was coming back to change it. Yeah, I don't know what that 57" means either. I guess it's just their suggestion, though HUSS actually gives a range, I'm surprised they wouldn't too.

Congratulations to America, as I said before I think the Giant Discovery is far better than the Huss Giant Frisbee's. More height, more speed, less spinning, and spinning both ways!

I'm disgusted at some of the people in this thread. Arachnophobia is a terrible condition and it's downright offensive for you to downplay it. The only condition more serious than Arachnophobia is the inability to detect sarcasm... ever. lol

That logo guarantees I'm not heading back to Kennywood anytime soon. That's something their marketing department should have -really- thought about in depth prior to creating it: Spiders are one of the most feared items in the USA- and I know for me I'd not be headed to a park where that was on an attraction.

 

Bad Kennywood. Bad bad Kennywood.

Shame on them for making such an offensive logo! This wouldn't be the first time that a ride was named after such a frightening creature. God knows there are people out there who collapse at the sheer names of rides like Viper, Mantis, Cobra, etc.... If they wanted to increase ridership they should have named it something friendly like "Sunshine" or "Care Bear: The Ride". Any decent marketing dept. would attach a slogan such as "get ready to hug those restraints!"

Seriously though, it is a thrill ride. Like most other rides, the name is meant to intimidate. That's why there is a coaster called Intimidator. If you really can't handle that logo that is too bad. Black widows are everywhere, possibly in your attic or garage.

As for the ride, i really wanted Pitt Falls Revenge but i guess this is okay. That's enough posting for me, i'm afraid of donkeys.

Filicko said the park plans to replace the Pitt Fall with a new attraction that will at first appear "unassuming," but predicted the next ride's "height and dynamic are more impressive than you'd think."

 

Hmmm...sounds like a Star Flyer to me. Perhaps not a record breaker, but one like at Fantasy Island (140') where it doesn't look bad from the ground, but would be a lot more intimidating being on top of the hill overlooking the river with those tiny-ass chairs and chains.

 

Yep, I'm going all in with Star Flyer.

^This is why I don't gamble!

On the plus side, I'm very excited it's this and NOT a Star Flyer!