As you may know, I visited Kennywood this summer and it was one heck of a time! I will be focusing on the rollercoasters in Kennywood right now, so enjoy!
There are six roller coasters at Kennywood and they are The Exterminator, Jack Rabbit, Racer, Thunderbolt, Sky Rocket, and Phantom's Revenge. I will give a brief explanation of each and put them in order from which I like best.
6. The Exterminator
This is the farthest ride away from the park entrance and is located near the Whip and Pittsburg Plunge. The height restriction is 3' 10". The line for this ride was about 40 minutes when I went on it with my sister. Let me just say this. It was kind of boring. It was basically one of those "mice" rides, if you know what I mean. Most amusement parks will have a ride thats some sort of mouse themed and has tight turns and such. Anyway, it is indoors and semi-dark. All you do is make tight turns and there are mannequins dressed up as exterminators and they say, "Exterminator!" when you come near them. The highest speed is about 29 mph. The ride itself is about one minute 40 seconds long, but you're in the vehicle for about two minutes 30 seconds. You can leave your bags at the loading dock and they can fit five per vehicle. Go on this ride if you have time, but not otherwise.
5. Racer
The Racer is a typical racing coaster with twin tracks. It is located just a little bit out of the entrance of the park near the Log Jammer and Skycoaster. It is a wooden coaster that has been rebuilt. the height restriction is 3'10". The line is about 20-30 minutes usually. The ride is about a minute and a half and you can leave your items at the loading dock. There are two riders per seat and there are twelve rows in each train, but two trains go at a time, so 48 people can go at a time. Definitely go on this ride if you have the chance.
4. Jack Rabbit
The Jack Rabbit is the technically the oldest ride in Kennywood and was built in 1920. The height restriction is three feet, and the line is normally about 20 minutes long. The ride is about a minute and 35 seconds long and you can leave your bags at the loading dock. The trains are the same size as the Racer and a picture is taken at the rides most popular part, the double dip, leaving riders suspended in the air for a split second. This is definitely the most exciting aspect of the ride, and I enjoy this every time! Especially riding in the back!
3. Sky Rocket
Sky Rocket one of the newest attractions at Kennywood and is quite unsettling to watch. But the second you start going, there is no turning back. I should have taken a video while I was there of the ride in test runs, but I didn't have a good camera. At the very start of the ride, you go straight up and straight down. When you go down though, it brakes considerably. The coaster is in a very tight space and makes a lot of tight turns and inversions, but they are so smooth, I wouldn't in a million years get sick on this one. Anyway, the height restriction is 4'4" and the line can get very long very quickly, up to about 50 minutes. The ride is about a minute long and it accelerates to 50 mph in three seconds at the very beginning.
2. Phantom's Revenge
Phantom's Revenge is one of the best steel roller coasters I have ever been on, if not the best. Up until recently, this roller coaster was the 8th fastest in the world, accelerating at one point to 85 mph. My whole family rode this, so it isn't crazy in the "you're a stupid teenager" sense. At the very beginning of the coaster you ascend an 160 foot lift hill, and you make a very, very steep drop. The second drop passes through the posts of another coaster which I will mention next. The thing about Kennywood is that it is built right on the Monongahela River. Parts of the park are on a hill, and with these last two coasters, they dip into huge ravines. You must be 4 feet to ride, and the line will look long but will take about 30 minutes. This is a enormously fun ride and I encourage 8 and up to ride! P.S. Don't ride in the front at night! There are bugs!
1. Thunderbolt
The Thunderbolt is my dad's favorite roller coaster and one of mine too. At the very beginning of the ride, right out of the station, there's a drop. I don't know about you, but I think using the terrain around you it a pretty cool way to shape a roller coaster. Like I said earlier, it is built basically in a ravine. This coaster has a ton of drops and is incredibly fun. Toward the middle of the ride, you go around a bend with so much force that you literally crush the person on the left side. (At the beginning, they ask the bigger person to go on the left.) The height restriction is 4' 4" and the line moves pretty fast. This ride is a pretty different experience from most other coasters and you will walk out with a smile on your face.
Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for Hersheypark!
