Hershey or Kennywood?

Ok...last weekend before school...my father and I are eithe going to Kennywood or Hershey tommorow (Sunday)...we live an hour from Hershey and 4 hours from Kennywood...I've never been to Kennywood and I havn't ridden Fahrenhiet or SooperDooperLooper (it was closed when I went a year or two ago). What do you guys think we should do?...Make the trip out to Pittsburgh?...or play it safe with the short shoot? Thanks Alot.

go for kenny wood as its such a beautiful little park, plus im shure since its such a short distasnce to hershey youll get the cance to go there soon

go to kennywood especially if you havent been before

Go to both, its the only way to get total satisfaction.

Kennywood. Both are really nice parks with good atmosphere (I think, I haven't been to Hershey for a while) but Kennywood is just an amazing park with a lot of unique rides. Plus seeing as you've already been to Hershey, why not try a new place?

If I also added that we would drive both to Kennywood AND back in the same day at LEAST 4 hours each way...do you all still have the same opinion? My dad is skeptical about driving through the construction and traffic and what not and is iffy on driving there...how badly should Kennywood be a priority??...and do the coasters still operate during the Phantom Fright Nights??

[jayman]

uh, kennywood? it's a BIG priority right now, they just got bought, regardless of promises made by the new owners it might be your last chance to experience it in its full coaster glory.

[Turbo]

Originally posted by alton_

Go to both, its the only way to get total satisfaction.

true that

Try getting a cheap hotel and spend the night, I've heard Kennywood at night time is just amazing (Unfortunately we left early as we went to Cincinnati that night). I'm pretty sure all of the major coasters run for Fright Night.

I think Kennywood should be a priority just because it's something everyone should experience IMO. It's really a great place....It's the kind of place you could go to and not ride anything but still have an awesome day.

hershey sucks @$$ its just lines, lines, lines, and more lines....theres lines even to use the bathrooms! and plus, the people there can get a little bitchy. =/
its rediculous.

kennywood all the way.....a lot more fun there then at hershey (i loved it)

Neither, Try Dorney Park. Its awesome, the lines are short, thay have good coasters and Voodoo Rocks!

Over Kennywood though...........?

OK...but I do live 10 minutes from Dorney and go there 20 times at least every summer...so I would like something new hahahaha...sorry there fraroc.

Oh and btw..yes Voodoo does rock XD

Hershey is FAR superior to Dorney. Like, FAR.

Never been to Kennywood, but just the fact that you've already been to Hershey means that you should probably hit up Kenny. If you've ever got an opportunity to go somewhere new, take it!

I think that is what we are leaning towards...my dad hasn't been feeling well but if he is up for the 4 hour drive he said we will go out there...otherwise I'll just add a few at Hershey and we will hit up KW sometime later...hopefully still this season.

Yeah it'd take Kennywood if you've already been to Hershey.

Kennywood looks boring to me, outside of Pittfall and Phantom's Revenge. At Hershey you've got Storm Runner, Fahrenheit, Great Bear, Lightning Racers, and more... Racer would probably put me to sleep, as would most of the other two woodies there. I say Hershey, though you've been there, there is more to do IMO.

Racer has a few pops of airtime, really good train interaction, and the best layout of any racer I have been on, Jack Rabbit is short but fun, and Thunderbolt is really really fun. None of them are anywhere near boring.

I know you have this thing against old rides that aren't Wildone and non corporate parks, but really, give Kennywood a chance before you talk about how boring it is. It really isn't. I think you're missing out on a lot of cool things with that mentality.

Kennywood. By far better then HP is. Most likely its better then Dorney to.

It's not so much that I have a thing against them, I just don't find them very attractive or exciting...same as probably most of the population. I don't care the ride's age or material, I just care that the experience is a lot of fun, which I haven't seen on rides such as those. We have different tastes and I think people like you who enjoy those type rides more are in the minority (but not wrong), though I may be mistaken, so I wanted to throw an opinion out from the other side, especially when that decision requires 6 hours more driving.

btw, I've been on Thunderbolt at SFNE and I think, minus the racing, that looks very similar to Racer (just watched an onride too). I gave that a try, rode once in the third row, thought it was a lil fun, then returned to what I consider the good rides at that park. Rides like Racer and Thunderbolt are mildly enjoyable, but mostly amount to kiddy coasters to me. Where's the pacing when the ride is doing relatively slow turns for half the time? That's one reason I like Wild One...the pacing is very varied, with some fast hills, a couple surprising lower ones, one with ejector air, and that very intense helix at the end. Where's the varied pacing on Racer? Where are the fast hills with airtime sustained mostly throughout? Where are the surprises? The ride doesn't have any height so I'd hope for things like that to keep the ride interesting...and I see none, just like Thunderbolt. I've also been on Gemini and Rebel Yell (plus Lightning Racers) so I know what the racing is like for the most part, and I don't think that really adds as much as it seems like it would.

The only reason I say go to Kennywood is because you've never been there before.

Ride-wise, Hershey has much more to do. But, I think you should totally experience something new since you've got the opportunity to do it now.

Gemini and Rebel Yell do not interact like Racer does - which is where the pacing is. The ride paces a lot better than it looks like and the trains pass each other a lot. The surprises on Racer I think are a couple of the drops which don't look/feel like they're going to do anything but then the train yanks down with a pop of air - a lot of old wood rides do this (Thunderbolt, Coney Cyclone, Yankee Cannonball) so I don't get why many are 'dismissed' as being boring. Fast/sustained hills imo are something old wood coasters are better without. The "grittyness" of what I just mentioned - slower hills and drops with kinks that have surprise pops are what makes them great. And I'm sorry, I just can't consider an onride video a good opinion of a ride. It's definetely different to actually ride it in person.

Thunderbolt has REALLY good pacing. It keeps getting faster and faster as the ride progresses, and is really forceful throughout (I remember my first ride on it was in the back seat and I wasn't expecting it, but one of those kinks on the drop out of the station got me and i got launched up into the bar). There's more to these rides than what can be seen in pics I think.

When you talk about the old rides you've ridden, you always seem to mention Six Flags and Cedar Fair rides - I do NOT think these should be the basis of opinion for any wood ride just because of the way they're maintained. I haven't been to SFA but from what I've seen at the SF/CF parks I have been to the rides do not run anywhere near as well as the rides at small parks I have been to. This is why I always say I think you need to give these places a chance even if they don't look appealing to you because I really think you're missing out on good rides (but maybe it is just my 'weird' taste in rides, I don't know). I think the 'rest of the population' should try these rides before dismissing them as well because again, I really think you're/they're missing out.

I do agree with you on the extra drive time though, which is why I mentioned finding a local cheap hotel. But I'm always in favor of trying something new than trying something you've already done because you never know what you're going to like more if you don't.

I haven't been to either, but my first choice would be Hershey, just because I'd like to get another launch experience other than Steel Venom. It also looks like it's got a few good GCIs, and I've always like GCI. It all depends on your taste. Kennywood has the classic Thunderbolt, and Phantom's Revenge is supposed to be great.

This looks fun!

Originally posted by Freddie

I haven't been to SFA but from what I've seen at the SF/CF parks I have been to the rides do not run anywhere near as well as the rides at small parks I have been to. This is why I always say I think you need to give these places a chance even if they don't look appealing to you because I really think you're missing out on good rides (but maybe it is just my 'weird' taste in rides, I don't know).

Valleyfair's roller coasters run magnificently. It might be the exception though, I haven't been to too many CF parks, just VF and CP. But I generally agree. Parks not owned by major chain amusement companies may have a certain extra-care factor.

Kennywood is a great amusement park. The lines are relatively short. The food is decent; much better than Cedar Point's. The longest wait you may have for a ride is the Exterminator, 45 minutes to an hour, and it's worth it. Getting to the park can be a pain because of road construction. There is construction on I-376 before the "Kennywood exit" (Edgewood/Swissvale) and the Rankin Bridge. An alternate way to the park is through McKeesport, over the McKeesport Bridge to 837 towards Pittsburgh.

Well I'm home...and the great response got us to Kennywood...and I am glad I went...I enjoyed every minute of it and loved every coaster there...so thanks for everyone who convinced my dad when he read your responses haha...GREAT FUN AT >>== KENNYWOOD > HAHA!!!