just got back home from the trip and saw the "What park are you headed to next?" thread and I gotta share yesterday to people that have a chance of understanding what this means to me
Disclaimer: This post is a novel
It was like a reverse mood M. Night Shamalyan movie where the twists made things better instead of worse for me and my friend! This is long, but it's worth the read, and so much happened I have to get it out to the few that I feel could appreciate what happened and how it was flawless magic, I'm only writing this much because I feel it actually is worth the read .
I will do an actual trip report, but this isn't really that so much as the events that made yesterday one of the best park trips I ever had and even better for someone else
So didn't know where to say this and I gotta get this out while it's fresh so putting it here for now?
SO
Past this, what I type is long. Like Lightwater Valley Ultimate long, but I think it's entertaining.
Starts with my CP opening day friend's cool backstory. And a lot of the backstory, and a lot of how this could not have been a more perfect park trip is about him.
My friend's backstory:
Six flags Geauga Lake were his first rode roller coasters. Xflight made him sick, he never rode them again until last year.
I met him at Cedar Point opening day THIS year...
who last year went to Cedar Point for the first time and is now a brand new, found-his-own-path coaster enthusiast. Loved CP bought a Plat, and went to KI and then went by himself to Carowinds (He hasn't seen the internet hype yet... but MF made him cross over and he struggles really hard to say if 325 is better or not and flip-flops every time you ask him !
BUT
He favorite style of ride is wooden coasters. He really liked Carowind's Hurler. And got into coasters just in time to fall in love with the remains of Mean Streak, before they stopped giving it some zombie T-virus Bane venom to stay and alive, let it die, and started the RMC conversion.
Btw... It comes At Night is a terrible movie, saw it with him when we went to Pittsburgh Friday night but found out the park was going to close early and we rented a hotel, he also shares my love of Horror movies. It was bad. Basically "Tuberculosis: The Movie" with creepy music.
back to coasters
He's really sad Cedar Point doesn't have more wooden coasters though he did get Mean Streak rides last year and he misses it. He's just learned about RMC and he's totally for it. Like... he gets how big this is, and he's all omg omg about it too, but he misses Mean Streak as it was, like an old enthusiast even though last year was his first time on it.
Backstory over.
And his name is Ken!
Kennywood was his first traditional park. And really first park with roller coasters not built in rct3 sandbox terrains and actual natural topography. And for me, it was a rare chance to hear from a Coaster Enthusiast, fresh new (and sterile from the fandom stains on opinions : X) tell me his thoughts, explain terms to him while he wanted to know, and help him get wooden shiny fossil pokemon credits lol.
LOOOOOVES Kennywood!
His first Kennywood experience was back row left seat Phantom's revenge, opening ride on purple. Love it for a hyper, wasn't ready for all the force but he really liked it. He liked Sky Rocket, hated the restraints. Doesn't like them on FOF either. He rode all the flats with me, loved them all, loved learning about the history and basically has a new credit crush on all the wooden coasters His first ride on all of them was backseat, and later front. His favorite wooden coaster currently is backrow Thunderbolt.
On a side note Log Jammer was the first log ride he's ever ridden, so he has a lot of sliding downhill to do lol. He missed Shoot The Rapids.
Only ride down was Cosmic Chaos, everything had low waits, temp was perfect day was perfect, even if it was closing early. But they announce that last night it would close at 10pm so he got first time night rides on all the coasters as well!
HYYYYPER LOOOOVED Kennywood! Magically perfect! Even for me apart from his wonders of getting new credits, and super love for Kennywood wooden coasters, after going a bajillion times over decades it was still one of the best nights I've ever had at the park.
Final ride before heading to Cleveland was Thunderbolt last row in the dark. He totally gushed about it, then we got a surprise last ride reride on it to close the park!
So amazing day 100% at Kennywood. Morning rides, night rides, every ride, flawless night time ambiance. It was absolutely beautiful, and and perfect for a first time KW trip. On a 1d20 difficulty 5 we rolled a natural 50!
Getting off from the reride we left the park, talking about what an amazing day it was and how everything was so worth sneaking this trip in and I realize at the car I left my wallet in TB's cubbys and forgot to get it after the reride XD
Walk back to security, police went there couldn't find it. So now I lost all my cards, apartment keys, and ID, and car fobs at Pittsburgh, and now I have no way to get money out of the bank because it's Sunday and banks are closed, and it's father's day, and I gotta go to work at 3pm to 1130pm tonight.
So happy Father's Day!
Trip was still worth it haha