kennywood feels the heat

> now with premier buying geauga lake and
> improving it and cp getting mf and pki
> getting sob,kennywood is feeling the heat
> bigtime.i suspect that next years coaster
> will not be enough.lightning racer at
> hershey will blow away the racer at
> kennywood.i think k.wood will add a big
> woodie or inverted in 2004 or 2005 to keep
> pace

You are absolutley correct. They may have to play a little more aggressive than the projected 2004 2005 dates. They need to step it up by 2003 with a woodie or inverted coaster. Kennywood has to do more initiating than reacting. The management was wise not build a new coaster for this year like everyone else. Next year will give them more exsposure due to less coasters being built. Sometimes KP can be sneaky.......

Soul.......Train!

You are absolutley correct. They may have to
> play a little more aggressive than the
> projected 2004 2005 dates. They need to step
> it up by 2003 with a woodie or inverted
> coaster. Kennywood has to do more initiating
> than reacting. The management was wise not
> build a new coaster for this year like
> everyone else. Next year will give them more
> exsposure due to less coasters being built.
> Sometimes KP can be sneaky.......
> Soul.......Train!

Although I partially agree with the above, I also disagree.

Kennywood is a Pittsburgh institution, and relies MOSTLY on local citizens of the Pittsburgh area and to draw from. A great deal in addition to this is multiple visits by these same people.

Once shown, the GP can distinguish between a big corporate themer and a traditional park with easy to spot differences like price and line length.

Kennywood wasn't, isn't, and will NEVER be threatened by CP, SFO, PKI, HP, or any other "mega park". It survived the theme park boom of the 1970s by adding one or two modern rides (Log Jammer, Laser Loop)- not what I would call massive expansion. So, who's to say they can't continue on using the same formula?

In other words, I firmly feel that if KW took out the Phantom, and replaced it with a boomerang that the park would maintain its status. After all, the Laser Loop was one of the last Anton Shuttles installed BRAND NEW during that ride's heyday- and I didn't hear of many people complaining about them installing a clone then.

Kennywood works, because it is original, classic, and an icon to the industry. Geauga was once an original classic park, that has now received a huge coating of makeup to make it look like it is in the league of Cedar Point and PKI. To me, Geauga was best off doing what it had for 100+ years- being an "American Classic"- not Six Flags. How can one compare large beautiful themers like Great Adventure, Magic Mountain, and Over Georgia with a park half their size in Geauga?

-sparky

> You are absolutley correct. They may have to
> Although I partially agree with the above,
> I also disagree. Kennywood is a Pittsburgh
> institution, and relies MOSTLY on local
> citizens of the Pittsburgh area and to draw
> from. A great deal in addition to this is
> multiple visits by these same people. Once
> shown, the GP can distinguish between a big
> corporate themer and a traditional park with
> easy to spot differences like price and line
> length. Kennywood wasn't, isn't, and will
> NEVER be threatened by CP, SFO, PKI, HP, or
> any other "mega park". It survived
> the theme park boom of the 1970s by adding
> one or two modern rides (Log Jammer, Laser
> Loop)- not what I would call massive
> expansion. So, who's to say they can't
> continue on using the same formula? In
> other words, I firmly feel that if KW took
> out the Phantom, and replaced it with a
> boomerang that the park would maintain its
> status. After all, the Laser Loop was one of
> the last Anton Shuttles installed BRAND NEW
> during that ride's heyday- and I didn't hear
> of many people complaining about them
> installing a clone then. Kennywood works,
> because it is original, classic, and an icon
> to the industry. Geauga was once an original
> classic park, that has now received a huge
> coating of makeup to make it look like it is
> in the league of Cedar Point and PKI. To me,
> Geauga was best off doing what it had for
> 100+ years- being an "American
> Classic"- not Six Flags. How can one
> compare large beautiful themers like Great
> Adventure, Magic Mountain, and Over Georgia
> with a park half their size in Geauga?
> -sparky

it's not that they'll be threatened but that other people will be experiencing a wild time at parks with 3 to 4 new and exciting coasters in each park,and kennywood will only have the 1 in the phantom's place,and it will probably be taken out in 10 years instead of expanding over the hill by the racer or by the train.

it's not that they'll be threatened but that
> other people will be experiencing a wild
> time at parks with 3 to 4 new and exciting
> coasters in each park,and kennywood will
> only have the 1 in the phantom's place,and
> it will probably be taken out in 10 years
> instead of expanding over the hill by the
> racer or by the train.

Kennywood may not be keeping up with the modern thrill rides installed in the parks a few hours away, but as sparky said, this doesn't matter all that much for KP's business. Almost everyone who comes to that park is from the Pittsburgh area - it's no destination resort.. Also, about the new coaster for 2001, I don't think they would've built it in place of the 'Phantom unless they absolutely had to. -ben

> it's not that they'll be threatened but that
> Kennywood may not be keeping up with the
> modern thrill rides installed in the parks a
> few hours away, but as sparky said, this
> doesn't matter all that much for KP's
> business. Almost everyone who comes to that
> park is from the Pittsburgh area - it's no
> destination resort.. Also, about the new
> coaster for 2001, I don't think they
> would've built it in place of the 'Phantom
> unless they absolutely had to. -ben

I have to say although unlikely, I would not be surprised the least bit if the new coaster turned out to be an Invertigo. As for capacity, 90% of the time, the Steel Phantom seemingly runs only one train, so there wouldn't be much difference, and Kennywood is very happy with the boomerang they installed up at Lake Compounce. There isn't another Invertigo anywhere near their market (the boomerang at SFO makes that ride a bit more of a longshot). I know for a fact that Kennywood has at least spoken with Intamin, Arrow, and Morgan on a replacement, but a clone shuttle from Vekoma wouldn't shock me.

-sparky