Home Posts tagged "tour"

Tag: tour

2017 Off-Season Updates

Thanks to Kennywood Public Relations director Nick Paradise, we were once again able to visit the park last week to see what’s new and improved for the 2017 season!

The most noticeable project upon entering the park are changes occurring at Kennywood’s newest coaster, Sky Rocket. Painters are hard at work giving the ride a fresh coat of paint, so it will be shining like new on Opening Day! In addition, a dedicated VIP line has been added at Sky Rocket, eliminating the need for VIP Coaster Tour pass holders to make the long walk up the exit ramp. The VIP line merges into the regular line just before it enters the station. Another change is a new room which was built to add on to the operator area of Sky Rocket’s station. What will this room be used for? Well, we have a pretty good idea and there are rumors floating around, but the park has not yet officially announced anything so we’ll keep quiet on that for right now! Be sure to check out the Photo Album below for pictures of all of the changes at Sky Rocket!

Here are some additional changes we learned about at ACE Western Pennsylvania‘s CoasterBash event held last month and during our visit to the park:

  • The 4D Theater will no longer be showing Ice Age 4D. The theater will now feature The Lego Movie 4D!
  • Racer will be celebrating its 90th birthday and has received some TLC! The park may hold a special birthday event for the coaster.
  • All season passes now follow the calendar year and automatically include half-price Phantom Fright Nights admission and free Holiday Lights admission on select dates.
  • Season pass processing is being held on April 22nd and 23rd. The first 100 guests will receive lanyards and a $15 buddy ticket! We highly recommend getting your season pass processed on these dates if you plan to visit the park on Opening Day!
  • For the first time in many years, Kennywood will open in April… but just for season pass holders! The park will be holding a season pass holder preview weekend on April 29th and 30th with extra entertainment, meet & greets, photo ops, giveaways, and more! If you plan to attend, you must RSVP by clicking here!
  • Phantom’s Revenge is receiving a completely new PLC (computer brain that runs the coaster) and control panels! To follow this project, check out Irvine Ondrey Engineering’s page on Facebook! We had the privilege of meeting Brian Ondrey, a Kennywood fan his self, and briefly discuss the project with him. He’s a great guy and Phantom is in good hands!
  • The facade of Musik Express has received the LED lighting treatment this year!
  • The current plan for 2017 Holiday Lights is to be open from the day after Thanksgiving through December 30th!
  • Events:
    • Kenny’s Comicon – June 18th
    • Brews in the Park – September 23rd
    • Pittsburgh Pierogi Festival – September 24th
    • Much more… click here for the list!
  • Food changes:
    • Pedro’s (nachos and tacos) has moved from next to Pirate and is now located in the former Pizza Pavilion location in Lost Kennywood. Pedro’s will have an expanded menu this year and is said to be more “Chipotle-like”.
    • Auntie Anne’s Pretzels is a new addition and will  find its home in Pedro’s former location behind the Pirate
    • Small Fry (located in Lost Kennywood near Swing Shot) will now be an entirely gluten-free stand, including gluten-free chicken tenders.
    • Snack-A-Saurus (located in Kiddieland) will have a brand new menu including vegetarian/vegan and organic items. They will also serve coffee, something we’ve been hearing from fans for a while they wish the park had! There will also be tea and other hot drink options available.
    • Kennywood will now offer an all-season dining pass for existing season pass holders for $79.99! The dining pass will be loaded onto your existing season pass card, so there won’t be a need to carry an additional card around at the park. The pass will get you lunch and dinner plus one popcorn or cotton candy per visit (summer season only). For more details, check out page 4 of this document.

To view our 2017 off-season photo album, click here!

Thanks for reading! Don’t forget to keep an eye on the countdown timer to Opening Day in this post!

Kennywood Connection’s 2016 Off-Season Tour!

As per tradition, we return with our 2016 iteration of our off-season photo tour! This year, we take a look at the Noah’s Ark project, the Potato Patch remodel, the new Volcano, and other things around the park. Click the link to jump to our Facebook page and check it out. Special thanks to Nick Paradise for making this visit possible!

Click here to join the discussion on our forums!

[gard]

Kennywood Railroad Property Tour

On Sunday, July 27th as part of KennyKon XXV with ACE Western Pennsylvania, we had the opportunity to tour Kennywood’s railroad property. The property, located in the ravine behind Racer, was previously used as locomotive repair shops for the Union Railroad, and is primarily being used for storage at this time. There is a very wide variety of items stored on the property, ranging from Phantom Fright Nights and Holiday Lights props and decorations to parts of rides. Check out some of what we found!

Kennywood Railroad Property Tour Photo Album

Johnny Rockets Construction & 2014 Off-Season Tour

Last week, KPConnection was given a special look at some of the projects Kennywood has in store for 2014. The biggest news is the construction of Johnny Rockets, but our in-depth tour has a few other interesting things as well!

Click here to check out the full album on our Facebook page. Be sure to read the photo captions, as they contain information we’ve learned about the new Johnny Rockets and other things going on in the park. Also, be sure to join in on the discussion on our forums.

Special thanks to Kennywood’s Public Relations director Jeff Filicko for providing us with this opportunity!

2013 Off-Season Photo Tour

Kennywood Connection recently had the opportunity to pay Kennywood a visit! While there is no new ride for 2013, there are many projects going on throughout the park. Guests will see various changes and improvements throughout the park! Among the highlights are:

  • Re-tracking and lift-hill structure work on Thunderbolt
  • Several carousel horses stripped and painted
  • Olde Kennywood Railroad rocking train display returns for 2013
  • Red and blue trains from Racer were sent to PTC to be refurbished
  • Barbecue / beer garden area is being enlarged and finished with new pavers
  • Addition of several more cabanas (located in the same area)
  • Purchase of new land behind Jack Rabbit and Racer finalized (will be used strictly as storage space for now)
  • Kiddieland improvements including new fences and enlarged ride areas at many rides, as well as a new policy allowing parents into more ride areas to assist children with entering and exiting the rides
  • The rumor that Raging Rapids and Olde Kennywood Railroad could be removed for a new ride is absolutely NOT TRUE! As stated above, the rocking train display is returning to the train this year, and many improvements are also being completed on Raging Rapids for 2013

To view the photo tour, click here to see the album on our Facebook page. Be sure to read the photo captions, as they contain further information on the points listed above. Also, be sure to join in on the discussion on our forums. Stay tuned in the next few days, as we also have a video interview with Jeff Filicko, Public Relations manager for Kennywood coming soon!