Tag: Wild Mouse

The many novelties of the Wiener Prater

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Hochschaubahn

During my last visits to the Wiener Prater, the world-famous Hochschaubahn was closed each time. This time, however, I planned my visit much earlier so that I could take a ride on the classic Scenic Railway. The ride, which is still traditionally controlled by a brakeman who rides along with the train, impresses with its gradients and the quite distinctive curves. It is the most family-friendly of all scenic railways, but a ride on this 70-year-old roller coaster is a must for every theme park and roller coaster enthusiast.

Rollerball

Another novelty for me is the Rollerball. This utterly imposing roller coaster from RES is an extremely fun family roller coaster with one small problem: it’s a one-trick pony. The roller coaster, which runs vertically, convinces with its rocking moments initiated by the bizarre drops – but that’s about it. The very family-friendly ride is very enjoyable for a single ride, but the very repetitive course of the track does not awaken the desire to ride it again straight away. In addition, the ride is simply not accepted by the visitors and therefore you never know whether it is running or not.

King Size Turbo Booster

Also new to me is the King Size Turbo Booster – the second iteration of Funtime’s Vomitron, which is very popular in the Prater. However, instead of just doing its flips straight on a circle path, the King Size Turbo Booster takes it up a notch. The seats are now all separate from each other and can each rotate around their own axis. The gondola carrier itself also rotates and is driven by a motor. The superimposition of all the rotational movements creates an extremely fast ride in which you can experience all kinds of crazy moments. Interestingly, the ride is still quite stomach-friendly, although it doesn’t look like it from the outside.  

Gesengte Sau

The biggest novelty of the past years is the roller coaster Die G’gengte Sau. This is a bobsled coaster from Gerstlauer, but here it is primarily built up high and takes an absolutely wild route back to the station.

The start is made by classic hairpin bends, as you would find them on a Wild Mouse.  After a total of three, we race down a big drop. Just past the Black Mamba, the path leads us back up a little and immediately into two more hairpin bends. Straight away we are pulled down a steep bend. After another valley, we climb a small straight section before leaning further and further to the right and plunging towards the ground one more time. After another climb, we race through a block brake and into another hairpin. Once again narrowly missing the Black Mamba, we go down the biggest drop of the ride. On the other side of the ride, the facade of the Funhouse Funball awaits us, which we also narrowly miss. Three tight turns follow, which lead us to the other side of the ride. We then repeat the whole thing in a small steep curve and several bunny hops. For the finale, a downward curve and several swerves to the right and left await us before we find ourselves in the brake and the absolutely brilliant roller coaster comes to an end.

The Gesengte Sau is an outstanding novelty and one of the best bobsled coasters from Gerstlauer. The extremely compact ride convinces with its multitude of drops and breathtaking curves.

Bilder Wiener Prater

 

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Wiener Prater

Kennywood: A classic amusement park

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Kennywood

Sky Rocket

Immediately after the entrance tunnel, you will find the Sky Rocket rollercoaster on the right-hand side. The Turnpike vintage car ride used to be located here. As parts of the rollercoaster run far above the site, it could be assumed that the rollercoaster was originally intended to run above the Turnpike.

The Sky Rocket ride begins with a downhill left-hand bend. On the subsequent straight, we accelerate to 50 mph using LSM before climbing a top hat. Unfortunately, our descent on this is heavily delayed so that we are only slightly lifted out of our seats. After an overbanked turn, we go through a zero-G roll and then into a right-hand bend. We reduce our speed slightly on a straight before plunging into another very steep descent. Now we enter a tight left-hand bend and then the second roll of the ride. A right-hand bend then leads us into a section with several S-bends in a row. With great momentum, we then enter another right-hand bend, which leads us into two airtime hills. Shortly afterwards, we reach the braking section of the track.

The Sky Rocket is a really nice rollercoaster with a great launch and some pretty cool elements. Unfortunately, only one of the two trains was in operation on the day I visited and the handling and the rather slow speed of the train between the brakes and the station unfortunately led to a very long wait.

Old Mill

One of the oldest rides in the park is the Old Mill dark ride from 1901, which takes you through a narrow tunnel with small scenes to the right and left of the canal. Even back then, the darkness provided a certain degree of intimacy and the creepy scenes during the ride offered a socially acceptable excuse for physical contact. Today, the Old Mill is a eerily delightful family attraction that was known as Garfield’s Nightmare from 2004 to 2019 and was modelled on the famous comic strip. The attraction was redesigned again for the 2020 season. Now you can experience an adventure with the skeleton pistolero Harold.           

Jack Rabbit

At 102 years old, Jack Rabbit is the oldest roller coaster at Kennywood. The ride has a simple oval layout through which you ride two laps. The highlight is that you only reach the lift in the middle of the ride, by which time you have travelled through two dips. The highlight is the big double down of the ride, where the cars mercilessly try to throw you off. Unfortunately, the spectacle is already over after another drop.

Racer

Right next to the Jack Rabbit roller coaster is the Racer, where you can have a hot race against another train. It is one of the few roller coasters with a Möbius loop, i.e. the trains always have to complete two laps before they arrive back on the same side of the station.

The ride on the racing coaster The Racer begins with a curve before both trains enter the parallel lift hill. However, these are slightly separated from each other. After the first drop, the two tracks run directly next to each other. Here, the track first goes through a left-hand bend, with the left-hand track quickly taking the lead. The curved drop and the subsequent hill are travelled slightly offset by both trains. In a right-hand bend, the right-hand track then largely catches up. After another winding descent and an equally winding hill, another right-hand bend follows. Both trains then run parallel into the final downhill section of the line. After an incline, the final brake is reached, where the winner of the race is crowned.

The Racer really is a great roller coaster. Although the wooden roller coaster is neither high nor fast, it is characterised by very sweeping descents and hills that shape the wild race against the other train.

Steel Curtain

Since 2019, the Steel Curtain roller coaster has characterised the Steelers Country themed area dedicated to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The high-speed and, despite its height of 67 metres, very compact layout runs in a ribbon through the back of the park. Unfortunately, the ride was not in operation on the day I visited due to the low temperatures.

Aero 360

With its oversized Kennywood arrows, the Aero 360 somersault ride is one of the most visually striking rides at the theme park. The Zamperla Hawk ride offers a long and varied ride cycle.

Lil’ Phantom

Lil’Phantom is the park’s smallest roller coaster. The ride, built by Molina & Son’s, offers an oval layout with many small ups and downs.

Auto Race

One of the most interesting attractions in Kennywood is the Autorace built in 1930 by Traver Engineering. Here you drive in soapboxes on a wooden track. The vehicles are only guided by guard rails on both sides of the track.

Thomas Town

Kennywood is home to Thomas Town, a themed area built around Thomas and his friends. In addition to the small family drop tower, Cranky’s Drop Tower, and the two rides, Flynn’s Fire Training and Harold’s Helicopter Tour, there is also the Island of Sodor train station from which the Journey with Thomas departs. The ride offers the best views of the Monongahela River and Pittsburgh’s steel mills.

Ghostwood Estate

One of the park’s most modern rides is the Ghostwood Estate interactive dark ride. In a pre-show, we are invited by Lord Kenneth Ghostwood to drive the ghosts out of his house. Equipped with guns, we make our way through the eerie estate and experience a really nice ghost train with lots of animatronics. 

Raging Rapids

Like the neighbouring wooden roller coaster, the Raging Rapids water ride was also undergoing a lengthy renovation period at the time of my visit and was therefore not in operation. The Intamin Rapids ride offers a rather compact and winding layout here in the park.

Thunderbolt

At the time of my visit, the Thunderbolt roller coaster was still under reconstruction and was not due to reopen until the bank holidays in July. The almost 100-year-old wooden roller coaster shares the same slope as the Phantom’s Revenge roller coaster and covers a height difference of almost 100 feet.

Turtle

Kennywood ist die Heimat vieler klassischer Fahrgeschäfte, darunter die einzige noch existierende Tumble Bug Berg- und Talbahn des Herstellers Traver Engineering namens Turtle. Die Bahn aus dem Jahr 1927 ist eher gemütlich unterwegs und bietet einen tollen Blick auf die Achterbahn Phantom’s Revenge.

Black Widow

The Black Widow swing ride is one of the first Giant Discovery rides from Zamperla. The ride is very varied and offers plenty of airtime. Be sure to try it out!

Pittsburg Plunge

I am a big fan of the classic Shoot the Chute rides, but on the day I visited I was very glad that Pittsburg Plunge had not yet started its season, as it was freezing cold. Here in Kennywood, the water ride built by O.D. Hopkins has a very classic look, reminiscent of the first rides of this type built at the turn of the century.

Exterminator

The Exterminator indoor rollercoaster is one of the highlights at Kennywood theme park. The Spinning Mouse from Reverchon surprises with its consistent and very detailed theming, which is something you won’t even find at Disney or Universal in this depth. At least not for an attraction of this size. Kudos!

Whip

Right next to the Pittsburgh Plunge water ride is another classic ride at Kennywood. Opened in 1919, The Whip is great fun thanks to the lateral acceleration at the two reversing points and the resulting high-speed ride.  

Swing Shot

In addition to the classic wave swinger Wave Swinger, there is also the large swing ride Swing Shot, which reaches its maximum deflection with just a few swings. You race through the station at high speed and experience plenty of airtime at the two peaks.

Noah’s Ark

One of the special attractions in Kennywood is Noah’s Ark. This is a crooked house where the eponymous ark swings back and forth as you walk through it. A similar attraction adorns the entrance to the English theme park Blackpool Pleasure Beach, but can no longer be visited there.

Musik Express, Cosmic Chaos and Pirate

A large square in front of the large drop of the Phantom’s Revenge rollercoaster is home to numerous classic flat rides. In addition to the Musik Express, you can also take a ride on the Pirate and the Disk’o Cosmic Chaos.

Phantom’s Revenge

In the race to be the fastest and tallest roller coaster in the world, looping coasters have long been the favourites. The record was set by Arrow’s Steel Phantom in 1991 with a vertical drop of over 230 feet. After the big drop, the ride went straight into a loop, then into a batwing and finally through the final corkscrew back to the station. Just nine years later the ride was rebuilt by Morgan as Phantom’s Revenge.

The ride on Phantom’s Revenge starts with the lift hill, which takes us to a height of 160 feet. Once at the top, we take the first drop in a steep turn. This is followed by a long straight before we climb a hill and immediately plunge into the much bigger drop. On the way down we pass the Thunderbolt wooden roller coaster. We gain some height in a very long left turn. Instead of entering the inversions we follow the curve for a while. After another drop the track takes us through a right turn where we pass the Thunderbolt again. In several bunny hops the train tries to throw us off. After another right turn comes the final hop into the coaster’s braking section.

The ride on Phantom’s Revenge is short but still breathtaking. The coaster’s high speed and very smooth ride speak for themselves. The airtime on the many little bunny hops is also not to be underestimated. In short, a really great hyper coaster and the flagship of the park alongside the many classic rides.

Pictures Kennywood

Conclusion Kennywood

Kennywood is one of those really cool, classic amusement parks. Originally founded as a trolley park for the city of Pittsburgh, the park has been entertaining visitors since 1899, and with many of the rides almost as old as the park itself, it has an incredible charm. What’s more, the park has a distinct identity, with an industrial look that blends in with its surroundings. This is largely due to its location in West Mifflin, with the best view of the Edgar Thompsons Works, one of the oldest steelworks in the world.

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Kennywood / The Stumbled Runner Day 10

Having a sugar rush at Hersheypark

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Hersheypark

Even if you don’t feel like visiting the amusement park, you can still have a lot of fun at Hersheypark. In addition to the Hersheypark Stadium and the Hersheypark Arena, where numerous sporting events and concerts take place, there is also a large souvenir shop, The Chocolatier restaurant and Hershey’s Chocolate World. 

Hershey’s Chocolate World

There is a lot to experience at Hershey’s Chocolate World and you can learn a lot about the production of the famous chocolate. The highlight of the exhibition is the Hershey’s Chocolate Tour dark ride, which you can experience for free. At the end of the informative and entertaining ride, there is even a small tasting.

Candymonium

Since 2020, the Candymonium hyper coaster has dominated the entrance area of the theme park, which has been relocated to form a large entrance plaza starting from Hershey’s Chocolate World, where visitors gather in long queues early in the morning.

After entering the park, you can turn directly into the old Main Street or immediately turn right, where the entrance to the B&M Candymonium rollercoaster is located.

After leaving the lift hill behind us, we immediately plunge into the depths. After a rapid descent, we head straight into a classic camelback, which we fly over. Now we smoothly change direction in a horseshoe turn. Two airtime hills are followed by an intense upward helix. In a short left-hand bend, we then descend the next drop, whereupon another airtime hill awaits us. Now we ride once in a helix around a fountain. After a short ascent and a small dip, we reach the brakes of the ride.

Candymonium is one of the best B&M Hyper Coasters I’ve had the pleasure of testing so far. The ride has a great layout with lots of speed and plenty of airtime. As the braking sections only come towards the end of the ride, you fly through the many elements without interruption. A great ride!

Comet

The Comet wooden roller coaster is a real classic at Hersheypark. Since 1946, the 84ft high wooden roller coaster has been captivating riders with its classic out-and-back layout and the slightly out-of-control ride between the Sooper Dooper Looper and the Skyrush roller coaster. The track runs through an L-shaped layout with numerous camelbacks, all of which lift you slightly out of your seat.

Skyrush

At a height of 200 feet, Skyrush dominates the front of the park. The very slender supporting structure does the rest. Most of the ride is very close to the ground, which makes for a very fast ride.

The ride on Skyrush starts with a very fast cable lift. After a few seconds we reach the top of the lift hill and plunge into the depths. In the bottom third of the first descent we take a right turn. We then cross the water basin below us in a large camelback. After a wide left turn we enter another airtime hill. Now we go full throttle through a right turn and a Stengel Dive. After a short left-hander, the track continues into a right-hander and then through a valley. After a nice change of direction, we ride over another airtime hill. Finally we enter a left turn and shortly after the final brake of the coaster.

The Skyrush coaster is just perfect. The ride is high, incredibly fast and mercilessly intense. The bars used are a bit tight, but not as bad as some fans have described. All in all, a great ride.

Sooper Dooper Looper

The Sooper Dooper Looper is the second looping coaster from German manufacturer Schwarzkopf.  It opened just one year after the Revolution at Six Flags Magic Mountain.

As soon as we take our seats in the new Gerstlauer trains, the ride can begin. After the ride up the lift hill, we immediately enter a left turn and the first descent. This leads us into the vertical loop of the ride. A wide left turn then takes us through the middle of the loop. After a change of direction, the track leads us through a long tunnel, where almost every rider starts to scream. Parallel to Spring Creek, we then ride a little over hill and dale. Finally, a helix awaits us just before the final brake.

The Sooper Dooper Looper is a great coaster with a fantastic name. After the nerve-wracking highlight at the beginning of the ride, we are treated to a very nice but also extremely leisurely ride.

Coal Cracker

Coal Cracker is the large Arrow Hydro Flume here at Hersheypark. The ride not only gets you wet, but also offers a great view of the tangled tracks of the Sooper Dooper Looper and the Great Bear rollercoaster. Unfortunately, the Coal Cracker was not in operation when I visited.

Great Bear

On the same hill as the Sooper Dooper Looper and the Coal Cracker, there is also a large section of the Great Bear rollercoaster track.

The ride on the B&M Inverted Coaster starts directly at the lift hill of the roller coaster. However, instead of starting directly into the big drop, you first enter a helix. The actual first drop then follows in a steep right-hand bend. With plenty of momentum, the ride goes through the first valley and into the roller coaster’s large loop. We then change direction in an equally large Immelmann. Now it’s straight into the Zero-G Roll, which takes us in the direction of Spring Creek. Parallel to the river, the path now leads us into a corkscrew. Interestingly, no supports are allowed to protrude into the creek, which leads to some pretty cool near-miss elements. After a few bends, we reach the braking section of the ride.

The Great Bear is a really cool inverted coaster. The ride is really fun, which is mainly due to the rather unusual layout.  The only pity is that the walk from the exit to the entrance is quite strenuous, which unfortunately makes the ride unsuitable for continuous riding.

Twin Turnpike Speedway and Kissing Tower

At the top of the hill, next to the Twin Turnpike Speedway vintage car racing circuit, is the Kissing Tower. The windows of this observation tower are designed to resemble the famous Hershey Kisses.

ZooAmerica

Further down the slope is the entrance to ZooAmerica, which is also included in the entrance fee. Here you can mainly see native animal species. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to visit the zoo during my visit.

Reese’s Cupfusion

Reese’s Cupfusion is one of the most popular attractions at Hersheypark. On this interactive dark ride, you act as an agent and shoot a bunch of evil sweets to protect the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups factory. A fun ride for the whole family.

Cocoa Cruiser

The Cocoa Cruiser is the smallest family roller coaster in Hersheypark. In addition to a sweeping first drop, the ride also offers a helix and another right-hand bend.

Hershey Triple Tower

One of the most interesting attractions in Hersheypark is the Hershey Triple Tower, which is reminiscent of the towers of the neighbouring factory. The conglomerate of three free-fall towers from the manufacturer S&S promises three different experiences, whereby the size of the individual towers is not at the expense of intensity. The smallest of them, the Hershey’s Kisses Tower, is a double shot tower where you are not only shot upwards but also downwards with brutal airtime.

Trailblazer

Unfortunately, the Arrow Mine Train Trailblazer was closed when I visited. Making perfect use of the terrain, the ride promises a fast-paced adventure for the whole family.

Jolly Rancher Remix

The remodelling work on the Vekoma Boomerang was still in full swing when I visited. The ride now has a candy theme and is called Jolly Rancher Remix. The new Zamperla NebulaZ ride Mix’d Flavoured by Jolly Rancher had also not yet opened.

Storm Runner

Ever since I first played Roller Coaster Tycoon 3, I’ve been fascinated by the Storm Runner roller coaster. The accelerator coaster from Intamin has a very imaginative layout and some inversions that have never been seen before. When I signed up to the gaming forums, I named my nickname after this rollercoaster. I even thought about doing a Stormrunn3r meets Storm Runner tour one day. After all these years, I finally made it to Hersheypark and luckily Storm Runner ran smoothly today.

The ride on Storm Runner starts with the entrance to the launch area. After a countdown, we shoot up a top hat and turn 90° to the side. Just above the apex, we immediately go back down vertically. After a powerful descent, we enter the Cobra Loop, after which we change direction – similar to a sidewinder. Following a climb, we enter the Hearline Roll and then the Flying Snake Dive. The combination of these two elements is simply breathtaking. Once back in the valley, the ride takes several bends back to the station. Once at the top, we immediately enter the braking section of the rollercoaster.

What a rollercoaster. The launch, the top hat and the roll with the subsequent flying snake dive – everything is just right on this coaster. Only the ascent back to the station is a little rougher on Storm Runner, but still very pleasant thanks to the soft straps used in the restraint systems. What a great ride!

Frontier Flyers, Pirat and The Claw

Also in this part of the theme park are the Flying Scooters Frontier Flyers, the HUSS swing ride Pirat and the Chance Rides Fireball The Claw, all of which offer a great ride.

Fahrenheit

97 degrees and getting hotter. There are few other roller coasters where the angle of inclination of the first drop matches the temperature as well as the Fahrenheit, assuming you visit the park in high season.

After the vertical lift, we immediately hit the steep drop. We ride through the first valley and then up the Norwegian Loop. At the top of the hill we first turn overhead in a roll and then plunge down half a loop before experiencing the element in reverse order. Back at lofty heights, we plunge into the next drop. Now the ride’s big cobra roll awaits, spinning us through the air like crazy. A short straight then leads us into the rollercoaster’s two corkscrews. After a steep turn we cross an airtime hill into a left turn close to the ground. This leads us into the braking section of the ride.

As an Intamin fan, it is really difficult to choose a favourite roller coaster at Hersheypark, as all of the coasters at the park are definitely among the best of their kind. However, of the three coasters, Fahrenheit is my favourite. What a great ride!

The Boardwalk and Tidal Force

There are some pretty cool water slides at The Boardwalk water park. Unfortunately, the park was not yet open for the season, which also applied to the big water ride Tidal Force. This Shoot the Chute by O.D. Hopkins creates a huge wave. A net designed to break the wave, which is attached above the ride’s runout, floods all passengers with water. Great fun, at least if you ride the ride in swimwear!

Wildcat

The Wildcat roller coaster is the first wooden roller coaster from the manufacturer GCI. The layout of the ride is very winding and has some interesting curves.

The ride on the Wildcat begins with a right-hand bend, after which you enter the ride’s lift. Once at the top, the ride immediately descends steeply in a right-hand bend. After an incline, we ride through a left-hand bend at a lofty height before approaching the ground again in a steep bend. The path now leads us over a camelback. At the next crest, we turn into a steeply descending right-hand bend. After a short climb, we change direction and plunge into the depths once more. A wide bend then takes us over another airtime hill. After another left-hand bend, we take a right-hand bend that leads us first into a valley and then up a hill. Finally, after a short dip, we reach the ride’s final brake.

The Wildcat wooden roller coaster is a really good ride. The layout of GCI’s first ride is excellent and offers some daredevil turns and great airtime moments. Unfortunately, only one train was running on the day of my visit, which, combined with the long ride, led to long waiting times.

Wild Mouse

One of the big family rollercoasters at Hersheypark is the Wild Mouse. Throughout the day, this usually had a waiting time of around 40 minutes. However, as I joined the queue, it started to rain lightly, which is why the ride was closed indefinitely. Although I could have continued to wait here, I decided not to take a ride.

Laff Track

More than at any other park, it is worth starting the day at the back of Hersheypark at The Boardwalk water park, as there are two compact and popular roller coasters here, both of which unfortunately have a rather low capacity. While the waiting time of 40 minutes for Wild Mouse was still reasonably acceptable, the indoor roller coaster Laff Track had us standing around for hours before we could even get to the ride.

As always, it’s worth getting on the SC2000 backwards so that you can experience the first drop backwards before the turning function is activated after a climb and a short curve. The subsequent hairpin bend gets the car rotating like crazy, so that the Immelmann Turn is usually experienced looking up or down. The following section consists mainly of smaller bends and a fun straight with lots of twists and turns before the grand finale down a helix. All in all, a really great roller coaster that offers a superb atmosphere thanks to the many very impressive black light effects.

Whip, Music Express and Ferris Wheel

In addition to the Lightning Racer and Wildcat wooden roller coasters, this area also houses the theme park’s large Ferris wheel and the two flat rides The Whip and Music Express.

Lightning Racer

The Lightning Racer wooden coaster is one of GCI’s most exciting projects. Here two trains duel in a wild race through a very winding track.

The ride on Thunder and Lightning starts with a twisting ride to the two lift hills, which run parallel but not at the same height. Once at the top, both trains go down in a steep turn. The tracks now run largely parallel over a hill and then over a bunny hop. The two tracks then separate and both Thunder and Lightning enter a turn. Both tracks now enter a tunnel next to each other, in which there is another speed bump. After a left hand bend close to the ground, the track leads over another speed bump directly into a right hand bend. The two tracks separate again on the next hill. Thunder now enters a clockwise helix, while Lightning goes counter-clockwise.  Both tracks then run over several intertwined hills. As Thunder enters a right-hand turn, Lightning comes up to him again. After another hill, the two lanes run parallel towards the home straight. Shortly after that we reach the braking section of the coaster.

Lightning Racer is a unique double wooden roller coaster. Not only is it one of the few racing coasters available today, it also has a very varied layout that keeps you guessing until the very end. In short, Lightning Racer is a world class roller coaster.

Pictures Hersheypark

Conclusion Hersheypark

I really enjoyed my visit to Hersheypark. The park has a really nice atmosphere and almost all the attractions are really good, including three of intamin’s best roller coasters. There are also three world-class wooden roller coasters and a simply brilliant B&M Hyper and Inverted Coaster. If I’d had a bit more time, I would have liked to stay another day. I will definitely be back.

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Hersheypark / The Stumbled Runner Day 9