The Problem With Kennywood's Prototype Rides + My Thoughts on the Ride Removals

Most of Kennywood's new additions in the past ten years have been prototype rides, and this is both a good and a bad thing. On the one hand, they're unique, but on the other hand, they have a lot of downtime. Let's look at three of the park's biggest investments since 2010 and the problems they've faced in their operations. Skip to 09:10 to hear my unscripted thoughts on the recent announcement that Kangaroo, Volcano, Paratrooper, and Bayern Kurve are being removed.
SOCIAL MEDIA:
Facebook: / rampagingrex
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Special thanks to Tino Flouras and Cam Hedfors for helping me with the intro!
Here is the link to the petition if you wish to sign it:
www.change.org/p/palace-enter...
Music Tracks Used:
Anamanaguchi - Leave the Past Behind
Mega Man 8 - Tengu Man (Saturn)
Mega Man X4 - Storm Owl
Mega Man X5 - Zero Intro Stage
#Kennywood #SteelCurtain #Kangaroo

[@XscreamThrills]

One of the most puzzling moves by an amusement park in recent memory

[@alaeriia01]

Nah, it's simple: Parques Reunidos are cheap as fuck and don't care about nostalgia.

[@TonyKimtheamusementparkfan]

@@alaeriia01 And these are the same people running Lake Compounce, Idlewild, Dutch Wonderland. Cedar Fair, and even Six Flags could probably run these parks better than they do. I feel bad for the manufacturers, especially Premier Rides, S&S, Zamperla. Yes, they're prototypes, but they spent so much money on research and development for these rides, and they blame the manufacturer for a poor quality attraction? These manufacturers spend months trying to see if they work reliably, and while downtime is inevitable, you don't just blame the manufacturer, you work it out with the manufacturer and the maintenance team to see what the long term solution can be. Look at Universal Orlando, they had lots of problems with Hagrid's Motorbike Advanture, but them and Intamin have done so much refinement and programming changes that make it all worth it at the end, and while it does cost quite a bit of money to do so, Universal Orlando found ways to make it run reliably, and I hear they're still making changes. That's dedication from a maintenance perspective.

[@BHV0810]

Very bonehead mistake

[@jaydenchrist6152]

Ayr it my boi xscream thrills

[@RandallFPS]

I feel so bad for you Rex. I can hear the change in your voice when talking about the flat rides, and not because it's unscripted. Sorry my dude, virtual hugs.

[@RampagingRex]

It's a sad day when a piece of your childhood is closed forever, let alone four at the same time. It's a tough time to be a Kennywood fan.

[@TKDragon75]

Volcano, I get. Paratrooper, there's still a lot of these things so sure. But Bayern Kurve and Kangaroo, WTH! Like many people, Kennywood is my home park and I still remember riding Kangaroo in the frigid cold during Holiday Lights 2013 I believe. #SaveKangaroo Also Bayern Kurve is my favorite flat ride of ALL TIME.

[@Gabes1321]

Bro u be trippin- Bayern Kurve, I understand why you are mad about that, but for Kangaroo, there are so many better alternatives which give the same experience but better. Just take a crazy frog ride, literally the same but better ride cycle. The paratrooper I understand because it was old, but Volcano. What were they thinking. It’s only 4 years old and they decided to remove it??? Huss enterprises give a unique experience. Those new Zamperla models don’t give anywhere near the same experience.

[@TreeforLife]

@@Gabes1321 My guess with Volcano is parts. I mean yeah, sure, it’s only been there for 4 years, but remember, that’s 4 years to them, on top of how many years LC had it. With parts probably being a major pain to deal with, why don’t they just remove, save the money in which they already are being hit with anyway, and at worst get the modern version Huss makes part for.

[@Gabes1321]

@@TreeforLife I think if they removed it on its own it would be ok but they removed them all at once which will make attendance severely drop. They don’t have any GOOD flat rides now

[@TreeforLife]

@@Gabes1321 I could see that, but they likely didn’t have a choice. For how much it cost to keep and maintain them, they likely didn’t have the ability to do that with COVID and likely thought it was their best option. I mean at worst they will likely get more flat rides sooner rather than later

[@Gabes1321]

@@TreeforLife but knowing kennywood, they will shut their new rides for years on end right after opening

[@HockeyGUY66871]

The Bayern Kurve was refurbished in 2018. It makes no sense that it is gone. The Volcano has been operating just fine for a few years. I cant remember the last time Paratrooper was down. Kangaroo was closed a lot last year. I went 10 days and it was open for like 2 or 3 of those days. Im gonna miss the Bayern Kurve the most. I think if the park is willing to work with Zamperla they will get an Endeavour to replace the Volcano. There is only 1 bayern kurve left in America its at Californias Great America. 2 in Belgium and 2 in France. I think an S&S spin shot will replace the Kangaroo and Paratrooper

[@dougbriglmen716]

I think you’ve touched on a really important subject, Parks like Knobles, nott’s Berry farm, Santa Cruz boardwalk, To some cedar point, Blackpool Pleasure Beach, Leasburge, and of course here Kennywood are known for having a mixture of both new and incredibly old historical attractions some of which are the last of their kind in the world. Taking out the historical rides Especially as One off the last of their kinds is just taking away what gives these parks their identity and what makes them worth visiting all the other parks in the world to begin with. As for the prototypes, you’re far better off mixing that up a bit with well established ride technology that are either unique because of their layout/designs, or record breakers. Prototypes should only really be left to the big corporate parks the ones that can afford to get things fixed and fixed fast. It’s also good to have variety, because variety gets as wider range as guests and customers visiting your park as possible and as a result can help get more money coming in. I know some people are going to come and say oh but they need to get new rides coming in in order to keep people coming, and yes that’s true as well but it’s a balancing act of both old and new with parks like this!! Blackpool pleasure Beach sort of went through a similar period like this, various historical attractions/rides removed or demolished. Turtle chase the last of its kind in Europe, apparently it didn’t get enough ridership okay fair enough but they really have to just scrap it?! The whip again supposedly not getting enough ridership anymore which is fine but like the turtle cheese they didn’t exactly handle it very well I how they handled the closures. Log flume had concrete cancer and it would’ve cost a ridiculous amount of money to rebuild the concrete supports for it, I’ve got the time they weren’t in a good financial position and needed a new ride. Okay fair enough but it just got replaced by a secondhand rollercoaster which they already own the car park they closed because that wasn’t doing well either. Water shoot, again not getting enough ridership and as a result demolished. A lot of these examples they didn’t even announce them they didn’t give an explanation or anything they were just gone over the winter and then by the following season they were missing without any meaningful explanation. That is not how you handle removing a historical attractions! And I know that sometimes you can no longer get parts for older attractions or costs get too high to produce the park and other problems like that but at least the sparks can do is try and do what they can before it gets to that point. The most recent example was the wild mouse, No I know for a fact that this ride was extremely popular and beloved and was one of only four left in the whole world! No I also know for a fact that it wasn’t the parts fault, it was the fault of idiots complaining and wanting to sue them over the stupidest thing i.e. the compensation culture, the owner of the park supposedly almost getting a lawsuit over something which wasn’t even their fault!😤 The health and safety executive supposedly having problems with the ride even though it had a perfectly good safety record!😡 And finally supposedly not being able to get insurance for it anymore. The point I’m trying to make with those problems is Blackpool Pleasure Beach were genuinely trying to keep this historical rollercoaster going and it was really a last resort. And that’s really my point, historical amusement rides especially if they’re popular should only go as an absolute last resort when there is no other option left! Sorry I know this is a long and winded Rant lol And I am also sorry if I’ve made any spelling mistakes as this is a long comment but I just had to see something on all of this as it’s been building up for awhile.

[@daviedmond4639]

I TOTALLY FEEL YOU ! These vintage rides dying out is not making me happy and hope this trend stops. Never would I have thought l'd actually miss these rides from childhood but I do, I love wild ass attractions but these old school rides were a huge part my life growing up so there's this wierd connection and now at age 40 I just discovered my old ass enjoys these rides however good luck finding them. I'm also traumatized by the almighty dead shopping mall fallout lol. Getting old sucks

[@pittsburghthrills1281]

There are 7 Bayern Kurves left in the world, at least before now. It was one of only 2 left in America. The one at CGA is much slower, too.

[@CoasterHour]

Well Knoebels is getting one next year so that’s at least good news

[@MrSRArter]

@@CoasterHour I hope it's at least as fast as Kennywood's.

[@14stockfan]

It's Knoebels, you know they will crank it up to 11.

[@pittsburghthrills1281]

@@14stockfan Is that the kind of thing that Knoebels does? I've never been, so I don't know what I should expect if I go there.

[@14stockfan]

@@pittsburghthrills1281 All their rides generally have generous ride cycle lengths, and they also run their rides at full speed, which is often faster than some other parks. Their Flyers and their bumper cars are prime examples.

[@14stockfan]

Knoebels needs to aquire the Kangaroo. They are masters at maintaining these vintage rides and always seem to able to aquire/manufacture/Frankenstein the parts they need for their older, simpler rides.

[@CoasterMasterMedia1]

I ran across your channel while researching Kennywood. Fantastic content, the intro to this video did it for me. Y'all gained a new subscriber, keep up the great work!

[@spaceistheplace2293]

To me it seems that the problem is with Kennywood's maintenance and less with the rides themselves, At least for Steel Curtain and Black Widow. Six Flags Great America was able to operate Maxx Force consistently, which has almost identical trains and a compressed air launch which actually makes the ride much more complex to maintain. And Wonder Woman at Six Flags Great Adventure, which is very similar to Black Widow, broke it's motor and it was back up and running within a month or two. Six Flags isn't even known for having spectacular maintenance either. There is no excuse for these rides to be down this long. And now they're removing some of their most well known rides to cut costs on maintenance even more. Palace Entertainment is managing this park horribly.

[@TreeforLife]

Then what’s the excuse of Lighting Rod then? Or what about Copperhead strike? Like it is a prototype. So to me I can understand it having downtime, especially if they have to hit a certain amount of cycles before they can open it up to the public again. Just wait a year and possibly COVID will be a lot better then what it is now.

[@heheheiamasupahflyingace3921]

If they love prototypes so much, get companies to make new prototype flats similar to Kangaroo, Paratrooper, and Bayern Kurve like how Steel Curtain is to old arrow mega loopers. People wouldn't tell the difference between the new and the old mostly, they would have the benefits of buying prototypes that you mentioned, and the original ride systems weren't overly complex in the first place.

[@SunshineStateCoasters]

One of the best intros I’ve ever seen for a coaster video! Bravo that was sooo good! Earned a like!

[@exiledrabbit]

Absolutely gutted. It always hurts losing classic attractions that you loved as a child and your parents and grandparents loved as children even. Usually there is some solace knowing something new and shiny is coming, but i think we all know that's not the case here. Even if it was a coaster, I'd probably be disappointed but I doubt they even get anything in these spots for years. I'm also nervous with a lot of the changes in the last 10 years the whole vibe of the park is changing, it used to be so beautiful.

[@mtfan]

I wouldn’t be surprised if a ride or two from this batch shows up at Idlewild. They haven’t had a new ride in ages and Idlewild is losing a few attractions this coming year as well.

[@bassplayer2011ify]

Just another rare ride for "refurbishment" like the caterpillar.

[@cpe1704tks]

@@bassplayer2011ify oh nooooo i forgot all about the caterpillar. omg that was such a fantastic ride!!!!

[@SynsFax]

Which rides did they remove? I dont know if the round up is gone, since last I heard it was flooded and got ruined.

[@winterscouts7503]

@bassplayer2011ify OMG TH CATERPILLAR! I hate that ride so much

[@jasonshymoniak6163]

Bayern Kurve is one of my favorites. I feel I took these rides for granted. To add up everyone else kangaroo leaving hurts the most! Overall, great video and well done. I enjoyed the first part about prototypes too and really enjoyed the perspectives and inisight you brought there as well!

[@sidvernon6343]

It was NOT a "Generator" that failed on Sky Rocket. It was a Flywheel Frequency Inverter used as a Buffer, so as not to draw power directly from the Grid. Many LSM Launched Coasters that use the LSM Drives from InTraSys GmbH and their Flywheel Frequency Inverter. The InTraSys GmbH Flywheel Frequency Inverter on Wicked at Lagoon, suffered a similar failure several years ago, and has been drawing power directly from the Grid. Lagoon has invested vastly into their infrastructure, and it's quite possible that Kennywood is unable to draw power directly from the grid without problems.

[@lazor222]

Hate seeing enterprise's leave, they've always been my favorite flat ride

[@pittsburghthrills1281]

Employees have confirmed what happened at SC. There were issues with the seats and the lack of a test seat. I looked in and saw the test seat. I have also heard that the lap bar needs to be put down further when it opens.

[@RampagingRex]

That sounds about right. The height requirement is also going up for next year.

[@pittsburghthrills1281]

@@RampagingRex I was also told that. Forgot about that.

[@HockeyGUY66871]

I rode it a lot in 2019 and they had so many issues with the restraints.

[@PalmdaleBombs]

Awesome video. Great perspective on these events, and I enjoy the raw emotions involved.

[@JeffSmith-rz2er]

knoebel's seems to listen to their customers more than Kennywood. Multiple times Knoebel's have stopped the removal of rides when they got pushback from customers

[@DanielBlaney]

Knoebels is really a one of a kind park in philosophy.

[@alaeriia01]

Kennywood is owned by Parques Reunidos, which are known for being cheapskates.

[@victorbernier4765]

@@alaeriia01 wrong palace entertainment

[@alaeriia01]

@@victorbernier4765 which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Parques Reunidos.

[@4000Gforce]

Great video. Your “unscripted “ portion was superb. Well done. Thanks for posting

[@overbanked]

The petition should've said Bayern Curve and Kangaroo not Paratrooper and Kangaroo. I really regret not riding Kangaroo back in 2014. I did rode Bayern Curve, and I loved everything about it, horn and all.

[@AdamSmith-gs2dv]

Seems Bayern Curve is off to Knoebels

[@peytoncooke1334]

I just hope they replace the flat rides with rides for the whole family. It’s seems like they always want to break records. Every time they replace a ride, it’s almost like one more reason not to go to Kennywood. If I’m gonna pay I at least want to ride things I enjoy, I don’t like rides that go upside down. If they take away thunderbolt (hopefully they will never) I probably would not go back to Kennywood.

[@BloodDrunkBunny]

Great video Jonny, I am a little bummed about the old rides but more room to welcome newer attractions

[@Buc_Stops_Here]

For the first coaster, it sounds like Hershey Park's Storm Runner which is a very similar design. It also went for a few years before the launch cable broke - and the coast has been out of commission for years now and only yesterday it went into testing. The problems shown here are not unique to Kennywood, unfortunately. As coasters age they break - prototypes or not. The only question is how often they break and for how long. In PA, it seems all the parks have their issues. Kangaroo is very simple - the parts are so hard to get. Busch Gardens dumps roller coasters all the time now because parts are not available. Python in Tampa is gone. So is a similar roller coaster over the water at Busch Gardens in Virginia. Time does not stop and rides do get too hard to maintain.

[@nedkerr5120]

Remeber other classic rides that have disappeared in the last 10 years or so--Cadillac cars in kiddie land and Flying Carpet, as a local Kennywood is my local park and I see no reason to go back now. More and more removed with nothing of substance to replace that operates. It seems the owners now are milking the park dry where the family that owned the park cared.

[@lizciampa]

Great video! I’m so psyched Kangaroo is back! I prefer Jackrabbit and Phantom to Steel curtain. I guess I’m a bigger fan of airtime than the whipping around. I still miss the Turnpike. Skyrocket was underwhelming for me.

[@eddieholt4695]

Bayern Kurve is the best flat ride, IMO.

[@memorymangaming1665]

5:57 my guess as to why they never had the ride open was because of how long the line would be. as a Kennywood employee who worked during 2020, I can confirm that we were serious about the social distancing rule and tried our best to enforce it. trying to enforce mask and social distancing rules to park-goers on a new/extremely popular ride like the steel curtain would have been a living nightmare including when you consider that even before the pandemic its line would stretch out of its entrance so making every person/group sperate from each other by 6 feet would cause a huge problem regarding space.

[@TheMrLebaron]

And honestly I don't mean to be a negative Nancy and just start going to CLP and Knoebles. But I've been a Kennywood Park goer my entire life. And I don't think I could walk into the park without the Paratrooper or Kangaroo and not be physically ill

[@tylerestep227]

I’m so confused by this move. I realize they have to be losing money. But this doesn’t help that! There is no land gained by this move. The only thing I can think of is to clear up congestion on the pathways and add more seating/eating areas. Which is not worth it!!! Stop Kennywood!

[@johnruskin4290]

Wonder if the whole point was to gage the public's reaction? Find or how much we really love those rides and which we could part with.

[@nathanpayne1502]

That sucks man hate to hear that. I’m glad you made this video so I didn’t wast a trip. My son and I were planning on a visit to the park but if the major rides aren’t running then we’ll wait till a better time. Good luck with the petition

[@ryansridesandslides4057]

I never really liked Baryn Curve and Volcano because of motion sickness but I grew up riding the Paratrooper and kangaroo with my grandpap every year we went to the park. I already miss these rides and I hope they have plans for new rides

[@jdonovan74]

I am holding on to hope that they have some major renovations planned which includes moving some of those small concession stands between Kangaroo and Bayern Curve, to maybe fit a compact coaster like (not this one exactly but it is compact) Sky Rocket V2. That said, the GM said that they lost a LOT of money last year, so much so he reached out to his old park of Busch Gardens to compare their situations.... If they lost that much money because of COVID then the chance of them putting anything worthwhile in these spots are unlikely. Like you said, We might see the TurnPike return in a few years.

[@tylerhoopes]

That was a good point about the cheap repairs and the one of a kind. Kind of a positive outlook on a bummer situation. That’s cool man. Park employees (especially guests services) goes through shit for this obviously. But thanks for trying to spread the good word.

[@judiplaz]

Good video. It's very disappointing to see great classic rides go, especially so abruptly. Why can't they get rid of the mex restaurant in Lost Kennywood (it's never open anyway) and put the kangaroo there? We loved that and rode it all the time. There seems to be a lot of room behind the sky rocket and jack rabbit. They can get rid of the picnic pavilion and put them there too.

[@matiasdupree4834]

Ok but the Scott pilgrim music in the intro

[@MrSRArter]

17:42 Don't forget the dark rides

[@seadog1988]

zamperla makes a modern version of kangaroo

[@impracticallychristopher]

This was a very well done video! I was engaged the entire way through and you have a fantastic voice for this kind of thing. As for Kennywood, I've yet to visit but I've heard more bad than good that makes me want to stay away unless I happen to be in the area. I do find it interesting that the announcement was made on Election Day. Maybe they were trying to bury the news? Seems like it didn't work. I know there may be a bigger plan at play here but I agree that the optics aren't good and the way they are trying to spin the positive doesn't seem to be working. Here's hoping what comes next satisfies Kennywood fans because Kennywood is losing goodwill.

[@TuurboNinja23]

2 different times in 2012 I was stuck on sky rocket in the front car. Both times were about 20 minutes of sitting there while they took apart the car to unlock the lap bar. Still love the ride!

[@jackschissler255]

All 4 rides (especially the Kangaroo 🦘) take up a very small footprint. They should keep the Roo and stick it somewhere like in a corner. Always loved that ride. The Enterprise I didn’t know it was a replacement, I know years ago they had a hydraulic cylinder that wasn’t working and they did remove it. But they brought it back years later but I didn’t know it was from another park. There is no way they will fit the T Pike in the area where all 4 of those rides are at, those rides are not all together.

[@NewJerseyCoasters]

Great video Jonathan!

[@stickskinny1266]

I went here for my yearly trip in around august. With the markers in the queue it’s clear they wanted to open it. When I was there all I saw was them put on a train and fill all of the dummies with water.

[@coasterkeychain6852]

I think Volcano will get replaced by a drop tower. Either an Intamin Sky Jump or an S&S drop tower like the Hershey Drop Tower at Hersheypark. (The tallest Drop tower out of the three)

[@Falcon5698]

got to ride steel curtain yesterday, but it was closed prior to me riding it and closed again a few times during the day. It was having breaking issues. Also rode black widow which is an intense ride but i believe it was shut down for an hr or so during the day as well. Skyrocket was steady all day and was rocking both cars, it def is a fun lil coaster

[@MrSRArter]

I'm hoping they put the Kangaroo in storage so it can possibly come back in the future.

[@RampagingRex]

I am too, it would be a huge shame if they just scrapped it.

[@toddament8035]

I didn't hear about the Black Widow's gearbox, I heard it was a motherboard failure in the control system which had to be custom made from scratch.

[@lostsheep2640]

Keep up the awesome work. Sucks they are removing these rides.

[@djavatar68]

There is a rumour floating around that a Bayern Kurve or parts of one were seen at Knoebels. Could it be the same one?

[@bassplayer2011ify]

The one at Kennywood was one of two left in the USA. So chances are pretty good it's the same one.

[@victorbernier4765]

It is

[@melesmeles2095]

Kennywood, destroying peoples childhoods one ride at a time... Oh how I wish the Kennywood family never sold...

[@bean3550]

This is depressing. Flat rides similar to Kangaroo still exist in places but it's pretty cold comfort considering it was the last of its particular model

[@wrestlingandamusementparkl7789]

They may have something for those spaces down the line . But for volcano I can see since my home park removed there’s a few years ago

[@MrSRArter]

15:44 There's also a gift shop, Johnny Rockets, and the Cosmic Chaos in that area. I think the Turnpike will be the first ride built in a new area that would be available after Raging Rapids is removed.

[@brunocat7171]

I believe it was intended to be put back under the sky rocket but I’m not sure if that’s still going to happen. I feel like removing the raging rapids will probably be one of their next steps and it would be a good spot for their next coaster.

[@winnermatt1180]

4:00 Haha. July 14th, 2018 I went on that ride. I'm so lucky as that was my only time ever going to Kennywood.

[@dougbriglmen716]

I completely agree they need to replace all four of those flat right with new ones, removing rides and not replacing them with New ones whether it’s a rollercoaster, a flat ride, a dark ride et cetera is unacceptable imo, Any park that does that nonsense always earns get a telling off from me. For me that’s the biggest no-no any theme park or amusement park can commit.

[@cpe1704tks]

i’ve been mad at Kennywood for removing cool flat rides since they replaced the Monongahela Monster - one of the coolest color schemes and locations for a Spider style ride of all time with… NOTHING. ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.

[@amusementnow4416]

Great video - I wholeheartedly agree with everything you said

[@muffinknight8101]

I have been waiting for your vid on this

[@mooniejboots3247]

glad I retired from the maint dept there several years ago. good report

[@ext93]

Fortunately I was able to ride all of the recently removed rides in the past, except for Bayern Kurve. I was never interested in it but I wish I would have rode it at least once now that its gone. I just hope they don't remove Music Express. I love that ride. I hope they bring a Pitfall/droptower back. I don't even like those but it stands out. As a kid I remember that I knew we were getting close because I could see the Pitfall on the horizon driving towards kennywood. Log Jammer was one of my favorites, too. If they ever decide to remove Racer, Jackrabbit, or Tbolt, idk if I could keep going... I know they are old and probably need many repairs, but those are national treasures. Maintain those things!!

[@mariathedemon7642]

For me, a teen local who grew up with many ride closures from my childhood that hurt (such as the controversial Garfield’s nightmare, the log jammer, and the original train before it was Thomas) the closure of Bayern Curve and the Kangaroo was devastating. I don’t ride the kangaroo much anymore since I’ve gotten into roller coasters and such, but the Bayern curve was honestly my favorite flat ride for a very long time. My honest theory on why they decided to get rid of these rides was that the park was already low on funds and low on staff and then it was hit by covid after a large construction expense. I think the best think to focus on with the park is staffing and making the experience better. Then the funds, and therefore, closures will be less of a problem for the park.

[@cpe1704tks]

meanwhile, Waldameer in Erie is nearly identical in every way to how it was in the 80s, but they’ve added two really good coasters and a few cool flat rides.

[@DavidSmith-rc7hs]

This is a superb video. Trust me brother nobody feels your pain more than i.......

[@tuffdude7795]

Black Widow and Steel Curtain are indeed running again. Thank gosh because they are so much fun.

[@IshBalla]

Great video!

[@adazinventionz3171]

Do you think with the new GM, Kennywood will run 2 trains on their bigger coasters more consistently? I’ve never understood why they start off with 1 train, and if it gets busy enough, add the 2nd train, but not before shutting down the ride to do this causing longer waits.

[@johnruskin4290]

I believe it takes a while to switch the track and bring a second train on. The other issue is if they don't have the modern magnetic fin brakes, they are not allowed be State law to run 2 trains. Thunderbolt was upgraded, not sure about Jackrabbit and Racer.

[@Minus0101]

Last of their kind / unique rides are always the toughest to maintain. Have to machine your own replacement part for a ride like Kangaroo, Bayern Curve, and the aforementioned log flume. It's suddenly a problem now because it isn't a problem until it is. You maintain and fix and tinker, then one year it's like "We've been spending half the season on the metal lathe making new parts for Kangaroo for the last 30 years, eventually it gets to a point where you have to stop. Definitely glad I got my memories out of it and my daughter was able to ride that last 2 years, but I understand from a business standpoint why that will get removed. Volcano also was just a living maintenance nightmare. Maybe they removed it after 4 years because again, it went down 3-4 times a year during the good times and they didn't foresee that coming and now they hit their breaking point, especially after losing a year of revenue in 2020 due to Covid. The only ride I am surprised that is getting removed is paratrooper honestly. Common model that is still made and parts aren't that hard to come by, so that is the only one I have no answer for. 2020 also is just a lost year for every park. I went a few times on the weekends and it literally was a ghost town. They probably should have just kept the whole park closed all season.

[@dianehenkel9088]

“Not worth it” regarding to the removal of rides loved by the people who attend Kennywood (the locals) shows how little the new owners understand or care about the opinions of the people who attend Kennywood. Attendance at the Park was down before the pandemic. Likewise Sandcastle.

[@ihaztehSNIPAH]

wow. This is truly heartbreaking. I feel for you man. I'm so sorry.

[@Donde_Lieta]

So I’m newer to the Pittsburgh area and have only been to Kennywood a few times. But what’s the story about that old ski lift attraction that goes over to the parking lot that’s been up and disintegrating? Like why haven’t they removed it? There has to be some reason?

[@RampagingRex]

It does run- just very rarely. They only use it on the busiest Summer days when they need to open up the overflow third level parking lot. In 2019 it only ran on two different days and I'm not sure if it ran at all this year. With the reduced park capacity, I doubt they ever had a reason to run it.

[@Donde_Lieta]

@@RampagingRex THEY RUN THAT THING!?! it looks like it’s falling apart. It’s been forever since I remember being there, but it seemed like the seats were all rusty and broken?

[@QuakerparrotpeepsSavetheBirds]

I went to Kennywood yesterday and steel curtain was working just fine and it’s been working fine for the past month and still has sky Rocket has been doing good so far

[@tuffdude7795]

Yeah I like the Skyrocket and there is almost never a line even though it is open

[@ryancameron9557]

They replaced Bayern Kurve with... Get this... a GYRO STAND!

[@aaronsarchive82]

For something like Cedar Fair, I wouldn't be surprised. I was not happy when Witch's Wheel was removed but it made sense. But Kennywood is like a living museum! Like half the attractions here have plaques talking about their historical status. And yet, it never feels stale b/c the park knows how to change and evolve with the times. Living not too far away from this park, it's going to hurt now when I drive past it.

[@rayinpau.s.a.6351]

This Park started as a Picnic destination . The appearance and beauty is what people really enjoyed . These days , Appearance is no longer important . As you look over the Park . You notice these huge stacks of pipes . When you stroll around the park , Its like being in a Steel Mill with all the over head tracks for Coasters . I am not into this kind of thing and do not partake in attending this Park anymore . I do wish Kennywood a great future .

[@pittsburghthrills1281]

#SaveMyRides

[@DaltonUber]

I feel like in just my opinion that Steel Curtain is a big yellow eyesore against the classic backdrop of Kennywood and the old coasters.

[@ryankaufman1744]

i was at kennywood yesterday and the kangaroo queue power box and control panel is still there so i am wondering if they are going to bring it back #bringbackkangaroo ! the paratrooper is now a decorative garden and the valcano and bayren curve are fenced off.

[@op3r4tic]

very saddened by the loss of the bayern kurve (and the enteprise), it's is so rare! and the kangaroo too, what a sad day for kennywood :(( how sad to see the last of it's kind go

[@tuffdude7795]

I honestly didn't care too much for the 4 rides they removed. Never really rode the Volcano and it was barely ever open when I went anyway. I don't remember the paratroopers even though I know I rode them. I didn't find the Kangaroo to be that much fun. The bobsleds were actually a lot of fun. The ride I miss that they got rid of was the Log Jammer. Now we only have two water rides and one is just one big hill that gives you a big splash. The Raging Rapids lost one of it's best parts (the waterfall). I do like the Steel Curtain a lot though. It is definitely my favorite coaster there.

[@brandoncox6108]

Twisted colossus is a mobius loop as well as west coast racers

[@seanlewis1148]

So that makes three right?

[@brandoncox6108]

As far as I know but there may be a couple others

[@b.b-notebrown]

I hate that another Huss Enterprise is leaving. This ride represents a well-rounded amusement park experience.

[@Rickyham]

if you are seeing on march 18 2021 ok.But the ride was rare but the ride had a lot of breakdowns really never opening it is sad but it is kind of a business thing

[@aidenleya2215]

Well Palace Entertainments Headquarters has moved near kennywood so hopefully all the rides will be working and get new rides and old rides back

[@johnbalazy9768]

Great video i agree they are taking all the things that made kennywood great and throwing them right in the trash..... so sad

[@flashback0978]

I have a hard time calling SC a prototype, it is a standard lift to brake run coaster, a technology pioneered over 100 years ago with the early woodies, it is kind of inexcusable that an established company such as S&S is unable to produce a reliable standard lift to brake run coaster - It makes no sense that the company that made the 4d reliable can't build a reliable basic sit down coaster

[@EndlessEnigmaPart3]

Given what you've said about sourcing of parts and, in the case of Kangaroo, in-house construction, I'd wonder how much the pandemic has to do with this. The entire industry is reeling, and a place like Kennywood almost certainly had to have been effected pretty hard. Sourcing parts for aging flat rides or building them in-house can't be cheap, and they probably have to find ways to save money at this point

[@rotemshaul427]

“North America is only Mobius loop coaster” ???????? Have you heard of six flags magic mountain

[@RampagingRex]

West Coast Racers counts as a quasi-möbius because you ride both sides during one cycle. Racer is at least North America's only wooden möbius coaster since Montaña Rusa is standing but not operating.

[@seanmoloney7797]

I know I'm naive, but they lost me with Steelers Country. I'm not originally from Pittsburgh, but visited the park almost ever year as long as I can remember, so I have no real interest or attatchment to the Steelers. For the park to remove another ride that meant a lot to so many (Log Jammer) for a themed area that does little for people visiting the park from out of town. The same with Thomas town but on a lesser scale. I always loved visiting a park that didn't have the over the top theming like a lot of other bigger ones. Kennywood always had the soul of a traditional family park with great new and classic rides. Now it seems like that soul is being sold.

[@patrickstrahm05]

I signed the petition. Keep the Kangaroo!

[@singl10k]

I went to Kennywood yesterday and it's gone. I am very disappointed 😞.

[@patrickstrahm05]

@@singl10k That the Enterprise, the Bayern Kurve and 3 other flats were removed

[@patrickstrahm05]

@FaZeGaNg Zone Is Steel Curtain up and running?

[@spentron1]

I expect they're just trying to survive right now. Also if they can get everything still there working, wouldn't that be enough? And , you know, OPEN? I don't think you have to worry about anything huge being added anytime soon, proto or not, but they could be looking at a "when this is over" bring people back into the park addition ... maybe a even a prototype haha.

[@johnyaremko4177]

They were going to build the turn pike under skyrocket ,but it was not high enough to

[@ThePatcore]

Not that this matters to the point of the video, but you say Log Jammer was the last with a Spillway drop. Im pretty sure Loggers Run at Michigans Adventure has one and is still operating.

[@PierreWheaton]

Bayern Kurve was opened in '94? Maybe this a different version because I remember riding Bayern Kurve when I was a kid and I could have sworn that ride was around in the seventies.

[@bassplayer2011ify]

Its come and gone a few times over the decades, it was originally installed in 71.

[@rama30]

Cedar Fair has no problem (1.) destroying any attraction and (2.) buying old, historic and/or unique parks and RUINING them.

[@neffyyy8100]

Lmao it was so unplanned for me to be there July 14th when it reopened I just saw it test running and I’m like ayo sky rocket back up such a fun day with friends

[@DavidSmith-eg5le]

Wondering if it's possible if there could be a petition to keep these rides or at least preserve them somewhere

[@KoasterKrieger]

I rode Black Widow during Phantom Fright Nights of 2018, so it did not close for the rest of the year in July.

[@RampagingRex]

Okay thanks, I had trouble finding an exact date when Widow first went down. It must have been at the beginning of 2019.

[@quix9556]

Actually, Enterprises are still being produced by Huss. Not Huss Maschinenfabrik like the older ones but Huss Park Attractions who exist today. I didn’t want any of these rides to leave, especially Kangaroo and Kurve. I’ve been religiously hoping for a Gerstlauer Sky Roller, as I’ve experienced one and it fits Kennywood so well. It’d be the only one in the country. Lake Compounce announced they’re removing Wipeout which used to run at KW. I hope they bring it back to Kennywood at least until they find a permanent replacement, because Wipeout basically served as a temporary ride when it stayed, as it was in Volcano, Kurve, and Wave Swinger’s spots when they got overhauls.

[@Nenezilla]

All the popular rides are always down at some point during the summer every year. Every year! And taking away the Kangaroo....to say I'm p*ssed is an understatement. This park has gone down hill for atleast 10 years now. They can't get the college kids to work there anymore, don't pay enough, work them too long, and as a result, rides and concession stands are closed on a rotating schedule. They have ruined this park. Anyway, thank you for your video, hello from the Burgh!

[@january._.]

also volcano was one of my favorite flat rides there…