KWP Removes Swing Around

[Dan G]

I was searching around a Kennywood site I visit often and came across a thread about how Kennywood was removing Swing Around from on top of the Garden Stage in order to do some rehab on the stage. It's mentioned that the Swing Around is not being permanently removed and that it will return next season once the rehabilitation on the Garden Stage is complete. I've posted a picture of what the stage currently looks like, hopefully everyone on that site will be right and it won't look like this next season because the Swing Around truly is a favorite family ride.

[BryanWood]

Jeebus H Christ, don't give me a heart attack like that. They probably are just getting rehab started early. If they removed it from that spot, it wouldn't be that fun (unless it was re-located to the top of Pitt Fall ). Dorney's is on the ground and it isn't the same fun as Kennywood's.

[Dan G]

I wonder where they are storing it while PFN is going on. It's really good to see the park doing some rehab on the stage because it's been looking pretty shabby lately, I've also heard inside it's really bad as well. As for the Swing Around, it just got a new paint job last season I believe so It's in pretty good shape, I don't think the ride itself is needing any rehab, just the Garden Stage.

Sorry I frightened you Bryan, I knew you would have be devastated if Kennywood removed another one of it's classic rides.

[ltngrcr9051]

It is my assumption that that site was originally used for a circle swing. Is that correct?, and if so, why would Kennywood remove such a classic ride, rather than refurbish it like they have done with many other of their rides?

[Dan G]

Like I said, they are just removing it so they can rehab the stage that it sits on top of.

[Katie]

They are also bringing back the Bayern Curve for next year and Wipeout is going away. Probably to LC. I am glad to have so many awesome antique rides at Kennywood so beautifully kept up.

Katie

[Dan G]

Really, I haven't heard that at all...at kpconnection they did an interview with Jerome Gibas and he said there that there were no plans to bring back the Bayerns Curve next year.

http://www.kpconnection.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=827

The Kurve needed more off season work than anticipated. If everything went as planned, maybe the Kurve could have been put up by the middle of July.

So as not to have two ride areas vacant for so long, it was decided to move the Wipeout to the Kurve's spot.

The plans, at least for 2006, is the Kurve will remain in storage at Kennywood. It is not going to Idlewild or Lake Compounce for 2006.

The decision is to concentrate on promoting our new ride for 2006.

We know the Kurve is popular and that there are not many around. The big problem with the Kurve is capacity. Although it may only have slightly less capacity than some other rides, the problem is that the majority of guests want to ride as singles. Thus, lowering the capacity even more.

So for now, we own the Kurve and hope to bring it back. As you noticed, for the first time the Wipeout has an official que line and nice landscapping around it. So it (Wipeout) should remain in that spot for awhile.

But as the Kennywood way, things could change. If we needed to remove another ride next year, for any reason, then the Kurve could return in that ride's place.

So, wherever you heard that the Wipeout was getting removed, is wrong because that was a one-on-one conversation with Jerome Gibas. I hope that clears some stuff up, and to put my two cents in, I think it is a smarter idea to keep the Wipeout and not the Bayern Curve, because like Jerome said it has capacity issues. Like he said, the Wipeout will be at the park for awhile and will not be removed.

[Katie]

I honestly think the Kurve is more of classic, I don't ride it, neither do I ride Wipeout, I would rather see the Kurve. My two cents, kpconnection while a wonderful site, I wouldn't take anything said. They are told to say that, and I would hope wipeout would go far away, that thing hurts. Unless it is official, which the interview wasn't, I wouldn't count anything out.

[Dan G]

Actually, those interviews are official. They are conducted by a guy who is connected with the park, I think his name is Gary. He does something with the ACE events that go on in the park. The Ask the GM happens every month where people can send their questions into the GM of Kennywood, as we know is Jerome Gibas, and all those answers are from him.

I trust the Ask the GMs because a lot of info can be found from them, Jerome even told everyone that the park was initially getting a Vekoma SLC for the park before deciding to get the Screamin Swing. So like I said, these things are official, they just aren't typed up by Jerome, but they do go through a trusted source who is connected with the park.

I still don't think Bayerns Kurve is coming back, Wipeout has found a new home like Jerome said and I don't think they'd do all the work around the ride just to take it out next year. I expect the Wipeout to stay there for awhile.