Sky Rocket

I love that it has been a few years since this coaster has opened. Why? Because all the hype has died down for it and riding it is that much more enjoyable. My most recent visit I waited maybe a total of five minutes to get on the ride and have my fun.
Still love how fast it goes, forcing the wind over and around your face. Causing a tear to come out of your eye. The ride lasts a little over a minute, making it one of the quickest, if not the quickest, ride in the park. It is much more enjoyable when you ride the coaster with someone that isn’t that big of a fan of coasters, makes for a hilarious ride.
Where this coaster is situated makes it a good way to start and end your day at Kennywood.

Sky Rocket is one of Kennywood’s newest rides, and sits where the old Turnpike ride used to run. Which is a little sad, as the old Turnpike was a childhood favorite. But from speaking to Kennywood’s staff I understand why they removed it. And I really like what they replaced it with! I’m a little sad I didn’t get to ride it and enjoy it before this year (more on that later).
While this would be a «baby coaster» at a park like Cedar Point, it’s honestly a great addition to Kennywood’s line-​up and fits right in at a park that’s all about providing an enjoyable day rather than an adrenaline rush. The cars for this ride are admittedly a bit small, only seating 12 people total at a time, and getting into the seats is honestly not always easy since there’s not a lot of foot room. But once you’re sitting, the seats are really quite comfortable.
And from there you’re off for a 60 second ride that literally flies by — the train is sent out and launched up a hill, and then proceeds to begin through a loop-​the-​loop sort of track that takes you upside-​down and curves this way and that way repeatedly. It’s also noteworthy that while the loops and curves are relatively small, at no point do you feel like you’re being jerked or thrown widely during the ride; Kennywood’s ride designers understood that they were working in a tighter space and created a ride that goes at a perfect speed within that space.
I honestly love this ultra-​smooth little coaster; I wouldn’t wait very long to ride it though — that was one of the reasons I never rode it before this year: it’s own popularity as the «new kid» on the block kept me from checking it out. That and I missed some summer visits to Kennywood the last two or three years. Never acceptable, I know! But now I know that if the line isn’t awfully long, this little coaster is definitely worth my time!

This was the first ride I took when I returned to Kennywood last week with my daughter. I was surprised to see the old «turnpike» ride gone and this ride had no wait time. We got on it. It zips you from 0 – 50 miles per hour in a flash and then goes through a bunch of twists and turns that I felt like I was wrung out from the laundry.
Still it was a fun ride. Kennywood’s other coasters far surpass this one but if you want the thrill of a metal coaster then go for it.

I like this new ride. twist and turns not to mention that butterfly feeling in your stomach. I just wish it was longer and that the carts had more room. my feet get stuck sometimes and the seats aren’t comfy
So when you first leave the gate the you go down this U-​turn bed then go from 0 to 60 in like 3 seconds. As your on your way up the 90 degree hill right before it bends back down, you get that stomach churning butterfly feeling like you can’t breathe. It forces me to yell for some reason which i don’t understand but kinda enjoy! I then winds into a bunch of loops and spins and rolls, too many to count if you ask me. They take a picture of you right towards the end but i feel it ‘s in the wrong place.
The ride is pretty fun with all the gut wrenching turns that make it completely different from the other coasters but none the less that change makes it worth riding. Kenny wood is an old school park but rides like this and the exterminator give it a more modern feel. The only thing i hate is that the ride is so short and the line is sooooo long. Even with two cars going the wait can still be up to an hour… BLAH! If it’s hot i suggest waiting til the evening to ride this one or loose 3 lbs sweating in line. Either way it’s a quick but fun experience.

3.5 stars.
The Sky Rocket is Kennywood’s newest (2010) rollercoaster. Unlike most coasters which use a traditional chain and lift hill, the Sky Rocket is a launch coaster. Kennywood previously had a launch coaster, the Laser Loop, which used a catapult-​like hydraulic launch. Unlike the Laser Loop, the Sky Rocket uses a synchronized magnetic induction to launch its trains up to full speed.
The ride begins by leaving the station, making a U turn, and then launching itself down a straightaway, shooting straight up a top hat tower, lingering for a nanosecond, and freefalling 90 degrees down the other side. It then goes into an inverted top hat, then some corkscrews, another drop, a barrel roll, then a few wave turns and finally some bunny hops.
Designing the Sky Rocket presented Kennywood with a few unique problems. Kennywood needed a new ride, but had very limited space in which to build one. It shows what you can accomplish when you don’t have a lot of room. Unfortunately, it also shows what you have to do when you don’t have a lot of room. The duration of the ride is very short – a little over a minute long.
The Sky Rocket also has another problem, about 200 miles to the northwest in Sandusky, OH. Cedar Point also has a launch coaster, the Maverick. Unfortunately, everything the Sky Rocket does, the Maverick does better. For example, whereas the Sky Rocket launches on a straightaway, the Maverick launches up hill. The Sky Rocket launches once; the Maverick has a second launch inside a tunnel.
Still, to judge the Sky Rocket on its own merits, its a fun ride. Worth checking out if you’re at Kennywood.