Idlewild Park: Neither Idling Nor Wild
Written: Dec 16 '07
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Product Rating:
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Pros: beautiful park, plenty to do for the kids
Cons: probably not that interesting for preteens or those who want thrill rides
The Bottom Line: Idlewild Park provided one of the best amusement park experiences I've ever had - they get a double green cool thumbs up from me.
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| jdhauer's Full Review: Idlewild Park |
This year, my husband asked me if we could drive up to Pittsburgh for a Pirates game for his birthday. Sure, I'm a masochist, rooting for a team who hasn't had a winning season since the 1970's. But, we wanted to make a weekend of it and spent the day before taking the kids to Idlewild Park.
Idlewild Park isn't really a place for teenagers and young adults who want to ride lots of roller coasters and thrill rides. This is a smaller place where you can see and do it all in one day. If you have kids under age 12, or you are traveling with seniors, take them to Idlewild. This truly is a family park.
The management at Idlewild treats their customers respectfully. You don't have to go through metal detectors or have your bags searched or get a pat down to enter the park. In fact, other than the gate to the parking lot where you pay your admission from your car (no lining up at a ticket booth in the sun here), there are no gates. You can come and go as you wish to and from your car without worrying about hand stamps and silly nonsense. You're even allowed to bring in as much outside food as you'd like in your own coolers.
The park opens in sections with the first section, Storybook Land, opening at 10 am. This is where you wander through your child's favorite stories come to life. My daughter loved writing her name on the chalkboard in the Little Red Schoolhouse, getting a lollipop on the Good Ship Lollipop, having her picture taken with Raggedy Ann and meeting the Old Woman Who Lived in the Shoe. We also had a long discussion after seeing the Little Red Hen in the flesh that required me to use the all purpose mom answer when I don't know of "It's magic." I really don't know what a chicken's hole looks like where the egg comes out. We also were glad to have a stroller with us for our younger daughter because she was worn out about half way through going up and down all the hills.
An hour later, Jumpin' Jungle opens and this is a place for kids to run around and climb and get very very tired before the day even begins. Actually, it's a great way for kids to get rid of some of that excess energy! This is a wonderful playground set into the woods and it's really beautiful. There's a gigantic ball pit, pulley boat races, a gigantic climbing structure and my kids' favorite attraction, the Blow Balls where currents of air make lightweight balls float above their heads.
We spent a good amount of time in the Hootin' Holler section of the park. My eldest daughter simply loved the log flume and went on it three times in a row. She also enjoyed her one ride on the Howler which is a "Monster" or "Octopus" type of ride with a twist, you can spin the cars. We also checked out Confusion Hill which is a walk through attraction where you get to see many visual illusions. Keep in mind that if you are carrying a small child, there are some very steep sections to navigate. Before leaving, we also went to Dizzy Lizzy's which is another optical illusion where the room is revolving around you, or are you revolving around the room? The most disturbing part for me is the revolting music being played but if you are susceptible to motion sickness, skip this one even though you really don't move. You can also catch a ride on the Loyalhanna Limited Railroad here which my kids just loved. It makes the trip over to Raccoon Lagoon quite relaxing and it's a pretty ride through the woods along the creek on this narrow gauge train.
Most of our day was spent at Racoon Lagoon which has the best assortment of children's rides and attractions that I've seen at any amusement park. My eldest daughter at age 6 was just at the upper age range for this section. All of these rides are specifically for children! There are bumper cars, a trolley that goes very quickly in a circle, rotating dinosaurs, flying airplanes, floating boats, flivvers (old fashioned cars), racing cars, motorcycles, and a Ferris wheel. Parents can take their kids with them on hand cars or they can ride along on the Turtles. I thought the Turtles were a really rough ride but my kids enjoyed it. Both of them had a blast in this area of the park and we must have spent four hours here. There are also short shows on a stage in the back of this area by the dinosaurs which my kids liked too.
One thing I noticed in this section, versus every other park we've visited, is that the ride attendants seemed to enjoy their jobs and interacting with the kids. They helped the kids on and off the rides. Most of the time, attendants hate kiddy rides because the work is tedious and parents have to put the kids on and off because of liability (and laziness) issues.
If you have older kids, you'll want to spend more time in Olde Idlewild which has fourteen major rides. Because we had two small children and only one made the height requirements, we didn't spend too much time here. My husband took my daughter on the Scrambler, Flying Aces and the Merry-Go-Round while I took her on the Rollo-Coaster.
The Merry-Go-Round is simply gorgeous and was manufactured by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company in 1931. They also made the carousel which became Cinderella's Golden Carrousel at Walt Disney World. The same company was responsible for the Rollo-Coaster too. This wooden coaster which is wonderful for a child's introduction to roller coasters, is only 900 feet long and hits a top speed of 25 miles per hour. Each train seats 12 riders and it's fun to watch the attendants use manual brakes. Most of the coaster was constructed of wood taken from the site where the coaster was built and the way it was built into and around the hills is simply lovely. A couple of other historic rides are the Caterpillar and the Whip.
We also took the time to experience Mister Rogers' Neighborhood of Make Believe where you get to ride on the trolley and meet many friends from the Neighborhood. My kids haven't often experienced the joys of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood so they weren't sure what to make of this but I remember watching the show as a kid when the only kids' shows on television were Sesame Street, Mister Rogers and the Electric Company. My favorite episode was when Mister Rogers went to the mushroom mine and brought his cornet with him, hoping that when he played it in the mine, it would sound better. It did not. But, after our trip to Idlewild, my kids now ask to watch Mister Rogers if we come across re-runs.
Finally, there's an entire Soak Zone section which we did not visit but if it's a warm day and you brought your swimsuit along, there's an entire water park full of attractions to be explored.
Our day at Idlewild was one of the nicest we've spent as a family in a very long time. This is how amusement parks ought to be - a place where the park is set into the surroundings and a place where families feel welcome. We'll definitely return.
Recommended:
Yes
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jdhauer
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Location: Virginia
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