PITTSBURGH — Kennywood amusement park and Sandcastle water park both debuted new rides on Friday.
After months of construction, Kennywood's Black Widow officially opened for visitors at 3 p.m.
Black Widow riders will sit in outward-facing, suspended seats that form a giant circle with a total of 40 riders. With legs dangling freely, each rider will be secured with a shoulder restraint as the circle begins to swing in a pendulum motion while rotating counterclockwise.
At the peak of the swing, riders will reach a height of 146 feet above the ground and experience a feeling of weightlessness, Kennywood officials said.
The Black Widow stands about 90 feet tall but will reach a height of 146 feet in full swing, with an angle of 120 degrees from the center.
The pendulum motion propels riders back and forth at 68 mph, officials said.
Ryan Lucas, roller coaster enthusiast, was one of the first riders.
“It was awesome. It really was such a great ride,” Lucas said.
Marla Olinzock was also one of the first riders and gave the Black Widow high marks.
“I’m going to ride it as many times as I can,” Olinzock said.
Meanwhile, at Sandcastle, the Dragon's Den opened to the public. The new slide is the biggest addition to Sandcastle in nearly 10 years, the general manger of the water park said.
"We want to try to keep things fun and exciting for our guests," says Sandcastle's general manager, Damian Dondero. "This has been a few years in the making, and we are excited to add a waterslide that is completely different than any other experience we currently have at the park."
Dragon's Den will offer guests maximum thrills as they catapult through a dark and mysterious 45-foot tunnel slide, which then plummets them into a 35-foot bowl where they encounter a 9-foot tall dragon that spits mist at its riders.
After completing two to four revolutions in the mist-shrouded abyss, guests will suddenly disappear from sight, splashing down in a landing pool.
Located adjacent to the Mon Tsunami Wave Pool and behind the Snack Shack, Dragon's Den is a two-person tube slide. Riders must be 48 inches or taller to ride.
See and Be Seen visited both parks on Friday and tested out the new ride and slide. Video coming soon to wpxi.com.