We left our house at 9:30 a.m. (It takes a good 45 minutes to an hour to get there.) The gates open at 10:30 a.m. and the rides open at 11 a.m. We always try to get there early. Usually we stay until close or until we are no longer having fun. Bob brought a friend, so there were 5 of us this year.
Bob, his friend and my husband headed over to the Music Express while SJ and I waited to ride the Thunderbolt (a great wooden roller coaster). SJ was so excited that he was first in line. As you know if you have been reading this blog, SJ ALWAYS wants to be first. We got to be in the front car, which is the best seat on that particular coaster. The Thunderbolt is unusual in the fact that it starts by going straight down a very steep hill. Most coasters go down a little hill and then up a very steep hill. SJ was so happy on that ride. He had his hands up the whole time and had a huge smile on his face.
When we were done, we met up with the rest of our group and rode a bunch of rides together. They rode the Bayern Curve, the bumper cars, Cosmic Chaos, Wave Swinger and the Whip. Bob's friend wanted to ride the Exterminator, but Bob didn't want to go in. It is essentially a Wild Mouse type ride. It is inside a building and is a very dark ride. Bob won't admit it, but I think the darkness freaks him out. Bob and I waited outside while my husband, Bob's friend and SJ rode that ride.
After that ride, the boys were starving. We stopped and got some Potato Patch fries and chicken fingers. I think the boys' eyes were bigger than their stomachs, since the barely ate anything. After lunch, we walked over to ride the Paratroopers (an umbrella ride). SJ said the line was too long (it really wasn't), so he and my husband opted to ride the Jack Rabbit (another great wooden roller coaster). The Jack Rabbit is a small enough coaster that 4 year olds can ride, but it is loved by people of all ages. It has this awesome double dip that makes you lift out of your seat a little. It is one of my favorites.
The boys then moved on to ride the paddle boats. Bob and his friend rode together and I was planning on riding with SJ. "Why do I always have to go with a parent?" he questioned. I didn't want to let him go alone, but my husband assured me that he would be fine. Of course, he was right, but I will never admit that to him. We watched from the side for a few minutes. After I saw that SJ was fine, my husband insisted that I go ride my favorite ride, Aero 360 (an upside down ride). When I was ready to ride, my husband had retrieved the boys and they were watching me from a bench.
Next, we walked over to the Kangaroo and the three boys rode together. They moved on to Garfield's Nightmare (a dark boat ride) and then we talked all the boys (including Bob) into riding the Jack Rabbit. Bob was trying to get out of it, but his friend shamed him into riding. (Way to go, buddy!) Since they all had fun on that coaster, we walked over to ride the Racers (the third wooden coaster). It has two trains that race against each other. The one that starts out on the left usually wins, but how can you be a loser on a roller coaster? SJ, my husband and I were on the blue coaster and Bob and his friend were on the green coaster. Before the ride started, I asked SJ how he was going to react if our car lost. "I am going to flip out!" he said. My husband patted him on the back and said, "No you are not." We did end up losing and I could see him building to freak out. I tried to lie and said we tied, but he wasn't buying it. So, I distracted him by letting him play a shooting gallery game. Crisis averted!
We decided it was time for dinner, so we went to the restaurant that is the center of the park. Again, the boys ate very little, but it was enough food to energize them for more riding. My husband and SJ went off to ride the Thunderbolt while the boys and I went to ride Ghostwood Manor (an inside target shooting ride). I could see my husband and SJ in line, so the boys and I went to ride the Turtles (a classic track ride). When SJ and my husband were done, SJ was ready to ride Phantom's Revenge (a metal, fast moving coaster). Bob and his friend opted not to ride the Phantom, so I stayed with them while we waited for SJ and my husband. While we waited, Bob and his friend rode again the Bayern Curve, Music Express and Wave Swinger. As soon as Bob and his friend got in line for the swings, I saw SJ and my husband come down the first steep hill. Perfect timing!
I went to meet them at the exit and SJ wanted to ride the swings one more time with Bob and his friend. It was close to 7:30 p.m., so my husband and I decided it was time to play games and then head home. I saw a game that I thought one of the three boys was guaranteed to win. Unfortunately, some 40 year old lady decided to join them. Of course, she won. (Did she really need a stuffed animal at 40?) So we moved on to another game. Bob won and I knew the whining was going to start. I told SJ and Bob's friend that we would try another game. After several dollars, Bob's friend won at that game. "Why can't I win anything?" whined SJ. He was trying to win a stuffed Kennywood arrow.
I told my husband to take him into the gift shop and just buy one. When SJ came out, he was all smiles. Another meltdown averted. (It would have been cheaper to just buy one in the first place, but not as fun as trying to win one.) My husband wanted to play one game, so he bought seven wiffle balls. You need to bounce one into a red or blue cup. He gave three balls to SJ and three balls to Bob. Unbelievably, Bob first ball went into a red cup (large prize). "Not again," whined SJ. My husband told him to try, but he was unsuccessful. My husband managed to make it in one of the red cups with the last ball, so he let SJ choose a prize. His whining disappeared as he selected a large, stuffed SpongeBob.
As we were leaving the park, I thought about how nice it was that the autism monster never crept up. SJ did complain a little about the lines, but never so much that he was near a tantrum. Even with the loss on the Racers, he was able to control himself and not let the loss ruin his day. Every year that we come here, I see less and less of the autism monster and I am so thankful for that. I was watching the boys as we left the park. It was like watching any three typical boys. Not a boy with PDD and his typical friends. Just three tired but happy boys. Another great day at Kennywood!
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