For years I have been wanting to make a stop at Idlewild & Soakzone. I always figured I would do it when in the Pittsburgh area visiting Kennywood, but it’s just never happened. I was never sure if my friends would want to spend the time or money at a park intended for kids and families and never suggested it. While that wouldn’t bother me, I never found myself going to Kennywood alone.
I grew up going to parks like the former Enchanted Forest in Ellicott City, Md. (now defunct) and Dutch Wonderland in Lancaster, Pa. And in recent years, visiting Storybook Land in Egg Harbor Township, N.J. I love/loved all those parks, which made me really want to visit Idlewild even more.
Well, with Labor Day approaching and having nothing to do, I decided I was finally going to visit Idlewild. And as a bonus, I was also going to hit up the nearby DelGrosso’s Amusement Park while in the area. That parks has also long eluded me. Being a solo excursion it would let me explore the parks, enjoy the rides, and take a ton of awesome photos that I’m excited to share with all of you. A me day, if you will.
This Wasn't Only for the Rides
I will say up front that while I have long wanted to ride Rollo Coaster and the rare Vekoma Wild Mouse at this park, equally appealing to me was getting to walk through the Storybook Forest area of the park. With all the nursery rhyme props and storytelling, I knew this would take me back to being a kid. That’s what my first visit to Storybook Land did a few years ago. You don’t see this sort of thing at modern day parks, so it’s like stepping back in time for me.
Rollo Coaster
After parking I made my way into the park right next to the entrance to Rollo Coaster. My plan was to walk the park, get a lay of the land, and take my photos along the way. When I saw no one in line for Rollo Coaster, my camera went right into my bag and I hopped on for two rides. I did the same when getting ready to leave, getting in two more rides. The park wasn’t too busy, which surprised me being Labor Day.
I didn’t know what to expect from this coaster. I knew it hugged the terrain for most of the ride and I had heard it is fun, if not a little quirky. The train is certainly odd, but understandable for safety and clearance reasons. It didn’t hurt the ride in any way, that’s for sure.
While this isn’t a mini-airtime machine or anything, it does have its moments. I popped up in my seat a few times each ride and got some fun laterals at the turn around. What I enjoyed most about this ride though, was its setting. With all those trees and rocks close to the track, it made this coaster feel faster that it is.
It’s hard to believe this coaster was built in 1938. It doesn’t feel or even look old, minus the classic looking station. I’m glad I finally got to ride this historic coaster and hope Idlewild keep it going for many more years to come. It’s a nice little gem of a ride to have in the park.
Wild Mouse
I had no idea what to expect from this Wild Mouse. I’ve been on Wild Mouse coasters from all different ride manufacturers, but not Vekoma. I had recently experienced two Arrow Wild Mouses that many people rave about, minus their slow operations. I didn’t feel one way or the other about either of them to be honest, but this one looked promising.
I long heard about this ride’s tilted lift hill, which got things started in a unique fashion. Little did I know that the ride would only get better from there. The laterals on the turns were quite intense, but not uncomfortable. The drops throughout the course surprised me too. Above everything else, the track was also on the smoother side. It made for some fun rides of which I did three. I thought about heading back for a fourth ride after my last rides on Rollo Coaster. I ultimately decided again it though wanting to make sure I had enough time to get over to DelGrosso’s.
This Wild Mouse is now my all-time favorite Wild Mouse.
Storybook Forest
While I did ride the park’s log flume, Paul Bunyon’s Loggin Toboggan and their train, the Loyalhanna Limited Railroad, I want to talk about the Storybook Forest portion of this park for my final highlight. There isn’t a ride to be had in this portion of the park as it’s a walk through trail. You kick things off by walking through a giant storybook (how fitting) and from there you come across countless fairy tale displays. Some are just characters, others involve you walking into a house/building, and some you can even interact with. There is a little bit of everything here.
Just like I expected, walking through this area of the park brought back a rush of memories of my parents and brother going to the Enchanted Forest. That park is long gone, not staying open long into our childhoods even. So any chance I get to recapture something similar to what we did as kids always brings a smile to my face.
Even if you visit this park as a coaster enthusiast, I think you owe it to yourself to do a walkthrough of this portion of the park. You won’t find stuff like this at many parks these days and it’s a look back at a different era of amusement/theme parks. Anyone who appreciates history will find enjoyment here.
Final Ride Counts
Loyalhanna Limited Railroad (1)
Paul Bunyon’s Loggin Toboggan (1)
Rollo Coaster (4)
Wild Mouse (3)
A Great Start to a Last Minute Trip
With the small crowd I experienced at Idlewild I was able to ride the coasters a few times each and linger a little bit longer to take my photos. The gallery for this park is huge, but I hope you’ll take the time to look through it. I tried to capture a little bit of everything that makes this park what it is. It’s unlike most parks I’ve visited. If you asked me to compare it to other parks I’ve been to, I’d say it’s a mix of Storybook Land with Knoebels. That’s an odd pairing I know, but rings so true.
I would have no problem going back to this park again and one day hope to take some of the other crew members. I think they would also appreciate this park based on some of the others we’ve been to in recent years.
Idlewild & Soakzone Photo Gallery - September 1, 2025
If you would like to use any of the images in the gallery above for your commercial and/or non-commercial projects, feel free to do so. I ask that you credit We Were Inverted whenever they’re used. I also ask that you do not alter the image or remove the watermarks. If you need any images/video resized or without the watermarks, please contact me directly.
CREW MANIFEST
The following flight crew members attended this park, & earned the respective credits below:
Patrick
CAG
New Credit(s): Rollo Coaster, Wild Mouse