Phantom's Revenge is a steel hypercoaster located at Kennywood amusement park in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, United States. It originally opened as Steel Phantom in 1991, featuring the fastest speed and longest drop of any roller coaster in the world. Its second drop is longer than its first, which is a unique characteristic among roller coasters. Manufactured by Arrow Dynamics, the ride was later modified and renovated by D.H. Morgan Manufacturing for the 2001 season when it reopened as Phantom's Revenge. The drop and track length were both increased, and its four inversions were removed, allowing the removal of its uncomfortable over-the-shoulder restraints.
The ride has consistently ranked among the top 50 steel roller coasters in the world in the annual Golden Ticket Awards publication from Amusement Today, occasionally ranking in the top 10. Additionally, it has frequently ranked in the top 5 of the National Amusement Park Historical Association's annual steel coaster survey.
History
In the late 1980s, president of Kennywood Entertainment Company, Harry Henniger, sought to enter the "coaster arms race" of the time with the addition of a large steel coaster to the park. Faced with the challenge of finding the necessary space, the park settled on a design from Arrow Dynamics. The concept featured a lift hill with a record-breaking drop, surpassing the previous record set two years earlier by Magnum XL-200 at Cedar Point. With a top speed of , it was also set to become the world's fastest. Kennywood unveiled plans for the new ride, dubbed Steel Phantom, on July 27, 1990. Steel Phantom was built on the former site of Laser Loop, a Shuttle Loop coaster removed after the 1990 season. It also reused the Laser Loop's loading station.
Construction of Steel Phantom began during Labor Day weekend in early September 1990. It was set to open on May 4, 1991, but this would be delayed. The ride opened on May 10, 1991, setting new records in drop height and speed, as well as featuring four inversions. While the coaster was well-received and ranked frequently in the top 10 according to Kennywood, riders often complained of neck strain and excessive headbanging. Shortly after its debut, engineers found that the train would reach speeds exceeding specifications. The ride was closed for over a week so trim brakes could be installed prior to the inversions where the injuries were occurring.
On March 5, 2000, Kennywood announced that they would dismantle Steel Phantom. A replacement for Steel Phantom was not announced at the time. "Just about anything is on the table" said Kennywood spokeswoman, Mary Lou Rosemeyer. After the decision to remove Steel Phantom was announced, the park started receiving complaints and emails about the decision. Kennywood ultimately decided to keep the roller coaster but make modifications to it. On August 10, 2000, Kennywood announced that Steel Phantom would be transformed into Phantom's Revenge for the 2001 season. After the ride closed on Labor Day weekend in 2000, Steel Phantom underwent extensive changes by D. H. Morgan Manufacturing, most notably the removal of all of its inversions. The modified coaster reopened as Phantom's Revenge on May 19, 2001. The coaster only operated with one train in its first season. In 2002, magnetic brakes were added to the ride so a second train could be used. Because of the modifications, both Morgan style and Arrow style track have been utilized. A short theme tune used in television commercials for the attraction was composed by Jim DiSpirito, former member of Pittsburgh-based rock band Rusted Root.
Kennywood hosted an online poll in September 2021, asking fans to decide whether Phantom's Revenge should be repainted teal or purple. Nearly 10,000 people participated in the poll, voting to repaint the track purple. The repainting started in October 2021.
Ride experience
The terrain coaster layout is built to take advantage of the natural elevation changes provided by the hilly terrain. Unlike most roller coasters, the ride's second drop is longer than its first, and the transformation to Phantom's Revenge in 2001 increased the drop length, track length, and top speed.