If you’re visiting Kennywood during the month of July, you’re going to see the VIP Paddle Boat Viewing Experience advertised for the All-American Summer Drone Show.
For $40, you and one other person can watch the entire drone show from a paddle boat floating right in the middle of the lagoon.
But: is it actually worth paying for?
Short answer? For us, yes – absolutely. But I don’t think it’s the right choice for everyone. So here’s exactly what you get, who I think will love it, and who should probably save the $40.
What Do You Get For $40?
First, let’s talk about what’s included.
The $40 price tag covers one paddle boat for up to two people, so if you’re splitting the cost, that comes out to $20 per person. And side note: season pass discounts sadly do not apply to this experience.
Each guest receives a light-up wristband that syncs with the drone show. As the drones change colors and create different patterns in the sky, your wristband lights up to match, very similar to most concert experiences. It’s a fun little extra that helps you feel like you’re part of the experience instead of just watching it.
How Does It Work?
Reservations are made at the Welcome Booth next to the paddle boats.
If you know this is something you want to do, I highly recommend reserving your boat as early in the day as you can.
Because, there aren’t very many boats available, and once they’re gone – they’re gone.
When it’s time, you’ll receive your wristbands and head down to the dock to board your paddle boat.
You can usually get out on the water around 9:15pm or even a few minutes before, giving you a little time before the 9:30pm drone show begins.
My advice?
Take advantage of every minute on the lagoon that you can.
Not only does it give you more time to enjoy being out on the water, but it also lets you get comfortable moving and steering the boat – because these paddle boats definitely have a personality of their own.
Let’s just say – they’re not exactly precision vehicles.
One more note: you do have to be at least 46” tall in order to ride the paddle boats and if you cannot swim (or are not a strong swimmer), the ride ops will give you a life jacket to wear. Our 7-year-old is well over the height requirement but isn’t a strong swimmer yet, so the ride operators had a life jacket ready for him.
So: What’s It Actually Like?
Honestly?
This was one of the coolest ways we’ve ever watched a nighttime show at an amusement park, and we’ve watched quite a few over the years.
Instead of standing shoulder to shoulder with hundreds of other guests around the lagoon, you’re floating quietly in the middle of the water with an unobstructed view of the drones overhead.
The reflections dancing across the lagoon add another layer to the show that you simply don’t get from shore.
It feels surprisingly peaceful.
You’re still surrounded by the sounds and excitement of Kennywood, but at the same time, it almost feels like you’ve escaped the crowds for just a few minutes.
It’s a completely unique and different perspective.
Is There A Downside?
There are a few things worth mentioning to take into consideration if you’re weighing the pros and cons of booking the VIP Experience.
First, this kind of goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway: you’ll be pedaling and steering the boat yourself.
In other words: if you’re expecting a relaxing boat ride where you just sit back and drift – that’s actually not going to happen.
Let me lay it out for you: you’ll spend some time getting yourself into a good viewing position, the show will start, and then your boat will drift and you’ll find yourself needing to make adjustments so you don’t bump other boats around you or hit the walls of the lagoon. After all, you are free-floating in the water and so your boat will move around during the show.
Second, this experience is completely weather dependent.
If the drone show can’t happen because of inclement weather (hello Pittsburgh – inclement weather is her middle name), obviously you’ll lose out on your amazing experience that you were looking forward to.
Thirdly: you might get a little wet.
The ride ops give very specific instructions before they push you out from the dock to say: don’t bump other boats, don’t try to stand up, don’t try to float into obviously off-limit areas around Steel Curtain (these areas are obvious, trust me), don’t try to go swimming, don’t splash in the water, etc. But what they didn’t mention is that the act of paddling does pull some water up onto the seat and so your butt (and anything sitting on the seat with your butt) potentially can get wet.
And lastly: it’s definitely a splurge.
If you’re already stretching your budget for a day at Kennywood, watching the drone show from the shore around the lagoon is still a fantastic experience. You do not need to sit in a paddle boat to enjoy the show.
If splurging on the VIP Experience is simply not in your budget: I highly recommend finding a spot in the open space between the base of the bridge and the carousel – this will give you the best view of the entire show – and it’s still amazing, I promise.
Is It Worth It?
For us? Absolutely.
Not because it made the drone show dramatically better (because to be honest: the show itself is wonderful no matter where you watch it, whether you’re in the lagoon or beside it).
But it turned the drone show into something we’ll always remember.
Watching hundreds of drones from the middle of the lagoon, seeing the reflections on the water, sharing that moment together – it felt genuinely unique.
It’s one of those experiences that’s just about impossible to recreate anywhere else.
Especially if you’re celebrating something special, visiting Kennywood for the first time, or just looking to add one extra-memorable experience to your day, I think it’s well worth considering.
If you’ve experienced Kennywood’s drone show, I’d love to know what you thought. And if you have any questions about the VIP paddle boat experience, leave them in the comments and I’ll do my best to answer them.
