are meh rides that are only interesting for their history. Gatekeeper is kind of neat, but it wasn't a whole lot different from the (Valraven/Griffon) dive coasters.

I agree with you about all of those comparisons and the key point: a BGW + KD weekend perhaps beating CP; though it's worth going to the different place to have the different experience once. If Pantheon pans (groan) out, it might really close the gap of the missing top tier launched Intamin which is Maverick...but if you are on the east coast and get up to Hershey, you have Skyrush, which I'd put above Maverick. Then there's the fact that BGW is a class or two above KD, CP, and any Cedar Fair park in terms of scenery/landscaping/food/etc.

Of course, adding a 3rd park another 4 hours away is out of the spirit of a 2 park weekend beating CP, but if you are more flexible it's worth considering.