Myntiepwny

Dorney is very sadly themed to Cedar Point (the Coaster drive in is a good example). This is a shame, because their Halloween event proves that they can do theming really well!

I believe this is the bug in question: http://www.emeraldashborer.info/ They are a pretty big deal in Michigan (and have been for a while) but just moved in the DC/Virginia/Maryland area in the past couple of years. Some students at a University there designed a trap for the beetles, but as far as I know nothing has entirely stopped them. The trees can be replaced with another kind, but if they put ash trees back in they will die too (probably).

If CF sold the plans to the Dipper (I am under the impression they have them) to a small park that could rebuild it that would make some people very happy. Rides have been rebuilt in this manner before... though they sadly don't turn out as well (such as Raging Wolfbobs). The problem with that is that the parks who would benefit most from recreating a beloved ride already have an older woodie, and they are usually pretty good. Knoebels already has Phoenix, and it is incredible and they don't really need another airtime machine. Maybe some of the other little PA parks would be a good fit, but there are other great options for them now. Heck, I'd even love to see Knoebels buy an RMC version of the Revere Beach Lightning or Crystal Beach Cyclone (no inversions needed, but their track, trains, and supports could handle the transitions in a way the original could not) more than adding another ride like Phoenix. Anyway, that's the only way it's coming back, and I don't see it happening. I miss the park. My best day ever at a park will probably always be there (it's hard to beat a memory when the place you made the memory is gone) back when it was SFWOA and everything was a walk-on but Superman and X-Flight, and we got fast passes for those. My friend who was an animal science major got us talking to the animal trainers and we got to touch dolphins. We walked on Batman Knight Flight so many times. We saw a bunch of animal shows. I fell in love with Bip Dipper and Villain. The two parks together under Six Flags featured something for everyone, and it was the best trip I've had to a park with a group of friends to date. Everyone was happy, and the food on the "Sea World" side was still wonderful. ...and six years later it closed, and I never could have predicted that as a college kid newly in love with coasters and parks and everything that comes with it. I'd love to see more of it preserved, but I know I'll have to settle for visiting Dominator and Possessed.

Yeah I've never seen it before either and I try to go a couple times a year. He didn't say anything (honestly I would have been mortified if I was the problem) but the speed got turned all the way down twice. :/ It did make for a nice long ride though... so looking on the bright side. I definitely snapped one at KD earlier this year far far better than anything this weekend, so I'm not sure what was up.

This weekend, for the first time ever, we had a ride op turn down the speed on the Flyers twice while we were snapping. At first I was sort of proud--that has to be some sort of achievement, right?--but I don't really like being yelled at, so then only got back on once and tried very hard not to snap, which it turns out is near impossible. He didn't yell or even point it out, but it was pretty clear that was what was going on. The worst part was that when the power was cut I had the flyer stalled and consequently dropped like a stone and started snapping worse, lol. Has anybody else experienced this? I've been going for a few years and the older guys who run the ride never seem to care. I don't think I or anybody else was doing anything fantastic either.

The holding brake was on Possessed a couple weeks ago--so it is definitely still used. It is a shame you missed the mazes, they are some of the best I've been through (ever, anywhere, and I've been to about seven other Halloween events).

The new ones bruise my legs if I get shifted around during the ride, so I will end up with bruises on my thighs from them. However, I don't run around in short shorts, so I will still take that over headbanging into restraints till I have a headache. I get migraines and apparently being hit repeatedly in the temples is a trigger. :/

Is there any hope of a merchandise/sign sale like there was when the park first closed? As much as I hate to see it go, I'd hate even more to see it razed, torn apart, and no chance to rescue a little piece of it.

And yet King's Island was running rides this July with lightning visibly striking not that far from the park. Yes, it might have been outside the 10 mile limit, but it was creepy as heck seeing lightning striking while on the Beast, and then in the parking lot seeing more lightning with the drop tower still running. :/

Any park you've been to far too often (without falling in love with it) becomes overrated. I love Coney Island and Knoebel's, so minus crazy crowds you aren't going to see me naming those, but I grew up with Cedar Point and missing the "old days" combined with too many visits in my early 20s means that I no longer want to wait in 2 hour lines and would often much rather be somewhere else (though I still love Pink's and the cheese fries).

That Steeplechase collection is amazing!

I know that air gates have been added to Phoenix, but did the second train ever reappear with them? I'm trying to decide if it is worth a trip now or during Halloween and if the lines could be anything close to what they were opening day I might just wait a season....

Lakemont's Christmas attraction does really well (we waited for an hour right at closing last year) and is very well done. Their pool is also usually busy during the summer. Those two things should keep the park going for a bit, in any case.

Does anyone know whether the B&B carousel still has a ring machine? I had looked it up on Wikipedia (the list of ring machines there has not failed me before) and visited it last night. There was no visible ring machine. Is it only brought out on special occasions? Did they get rid of it when it was moved? I like getting "ring machine credits" when I visit places like this, and I already have been to Nunley's.

Is the Phoenix running two trains yet?