DECoasterMom

Enchanted Forest looks adorable ~ definitely on the "quaint" side but looks like a low-key & charming place to visit. Thanks for the posting the pics, especially as I don't think I'll be making it to that part of the country anytime soon.

Wow, your TR was downer (although your photos did rock). Dorney is one of my favorite family parks ~ yes, it doesn't have the coaster thrills that other parks do but I still think it does a pretty good job with what it has. The only "concrete alley" I've ever noticed (beside the waterpark area, of course) is the front entrance area...the same area in your photos criticizing the lack of shade. I do agree w/a couple things in your TR. Hydra is pretty but the ride is blah. Laser is ridiculous ~ it was a once-and-never-again for me. Steel Force is a fun ride which I can happily ride multiple times (and do!). Thunderhawk (woodie) is rough during the day but flies on hot summer nights. Talon is enjoyable but not as crazy fun as it could be (and the entrance is ridiculously hidden). We were there on Wednesday 6/13 (two days after your TR) and had the opposite experience of you. Crowds were minimal with non-existent queues. Our group of two adults and six kids (14, 12, 9, 7, 7, and 21 mos) had a great time. Our only bummer was that the toddler was too short for most flats (have to be a minimum of 36" at Dorney) although he had just come back from BGE & KD where he rode most baby flats by himself ... oh well. He still managed a mini-marathon on the horsie ride

Great TR ~ DH (who doesn't get the whole credit thing) even said that it looked like a lot of fun! Maybe I can convince him to join me on a credit whoring expedition this summer after all .... BTW, my 6yr old son thinks you guys are "so cool" LOL & wants to know if you need a kid to come along next time

Plans look great! We are huge waterpark fans & usually have to head down to Great Wolf in Williamsburg during winter for our fix. BWI is certainly a lot closer ~ will make a wonderful weekend getaway. I just signed up for email updates. Hoping for a good promo down the road! And, yes, I too agree with the above posters that it SHOULD be restricted to paying hotel guests only. 'Nuff said.

I'm not scared of coasters ... but ... I'm terrified of those swinging pirate ship rides! Seriously. I haven't been on one in the last 15 years, even though my kids keep begging me to go again. Silly, I know. I also don't like enclosed tube body slides ~ the fear & dread of hitting the water at the bottom takes away all the fun. I hate getting water up my nose, not to mention worrying about losing my contacts.

Congratulations! Great pics ~ everyone looks so happy & relaxed. I wish I had had as much fun on my wedding day! Best wishes to both of you.

Searched forums but didn't see a thread. According to our local paper this morning, Trimper's Rides (Ocean City MD) might be closing after the 2007 season I added it to my must-visits for the summer just in case. Here's a better article from the Washington Post: OCEAN CITY -- For 117 summers, generations of children have frolicked through Trimper's Rides on this beach resort town's signature boardwalk. But this Memorial Day weekend might begin the last summer they circle the antique wooden carousel, fling around the Tilt-a-Whirl and loop through the Tidal Wave roller coaster. The Trimpers say they are considering closing the amusement park and arcade this year. Trimper's Rides, an Ocean City mainstay since 1890, is owned by 14 family members, some of whom are seeking help from the state to keep the park open. As Ocean City has exploded into a megaresort, property taxes have soared for Trimper's, which operates on the last chunk of undeveloped land on the town's three-mile boardwalk. In the past three years, family members said, their assessed property value has tripled, from $21 million to $65 million. So the Trimpers are facing reality. Revenue from thrill rides and arcade games can't keep pace with the skyrocketing value of their three-block site, they say. In addition to property taxes, insurance and energy costs are up, and the family is split over what to do: Some members want to sell, but others want to find a way -- perhaps through a change to lower the park's assessment or a historic designation -- to keep going. "After 117 years, I don't want to be the Trimper that closes the place up," said family patriarch Granville D. Trimper, 78, president of the company. Although he declined to provide financial specifics, Trimper said, "We can't keep going without making a profit." Across the nation -- from Coney Island, N.Y., to Myrtle Beach, S.C., to Panama City, Fla. -- beach amusement parks have become victims of the ocean-view development boom. Trimper's is the oldest continuously owned amusement park in the United States, and its demise would reverberate beyond the mid-Atlantic shore, said Jim Futrell of the National Amusement Park Historical Association. Closing Trimper's "will forever change Ocean City, and I don't think it will change it for the better," Futrell said. "It would rob the community of its soul." No developer has approached the family about buying the property, said Doug Trimper, Granville's son, who helps manage the park. But the Trimpers need only consider recent history to know what could be in store if they sell.

MN State Fair rocks! In addition to decent flats, I remember a kiddie coaster only ... but then again, we haven't been back since 2003 due to an east coast relocation. Our favorite game at the Fair was trying to eat as many things as possible on a stick and/or deep-fried; my DH still speaks fondly of the deep-fried batter-coated pickle-on-a-stick ~ ick! I preferred the deep-fried candy-bar-on-a-stick myself. Don't miss the all-you-can-drink-milk bar, the head carved in butter, crop art, giant vegetables, cheese curds, and the huge hog Be prepared for high humidity, LOTS of mosquitos & great people watching ~ I wish I was going!

I just had to respond to this thread being a 37 yr old coaster-loving mom! Growing up, my family did not go to amusement parks BUT they did get me a season pass to SFGAdv since all my friends had them. They used to drop my friends & I off at the park alone (when we were only 9! ~ how things have changed). I would ride all day & had a great time. I truly believe that's where my love of parks originated. Hubbie & I actually go to amusement parks more now than we did pre-kid. Our kids love them! Our riding style has changed ... we ride a ton more flats (and have a great time doing so!), have the kid switch-off down to a science, and have a MUCH lower tolerance for long lines. Credits are less important than having fun as a family. Oh, I should mention that my hubbie blames me for my kids' coaster obsession ... #1 rode Space Mountain, etc. at WDW when I was about 3 months PG (oops); #2 rode Wild Thing, etc (Valleyfair) at about 2 months PG (double-oops). #3 wasn't tainted Why are there fewer 30/40 yr female enthusiasts? Nothing to do with post-baby body or aches & pains, in my opinion. Fewer younger enthusiasts naturally mean even fewer older enthusiasts. Plus, most post-baby women I've met at parks are the baby-sitters rather than the thrill-seekers. I'm lucky that my husband will happily hang out with the kids & baby while I'm off getting credits. It is very rare that I meet another mom in line while I meet a ton of dads. I wish more women would want to ride coasters. I think it would be so much fun to have a female-only coaster club w/girls-only trips!