SbSteveZ

How is park traffic around the 4th of July? I'm thinking about heading up there for the fireworks, but with it being on a Saturday I'm a little worried about how busy it may be...

Darien Lake presents "Brain Drain", the successor to "Mind Eraser" - It's response to the creatively wacky and fun "Mind Warp" at Fantasy Island, WNY's up and coming family park with the thrills to make families come back for years and years! Sorry, but in my opinion, the Mind Warp was one of the best additions to either of these parks (not counting coasters) in a long time. Are there any other rides like it anywhere? I havent really looked into it but I am curious still.

Though it is kind of a dissapointment that this is (apparently) all they're adding in 2015... at least it seems to have a cool lighting package... though with our luck, if this doesnt come standard it will just be left in the dark like the Giant Wheel... Maybe we'll get lucky and with this ride they will announce a few housekeeping changes. Is it too late for new pavement over in that section? New ride new walkway - I like that mentality. Yet again I guess time will tell.

... so moving away from that... It looks like the Facebook page still has nothing new on it in reference to the 2015 season other than a crap load of Season Pass plugs... This is making me wonder if they're gonna do what Cedar Point did with Rougarou and soft release it on youtube or if they're gonna set a date for an actual announcement / press release like with the Nik Wallenda thing. I just hope it isnt gonna be the same deal as with 2014. I understand entertainment is important but I feel as if they (at this moment) need to work on their ride line up. Just my opinion. Hopefully they stay true to what they said and "After the New Year" doesn't mean any time from January 1st to Opening Weekend... that's my biggest concern. I guess we shall see how everything plays out.

^ We should probably take the "After the New Year" comment with a grain of salt here. Lets not forget it was a comment made off of a guests post. it wasnt made official. "After the New Year" could be anything from January 1st to May 8th right before the park opens... How long did the Rowdy's Ridge announcement take again? March? When they said they would be announcing their new attractions early in the year... They never specifically set a date to announce anything in that case. Just as they have yet to in this case.

juuuuuust in case anyone wanted to see the post but didnt feel like checking facebook...

^^ When they say that it makes me wonder if they mean right after the new year or just... some time in 2015 before the season starts. And though I would also hope its a new ride with Ranger being SBNO and the missing UFO and what not... I'd hope for at least something... But at the same time, what are they going to do with the Galaxy Theater now that Nik is gone? Are they gonna at least take down the signage? So many questions....

^ At least the paint on Iron Dragon lasted I kid, Was the iron dragon ever touched up since the repainting in 2002/3? I'd figure it would be a LOT easier to do considering its not 400 feet tall...

I have a few pictures from the theater in 2013:

^ Loving those pictures! So I'm planning my first trip down to Busch Gardens - this May - and I was curious if they still sold the Statix models? I saw on the iterwebs some pictures of the Griffon model and the Alpengeist model... Are there any others? I just want to know about how much they would run for down there if they even still sell them, I got the two Cedar Point models for $14 each on a Cyber Monday sale! But they were selling the Gatekeeper one for almost $30 so I have no idea what they would cost in a SeaWorld park... Thanks guys!

Though personally I gave up on it a mere days after the new year, I feel like the idea would've still been really cool to have in WNY, and I know I'm still hoping in some way it will re-surface. But I don't think anyone is still truly serious about thinking its still going to happen...

It could possibly just mean that they havent gotten around to changing the website. How long into the off season last year was it that they finally took down the New for 2013 stuff, or the things that all focused on the previous summer that I am totally blanking out about right now... Awkward... but still, it could just be that they have yet to change it. thats what I figured

In reference to this, I do recall hearing over and over again that this project was pushed off because of CNL not wanting to fork over the money for it. I remember there being a press release of sorts from some kind of conference where someone of power in Darien Lake mentioned the Predator re-vamp. I'm sorry I dont have the specifics... but I remember them being all ready for it and then suddenly it fell through because of finances - since CNL does make the final decisions so far with money. And who says they wouldn't add a major coaster? Lets look at Dollywood and SDC for a moment shall we? Wild Eagle, Fire-Chaser Express, Outlaw Run and the new 2015 addition to SDC that reminds me of the Boardwalk and Rowdy's Ridge expansions... If Herschend wants to build a coaster and they get to make the final calls - they'll build a coaster. is it gonna be a 500 foot wooden looping strata coaster with 3 LIM launches? no. but it will be a great addition to the park. Beggars cant be choosers. If Herschend does end up buying the park, and they dont add the major coasters that enthusiasts are hoping for... then just drive an extra hour or two north to Canada's Wonderland to ride Leviathan. or go 4 1/2 hours west to ride the coasters at Cedar Point. I also would love to see a huge addition. but I have full confidence in Herschend - so like others, I'd prefer them over anyone else.

No. Other rides will still be open but the ones you listed are the only ones that will be Halloween themed. Oh, thought just the ones that are Halloween theme would be the only ones open, they could have at least one "haunted" coaster like "The Snake Pit" (Viper), "Boo-Merang" (Boomerang), "Predator: The Final Terror" (Predator), or "Zombie Lake" (Ride of Steel). heh heh... Boo-merang... its punny.

Ditto, got my credit last year - ON WITH THE NEW STUFF! ...Whatever it may be...

I'm also rather concerned of the negativity surrounding this park... I went there the week before they installed Over the Falls and I had a great time. I love their collection of rides! Sure, some of them are "carnival rides" But they're WELL KEPT carnival rides and they even have that Mind Warp that I've never seen anything like anywhere else... Devil's Hole is one I tend to avoid because since I was little I hated the way the "seats" or whatever would slide up and down and I'd always get dizzy... But to the removed rides thing, I remember Sea Ray never having a line at all up until it got removed. The thing would run with like 1 family on it. So I'm not sure where this "raving reviews" came from... and aside from that one year where they installed that tiny little REALLY slow carousel type thing in the kiddie park, Fantasy Island has been really working on their collection of thrill rides... Full Tilt, Crazy Mouse, Flight, Disk'o, Devil's Hole, Mind Warp, Over The Falls, ect. And yes they got rid of the drop tower for the Flight and they removed the Sea Ray for Devil's Hole (I believe) and the Mind Warp stands where Scrambler used to... but if that's such an issue... in my mind - Darien Lake has the Pirate, Blast-Off, and the Scrambler. So its not like the park removed rides that are the last in the country... Darien Lake also has a very nice log flume, so though the rides at Fantasy Island will be missed... there are similar attractions not too far away for families to enjoy. Lastly, I love the employees at Fantasy Island. Last year there was a very nice, funny woman operating the Flight, she was the reason I kept going back to the ride. This year when I went there was a nice man running the Mind Warp and halfway through the day there were two really nice women operating the Silver Comet. Maybe it's just chance, but I always love trips to Fantasy Island. My ONLY downside with this park is that it only stays open until like 7:30. If they want to compete with Darien... perhaps extend out your calender a bit? They have lights on almost all the attractions, I'd LOVE to see this park after dark... My mini rant is over now Proceed!

My turn for a last minute park visiting quandary! I'm coming to the park this Wednesday, and I was wondering how the single rider thing on slingshot works... I myself am the only one planning to ride this thing and I was curious, do they have like a line of single riders they mash together? Or are you on your own to find a buddy to ride with? I live closer to Darien Lake and their slingshot is known to have basically no lines at all, so I'm not sure what to expect at Cedar Point with this... Thanks!

Perhaps a picture? If anyone catches another glimpse of it that is... And I just want to point out that its sad when the Erie County Fair can put lights on their Ferris wheel (Well, Strates Shows...) and Darien lake can't even put some simple flood lights or something on their big wheel... Being surpassed by a traveling company like that is just sad in my mind... But I have to admit I was a little let down that the Top Spin was gone this year.. Point Darien Lake; I guess...

Well it's no new coaster like most of us have been begging for... But the Scrambler appears to finally be on site. This is the picture posted by Darien Lake on Twitter and Instagram yesterday. Unless they're using some stupid filter to make the paint seem more vibrant (Like on Ride of Steel), Then I do believe it got a touch up. Red and Yellow just like the original scheme but it seems to look shiny and fun Let's see this thing open by Fright Fest and I'd be surprised. Next up... WE NEED TO SEE SOMETHING FOR 2015 ALREADY! Picture posted by Darien Original Scheme

The crowds won't be too heavy. It's going to Michigan Days those days so there might be some a little extra, but wait times are normally less than 1 hour. Start with Maveirck, then TTD, then MF. So, just out of curiosity... What about the week before? We're going on the 21st which I believe is a Wednesday... We usually go in early august but this year we couldn't fit it in until the end of the month.

Not to start a war or anything here, but after being on both, I feel as if MaXair is a better ride. Just IMO

I wouldn't get my hopes up for Mean Streak being torn down. He knows of the rumors and speculation. It's made PRETTY obvious all over the internet, so he knows what we're looking at and what we think is happening. Therefore of course he's gonna throw a few things in there to try and throw us off. The park isn't gonna just give everything away like that. It's Cedar Point for gods sake! That being said, He also probably knows exactly what's happening in 2015 so he probably gave some obvious hints that we'll feel stupid for overlooking once they're revealed. Like when they did the Gatekeeper reveal in 2012, I remember a few days prior they posted an animated rendering of raptor with "Isnt Raptor AWESOME?" and something about the big announcement on the 13th of August. yadda yadda yadda that animated picture ended up being the view inside of the keyholes on the Gatekeeper Front Entrance rendering. The mentioned facebook post. If you look, you can now tell that the new entrance is right on the bottom of the picture and the keyholes on either side. The zoomed out picture, released the day of the announcement So though I know its not the same exact idea behind Tony posting all those pictures, I'm just saying, they know how to give *just* enough away as to not confirm/reject anything, but they also are crafty at how they do this, making it fun for Coaster Enthusiasts and even the General Public to speculate.

I remember that guy! "MARK... MY... WORDS!!!" He seemed like the kind of guy in a tinfoil hat preaching that the end is near at the time... but let's not forget he also mentioned something happening to Raptor. Soo maybe he's half right for now... but I do believe Raptor has begun to fade just a bit, so maybe a refresh is possible? But I wouldn't get my hopes up because that's just a rumor from MONTHS ago. MARK MY WORDS

So then with that being said, what do you guys think would be the probability of the whole rumor about the Scrambler placement this year possibly foreshadowing future expansions in that area? The potential sidewinder idea, plus the predator re-vamp? Thats a "good" flat ride (Especially if its like the Huss Giant Frisbee because those are AMAZING in my opinion) and then a world class coaster in a matter of years! Plus that would really develop that area of the park nicely - seeing that it is pretty much a dead end home of the best coaster in the state (said in an EXTREMELY bias an opinionated manner) and some misplaced food stand...

Nothing like a good 2015 tweet by Tony Clark to get those rumors running wild