coasterkid124

Ideally, RoS, Viper, and Predator should have two. This is what I have noticed from all my visits this year. The longest I've seen Viper was half the queue this season. If we ever get Lake Monster, I would imagine that it would run two trains. Even for now, it wouldn't hurt to keep a spare on the transfer for Predator. For next year: Viper should have two ready Predator's trains came from Holiday World and are still in good condition. I expect those to be ready as well. RoS's trains both have seen a full year of rehabbing, so those should be good as well. I have to say that Viper has some of the coolest looking trains that I have seen. Everything from the decals to the repainted insides.

I am really sad. I always wanted to see what an RMC conversion would be like, but this is Colossus. There will only be one. Ever. I hope that SF at least keeps the iconic structure mostly the same.

Darien should have two train ops no exceptions. It is the only major theme park within the WNY, Rochester, and Niagara Falls area. Hopefully this is the last year we have to worry about this issue. Viper's two trains have been rehabbed, and RoS and Predator's trains should be ready to go next year. The park hasn't let anyone know why they aren't running both, and keep boasting their front of the line passes. There is no reason for a park of Darien's size to have 45 minute waits. I have only gotten on the Viper about 3 times this year because I refuse to wait an hour for a ride that used to be a walk on. Not only have waits been longer than usual, but ride crews have been even slower. As Knoebels have been able to dispatch in less than a minute, it takes 6 minutes for the RoS crew to dispatch. I understand that the park wants to be safe and thorough, but 6 minutes is just crazy.

It really does puzzle me what CNL is still doing here. They have done only one thing that has really helped the park, and that was the waterpark expansion. I'm sure that Herschend would like to stick with the park, or they would've gotten rid of it like they did to Elitch Gardens. I have no idea what is going on behind the scenes, or how Herschend's contract works. I just hope that they stick around as long as possible. I really think that they are trying, as we saw with the proposed ideas, and the recent projects. The only people to blame are CNL. Sadly they make the final decisions regarding budget. You have to believe that CNL is in it only for the money. They jumped on the deal that they got from the wounded Six Flags, because they could make a huge profit off the parks.

I wish that the park would just scrap the ride already so everyone would stop asking about it. Even if it was in great shape it would be a terrible addition. It was consistently one of the lowest ranked coasters in the country.

It's all in hydraulics. As long as the ride (cages, cross members, etc.) is in good shape still the rest isn't as hard. Pumps and lines can be interchangeable and popped in simply. In other news, according to a friend of mine, today RoS had it's last car closed. It's bad enough that the park is only running one train, but they can't even run a full one. I wouldn't be so angry but the back car is usually where I sit. This may only be minor like a broken seatbelt.

I haven't even watched the show and I don't plan on it. I would suggest to save your money. And if you do get drinks or snacks try the General Store at the back of the park. They're prices are a little cheaper than the food stands.

^^Ranger actually hasn't been open on awhile. I assume that it is an issue with the drive motors. I don't think that will be open. Boomerang is still open, however it is on the brink of breaking. The water park is decent. I usually avoid Big Kahuna because it's not worth the wait. Swirl City has 4 pretty good slides and Tornado is always fun. There is a wave pool, lazy river, and a play area as well. But try to get on the slides as early as you can.

They should be decent. I don't expect walk ons but waits should be no longer then 25-30 minutes for the major attractions. Hit Blast Off, RoS, and Viper first as those will be the longest lines. The rest of the coasters should be no problem. If you go to the water park, go to the Big Kahuna first. Lines are always extremely long for that. Tornado and Swirl City shouldn't be too too bad. Rides you may see closed are the Ranger, and possibly the Boomerang depending on if the lift doesn't go by next week.

Fantasy Island does have some unique flats but they wouldn't work at DL. Most of their rides have low capacities and lines would be extremely long if DL had some of the same rides. Then again Blast Off is not exactly a people eater. Neither are the Rowdys Ridge rides.

I totally missed that but after the fifth Bud Light or so, everything was sort of a blur. I know that there's another graveyard by the maintenance buildings which are right past the viper's station. I'm starting to get worried about Ranger too. The park has been in the same situation as UFO for the last few years. It's seen a couple of minor fixes, but this may be serious. So is the current Boomerang issue.

^^ was it right at the exit, or was it hidden away a little? I was at the Def Leppard concert yesterday but I was to hammered after the show to even know where I was. I'm going to the Motley Crue show at the end of the month and I'll see if it is still there or I can get any pictures. The park could also be readying it for the Fright Fest display too. They might put a skeleton in a cage or something.

I just went to the Kiss/Def Leppard concert at Darien Lake. Kiss was alright, but Def Leppard really rocked the house. They still sound great after all these years.

Dragon Mountain is very cool. It is one of the best Arrows IMO due to its theming. It's up to you if you want to ride it, but if I were you I would avoid it. The Huss Magic is the only other ride worth it, but from what I've heard, a lot of the flats have been closed due to poor maintenance.

^Skip Marineland. It's not worth the price or aggravation. Dragon Mountain is cool, but that and SkyScreamer are the only things worth going. I would rather spend my 50 bucks on a ticket to MFI or Darien Lake.

Yep Splashtown, Rowdys Ridge, and the Boardwalk have music. Not loud, but it's there. I don't like what they've been playing I the entrance village this year. It's like something you would here in an adventure movie but it sounds really loud and awkward. My opinion is that they should play music to appeal to all ages. Classic rock, some pop, maybe some country. What they are playing now is just weird.

I had a feeling these rides would end up in Asia somewhere. I was hoping that at least Led Zep would remain in the US but that seems not to be the case. I thought that although used some of the coasters could make a big impact on a small park especially at a reduced price.

Ehh... I don't know how I feel about this. I rode the same model at Seabreeze, and I think that it is decent. It is pretty fun especially while riding backwards and during the "half pipe" element. But it seems kind of a thing for smaller parks. I would have rather seen the Wild Mouse removed for this. It should be pretty fun, but having two mouse's is sort of unnecessary for a park of this size.

Another thing I forgot to mention is those mysterious sky blue posts are still in Predators maintenance bay. As I've mentioned before, I could not get a picture because you can only see it from on the ride. They could have something to do with the Scrambler.

Or run two trains next year..... Or get a new ride..... Or boot CNL.... These three things are key to the future. The sooner they happen, the better off the park will be.

Here is a very quick update. I only stayed for a few hours today. Crowds were surprisingly decent, considering that the fair is going on, and Nik Wallenda did not preform today. Here is a pic of the Scrambler for those who missed it on the last page. I took a ride on it, and I must say it is pretty fun. It seems like they sped the ride up a little, but are running a very short cycle. The wood is likely permanent too, because the ride is built on an asphalt pad, not concrete. The wood gives off a fresh smell when the ride is moving. The queue and lighting still needs some work, but the ride is looking good already. Ranger was down all day, and from what I've heard, it's been down for a while now. Boomerang is getting worse as well. The train is barely creeping up the lift, and the crew almost beats the catch car while checking restraints. For Darien standards, that is a very bad sign. I believe that there may be a leak in the hydraulic lines, but I don't know for sure, as I can't get close enough to troubleshoot. Maybe the park will look into investing in an electric system like the Boomerang at SFStl. Predator also saw some down time. I was walking up to the station when an employee stopped me and said "It be stuck over dhere". Translating to English, she meant that the train was stuck on the brake run. It took about twenty minutes to release the train and get the coaster back running. Twister also was down for a little bit. Overall, it was a decent day, but one thing is apparent. We need to get more flats. Scrambler is a good start, but next should be a thrill ride. I will not harp on my point any more.

Wow they really hauled since my last visit. The base looks good but the cars should really get buffed or repainted. Hopefully that and a new ride pad are taken care of this offseason. But the wooden pad isn't such a bad idea either. Concrete can crack and is a lot of work to repair or replace. The ride itself does look good though. I wouldn't mind seeing a UFO return like this next season as long as this type of thing doesnt mean no new additions.

Wow we're all dying to know what the "new" attraction is for this year. Does the park really have to still use filters for their photos? We already knew that the ride was coming back they even posted a sign. I really hope that next year won't be as big of a disappointment. But seeing that there have been no teasers yet, my expectations aren't so high. I would think that by now we would have seen some construction if that was the case.

Expectations for Darien Lake 2015: Nothing but 1 painted building 2016: Removal of Ranger and new Circus show 2017: Park teases a new coaster but puts in a new family area 2018: Ride of Steel removed due to poor maintenance. Rest of coasters run 0 trains. 2019: Auction of everything fun. Realistic right? Thanks CNL for truly caring.

Not only is red a color that fades quicker, it is the most expensive as well. I would believe that Mind Eraser needs more work, but it is a smaller coaster than RoS. There is no chipping in RoS's track so a coat of paint, as long as it was the same colors, could be painted right over. Mind Eraser would need to be either sandblasted or pressure washed to remove the chips and peeling. This would allow for a color change as well. RoS isn't in as bad of shape and could last a little longer, maybe 5 years before it really needs it.