YoshiFan

The seatbelt attaches to the restraint

I just got back from the park, it was a good night for an enthusiast, not so great for anyone who was looking forward to the flat rides and for kids going to the kiddie rides. There were 33 rides closed (I counted while waiting in line for Storm Runner). I'm not posting this to complain, just to warn anyone planning on going to the park the next 2 weekends that there are more closed rides than usual (last weekend even on a Saturday more rides were closed than normal too). Fahrenheit, Ferris Wheel, Frontier Flyers, Kisses and Reese's Triple Towers, Pirate, Sidewinder, Skyview, The Claw, The Howler, Tilt A Whirl, Wave Swinger, Whip, Twin Turnpike Speedway, Scrambler, Wild Mouse and the Thunder side of Lightning Racer were all closed. The rest of the rides closed were kiddie rides and I saw in some sections of the park that 1 ride operator would operate 2 of the kiddie rides going back and forth between the rides. The good news was other than Comet earlier in the evening and Laff Trakk, the coasters had under 15 minute waits for the most part. The longest line in the park was for trick or treating. The line had to go at least 100 feet past the entrance arch. The Triple Towers also had seatbelts added sometime in the last 6 weeks.

Dorney added Columbus Day as an operating day around 2 months ago and didn't do much to promote that they were open like any e-mails sent out. With not many people knowing the park was open and operating hours of 11 - 7 with no Haunt, crowds were low even for Dorney standards. At one point Steel Force had a completely empty station around 2 hours before closing. I was really impressed with Monster Jam Thunder Alley. The course is where Stinger was and is 2 laps because the track is shorter than the versions from other Cedar Fair parks. 2 trucks are running, Megalodon and Grave Digger. Each truck seats 10 people plus the driver and usually 1 truck is running while the other is loading riders. It takes a while to load each truck and for everyone to get buckled in. Because of that, the capacity is extremely low. Even with the low crowds, it was still a 25 minute wait. The wait time sign even goes up to 150 minutes (probably from other Cedar Fair parks). It was really fun and a much better use of the space compared to Stinger being there.

Sunday will be much less crowded than Saturday. Saturday's can get so crowded that even smaller coasters like Trailblazer can have an hour wait with no water park open to spread out the crowds. Sunday wait times can vary. I have been there on a Sunday in October when it was 70 and sunny and mostly walk ons and last year it was cloudy and in the 50s and the major coasters can had up to 30 minute waits.

Fast Lane Plus for next Saturday has increased to $179 online (regular increased to $115). If prices are higher in the park as demand increases, I wonder if it will get to $199 next week.

Although the park is open because of Yom Kippur, it's more because of schools being closed. The large Jewish groups that attend the park a few days a year will not be there (it's the holiest day of the year so they are going to be at a Synagogue and not at the park), they usually visit during Passover in the spring and a day in the fall. This year it is October 17th, a buy out ( http://www.ncsygreatadventure.com/ ). I miss when that same group used to buy out the park on Easter. The park was closed to the public but season pass holders were allowed in for free even if not part of the group and it was basically no lines all day.

The Safari's last day is October 27th (and November 2nd and 3rd as an upcharge for the wine festival). I have gone to the park almost every year in between FF and HITP. It used to be mostly walk ons all day, last year was more crowded but still low crowds overall and nothing compared to a Fright Fest operating day.

I was considering going to the park today, looking at the app, I'm glad I stayed away. 3 hour wait for Cupfusion, 2 hour 15 minute waits for Lightning Racer and Comet, 2 hour waits for Laff Trakk and Fahrenheit. Supposedly only 1 side of Lightning Racer is running. I remember reading somewhere years ago that the coaster was programmed to only operate with both sides but I guess that is not true.

With 2020 Season Passes on sale, I thought it was interesting that there is now All Season Fast Lane Plus for all Cedar Fair parks for $849. Dorney only went up from $125 to $175.

https://twitter.com/DorneyParkPR/status/1160261955778732033 The lots are completely full. I know it's a Saturday in the summer but I don't think I have ever seen the park post that before.

No seatbelts have changed. sooperdooperLooper did change the lap bar requirements towards the end of last season. There is now a sticker where the bottom of the lap bar is and it has to be low enough to be in the green part of the sticker for someone to ride the coaster.

Daily operations always begin the Friday before Memorial Day weekend.

(taken from FB) Seeing pictures like that make me want to avoid summer weekends unless I was just going to ride coasters. Cars parked anywhere they could find space on Saturday even behind a Haunt building. I can't even imagine how bad WWK must have been.

I know it's a summer weekend and almost any park is going to be extremely crowded but looking at the wait time app and seeing a 75 minute wait for the wave pool, 90 minute wait for the lazy river and a 3 hour wait for the water coaster is crazy. A high capacity attraction like a lazy river or wave pool should never have anywhere close to that kind of wait even on a crowded Saturday in the summer. It's still the only park I have been to where there is a queue set up for the wave pool and you can't just walk right in.

It really depends on the person controlling the merge point. Some let the line fill up to the merge point and others try to keep the line from the merge point to the station not completely full. The 3 worst lines for Fast Track are Laff Trakk, Storm Runner and Wildcat. Storm Runner is usually a 20 minute wait if they are letting the line go to the bottom of the stairs at the merge point.

I just left the park, lines were 30 minutes or less for everything except Laff Trakk and CupFusion and the water park attractions. I’d expect it to be a little more crowded on a Friday especially with lots of people entering later for the Preview Plan if you plan to stay until closing.

Unfortunately no, they removed the single rider line last year before the old version of the ride closed and it's now a Fast Track line.

Queue Times is either glitched or Dorney's app is wrong. I frequently see 60 - 90 minute waits for the coasters on Queue Times and even Talon at 120 minutes which I am guessing never has really happened. I average 10 - 12 visits to the park a year since 2006 and have seen 30+ minute waits for the coasters maybe 3 or 4 times. Last Tuesday, Steel Force was sending out trains with less than 10 riders.

The Mini Scrambler wait time is for CupFusion. When it had a 180 minute wait time posted a few weeks ago, I looked at the park app to see what 180 minutes was really for.

Wild Mouse first because of the slow loading and the rule of no more than 2 adults per car. Then it doesn't matter, everything else should be a walk on or station wait.

Island Water Works wasn't in the best condition. A lot of the faucets and other features no longer work. I'm guessing the new version will probably have some slides attached.

I like how at Dorney on the dining plan you can get both a cheesesteak and fries for a meal. The cheesesteak is smaller but it's enough with the usual large amount fries. I agree with the comments about WWK. I always find myself spending most of my time at Dorney in WWK and riding the water rides on the ride side and usually taking a quick lap around the park with 1 ride on each coaster and a couple of flat rides.

As of my last trip to the park, the 3rd train still wasn't ready. I think it has only been used on summer weekends in past seasons. Chickie's and Pete's (near the Sea Dragon)

Whip is still there, they added some new signs about the history of the ride for its 100th season. Voodoo had the name change because Six Flags trademarked the name I think after the 2008 season.

i305 on Wednesday.