YoshiFan

All of Tot Spot's rides were removed. Some of them aren't even in the way of the coaster like the ones across from Voodoo but the real reason they are being removed is likely because they consider the new Planet Snoopy rides replacements and they want all the kiddie rides in 1 area. It's bad that 2 coasters were removed especially since Dragon Coaster was fun to ride once in a while.

Not counting any single vehicle rides that only seat a few people like a Wild Mouse there have been a few coasters I have ridden with no one else on the ride. At Dorney I have had solo rides Hydra, Thunderhawk and Laser. That was all in the same day in 2007 on a school day in June later in the day when the school groups left. I also had a solo ride on Stinger on a Sunday in September on a non Haunt night so the park was empty the last few hours it was open. It was the last ride of the night and I walked from Stinger all the way to the top of the park and didn't see a single non employee until I got almost to where the carousel at the main entrance is. I counted the cars in the lot 10 minutes after closing and there were only 23 cars. I was also very close to getting solo rides on Talon and Steel Force (1 ride on Steel Force only had myself and one other rider). At Great Adventure I had solo Skull Mountain on Family Fun Fall Night 2008, when there were only a little over 400 people in the park and Scream Machine at Coasters After Dark in 2009. I also had a solo ride on Bizarro on a Friday night in October in 2010. I went to the ride right at opening and since it was the back at the park, no one else was there. It's a lot of fun to be the only one on a coaster and not hear anyone else and have a completely quiet ride. 2016 update Since I lasted edited the post I got a solo ride on Talon on closing day in 2014 during the last hour the park was open. Last year at Fun Spot Orlando I was the only rider on White Lightning and Freedom Flyer. I also got a solo ride on Runaway Mine Train at Great Adventure and Batman The Ride right at opening on a Friday night during Fright Fest in 2013 or 2014.

15/20, I guessed on a few of the questions

Dueling Dragons Fire, great coaster

It sounds like some of the SF parks are trying that (SFOT according to Screamscape) but others are still going to require them.

Dueling Dragons Fire (Ice is awesome too). I really like how it had 2 immelmann inversions and going right over Ice in the zero g roll.

For years although the Safari is a separate gate, it was included with admission to the theme park so they never sold theme park only season passes or tickets (but did sell safari only tickets). Even with the safari no longer included with admission to the theme park (and this year now even SF passholders from other parks can't get into the safari for free) but last year I think they offered a play pass without the safari or coupon book but it was only $10 less at $69.99. They probably figure people will pay more for the pass anyway even if they don't use the safari.

Easter Sunday (though that could change with the park open to everyone this year), May and early to mid June weekdays (before school lets out) as long as there is not an event scheduled that day like student council day, possibly the 1st Friday night Frightfest (October 14th). They are closed the first Friday night this year (October 7th) so the 1st Friday this year is what used to be the 2nd Friday. Sunday's in April, May, early June and September are also usually not bad if there are no events or concerts. Columbus Day can also be empty as long as it is not bring a friend free day for passholders. Last year it wasn't crowded.

And unfortunately those less operating days would have been the best days to go to the park. 2 weeks opening later so we don't even get a late March or early April weekend for low crowds since the first and second weekends are Scout Weekends and then there is Spring Break. No 2nd week of daily operations during Spring Break also would have been a quiet time to go to the park based on past years. Then they are now closed some weekdays in mid May when they used to be open every day by then which also usually were empty except for some college kids and a few school trips. Even worse, it looks like there won't be Coasters After Dark or Family Fall Fun Night since neither event is listed on the events page and with the park cutting costs, that seemed like it would be one of the first things to go.

There were rumors it was originally going to be built near the Congo Rapids but was cheaper to build it where GASM was. It would have been nice to add Green Lantern elsewhere in the park and keep Scream Machine.

Splash Mountain

Free dining has really changed crowd levels. I was there the first week of January this year. Normally that week is dead, this year it was much more crowded than normal (I also hear it was because more schools were off that week). I agree with the end of August, I went after schools in the southern part of the country were back in session in 2003 and crowds were still there but much more manageable than July.

Dorney Park - $12 Dutch Wonderland - Free Hersheypark - $10 Disney World - $14 Universal Orlando - $15 regular, $20 preferred Storybook Land (NJ) - Free

That's good that it isn't the end of Santa Claw. I didn't try to catch any employees when it was my turn, but they knocked out the ball the claw grabbed. I removed the picture I posted since it wasn't that good and the video posted is better.

There's a ton of employees in the claw now, I said in line I wonder if it is a farewell party and someone said it is (since it seemed strange to have so many people in the claw). That's a shame if they are shutting it down.

Saturday's and Sunday's during the summer are totally different from the weekdays at Dorney. If you were there on a Saturday in August, then that was probably one of the top 10 most crowded days of the entire season. They had a Zamperla Joker ride, it was removed after 2004, some pictures are here: http://dorneyonline.com/attractions.php?id=jkr I heard the reasons it was removed were because of maintenance and that is blocked the view of Hydra's Cobra Roll but I don't know how true that is. If you are ever able to get there during a weekday in the summer, you should have 0 - 5 minute waits for almost everything on the ride side while the waterpark is open.

A couple of years ago I had a 10 minute wait for the Wild Mouse and the line was in the station and at another park it would have been a 2 minute wait at the most. They need a better loading system with the gates only unlocking for the row that is to board and need to allow 4 teenagers or adults to ride in the same car if they are small. They made 4 small teeange girls split up last year and there is no way they were over the 680 lb weight limit per car.

I'm interested. I have never been able to consider a TPR trip because of work and always wanted to go to an event and less than 2 hours away from me means I might be able to attend

The claw is really messed up tonight One time it let me start moving the claw after someone else didn't grab a prize so my turn ended before I even lowered the claw. Then it stopped opening up for everyone and on my last turn not only was the claw closed, I couldn't move left or right and it kept going back to the prize drop area when I let go of the mouse.

At Great Adventure last season on opening weekend it was in the 30's on Saturday and low 40's on Sunday. The Log Flume was open, and they had the water cannons turned on. I went on the ride since you rarely get that wet and thankfully no one was using the cannons when I was on the ride but I saw others get soaked, especially one that is like a shower head that the boat goes directly under (it is connected to a bridge).

Splash Mountain at WDW. I know you usually get wet from the water cannon and the main drop but nothing too bad. Last month the cannon wasn't a problem but the main drop was soaking and more than any other log flume I have ever been on. 6 hours later my clothes were still not dry. In all my years of riding Splash Mountain that never happened before. Next time I am making sure not to get the front row.

I kind of like it better without the prizes being sent to you. There were so many times I couldn't even get in line before because 500 people were in line and I got disconnected a lot while in line for hours. Now, it seems to be a 15 - 20 minute wait most of the time. It's fun to just control the crane online and being able to play 3 - 4 times in 1 hour is much better for me. I just played when they were refilling and it cool to be controlling the crane as they kept throwing the prizes back in. It also made it easier and it was the first time I picked up anything.

Going to Lake Compounce and finally riding Boulder Dash. It really lived up to the hype it gets.

The only coasters that always seem to have long lines are Fahrenheit and Roller Soaker. I know it would make standby lines even worse but the Boardwalk seems to be where the lines are. I have never seen any other water park that has a line for a wavepool (let alone a 45 minute wait) and a lazy river with an hour wait on a weekday. Depending on the price, I'd consider getting it since I'd like to avoid 30 minute waits if possible. Or I guess I could save the money and just try to go on slow days like last a Sunday last October when all coasters except Fahrenheit were 10 minutes or less (and most were less than 5 minutes)

The park under the past management didn't think it was worth running/lower amount of riders, along with all the other rides that were SBNO like the bumper cars and music express in Old Country. It also supposedly had some problems. Hopefully they can get the rest of the removed rides replaced (new swings would be good) and closed rides reopened.