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Ugh. WTF would Six Flags charge full price and not run at full capacity? A broken ride is one thing, but we cant be bothered to staff is quite another. This isn't just a "Six Flags things." A lot, I mean a LOT, of larger parks have staffing issues when high schools/colleges go back in session. Cedar Point lists on their website that some coasters and rides are closed on Fridays during Haunt. Don't be so quick to blame.

^^They're $49 at SFA, and I think it's all the same perks. Check out the SFA site soon if you want to.

To be fair, from all I've read and heard floorless conversions are extremely involved and much more time intensive and costly than just refurbing/rebuilding a train of the same style/type. Floorless conversions are also very different experiences than "just" a train refurbishment, to boot.

This has been the overwhelming "hate on Six Flags" comment pretty much every time a Six Flags park has announced another Justice League clone the last couple years and I can't think of a single time when it's really been an issue, other than at St. Louis which seems to have been more or less resolved. I'm not praising Six Flags' maintenance departments here but it actually seems like they've done a really good with these lately and I don't think these comments are warranted.

Personally think this is a fantastic addition and exactly what the park needed. They had absolutely nothing of height besides Superman and star flyers are really fun, scary rides. And assuming this is going in Gotham City is excellent as that's needed updating since the day they thought it was a good idea to build that path, which is hopefully where this ride will be located. And "big" year? Really did anyone expect something *that* big from this park? An RMC would've been great but honestly who actually expected that? This park needs so many things before a new coaster, and while I might not be back for quite awhile with college started up I'm incredibly pleased with how this park has developed over the past five years or so. Great addition.

I've been really busy so I haven't been posting lately and missed this... but wow this looks like an amazing trip and the Grand Canyon looks incredible. Just awesome in every sense of the word. Thanks for posting!

Intimidator...always have lines that are at least 30 mins.

I mean it looks nice but I can go to all the other Six Flags parks and find a bar. That's not what I'm paying Six Flags for. This was the first Six Flags Park, it set the bar. It deserves something better. There's over 5 million people within 50 miles and we've gained as many bar stools as we've lost in the last half decade. Cedar Fair is building amazing bars everywhere and we just have this mediocre one. We deserve better. We were the first! The first! Dammit Bill's done it again.

THISTHISTHIS Millennium Force is a great coaster. Not because of intensity or ejector airtime, but because it's a great coaster overall for reasons mentioned previously.

I just read someone imply that wooden coasters should be forceless, uneventful, rough pieces of crap so I'm out. In all seriousness, your opinion is so wildly out there that most will mistake you for a troll. Please provide some reasoning or explanation instead of just saying it "should be different" or how RMC coasters are "toned down" because I don't see a valid explanation for either, especially the latter.

Nice report and pictures. Glad you had a good time. I'll respectfully disagree with your opinion of Banshee. No, it wasn't snappy, but I thought the pacing was excellent (perhaps the best out of the inverts I've ridden) and it had sustained g-forces throughout the ride, despite not being overly heavy on forces. I particularly enjoyed the batwing and second vertical loop, and the zero-g roll was really fun being so tall and followed up by a huge drop despite not being snappy. It was very much "zero-g." I still prefer Raptor slightly, but I thought Banshee was an excellent ride and wasn't bothered by the "rattle" which I only found in the back rows (though I was able to overlook that as well as the tight vests in exchange for the positives I mentioned). Different strokes for different folks, right? Just offering another perspective. Nice job, again.

Didn't el toro only cost 12 million? Getting a coaster that holds the top 2 best wooden coasters in the world for over 5 years for only 12 million dollars sounds like a great deal for me. If we got an Intamin Prefab at Canada's Wonderland I would be much happier than if we got another Wing Coaster... I don't have a source so take it with a grain of salt but I've heard the actual figure is around $25 million (or a "package deal" with Kingda Ka just added $12 million, but again this could be entirely false so grain of salt).

I don't think I could ever do your La Ronde report any justice (or half of your posts on that note) but I'm glad someone appreciated the attempt. I had felt the same way about Six Flags America concerning its lack of lines and relatively okay selection of rides, but I have to give Dorney more credit in that they at least take full advantage of what they have and don't make you hate your life with their operations (SFA frequently makes a station wait 30 minutes). The park may be "sterile," but it is a nice place to spend time at and doesn't have anything resembling Gotham City, so that's a big plus. Ahh, I hadn't done much research so I assumed Laser had just been in the exact same plot as where Stinger operates/sits broken today. Thanks for that. You know, I think that's a good point about the crowds. It was also a cloudy, dreary day and especially visiting alone (which I pointed out might've subconsciously lowered my opinion of the park) with such low crowds it just felt a little depressing. I love walk-ons as much as anyone but I think the perfect example of how crowds can influence the mood of a park is Millennium Force's station at closing. There's nothing else like it and I don't care if I waited three hours for that experience, it's one of my favorite memories from every visit to the park (not to gush about Millennium at night as I already did in-depth in my last report).

KD literally said they will not be GCI'ing Hurler. Where? When they said they'll be doing it *in house*? "in house" ?? OMG. .that means no Engineers are even going to be looking at the plans! (why yes, I get all my Roller Coaster info from the "accident at Schlitterbahn" thread) Exactly

KD literally said they will not be GCI'ing Hurler. Where? When they said they'll be doing it *in house*? In their teaser they said no, it's not a GCI. If it was in house they wouldn't have done two weeks worth of teasing. Maybe I have to watch it again but I don't recall the GM saying "it's not a GCI." He just read popular rumors and laughed. I'll eat my words if I'm wrong but yes, they would tease it because they're investing money into an attraction regardless.

KD literally said they will not be GCI'ing Hurler. Where? When they said they'll be doing it *in house*?

If you're going to buy a house due it's proximity to amusement parks, please dear god not in proximity to two Six Flags parks. Move to Colombus instead. Or between Hershey/Knoebels/Dorney/Great Adventure. There's so much better out there.

When the ride was Superman Ultimate Escape/Steel Venom back here in Ohio the back seat was the only place I would ride. Loved the feeling of pure freefall from the top of the straight spike. I miss this ride a lot. Does Talon still have the sayings as you go up the lift hill? Thought that was a cool feature as you sat in the front seat. When I visited the park during my big trip in 2005 I felt the same as most do - it did feel very CF sterile with way too much concrete and I do remember the lines being pretty much non-existent during the day when WWK was open. You mean the little signs between the stairs on either side like "getting closer" or something like that? Yes, they're still there. And don't get me wrong--I enjoyed Possessed quite a bit. Maybe if I had ridden again I could brace for the holding brake a little bit, but it was just a little awkward and I thought the view from Wicked Twister's back spike was better as there was a better frame of view without every other car lined up directly in front of you. I haven't been to SF New England but add a snappy zero g roll to Dominator and it's almost perfect. I think just knowing how good Hydra *could* be lowered my opinion on the ride to an extent. Honestly the ride isn't bad, it's just very disappointing and seems like they tried really hard and flopped.

If you don't have a platinum pass and planned on visiting both parks for one day, then yeah. You don't have to visit using this ticket to know if it's a good deal, it's cheaper than buying two day tickets so yes, it is a good deal.

^SFA absolutely does not have th attendance or profit anywhere close to Great Adventure or Great America. Step foot in the dry park in the summer at Great Adventure compared to SFA and it's not even funny.

I'll play along after riding a good two dozen new rides for me this year. 1) El Toro 2) Maverick 3) Intimidator 305 4) Millennium Force 5) Phantom's Revenge 6) Raptor 7) Nitro 8) Diamondback 9) Banshee 10) Thunderbolt (Kennywood) I was surprised Batman didn't get on here but it would be at 11 for sure. After the sun goes down though it's just The Beast and Millennium Force alternating five times each.

I'm a big fan of this. Looking forward to more.

The thing that gets me about Mean Streak (and I know this is off topic but I've been busy while the discussion happened) is that assuming it's a 2018 project, why would they need *that* much time to get the renovation done? I get the crappy offseason weather but even then just add two months compared to other renovations, why a full 20 months? I'm interested to see what ends up happening and what the construction timeline is like as I don't see what would require them to close to before the end of the 2016 season. *I know people will think this is complaining. It's not. I'm not riding Mean Streak this fall, I'm just curious how it'll play out.

Stale might be a better word actually. Nothing about the park is over the top or memorable (outside of *maybe* Talon, either good or bad. I really didn't have any particular complaints about the park that worsened the experience, it was just all around very average and predictable. That said, it is nice to know you're going to ride some decent coasters without waiting anyday the park is open. I did skip the trains as this was more of a credit stop + a few flats that looked cool + get a good feel for Talon. If I had been with a friend or a group I for sure would've ridden more and stayed longer, but as it was I had somewhere to be in the afternoon and got the essentials done. I disnt think operations were bottom of the barrel terrible, but they wee inconsistent as I noted and they were never particularly speedy. About as fast as the crowds warranted. Thanks for reading. Interesting, I'm glad to hear your take and always good with a different opinion. I don't know what it was about Possessed, but the holding brake was just a little too sudden and felt forced/unnecessary/a little uncomfortable. The ride overall is still really fun and come to think of it I don't know why I didn't go back for a re-ride. As for Apollo, I could see it being fun in that state ( ) but for me it was just a little dizzying (I rode right before lunch, if that means anything) and I didn't really get the point of it. Not a bad ride at all though. Thanks for reading and again thanks for the tips/suggestions before the visit. Agreed 100% about Dorney vs Great Adventure. I also enjoyed Steel Force in the front seat--for a hyper coaster I thought it was really bland but as a ride in general it's among the top 1/3 or so of coasters I've ridden, and my second favorite in the park. I might have been a little harsh on Hydra, but since visiting Dorney I rode the hell out of Bizarro four days later and then Dominator at Kings Dominion just yesterday, so in the context of floorless coasters I think the lackluster review is deserved. I'm a fan of floorless coasters and love intense rides, and Hydra just didn't check off any boxes for me. That said, as a coaster just in general it's totally fine and there's nothing particularly "bad" about it, just outside of the visuals and weird layout there's nothing really special about it that brings it really above average. I really didn't do well with Super Loops so that might play into my dislike for the jojo roll as well. Thanks for reading! If you're in the area is say visit if you can, but I certainly wouldn't travel for it unless you could rack on Great Adventure (and coasterbill will yell at me if I don't say Knoebels too).

This won't be a multiple part saga like my previous report from last month, but I took some pictures so I figured I might as well post my thoughts from my first visit to Dorney. Intro Dorney's a park that I never really had too much interest in going out of my way for (I live about 3.5 hours away) with Great Adventure having a far superior collection of rides nearby. Having a Cedar Fair platinum pass this year and a valid excuse to stop by for a morning en route to visit some family in Jersey before heading off to college, I realized the time had finally come to experience what all the lack of talk about Dorney Park was all about. Trip Report Friday, August 5, 2016 Harkening back to some of the long hauls between parks on my previous trip through the depths of the "Midwest," I had actually grown to enjoy the solitude and tranquility of early morning/late night driving with drivers around you being few and far between. In particular, the drive to Kennywood was quite nice, so wouldn't another drive through Pennsylvania, albeit to Dorney, be just as enjoyable? No. The answer is no. Waking up at 5am to go to Dorney is not advisable. Fast forward to the toll booths, I get quite a combination of extreme boredom with a dash of judgmental from the single toll attendant present at Dorney's lot at 9:10am. That's understandable though, and anyone that ever decides to visit a park alone should be prepared for at least a handful of awkward encounters. I pulled into the first row of parking and walked through what seemed like overkill security (metal detector wands) with the other 30 or so people lined up at the gates. Of the ~30 people present for early entry, 25 went to Wildwater Kingdom. That meant I started the day with two solo rides on Talon, followed by three additional rides before 9:50 when I headed towards the mouse for opening. I don't know much about wild mice but I'm 99% sure Dorney's is actually an Intamin mouse because they could not figure out how to open it even with multiple guests in the dry park now. After a good 15 minutes I realized I was standing alone in the sun waiting for a wild mouse to open and I still have my life ahead of me to live, so I decided it was best to stop the damage there and move on. I had never really looked at a map of Dorney for more than a minute or two, so the first two hours of the day were a lot of meandering and guessing where it seems like a nice place for an entrance would be. This lead me to Hydra first, followed by Possessed, walking by a closed Stinger (because Stinger ), and finally towards Steel Force, Thunderhawk, Dominator, and at some point Demon Drop, Thunder Creek Mountain, and Apollo (as per bolidkus' suggestion). Much later in the day (in reality somewhere around 11am because it takes two hours to ride everything in the park) I found myself back at Stinger, and seeing as the ride was operating I assume indicates the park's mechanic rolled up a little before 11. Now, I didn't walk all this way (.08 miles) for just one ride, so I made the executive decision to try out Dorney's lovely "new" flying scooters. Oh, what a time! Thanks to the help of the active community in the Dorney thread, I was able to grab some Chickie's and Pete's with the dining plan which I'll admit was really good. I joked (not entirely sarcastically) while at the park that lunch was the best thing about Dorney, but to be fair it was a really good buffalo chicken cheesesteak with fries so really any park would have a hard time topping that with a ride. Before heading out I grabbed a couple more rides on Steel Force, a second on Hydra, and two more on Talon to cap it off, though with walk-ons to station waits at every ride other than the mouse which looked to be somewhere around 20 minutes I could've easily ridden more. On my way out around 1:30 I noticed two fine gentlemen being handcuffed in the back of a cop car, so I thought that was a nice way to cap off my impression from my inaugural Dorney visit. Review Now, first things first, I want to be clear that I really didn't dislike Dorney. Going to parks solo isn't something I usually do, and it's definitely not the way I would prefer to spend my time at a park--but it was solo or not at all this time and I think that might've put a slight damper on my impression. So with that said, I'm doing my best to remove that bias and discuss the park in the perspective of just Dorney, not a solo enthusiast who's travelled more than the average day guest. Being in Pennsylvania, I think I had this idea in my head that despite being a Cedar Fair park there would be a possibility of some Kennywood vibes with old school charm, a nice shaded atmosphere with a lot of character and properly run attractions that are infinitely better than you might expect. Right, so... none of that happened. I kind of knew that would be the case going in, but I think I still had this young, innocent glimmer of hope that maybe I just hadn't heard the full story of today's Dorney Park. I say "today's" because I know Dorney wasn't always this was and has quite a history which is a shame given what the park is today. So, what is the park "today" you ask? If it weren't for the rather extensive collection of classic and somewhat unique flats as well as what looked to be one of the better water parks out there (which was obviously the main draw this time of year), Dorney would probably be the most generic amusement parks imaginable. One of the words that came to mind for certain parts of the park (entry plaza, Stinger plaza) was "sterile," which I think actually describes the park well. Keep in mind, that's not entirely negative as the park was very clean feeling and obviously well maintained. I think the real problem with Dorney is that everything is so predictable, so ordinary. And when there are parks around the country (and even nearby) that are "outstanding" in some fashion (that's Great Adventure's coasters, Kennywood's charm, and as I've heard Knoebels' everything), it's hard to really appreciate such mediocrity. Is there anything particularly "wrong" with Dorney? Absolutely not. There was no single ride or single aspect of the park that ruined my experience. That said though, there was no aspect that made an impressionable experience. All the rides simply exist, run their cycle, people get off and the common reaction seemed to be "that was kinda fun, right?", and move on with their day. I should also mention the inconsistent policies present on Talon. I was allowed to find an open seat after riding the front row during early entry, but later in the back when there was nobody in line for my row I was told I had to walk around. wtf? So, overall impressions? It was really a decent park. I had a good time for a few hours, and I'd rather spend four hours at Dorney than four hours at home, which is really what it comes down to. I'm not dying to come back and I can say with certainty that Cedar Fair has no business putting any kind of major capital into the dry side for quite awhile with how populated some of these stations were, but if I had a platinum pass and was in the area again I'd gladly send another few hours at the park. Attractions Talon (7x): This was far and away the best ride in the park, though it's not exactly stiff competition. Out of my seven rides, two or three were in the front with the rest in the back. I think I slightly prefer the back for some good pull through some of the elements, though the front is very good as well. As for the ride itself... it's very good, but not excellent. I really enjoyed the three consecutive inversions (and the first drop in the back isn't quite Banshee but not really solid) to start out, especially the zero-g roll. I love zero-g rolls, and although Talon's wasn't quite as intense or have the same snappiness as Raptor's or Batman's, it was snappier than Banshee's and I like that it's the opposite direction than most inverts. The middle third of Talon is a really unique succession of elements for an invert, and I do appreciate the change of pace in that it seems as though the ride's focus isn't just to go upside down. That said, the intensity really lets up for this 10 second segment, which I know is really nitpicky and I don't like to do that with roller coasters, but when you're comparing such similar rides (B&M inverts) that are all really, really solid coasters overall then something like that can make a difference. For the tail end of the course, the ride drops back down close to the ground (which is really fun in the back row) and has one of the more unique endings with a helix and a single corkscrew, which is also one of the more intense parts of the ride. Overall, Talon is middle of the road in terms of intensity of the inverts I've ridden (which is a very limited number) but is definitely one of the most re-rideable inverts out there. I'd still put Talon beneath the likes of Raptor, Banshee and Batman, but these are all fantastic rides that are in my top three at their respective parks. Hydra (2x): I was really interested to try this one out after hearing how this was probably the peak of B&M's mediocrity and absurd lack of intensity from the 2000's and I must say that Hydra did not disappoint on that front. It almost seems as though the reason that some of these elements are "curvy" (namely the dive loop an cobra roll) is to reduce the amount or rotation required by the train while inverting itself in an attempt to undercut forces and intensity. The first "inversion" after the lift was slow, had no "snap" whatsoever, and really didn't feel like an inversion at all. The "airtime" hills felt like the pre-lift drop on any average coaster the ride was just devoid of any sense of speed or intensity at all. The jojo roll was a complete waste of engineering work and I don't think anyone has ever come off that ride saying "I really liked when my shoulders jammed into the restraints and the blood rushed to my head before we even did anything! That was fun!" That said, not all is lost as the ride was better than most Arrow/Vekoma loopers simply because it doesn't try to beat you up as it would require forces to move your head off-center to accommodate any sort of headbanging. In all seriousness though, Hydra's not a good ride, but it's not overly rough and is probably worth one ride per visit. The elements are unique and I applaud B&M for trying something new but why did they have to do it in 2005 when they sucked? Really if they could add 30 feet to the lift and steepen the drop while leaving everything else the same it might be an interesting, somewhat intense ride (no, I'm not actually suggesting that). It definitely isn't the worst B&M though (that would be Apocalypse) as it's overall a positive experience while that ride in Maryland is almost 3000 feet of f*ck this. Steel Force (3x): As per the advice given I rode this first up front, then later in the last row to compare and again in the front so didn't leave with that experience stuck in my mind. The first drop is the weakest of any hypercoaster ever (there's some serious hangtime waiting for the lift to disengage up front), the first airtime hill is weaker than any B&M hyper, and the turnaround is about 1500 feet of wasted steel that's about equivalent to driving with the windows down. The mid-course hits far too hard, but fortunately there's actually three or four really decent moments of floater airtime in the front seat (absolutely nothing in the back) on the finale hills that make up for the really just unfortunate middle third of the ride. It boggles my mind that just five years earlier the same manufacturer re-engineered Phantom's Revenge and its bunny hops which are some of the most intense ejector hills on any coaster not named Maverick or El Toro. Overall, I'd put Steel Force just a notch beneath SFA's Superman and Magnum (I know people love this ride, sorry) but nowhere near rides like Nitro or especially Phantom's Revenge. Thunderhawk (1x): This was a one train wait for the front row which is pretty telling. Unfortunately I didn't really get the ejector air that's been mentioned in the front row before the first trim (more just some awkward floater while turning) but I thought the ride was at least acceptable up until the second half. The second trim just made this ride completely laughable and I really do wish they'd properly refurb this coaster because it's easy to see that it could be a very decent/good little ride, but as is it's there's very little redeeming about it. Stinger (1x): I've ridden Invertigo at Kings Island and this was pretty much exactly the same in terms of comfort/experience (and obviously layout too). Not the worst ride ever, but the long trains and facing backwards for half the ride are a little too disorienting for my tastes. I'll also say that the words "Vekoma" and "cobra roll" should never be used together. Possessed (1x): I was excited to try this out with Wicked Twister being the only other impulse I've ridden, and I was interested to see how I liked the holding brake. Honestly, I wasn't a fan. The brake grabbed the train a little suddenly which was a little uncomfortable down below, and being in the last row the view didn't really do anything for me compared to Wicked Twister even with the holding brake. I also like the dual twisting spikes more, and I think the added height and speed of Wicked Twister is actually somewhat noticeable (or at least I perceived it to be). All things considered, the lesser or two impulses is still a really fun ride that I wouldn't have minded riding again, and is probably my third favorite in the park (behind Talon/Steel Force). Demon Drop (1x): This was my first 1st gen freefall which was pretty exciting, and they couldn't get enough people on the ride to load the vehicles to a point where they could be dispatched. Once I finally ascended the sketchy lift, the vehicle moved in position for the drop, and... well, it wasn't as "omfg!" terrifying as I was hoping. Honestly, it was fun, it was a good freefall feeling, but I didn't get the "only ride in the world that still freaks me out" feeling that I've heard about. The ending into the unload platform was really awkward and I'm glad I remembered to tilt my head forward. Thunder Creek Mountain (1x): I was fortunate enough to avoid a crotch party with random strangers on this one which made for a fun, relaxing ride. I like how it interacts with the terrain and really stays on ground level all the way through. I'd still say I like Great Adventure's and Kings Dominion's more, though those are two of the best. It was a fun ride and I didn't get overly soaked which is always nice. Dominator (1x): Rode the "up" side once and thought it was fun. A split second of really strong airtime at the top, though Cedar Point's Power Tower was better/taller. Cedar Creek Flyers (1x): Short cycle, hard to snap even a little bit. Not a great set of flyers, but a bad set of flyers is better than no flyers, right? Apollo (1x): I mean, I guess it was kinda fun, but I'm not sure I really "get" this ride. Not a bad ride by any means, it just "happened." Thanks for reading! As you can see, the crowds really pile in to Dorney early on This would be so badass with a roar... I like the ride plaza, I don't like how quiet it is Talon's kinda got that Raptor vibe of running along the midway up front, but the far end of Talon is essentially the back end of the park From the queue. I like how the ride area is landscaped. Is this where the top spin was? Something should go here. There's that dive before the corkscrew on the bottom left--good fun Just unbearable. I feel bad for Dorney locals who never get to ride anything. It became difficult to push through the hoards of people covering the midways And it's painted like Raptor which is really miseleading Hydra's sign seems inviting... Two hour queues all day Just why is this a thing? To what benefit? Some more landscaping and sterile midways Hydra riders can be jealous of Thunder Creek Mountain riders while riding! "Airtime" hill Should've gotten fast lane This is pretty much Dorney in one shot--concrete and relocated rides This area had some shade at least And I guess this was kinda nice too I'm confused as to what color exactly they're going for with Thunderhawk (Insert joke about Banshee/Mantis/Rougarou) Dinos and a Morgan hyper--which is more modern? This reminded me of the Dominator path at Kings Dominion, plus shade I don't know if I really "get" this thing And this train was just super weird looking. Is that like a stylistic choice or is that just... I don't know Some lovely fresh painted track and a new train that kinda blows The classic shot It's all just so bland I think my expectations were a little high for this ride, but still good fun Back to Stinger that finally opened to everyone's dismay I like how they say "lines" as if they have "lines" at Dorney It looks super sketchy which adds to the appeal Another random shot, just because The only picture of the flyers I got which kinda suck and it's hard to say if it's worth the walk all the way down Stinger. What used to be there? Just an empty path? Seriously, so good. Mmm. This looked like a vomit machine. No thanks. This was actually fairly popular, and the splash was massive. Thanks for, well, exisiting, Dorney! Selfie on the way out. One last shot of Talon before heading out