xcastn0shad0wx Posted March 28, 2008 Posted March 28, 2008 I have talked 3 of my friends into going with me on a theme park road trip out east. We all live in Indiana so not only have I never been out east on a coaster trip they haven’t either. The only problem is I can only talk them into doing 5 parks, but hopefully I can get them to do at least 8 parks over a 1 to 1 ½ weeks at the end of summer. So what I need to know is what parks we should go to. Off the top of my head the ones I can think of are: Hershey Dorney SFNE SFGAdv SFA Kings Dominion Busch gardens Euroburg Hard Rock Park Since we are for sure going to HRP might as well put these on the list too: Carowinds SFoG Dollywood If I have left off any major or great parks please let me know! I am for sure thinking that SFNE, SFGAdv, BGE, and HRP are parks that we will have to go to for sure. What is everyone else’s opinion who has gone to these parks and knows what ones are the best? Any and all help is welcome. Also since I will have to go to at least 2 of these parks on a weekend in the summer, which ones would have the least amount of people/waits?
SharkTums Posted March 28, 2008 Posted March 28, 2008 Hard Rock Park is at the end of the Earth. I wouldn't try to hit it and SFNE in the same trip!
cfc Posted March 28, 2008 Posted March 28, 2008 It might be best to make Dollywood, Carowinds, and Hard Rock part of the same weekend trip. Here's a tip when going from SFA to KD. You can pick up 301 (just turn left as you leave SFA) and avoid most of the DC Beltway mess. It's just a state highway, and there are a number of stoplights, but it can get you back to I-95--just one exit north of KD.
larrygator Posted March 28, 2008 Posted March 28, 2008 If you can only pick 8 parks between Ohio and the Altantic Ocean (excluding Florida) I suggest these 8 HersheyPark SFNE (Not the best park, but S:ROS is damn good) SFGAdv Busch Gardens Euroburg Hard Rock Park Dollywood Kennywood Knoebels Elissa is right. It is quite a hual between HRP and SFNE
xcastn0shad0wx Posted March 29, 2008 Author Posted March 29, 2008 Thanks for all the help! Yes I know that SFNE and Hard Rock Park are far away but with all the parks in between that’s probably not as bad as it looks. I bet that between Busch Gardens and Hard Rock Park that it is only a 5-6 hour drive and with all the driving we plan to do on this trip—5 hours is petty. And I also bet that it’s only a 3-4 hour drive from SFNE to SFGAdv at night. But yes everyone does have a point and one of those might have to be taken off of the list …..but those are both two parks that I REALLY want to go to???
Kingbooba Posted March 29, 2008 Posted March 29, 2008 K, you should go to: Busch Gardens Europe, by far King's Dominion because Dominator will be open by the end of summer Don't bother Carowinds unless you wanna ride Flight Deck and Nighthawk, otherwise, skip it.
BarryH Posted March 30, 2008 Posted March 30, 2008 If you're going to the Hard Rock Park in Myrtle Beach, you might as well stop by Family Kingdom and get the Swamp Fox credit. It's a pretty ghetto park, but the log flume ride is pretty cool. It has the Ripsaw Falls effect of going under the water. No, it is not a credit (but it is one if you are Jeff Johnson).
xcastn0shad0wx Posted March 30, 2008 Author Posted March 30, 2008 OK, so I’m pretty sure that we will not go to Carowinds or SFA. What about Hershey and Dorney?
BarryH Posted March 31, 2008 Posted March 31, 2008 Dorney Park is really a 1/2 day park if you don't do the waterpark. The best time to visit Dorney is on a weekday. Even on a weekday in July, I was able to ride the coasters multiple times with a 5-10 minute wait. I hear the waterpark is pretty cool, so that may take up the other 1/2 day. If you don't want to do the waterpark, you can buy a 1/2 admission for after 4 or 5 pm admission for around $25-$30. Hersheypark is really an all-day park. It is a popular park and attracts the crowds. If they still have it, I believe you can buy a one-day ticket for after 3 pm admission and get the next day free. At least you can get the lay of the land and ride a few things before the park closes. I think Hershey and Dorney are a 3 hour drive from each other.
yankees15 Posted April 1, 2008 Posted April 1, 2008 ^They are only about 2 hours apart from each other. Hershey is definitely an all day park. You could also split half a day at Knoebels and go to Dorney after 5 for $19.50. It is a great deal since you will get all the credits in with only 5 hours. You will also be able to get plenty of rerides on the major coasters.
xcastn0shad0wx Posted April 1, 2008 Author Posted April 1, 2008 So is Dorney a half day park on weekends too or is that pushing it? I also will buy a Cedar Fair season pass May 20 when I go to Cedar Point and I already have a Six flags season pass from last year so at those type of parks I’m not worried about price, but if I could go to Dorney on a weekend and head to Hershey that same night get an hour or two at that park and finish up that next Sunday that would give me the next five days to hit up the busier parks on the week days.
coolhandluke Posted April 1, 2008 Posted April 1, 2008 Doing Dorney and Hershey in that order is backtracking some (IN to east PA to central PA to east coast...unless I can't get your itinerary right). Not saying I have a better suggestion (as I have yet to visit those parks), but just so you know. I was looking at a similar trip myself this summer. Then my friend canceled as he got a study abroad trip for most of the summer...to Beijing...during the Olympics...I'm jealous of him and you. Hope this all works out for you!
xcastn0shad0wx Posted April 1, 2008 Author Posted April 1, 2008 yeah it is backtracking since we are coming from Indiana, but if we could do Dorney in just a half a day it would be worth it. Going to china would be great but I like coaster more!
BarryH Posted April 2, 2008 Posted April 2, 2008 ^^Dorney tends to be crowded on a Saturday. Sundays aren't too bad, but I'd suggest going on a weekday if possible.
sixflagsguy5 Posted April 2, 2008 Posted April 2, 2008 If you're going to head down to Busch Gardens Europe from SFGADV, I'd just do SFA anyways, unless you're taking a ferry. I was originally just going to SFA for the credits, but I ended up really liking Superman. You could easily talk your friends into SFNE by telling them it has one of the best steel coasters in the world. You can talk them into SFGADV by mentioning that it has one of the best rated wooden coasters in the world and that it has the tallest and fastest coaster in the world. If you guys get season passes for Cedar Fair and Six Flags parks the trip probably won't cost you too much compared to a trip where you're going to a lot of parks that aren't owned by a large company that offers season passes.
yankees15 Posted April 2, 2008 Posted April 2, 2008 You can probably get away with going to Dorney for about a half day on a Saturday if you only plan on riding the major rides. You must be there at opening though to do it. This is how I would do the park... Voodoo- 0-15 minutes Dominator- 0-15 minutes Laser- 5-20 minutes Steel Force- 10-25 minutes Thunderhawk- 5-20 minutes Hydra- 15-30 minutes Lunch- between 12-1pm Wild Mouse- 45-60 minutes Talon- 45-60 minutes You should easily be able to get out of the park by 4-5pm and arrive at Hershey by 7-7:30pm for their preview deal. I live 20 minutes away from Dorney and I go there every week or so in the summer, and this is what I would predict the lines to be if you get there right at opening. Remember hit low capacity rides first. Wild Mouse ALWAYS has a long line and Voodoo is new so people will flock to it. Steel Force and Talon are crowd favorites so expect lines. Dorney does have some of the BEST ride operators around though! Everything WILL be at full capacity on a Saturday. Also, what month are you planning on being there?
xcastn0shad0wx Posted April 2, 2008 Author Posted April 2, 2008 Thanks that is very useful information. Probably will be going at the end of summer. I start school back up on the 20th of august so maybe that week before. But since you live around there would that be a good time or would going a month before or any time in between that be better. Because if that is the week before public schools open up then that would probably be bad for us, but if schools have already started then that would be great.
David Girling Posted April 4, 2008 Posted April 4, 2008 Hi, I'm coming to the East Coast from the UK the First week of August this year and will be staying in Williamsburg and going To Busch Gardens and Kings Dominion. Has anybody got any hints about the best (Quietest!) days to visit the Parks and any queue busting tips while there.? The Fmily on Kraken last time in the States
yankees15 Posted April 4, 2008 Posted April 4, 2008 ^^You should be fine, schools in the Lehigh Valley don't start until the last week on August or first week of September. I would still expect crowds though. My guess is the park will be about how crowded I said it will be. It could be longer waits, it could be shorter, but probably somewhere in that range. Also, Dorney has very little shade and it can get quite hot in Allentown. Make sure you wear suntan lotion and ask food stands for free cups of water. In my opinion these are the best seats on the coasters: Talon- front left Hydra- back left Steel Force- back Thunderhawk- first car 3rd row Laser- they assign seats Wild Mouse- doesn't matter I'll let you know about Voodoo when I ride it on May 3rd. Just thought I would tell you that so you can get the best ride possible.
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