Dorney Park vs. GADV

[weatherkid17]

Hey, I am heading off to New York around the 2nd week of June with my parents to visit my grandparents who live on Long Island. They said I could choose one day to go to one theme park. I went to GADV a few years ago, before El Toro opened, and I have heard great things ever since. I have never been to Dorney Park though. I was curious though, what would you guys suggest? I would go on a tuesday or thursday, and I was just wondering which has better coasters for the time that you are there. I know GADV can have some pretty bad lines, but I havent heard much about Dorney. Thanks!

[Carnage]

I didn't really think much of Dorney. None of the rides really stood out to me. Even Talon I thought was a bit tame.

 

The waterpark however was awesome.

 

I'd say GADV easily unless you're desperate for a new park.

[WillMontu]

I've never been to GADV myself (I expect to within a few weeks), but if the lines are long, you can always get a Q-bot.

[SharkTums]

Easy Choice.

 

Great Adventure all the way!

[Teacups Make Me Sick]

I would go to Six Flags...second week in June doesn't promise you really good water park weather and since that part of the park is included in admission, you would defiantly want to experience that.

[cfc]

I agree--Six Flags for El Toro, which beats anything Dorney has to offer (my personal favorite there is Steel Force).

[yankees15]

Go to Six Flags Great Adventure! Lines won't be too bad on a Tuesday or Thursday in June. Almost everything coaster at Great Adventure Beats Dorney's coasters, imo.

 

Nitro>Steel Force

El Toro>Thunderhawk

Medusa>Hydra

Batman

GASM>Laser

 

I only like one coaster better at Dorney than at Great Adventure, and that is Talon. Also, Kingda Ka will probably better than Voodoo and The Dark Knight will probably be better than Wild Mouse.

[Carnage]

^ GASM better then Laser? Really?

 

Did you just not like Laser that much?

 

Just curious, as I'd put GASM probably in my top5 most painful rides.

[Tanks4me05]

I'll stick out from the crowd and say DP, although I have never been to SFGADV... yet. Hopefully by 2009/2010 I can go. Hydra is moderately forceful and quite unique, IMO Talon is actually intense, and I have been on Montu so I know what intense is. Thunderhawk is a fun classic, although it would be freaking amazing if they took off those stupid trims at the end. Steel Force, I never cared that much for, but next time I go I will give it another try - I was more focused on the other coasters. Laser is one of the most intense coasters I have been on, right up there with Montu, Storm Runner, and S:ROS @ SFNE. Wild Mouse, I don't care too much for, as they trim it too much. But overall, I really like the park a lot. Take a look at my location in my profile and you will see what I mean.

[Carnage]

I'll stick out from the crowd and say DP, although I have never been to SFGADV... yet. Hopefully by 2009/2010 I can go.

 

No offense, but how can you suggest going to one of two parks when you haven't even been to both?

 

Ok, you like Dorney. That's fine. But if someone is looking for a comparison of the two, how is that helping?

[coolhandluke]

I had to make the same decision for my trip east in September, so I started comparing coasters...

Talon vs. Batman...I've heard Talon is a *little* more intense

Hydra vs. Medusa...both look pretty awesome, Hydra's more unique (Jojo roll!) but Medusa has been called more forceful

El Tor--

 

I ended my list there because as I wrote that I realized El Toro was all I needed. There was no reason for me to continue. That single coaster made the decision for me.

 

If that isn't enough, GAdv also has the tallest and fastest coaster in the world, a flyer, a themed spinner, a second dark coaster, a top 5 steel hyper, an older-school woodie, and a classic looper. Nothing against Dorney at all, it's just that it isn't fair for me to compare a smaller park like it to "the largest Six Flags in the country".

[yankees15]

^Themed spinner? The Dark Knight is going to be a standard wild mouse, but it will be themed.

 

^ GASM better then Laser? Really?

 

Did you just not like Laser that much?

 

Just curious, as I'd put GASM probably in my top5 most painful rides.

 

I have only been on GASM once and I personally thought it was a very fun ride. I don't remember hitting my head once. I was expecting it to be terrible but it was very exciting and fun to me. Laser I only ride if my friends want to ride it. I personally don't get what everyone loves about it. I think it is fun but nothing special. I give GASM the edge over Laser, but that is just my opinion.

[Hercules]

I've been a Dorney guy for many, many years, but there is no contest here. Great Adventure all the way.

[coolhandluke]

^Themed spinner? The Dark Knight is going to be a standard wild mouse, but it will be themed.

Ah, my apologies.

[thrillrideseeker]

Great Adventure all the way!! The attractions at Great adventure seem to be more intense than the ones at Dorney... Plus how can you pass up Kingda Ka, and El Toro?

I know GADV can have some pretty bad lines. Thanks!

Yes the park has bad lines, but if you go during the week instead of a weekend then the lines are not very bad. There have been times that during the week you can seriously walk right on to Kingda Ka, and El Toro, so it just depends on the day of week you go!

~Matthew

[saxman47]

I have only been on GASM once and I personally thought it was a very fun ride. I don't remember hitting my head once. I was expecting it to be terrible but it was very exciting and fun to me. Laser I only ride if my friends want to ride it. I personally don't get what everyone loves about it. I think it is fun but nothing special. I give GASM the edge over Laser, but that is just my opinion.

 

Same here....I really don't get what everyone loves about these types of Schwarzkopfs (blasphemy!). I've been on SooperDooperLooper and Scorpion as well, and those don't stand out in my mind either.

 

Just as a side note, I'm not saying this because Gadv is my home park. I also enjoy Dorney and I'll say that I LOVE steel force. The first time I rode it I wasn't expecting much since everyone seems to say the ride is "nothing special", but I really enjoyed it.

 

 

With that said, I would probably choose Great Adventure since you owe it to yourself to ride El Toro

[Tanks4me05]

I have only been on GASM once and I personally thought it was a very fun ride. I don't remember hitting my head once. I was expecting it to be terrible but it was very exciting and fun to me. Laser I only ride if my friends want to ride it. I personally don't get what everyone loves about it. I think it is fun but nothing special. I give GASM the edge over Laser, but that is just my opinion.

 

Same here....I really don't get what everyone loves about these types of Schwarzkopfs (blasphemy!). I've been on SooperDooperLooper and Scorpion as well, and those don't stand out in my mind either.

 

Sooperdooperlooper and Scorpion aren't the most forceful Schwarzkopfs out there. That's just like riding Iron Wolf and saying that B&M isn't that great, or riding Colossus at Thorpe Park and saying Intamin isn't that great. I rode both of the aforementioned Schwarzkopfs, and although they are good, they aren't great. Laser, however, is freaking amazing.

 

I admit I haven't been on Iron Wolf or Colossus, but I'm just using them as a base point example, as using Hydra would not be accurate because I think that ride kicks butt.

[weatherkid17]

Hey thanks guys for the advice! I think I finally suckered my dad into going to GADV.....! We are looking at going on Wednesday, and I know the kids in NY are still in school and I am pretty sure NJ is too. How long do you think I can expect for lines on El Toro and Kingda Ka? Thanks!

[King of Ka]

I was there not too long ago, and although the park in general was uncrowded, KK's line in particular was surprisingly short, even without Flash Passes. El Toro, on the other hand, was very crowded at both times we rode.

 

And if you were considering not (although I can see why, $215 for five people!), you should almost definitely get a Flash Pass. It let's you go through your day without planning out every detail or rushing, and was vital even when the park isn't packed.

 

Also, one word of advice for El Toro (and Nitro, in my opinion): FRONT. I rode ET once near the back, and once near the front. I was really disappointed by the back, it wasn't nearly as fun as I remembered. The front on the other hand, is smoother, and in my opinion has more fun forces.

[weatherkid17]

Hey, thanks King of Ka. We decided to leave early tomorrow morning, and we might end up with a flashpass for 2, since my parents aren't really interested in riding roller coasters. When you say KK had a relatively short line, does that mean 20-30 minutes? Because I have to fit as much as I can in 4 and a half hours, so I'm thinking the flashpass might be the best option. I guess all I can really do is see how bad the lines are when I get there.

[MisterP]

GAdv is about 30 times better than DP. El Toro alone is worth the gate price.

 

And GASM is an awful coaster - that's not an opinion, that is an undesputable fact

[Josh Linn]

I know this guy's trip is, I assume, long over with, but I'd like to add my thoughts just in case someone else is faced with this decision:

 

Great Adventure, Great Adventure, Great Adventure. I've been going to Dorney since I was 5 or 6 and it has a special place in my heart, but it really doesn't stack up to Great Adventure at all. I haven't been there since '04 so I can't comment on Hydra or Voodoo, but there really wasn't that much to do there as far as the amusement park was concerned. At the time of my last visit there were 3 re-ridable coasters, Dominator, and a few flats that were worth riding. After that, not much to talk about. I will say though that Talon is one of my favorite inverts (I'd rank it only below Montu and Raptor) and Steel Force is a hell of a ride and one of my favorite hypers. Laser is also a very underrated ride that packs a huge Schwarzkopf-labeled punch. I'm sure this problem is better now with Voodoo and Hydra, but there is still no quality wooden coaster to speak of, as Thunderhawk is "meh" at best. As for flats, I'd strongly recommend Meteor. That's about all.

 

Then you have Great Adventure...and El Toro. I could really end my argument right there, to be honest with you. I've only been on roughly 15 woodies and only a few quality ones, but I'd be amazed if there was one in this country better than El Toro. Like previously stated, it's worth the admission price alone. Ka right next door is unbelievable...there might not be much after the launch and tophat, but it's still enough to get you to ask "WTF did I just do?" after the ride. Medusa is a top-notch ride, Nitro's one of the best hypers out there, B:TR is vintage B&M at their best, Superman's a very fun coaster, and The Dark Knight is basically an indoor Hershey Wild Mouse, which is a very good thing. Avoid GASM at all costs though.

 

So in short, it's really not that hard of a decision for me, and 100 times out of 100 I'd pick Great Adventure.