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Six Flags Darien Lake (SFDL) Discussion Thread


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I have been around to remember one of the old WNY coaster forums moderators got a job at the park and was fired due to something he said in the forums.

 

*cough*

 

Even though it was the stupidest thing to be fired for and made zero sense and I literally said nothing... lol, I'm over it. It did make me laugh when I was insta-denied when I submitted an application a few years ago. Blacklisted for life!

 

Though, it put me on a path to a good life in the end, so I can't complain

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I tend to believe these possible additions. My only hope is that they add a whole row of these game ride things like 5 or 6 sets. I am also holding out hope for another coaster train somewhere

 

 

Also I do thank DarienLake2684 for this information, please be careful what you share on these forum boards. I have been around to remember one of the old WNY coaster forums moderators got a job at the park and was fired due to something he said in the forums. Darien Lake people definitely view this forum, even if they don't comment. As stated, the information is appreciated, but don't risk your job, especially when things are not public yet.

There is always 1 guest viewing.

 

I don't know why I find this funny. Just imagining some full time employee of the park sitting at a computer staring at this thread as if what we say here really matters to them I'm not denying the fact that they do pay attention to threads like this one, but to be on the lookout 24/7 just seems ridiculous

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I tend to believe these possible additions. My only hope is that they add a whole row of these game ride things like 5 or 6 sets. I am also holding out hope for another coaster train somewhere

 

 

Also I do thank DarienLake2684 for this information, please be careful what you share on these forum boards. I have been around to remember one of the old WNY coaster forums moderators got a job at the park and was fired due to something he said in the forums. Darien Lake people definitely view this forum, even if they don't comment. As stated, the information is appreciated, but don't risk your job, especially when things are not public yet.

There is always 1 guest viewing.

 

I don't know why I find this funny. Just imagining some full time employee of the park sitting at a computer staring at this thread as if what we say here really matters to them I'm not denying the fact that they do pay attention to threads like this one, but to be on the lookout 24/7 just seems ridiculous

That is ridiculous but they could still be taking shifts.

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Yes following 24 x 7 is a bit much, especially for a park like DL, but I bet someone from the park checks in about once a day or so. Ask Doug M, he was in charge of social media for the park for one year and I am pretty sure that is how we all got to know him

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Yes following 24 x 7 is a bit much, especially for a park like DL, but I bet someone from the park checks in about once a day or so. Ask Doug M, he was in charge of social media for the park for one year and I am pretty sure that is how we all got to know him
I for one love that they like to keep track of what we want,and at least try to keep up with our needs.
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^ Please tell me that's sarcasm lol. The management for the past few years has been out of touch with what the people want, save for a couple of additions. Even in an off year like this, they won't put lights on the Giant Wheel.

Yep you assume correctly

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I think a lot of people overlook how overbuilt these parks are already. Darien Lake, viewed from a broader perspective than the one shared by those who wish every park had a dozen five-star rides, still has a way above-average coaster collection. They aren't going to have the budget to build massive rides with regularity. It's generally only the chains (exceptions being places like Hersheypark) that are able to add massive coasters year after year, and even then only the heaviest hitters get massive coaster installations on a regular basis (look at places like Worlds of Fun, Dorney, and the rather modest coaster counts of even the Busch Gardens parks). Even the Six Flags parks are relegated to tiny little free spins and Larson Loops these days just to keep getting additions.

 

For those parks that have small collections but impressive overally quality, well, that's why you don't go with the Six Flags mentality of throwing stuff everywhere every year, resulting in a lot of low-budget attractions just to increase quantity. Darien Lake, being a former Six Flags park (and even worse, Premier before that), got way too much way too quickly, and now you're stuck with a Boomerang and SLC as far as your "modern" looping coaster installations. To that point, that's really something that only sticks out in the minds of enthusiasts anyway.

 

Ultimately, Darien Lake's management isn't out of touch with its guests when it comes to ride installations (ride operations, on the other hand...). It's people who expect massive coaster after massive coaster that are out of touch with how the industry operates. I get that Mind Eraser is no B&M invert and Predator is no GCII masterpiece, but Darien Lake isn't exactly hurting for rides in the grand scheme of things.

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Ultimately, Darien Lake's management isn't out of touch with its guests when it comes to ride installations (ride operations, on the other hand...). It's people who expect massive coaster after massive coaster that are out of touch with how the industry operates.

 

THIS!!!

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Yes following 24 x 7 is a bit much, especially for a park like DL, but I bet someone from the park checks in about once a day or so. Ask Doug M, he was in charge of social media for the park for one year and I am pretty sure that is how we all got to know him

 

I, along with a few others, would check forums and social media sites regularly to see what was being said about the park. Occasionally I would respond to posts, though there were obviously certain subjects I couldn't address here.

 

I was extremely fortunate to have my start at Darien, and I cannot say enough good things about the incredibly hard working team there. They are doing everything within their means to grow and improve the park, but Rome wasn't built in a day.

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Ultimately, Darien Lake's management isn't out of touch with its guests when it comes to ride installations (ride operations, on the other hand...). It's people who expect massive coaster after massive coaster that are out of touch with how the industry operates. I get that Mind Eraser is no B&M invert and Predator is no GCII masterpiece, but Darien Lake isn't exactly hurting for rides in the grand scheme of things.

 

See, that's a great point, but I doubt most people are expecting something of this size. It's not a complaint from locals that the park isn't adding 5 star coasters regularly, it's that the park just isn't growing all that much. Have there been some solid additions in the past few years? Of course, but in the last ten years, half of those have been off years when it came to additions. 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014, and this year have seen no additions at all. Knock on them all you want, but even Six Flags strives to market something for all parks, even if its small.

 

It wouldn't be a huge problem if Darien had a modern selection of rides and was pulling huge attendance. But considering the state of the rides and operations, we are hurting for some replacements. Even in years with additions, it seems like a sideways move as something old and unreliable had to be removed to make way for them. It's not even like we see many "general improvements" in the off years, as the infrastructure that needs repairs and investment doesn't receive the budget.

 

It's really a catch 22 for the park, because attendance has proven not to rise in years without an new addition, but ownership is afraid to invest if they see attendance taper off. You need to build to bring in more people. The same old selection year after year won't work, especially seeing that the last thrill coaster was added 18 years ago.

 

Maybe I'm wrong, and the new concert & admission tickets will bring in some more people, but it's gonna be tough considering that the park has barely done any advertising, and they aren't putting in something new. It's really not a huge challenge for us as locals to expect at least something new or improved every year, with something larger (not necessarily a coaster) coming every handful of seasons.

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^agreed that those who expect massive coasters at DL from the likes of B&M and such are very out of touch with the park, what they can afford and what their attendance would require. At this point most of the larger coasters we see will be going to the big parks with major attendance. Think CW, CP, the major SF parks, BG, Sea World Carowinds and the two Kings parks. DL most likely will be adding smaller coasters from the secondary manufacturers like Vekoma, Gerstauler, Mack and some of the wooden coaster manufacturers.

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It might sound like an apples to oranges comparison of parks, but many rust-belt parks such as Darien Lake, Waldameer, and Cedar Point have all shown evidence of appealing to a market beyond locals, because, frankly, local markets in this area aren't doing the best. Cedar Point is stepping up their multi-day accommodations game big time with Breakers renovations, Cedar Point Shores, and Cedar Point Sports Center. Waldameer has been hitting a niche "families with young children" demographic in NE Ohio, NW PA, and SE Ohio with various family water attractions and future family rides. Darien Lake has stepped up accommodations and their water park (research says the two go together well).

 

Darien Lake, the amusement park, has somewhat stagnated in terms of attraction "growth." A recent focus on accommodations and water park make sense because the immediate region is not exactly the bastion of economic prosperity as of recent, and the local populous is not getting any bigger to draw from. On the flip side, Darien Lake is not exactly seen in the most positive light by the locals thanks in part to inconsistent management which has slowed progress. I'm going to steal someone's analogy of "Rome wasn't built in a day" because tackling the issues of earning renewed confidence in locals and kick-starting new revenue sources that can "grow" the resort is not a one, two, or three-year turnaround. It is very early in the new owner-manager agreement, so I'm more patient than ever to wait and see what they have in store for steady improvement.

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Fun fact: The Fun country manhole cover is still by the bathroom near buffalo wild wings and behind blast off.

 

They're in multiple places, and there's no Buffalo Wild Wings at DL.

Dangit I always get confused by that buffalo logo, what I meant was Anchor Bar. And I like to find what's left of previous owners.

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See, that's a great point, but I doubt most people are expecting something of this size. It's not a complaint from locals that the park isn't adding 5 star coasters regularly, it's that the park just isn't growing all that much. Have there been some solid additions in the past few years? Of course, but in the last ten years, half of those have been off years when it came to additions. 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014, and this year have seen no additions at all. Knock on them all you want, but even Six Flags strives to market something for all parks, even if its small.

 

It wouldn't be a huge problem if Darien had a modern selection of rides and was pulling huge attendance. But considering the state of the rides and operations, we are hurting for some replacements. Even in years with additions, it seems like a sideways move as something old and unreliable had to be removed to make way for them. It's not even like we see many "general improvements" in the off years, as the infrastructure that needs repairs and investment doesn't receive the budget.

 

It's really a catch 22 for the park, because attendance has proven not to rise in years without an new addition, but ownership is afraid to invest if they see attendance taper off. You need to build to bring in more people. The same old selection year after year won't work, especially seeing that the last thrill coaster was added 18 years ago.

 

Maybe I'm wrong, and the new concert & admission tickets will bring in some more people, but it's gonna be tough considering that the park has barely done any advertising, and they aren't putting in something new. It's really not a huge challenge for us as locals to expect at least something new or improved every year, with something larger (not necessarily a coaster) coming every handful of seasons.

But why do you need something new every year? I'd say the more-than-every-other-year streak of getting new attractions is actually pretty impressive. A lot of parks throughout the country go very long stretches of time without getting anything new or noteworthy.

 

Let me ask you this, though: let's say in place of Mind Eraser you had a B&M invert, Predator had received a RMC conversion, and instead of Moto Coaster, you had a Mack launcher a la blue fire or Helix. Would you still be wishing for something new every year? If so, I would be extremely disappointed that between those and Ride of Steel, you still wouldn't be satisfied and it would make me wonder how you would be able to enjoy anything in life long-term. If not, it shows that the reason you suffer from the same thing that plagues a lot of enthusiasts: the ability to view a park in a vacuum. In this industry, we see parks the world over getting new and amazing rides, and we instinctively want them for our own home parks. There's not anything wrong with that, per se, but there is when it suddenly leads us to criticize our local parks for not having them. I said this before, but the only people who consistently notice such things are us, and we do not make up a significant portion of the park-going population. To use Darien Lake specifically, how many people that visit that park have even ridden a B&M invert when the nearest one is hours and hours away? How many have ridden a ride that has received the RMC treatment when the closest is in Massachusetts, beyond the opposite end of the state? How many have heard of Mack launchers like the ones I mentioned when they're all the way across the ocean? I'm not saying those would be the rides you want, but I'd bet good money that if they were at Darien Lake, you'd be less disappointed.

 

All I'm saying is to keep things in perspective. Look at what your park does have and enjoy it for what it is. I've been to almost every park in the US with a massive coaster collection (I think the park in the US that would boost my coaster count most is Lagoon with seven or eight that I'd ride, and everything else has only six or less), and Darien Lake was actually above average as far as niceness (my only complaint was with the ride operations), with a beautiful, scenic setting to boot. Again, it's fine to want things, but any great ride you have is just a bonus for what is already a pretty great park, at least in my opinion.

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But why do you need something new every year? I'd say the more-than-every-other-year streak of getting new attractions is actually pretty impressive. A lot of parks throughout the country go very long stretches of time without getting anything new or noteworthy.

 

It's not so much something new, as it is replacing something that's taken out or SBNO. At the same time as we've received a handful of rides, the same amount (or more) have been removed. It sucks in years like this, because we are technically going down a ride or staying stagnant. Hopefully this year, at least Twister will be functional. I mean I know that the park is still going through a sale, but that didn't stop Frontier City from adding something. At least put in a kiddie ride or something that's marketable.

 

Let me ask you this, though: let's say in place of Mind Eraser you had a B&M invert, Predator had received a RMC conversion, and instead of Moto Coaster, you had a Mack launcher a la blue fire or Helix. Would you still be wishing for something new every year?

 

God no, because those are sizeable investments, and they would stay fresh for a while. Most parks do take off years, but after dropping cash on something bigger. If management thinks that an off year is needed after a 1 million dollar slide complex, then they seriously need to shake things up at the higher level. Even Martin's Fantasy Island has a track record of spending that kind of money year after year.

 

I don't mean to sound like I'm beating a dead horse, but I've been visiting the park since I was around four. I know that to management, I'm just pass holder number X, but I notice how things historically have worked. When the park adds something, the people come, and when they don't, the crowds taper off. The last time this happened was 2014, and management even came out and publically stated how disappointed they were. The last "major" expansion IMO was Splashtown in 2010, and since then, the waterpark alone has attracted a boatload of new customers.

 

It's not just an enthusiast thing either. I hear so many GP'ers complaining at the park. I can't tell you the last time I visited and haven't heard one of these comments while waiting in line (keep in mind they are in GP language so it's not my words ):

 

"What happened to the other carts? They used to run like three"

"They should build another coaster. X park is so much better"

"We should go to Cedar Point. They have like 20 coasters there"

"How old is the Superman now? *(Does math in head) Damn, its already 18 years old"

 

People aren't too thrilled with the same rides over and over, and attendance trends show in the off years. You need to invest to even worry about an ROI. Rides don't spawn out of the ground. You make really good points, but none of us are expecting a huge 30 million dollar coaster. I think most people would be happy with just a Eurofighter, or a Predator rehab, or something just notable for a good chunk of years. It's not a feeling of entitlement to build the park up to a flagship level like most people are mistaking us as doing.

 

With that said, I'm optimistic for Premier. I have been since day one. I'm just worried how this year will go, and that it won't scare them off from additions if the attendance disappoints. I hope that I am proven wrong. The new concert plus admission plan may work out really well in the park's favor. Not to mention that they have done a lot of work to the campground the last couple of years.

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Hey, coasterkid124, you know the park better than I do. I'll say this for Darien Lake: your coaster collection basically consists of Ride of Steel and everything else, and in that sense, I can understand the desire for something new from guests of the park. It's a vastly superior coaster to anything else in the collection and probably every ride there, and I would contend that it would be of benefit to the park to have at least one other stellar coaster there to balance things out. I wouldn't be of the same mindset for every park that has one vastly superior coaster to any other one at the park, but it's one thing when a park is small and has maybe only one other coaster vs. a park that has seven or eight. Once a park gets big enough, I'd contend it needs more than one major coaster to at least balance things out a little bit. While SLCs generally fill the role of a B&M invert for parks that can't afford the latter (or who were just given SLCs to boost coaster counts, like pretty much every park in the old Premier chain), it isn't going to be good enough to serve as a "peer," if you will, to an Intamin megacoaster. Simply put, a really great ride carries a great reputation in its own right, but it can just as easily be to the detriment of other rides at the park. Remember what I said about looking at a park in a vacuum (it might have been in the SFStL thread)? This is along that train of thought, although what I'm saying is that even the guest who is completely unfamiliar with the industry at large is likely going to form an opinion of a ride in the context of other rides at the park, at least to a point.

 

I think you touched on a bigger problem, though, when you mentioned Twister not being functional. As I understand it, and please correct me if I'm wrong, but not only does Darien Lake have pretty terrible ride operations with literally only one train even on the track for most of its major coasters (let alone only running one train), the park doesn't even operate all of its rides. More than a lack of new attractions, I think that makes for really poor presentation to the point where it makes problems stand out more than they already do.

 

I still stand by my opinions in this thread, but hopefully you find the thoughts in this post to be my way of at least sort of finding a middle ground with you.

 

Lastly, ride of steel, that's great that you find that funny, but seriously, that's like a Trekkie laughing at someone who doesn't understand the difference between Klingons and Romulans. What that girl said doesn't make her stupid. It just proves that we're nerds.

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Lastly, ride of steel, that's great that you find that funny, but seriously, that's like a Trekkie laughing at someone who doesn't understand the difference between Klingons and Romulans. What that girl said doesn't make her stupid. It just proves that we're nerds. I know and I have alot of freinds who are gp and I've noticed sometimes there joking or trying to trick someone. The ones that say "like a bazillion mph" don't know the speed. I see what you mean and honestly I don't know anything about Star Trek. And the gp just don't spend 50% of there time on what we do. Thank you for pointing that out .I try not to get annoyed by the gp but I have to find something laugh at

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Lastly, ride of steel, that's great that you find that funny, but seriously, that's like a Trekkie laughing at someone who doesn't understand the difference between Klingons and Romulans. What that girl said doesn't make her stupid. It just proves that we're nerds. I know and I have alot of freinds who are gp and I've noticed sometimes there joking or trying to trick someone. The ones that say "like a bazillion mph" don't know the speed. I see what you mean and honestly I don't know anything about Star Trek. And the gp just don't spend 50% of there time on what we do. Thank you for pointing that out .I try not to get annoyed by the gp but I have to find something laugh at

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Speaking of the GP...

We were around Darien Square sitting near the Boomerang sign,and a girl and her friends walk by she proceeds to say"is this the viper?" I was holding in so much laughter.

And the gp just don't spend 50% of there time on what we do. Thank you for pointing that out .I try not to get annoyed by the gp but I have to find something laugh at

 

We have an entirely terrible, ridiculous and mostly cringeworthy thread where *seriously* serious geeks more or less point out/make fun of completely reasonable things that not-as-geeky people say/do in regard to coasters/parks, in an effort to (likely unsuccessfully) make themselves feel better/more superior than said not-as-geeky people that's just perfect for this kind of obnoxious drivel. You'll love it over there.

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