Six Flags Darien Lake (SFDL) Discussion Thread

[Airtime&Gravity]

I disagree with you on the flat rides, I think DL has a great selection of flats. Haymaker, Silver Bullet, Ranger, a ferris wheel, bumper cars, pirate ship, top spin, as well as antique cars, log flume, rapids ride, shoot-the-chutes, and a large selection of kiddie rides. I think DL's selection of rides is very well-rounded, and the thing that would do them the most good is to get some more coasters. And to fix the layout of the water park.

 

Maybe it is a better park than I realized, as I only spent 40 minutes at the park and went only up to Boomerang, so I missed a lot of the park. It looks like it could be a nice park, but I just wasn't having fun, but that was probably because Predator and Boomerang beat the crap out of me. Looking back at the park map, it does appear to have a nice flat selection, and I guess I just missed most of the park. If RoS had been open, then I would probably have liked the park more, but it killed my day by being closed since I was really looking foreword to riding it.

 

As for Motocoaster, it should be a lot of fun, and since it will be a unique ride for the area. While not a large coaster, the park might be able to bring in a lot of people due to the ride's uniqueness. While I don't like it being built on top of itself, it still looks like a solid coaster for the northeast.

[astroworldfan1]

Finally! I wonder if Darien is ever going to re-build Batman: The Escape form Astroworld. Its been there since 05.

 

Sadly, I don't think B:TE will make it. O well MotoCoaster!

 

-Tatum

[RCoasterny]

While the MotoCoaster (or whatever name DL will name it) would make me visit Darien Lake at least once this year, if they brought back the Crazy Quilt, I would probably visit the park more often! At least they got the Ranger working right last year, and the UFO is fun. I miss the Cornpop.. I mean, Rodeo Round-Up. It used to run very well before Premier/Six Flags took over, and I hope that PARC will bring it back to factory specs! Twister could be a great ride, however DL is running it on medoicore programs (Geauga Lake ran excellent programs on thiers back in 1996).

[Tanks4me05]

^^ Remember that Canyon Blaster at TGE was in Old Indiana's lot for four years before being constructed, and although a couple of pieces of track needed to be fixed, it is still an old arrow that was welded together, not bolted together. B:TE is a "newer" (by 14 years) Intamin that has been in DL's lot for just over two years, and has been moved three times, and since they haven't carted off B:TE's track yet (scrap metal I heard at wnycoasters is now very profitable to sell) I'm thinking they will eventually put up B:TE, as frankly all that needs to be done is footers poured, land prepped, (not much) and a station, queue line, and landscaping/theming done - probably the price of a medium flat ride or two, and it's a stand up roller coaster, so I see that as a bargain.

[BrownStreak]

For what its worth- if anyone on here has any interest in coaster/theme park history: Viper at DL was the first coaster to feature five different inversions when it opened in 1982. There was a bit of controversy in 1990 when SFMM opened their arrow looper with the same name- who would have thought that within 10 years both parks would be owned by the same company...

[Tanks4me05]

Bump - Darien Lake has made it official - check the main site:

 

http://www.godarienlake.com

 

It's name is only Motocoaster - it's not original, but it's not too bad, if you think of it.

[FeelTheFORCE]

I was planning to go there this summer, now this is an extra bonus! Hopefully, as already stated, they'll rebuild Batman as well one of these years.

[odene497]

Does anyone have any idea where in the park this will be going? The PARC site really isn't very helpful. I'm really looking forward to trying this out and seeing how PARC runs the place in it's first full year of operating it.

 

 

-Nick

[AllenA07]

^^I wonder if Batman is even in good enough shape at this point for a rebuild. Rides don't tend to do all that good when they just sit around for years at a time.

[rousea]

^^The new coaster is going where the two old pools were near the twister.

 

Here is a link to the Buffalo News article on the ride: http://www.buffalonews.com/145/story/313394.html

[andy_e219]

Cool

I am probably going there this June after I visit Waldeemer to ride Ravine Flyer II. Any tips on going to Darien Lake?

[mightypotato]

^

There really are no tips for Darien Lake. Each time I've gone in the last couple years, the park has been virtually empty. You can get multiple re-rides on pretty much everything with ease. Of course, the only ride you would WANT to ride again would be Ride of Steel though. Their coaster line-up isn't exactly stellar.

[odene497]

^^The new coaster is going where the two old pools were near the twister.

 

Here is a link to the Buffalo News article on the ride: http://www.buffalonews.com/145/story/313394.html

 

Thanks for that, I haven't heard much for this, Darien Lake needs to do some updates or something.

 

I've never been back by the pools, is there a path to them from behind Boomerang or just Twister? If there isn't, I wonder if they'll build one to make a loop.

 

And ^^, As long as it's not a Saturday lines shouldn't be horrible. And the coasters are decent, IMO. Viper is quite smooth and fun for an old arrow, Boomerang isn't terribly rough, neither is Mind Eraser. Predator can be pretty horrible but it's worth a ride and in some cases two. Superman's quite obviously the best thing there, though somewhat rattly.

 

Any more specific questions just ask.

 

 

-Nick

 

EDIT:Oops, I'm still used to calling it Superman. I mean "Ride of Steel".

[thecoasterkid]

"Ride of Steel" was definitely the only coaster in the park I felt worthy of a re-ride. Viper was brutally rough (Corkscrew at CP, and Dragon Fire at CW were much smoother), Mind Eraser is the 2nd worst SLC I've been on (out of 3 mind you), Boomerang is just a Boomerang (albeit a decent one), and I haven't done the wooden coaster since it was closed on my visit.

 

It was very much just a credit run for me. Only way I could have an above average afternoon there was if I went as part of a TPR trip...but then it'd be the people making the difference not the coasters.

[Carnage]

and I haven't done the wooden coaster since it was closed on my visit.

 

Lucky bastard.

 

Predator does a pretty good job at rearranging your spine.

[Tanks4me05]

^^ Viper?!! Brutally rough?!!!! My god, if you call that rough, I'm guessing you call Hydra painful as well. I'm sorry, but I'm getting REALLY tired of people constantly bashing DL. I admit that it isn't the best coaster line up out there, but it is NOT the worst, and it definitely is NOT what many people say that it is. Viper is VERY smooth for an Arrow. And I have been on over half a dozen - not a lot, but enough to give somewhat of a basis standpoint to compare Viper to all the others. Predator hurts, but the second car, first row is by far the smoothest seat. Still rough, but tolerable. Boomerang is smooth, and I have been on five out of the six that are in the north east US, so I have a basis to compare it to. To be honest, all of the Boomerangs I have been on are smooth. Rough, yes, but painful, no. Mind Eraser is kinda rough, but I can still ride it several times.

 

- Tanks " " 4me05.

[mightypotato]

^

The last ride I had on Viper (2006) was absolutely horrible. It was one of the roughest rides I've ever had. I got slammed into the restraints hard multiple times. It might have been a bad day, but my ride was nowhere even near relatively smooth.

[Guardian21]

i have yet to see a well done Motocoaster.

but i wonder what this one and the one at Knott's Berry Farm will turn out.

[Tanks4me05]

^^I'm pretty sure you just had a bad day. Or you were listening to Maxwell Silver Hammer on your Ipod at that time. "Bang bang, Maxwell silver hammer came down, upon her head. *Doo bee doo bee doo.* Bang bang, Maxwell Silver hammer made sure she was dead."

 

^If you mean good motocoaster as in extreme motocoaster, I doubt you will ever see one. I'm pretty sure they are family oriented.

[geaugalakeinexile]

Cool

I am probably going there this June after I visit Waldeemer to ride Ravine Flyer II. Any tips on going to Darien Lake?

 

If you want to get some basic info about Darien Lake, see some photos and videos. Then check out darienlakecentral.com.

The site is fairly new so I'm still filling it out. There is a link to an aerial view of Darien Lake from early 2007 ( I think ). You can see the pools where Motocoaster is going.

I'm old, with a bad back, but there is no coaster at DL that I don't ride, and enjoy.

I will say that Predator is much better after the re-tracking done last year.

I can't wait for the season to start.

[ghost007jas]

Viper is VERY smooth for an Arrow.

 

This is what destroys your argument. It may be very smooth for an ARROW. But since Arrows are rough.. saying that it's smooth for an Arrow doesn't mean a whole lot.

[dwerling]

General Darien Lake question.....Did they ever change the "Ride of Steel" name.

 

That is worse than Flight Deck...seriously

 

And slap some paint on it too.

[Swimace]

Viper is VERY smooth for an Arrow.

 

This is what destroys your argument. It may be very smooth for an ARROW. But since Arrows are rough.. saying that it's smooth for an Arrow doesn't mean a whole lot.

 

There are smooth Arrows out there. i.e. Tennessee Tornado, Lochness Monster.

 

Saying that Arrows are rough is a pretty big generalization.

[Tanks4me05]

^Exactly. And I could be going on Tennessee Tornado in October if the gas prices for those coach buses won't get too high. (Marching Band Trip - 13 hour coach bus ride!!!) In terms of track smoothness, Viper is very smooth. In terms of the restraint comfort - mild roughness. Some head banging, but not much, and it's not bad. But I honestly think that a heck of a lot of people on here are very pampered, calling the slightest "rattle" rough - I.E. B:TDK and Hydra.

[thecoasterkid]

^^ Viper?!! Brutally rough?!!!! My god, if you call that rough, I'm guessing you call Hydra painful as well. I'm sorry, but I'm getting REALLY tired of people constantly bashing DL. I admit that it isn't the best coaster line up out there, but it is NOT the worst, and it definitely is NOT what many people say that it is. Viper is VERY smooth for an Arrow. And I have been on over half a dozen - not a lot, but enough to give somewhat of a basis standpoint to compare Viper to all the others. Predator hurts, but the second car, first row is by far the smoothest seat. Still rough, but tolerable. Boomerang is smooth, and I have been on five out of the six that are in the north east US, so I have a basis to compare it to. To be honest, all of the Boomerangs I have been on are smooth. Rough, yes, but painful, no. Mind Eraser is kinda rough, but I can still ride it several times.

 

Well, thanks for telling me that my opinion is pretty much invalid and that you obviously know better than I do. How dare I think otherwise.

 

My ride on Viper was horrible. The restraints killed me, and I was constantly bashing my head against them. Not a single smooth transition on the ride. It was by far the WORST Arrow I've been on. I would rate Demon (SFGAM), Vortex (KI), Wild Beast (CW), and Corkscrew (CP) all above it hands down.

 

I'm used to rough coasters, and in general don't mind them (I'm actually a Boomerang fan as well) but Viper was beyond my tolerance. I'd ride it again if with a group, but would take a pass if I was on my own. I used to think DL was a fairly decent park, but after the Mid-West trip and becoming a bit more travelled, it's now obviously very mediocore. It's not bad, but nothing really great about it either. I would take an afternoon at Canadas Wonderland over Darien Lake any day.