Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom Discussion Thread

[GAcoaster]

Hey everybody!

 

This thread is simple! Rather than having a million little threads about everything that goes on at Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom, this thread is designed to consolidate it all into one user-friendly thread. Feel free to use it to post updates, trip reports, questions, comments, and of course, general discussion. For pictures and videos of the park as well as past updates, see TPR's Park Index Page.

 

Official Park Website

 

 

Below are some links to past updates from the park, you may be interested in. Enjoy!

 

--Robb

 

_____________________________________________________

2005

February 20, 2005 - Hydra construction photos (SEE BELOW)

November 17th, 2005 - Park to demolish its oldest building- Mansion House Hotel

 

2007

September 22, 2007 - signs appear for new impulse coaster VooDoo (Steel Venom from Geauga Lake)

 

2008

May 3rd, 2008 - VooDoo opens

June 3rd, 2008 - Laser is for sale

 

2009

November 26th, 2009 - Demon Drop arrives at Dorney

 

2010

January 25th, 2010 - Demon Drop formally announced

July 12th, 2010 - Demon Drop opens

August 25th, 2010 - Planet Snoopy to replace Camp Snoopy in 2011

 

2011

February 3rd, 2011 - Invertigo moving from California's Great America to Dorney

June 10th, 2011 - Dorney purchases an additional 6.75 acres

September 22nd, 2011 - Dinosaurs Alive announced for 2012

October 15th, 2011 - Stinger (formerly Invertigo) construction update

December 9th, 2011 - Stinger construction update posted!

 

2012

April 23rd, 2012 - Fast Lane rides announced

September 3rd, 2012 - 'Zombie Invasion II' Halloween event announced!

 

2014

October 31st, 2014 - Cedar Creek Flyers announced for 2015

 

2015

July 22nd, 2015 - Christmas in July Toy Drive, July 25-26!

 

2016

August 18th, 2016 - New rides (Troika and Bumper Cars), show Cirque Imagine) & water park enhancements announced!

 

2017

August 16th, 2017 - Pre K being introduced at Dorney Park

December 15, 2017 - Stinger is being removed

 

2019

August 19th, 2019 - Seaside Splashworks water play structure announced!

 

2023

August 10th, 2023 - Iron Menace announced!

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Original Post

 

 

The other day I took the hardhat tour of Hydra (and the rest of Dorney) and took a bunch of construction pictures I thought I'd share. igsmile:

 

Hydra overall looks fun but really small. I have a feeling people are going to be somewhat let down by this one when they see it in person. To me, it made Batman the Dark Knight look huge...

 

Take a look for yourself (I have more pictures of Hydra and the rest of Dorney Park in Winter on the Dorney page of my site):

Sunset over Steel Force as I was leaving

Nice looking helix

The twisted coils

Nice looking air pop over the station!

The "Jojo Roll" (dumbest.name.ever!)

View from the lake

[Guest]

woah...awesome pictures! I like that new element, not sure how it was called

[Hattuchili]

Damn good pictures. It looks like a nice ride. I think I´ll get a quick tour on your site.

[robbalvey]

Hey there! I just want to say thanks to GACoaster and http://www.amusementpics.com/ for posting those!

 

Those are awesome pics!

 

--Robb "Hopefully we'll get to Dorney during PPP weekend" Alvey

[SharkTums]

^Only if by 'get to Dorney' you mean run in for 15 minutes get on Hydra and leave to go to Knoebels!

 

Nice pictures...I just don't know though, I'm not excited by this ride for some reason.

 

Elissa "Hope it's good!" Alvey

[CoasterEricHP]

I'm getting a little worried about the "forceless" B&M's Robb's talking about. Thinking Hydra may fall into this category.. looks really fun though. Has some nice airtime hills at least!

 

I wonder how much loose change Dorney will make under the JOJO roll.

 

Eric

[CoasterCrazy]

Awesome pictures, I think the Jojo Roll is going to be the best part of the ride.

[Dr Freeze]

They should still have Hercules if they are going to name something "Hydra." But maybe they are saying Hydra got its revenge by getting rid of Hercules? If so, this park is *really* into mythology.

[Shadowforce]

^ I think they just used it as an excuse. Hercules weren't exactly a great coaster, right? :?

 

When i saw the movie they released in the begining, this thing got me really excited. It looks insane, and very much out of the ordinary, for B&M atleast. However, something about it, and I admit i don't know what, puts me off. Maybe the color scheme? Maybe the weirdness? The world might never know.

[Real]

Forceless or NOT, its GOING to have fast rotations. To me, thats what really makes or breaks some B&M's is the speed of rotation. And btw, you can have fast rotations without alot of force.

 

But Im lovin Hydra, it looks like a very cool ride. So far on my recreation (which is comin along pretty close to spec, almost scary how close) its not going to be a super G ride but its not going to be boring either.

 

The Straight drop looks great and so does the twisted cobra.

 

Anthony "Doesnt have to pull a bajilion G's to be fun" Harrison

[Mr.Six]

Looks like a good coaster but not great. I would be more excited if i knew I was going to be able to ride it. Even if Hyrda falls into the forceless B&M catagory it still looks great in the park!

[Stitch]

I was looking at the Hydra Webcam on Dorney Park's site and saw that the station's roof is now completed, take a look. Edit * It's not letting attach the picture Fixed it, just put it on my site lol

[socalMAN123]

 

Anthony "Doesnt have to pull a bajilion G's to be fun" Harrison

But remember Anthony, pulling a bajilion G's can be fun.

Good B&M's usually have a great amount of positive and negative gs.

[pixelated]

Seriously, I hate people who judge coasters on their size! Their are many good rides that aren't even 100 footers! GAWD! You just made me mad... I'm going to eat ice cream until I'm asleap!

[Stitch]

I personally think Hydra looks awesome, the inclined dive loop seems more like an overbanked turn than an inversion from the pictures though. Since I don't live near Dorney I won't get to ride it, I wish PKI got Hydra instead of Italian Job becuause IJ looks very boring.

[CoasterEricHP]

Seriously, I hate people who judge coasters on their size! Their are many good rides that aren't even 100 footers! GAWD! You just made me mad... I'm going to eat ice cream until I'm asleap!

 

I'd choose the 75 foot tall Phoenix over MANY 200+ footers out there in a heartbeat! I think the layout is great and finally a coaster with a straight drop... plus should have some good airtime on the hills. I'm just worried that its going to be like Silver Bullet.. fun but forceless.

 

Eric

[X]

I think the ride looks neat and totally original. It will be fun forceless but WAY better with forces. Judging a rollercoaster by the size is just CRAZY! :shock: Superman at SFMM, is the biggest ride there and dwarfs X and I Love X WAY more than Superman. The tallest coaster on earth isn't so great! :shock:

Kevin "If you like the JoJo roll best about Hydra, go ride Silver Bullet at Knotts" Bujold

[sfne2005]

Interesting for me anyways. Rode Hydra on Friday (awesome ride; by far my favorite floorless compared to Medusa, Knight Flight, Dark Knight and Scream) and saw Paul Reuben @ the park. I first noticed him taking pictures (of Hydra I presume) on top of the Wild Mouse, not that I knew who was up there. They actually closed Wild Mouse for him to climb up the lift stairs with attendants. I then saw him again sitting taking photos. I walked by him a couple of times to make sure it was him. Later saw Dorney Park managers coddling him by Hydra. I thought it was kind of cool seeing him there. I wonder if he told them Hydra was his favorite coaster???

Rich "not stalking the coaster editor" Elie

[Jeezus Juice]

You didn't happen to see him cowering by hydra, stuffing bananas in his mouth did you?

 

Crazy ol' banana swallowing Paul.

 

-J2

[Zoltan_Kodaly]

While I've never read one of his little magazines, whenever I see him on TV or a video, it's always, "This coaster is truly unique, an experience I had never had before: certainly a top-ten ride." I'm sure his little hike up the Wild Mouse lift hill was a top 5 ride!

[SharkTums]

::said in annoying whining voice:: "It's my number one mouse climb and a truly unique walking experience."

 

Elissa "I'm surprised he didn't ride a mouse car to the top of the lift...he doesn't seem like the stairs type of person!" Alvey

[Carnage]

^^ Has anyone ever read his magazine?

 

I haven't heard anyone say they have seen his magazine before.

[SharkTums]

I used to read it at Six Flags. Nothing special at all.

 

Elissa "the ECC First Drop Magazine is better!" Alvey

[Zoltan_Kodaly]

But that's the thing; if he is such a "celebrity", and his opinion is so important to everyone, how come noone reads Park World? (that's still his magazine, right?) Shouldn't it be available in at least one or two bookstores, or even one of those import magazine stores, that carry every magazine imaginable?

 

I wanna know how he ended up with that job, he's like the "George Lopez" of the roller coaster - a celebrity, but doesn't really do anything. At least, nothing that anyone pays attention to. Yet everyone knows who he is.

[SharkTums]

I've actually heard that he's losing more and more popularity. I know that most Six Flags parks won't really work with him anymore since he is so 'demanding' and had gone into restricted areas.

 

I think it's more one of those things that he's been around for awhile so everyone knows his name. He also goes out of his way to try and get invited to all the events and crap to get his name out.

 

Elissa "I think his magazine is mostly sent to media and parks...not the public" Alvey