Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom Discussion Thread

[YoshiFan]

It will depend on the weather, if it's warm out everyone will be in WWK and the ride side shouldn't be crowded.

[A.J.]

If people on this forum are to be believed, you can go literally any day of the year and expect naught but the stray tumbleweed.

If it's any consideration, when I went in September of 2013, the queues were generally short but not really walk-ons. Talon's queue was about "normal" though - it ran from the platform down to a little past the start of the stairs.

[coasterbill]

[if people on this forum are to be believed, you can go literally any day of the year and expect naught but the stray tumbleweed.

 

I've probably been to this park 20 or 30 times in my life as it's only a few hours from my house. We usually go on Saturdays, sometimes in October even and I would agree with this. The flats can get 1-2 cycle waits sometimes but the coasters have always been 5 minute waits tops and they're usually walk ons (except the Mouse which won't be more than 15 minutes and that's only because of it's slow operations). The longest line in the dry park is usually the Flume but it's worth it. The line is usually only 15 minutes but it seems long when you've been walking on to everything else all day.

 

** The Rapids are technically in the dry park and always have a huge line, but I'd argue that this is closer to the waterpark than the dry park and I think that's the reason why.

[rcoaster10]

It sounds a lot like MiA. There's always huge lines in the water park and the rapids ride, but Shivering Timbers and Thunderhawk are always less than 5 minutes. At least Dorney has some really good coasters.

[coasterbill]

At least Dorney has some really good coasters.

 

That's up for debate. I think Talon is a really solid ride and Posessed is starting to grow on me but other than that nothing there really stands out anymore now that they got rid of Laser and let Thunderhawk get so rough.

[rcjp]

^I quite liked Hydra and thought Steel Force was great fun too. Not an awesome park, but has a decent collection of coasters, I think.

[alilstronger]

I LOVE Thunderhawk! It is rough but not that bad in my opinion. Talon is one of my favorite suspended coasters. The best part is when it drops down into where the camera is.

 

I would like to see them get another wooden coaster. Maybe something like Wooden Warrior at Quassy. That is really fun coaster.

[YoshiFan]

I like that part of Talon too. Right after that drop is the highly banked turned and then it goes into the final helix.

 

A new wooden coaster would be great, especially if they could somehow get a wooden coaster with a lower height requirement than 48" since they really need another coaster for kids besides Woodstock's Express and Wild Mouse.

[alilstronger]

^ Yea, I agree. Plus the rules with the mouse are terrible. Even though some employees do not follow the protocol because I have ridden with 2 other adults in the car.

[Dr. M]

[if people on this forum are to be believed, you can go literally any day of the year and expect naught but the stray tumbleweed.

 

I've probably been to this park 20 or 30 times in my life as it's only a few hours from my house. We usually go on Saturdays, sometimes in October even and I would agree with this. The flats can get 1-2 cycle waits sometimes but the coasters have always been 5 minute waits tops and they're usually walk ons (except the Mouse which won't be more than 15 minutes and that's only because of it's slow operations). The longest line in the dry park is usually the Flume but it's worth it. The line is usually only 15 minutes but it seems long when you've been walking on to everything else all day.

 

** The Rapids are technically in the dry park and always have a huge line, but I'd argue that this is closer to the waterpark than the dry park and I think that's the reason why.

 

Maybe I've just been really unlucky, but any time I go during the summer I typically see 30-45 minute waits for all the major coasters. I don't know why I seem to be the only one who reports this, but the only time I've seen everything a walk-on it's early or late in the season.

 

Anyway, I also don't know why Steel Force never gets any love around here. It's an awesome ride. Possibly the worst hyper in the area, but that hardly makes it bad.

[coasterbill]

I think Steel Force deserves some credit too. Being the world's tallest and fastest mine train coaster is definitely an accomplishment.

 

In all seriousness though this ride just doesn't do anything. The drop is gradual and drawn out, there's no airtime, no forces, the helix is boring and never-ending... there's just nothing to that ride. I did find the coaster to be pretty decent in the front seat just because of the speed but everywhere else it's just incredibly boring... and I rarely call any coaster boring.

[megametal]

I rode both Steel Force and it's cousin Mamba in Missouri in 2012, and Steel Force was way better. Heck, I think Steel Force is better than Superman at SFA too. Love the speedy turnaround and that the bunny hops aren't braked horribly like Mamba was. Got no airtime on Mamba.

 

Also, I think the only lackluster coasters the park has are Stinger and Wild Mouse. Hydra is my least favorite floorless, but it's good fun, and the barrel roll out of the station is pretty darn awesome. I love Thunderhawk, especially in the front and when it's not braked on the way back to the station. However, with them adding individual restraints this year (they are doing that, right), I'm sure it'll neuter the experience completely. Can Dorney expand into the old parking lot on the hill next to Steel Force now that they have more parking in front? I'd like to see them expand without having to tear things out.

[YoshiFan]

I didn't know Thunderhawk is getting individual lap bars.

 

^ Yea, I agree. Plus the rules with the mouse are terrible. Even though some employees do not follow the protocol because I have ridden with 2 other adults in the car.

 

Yeah they never seem to follow the rules right at Wild Mouse. I have even seen it where there is a parent with a 1 kid boarding 1 row and a single rider sometimes will go to the last row since it's only 2 adults total and then they are told they have to wait for the next car. Also with both magnetic gates opening at once, it looks like you are supposed to go to the row in front of you and not the entire car. Last year I skipped the coaster completely on all my trips because it's not worth waiting for especially when I can ride The Dark Knight at Great Adventure as much as I want.

[rcjp]

I rode both Steel Force and it's cousin Mamba in Missouri in 2012, and Steel Force was way better. Heck, I think Steel Force is better than Superman at SFA too. Love the speedy turnaround and that the bunny hops aren't braked horribly like Mamba was. Got no airtime on Mamba.

 

Also, I think the only lackluster coasters the park has are Stinger and Wild Mouse. Hydra is my least favorite floorless, but it's good fun, and the barrel roll out of the station is pretty darn awesome. I love Thunderhawk, especially in the front and when it's not braked on the way back to the station. However, with them adding individual restraints this year (they are doing that, right), I'm sure it'll neuter the experience completely. Can Dorney expand into the old parking lot on the hill next to Steel Force now that they have more parking in front? I'd like to see them expand without having to tear things out.

I really liked steel force's ending (especially in the front).

I actually though Stinger was pretty decent: I got no headbanging and the ride pulls some heavy G forces!

[megametal]

I didn't know Thunderhawk is getting individual lap bars.

 

It was mentioned on page 116 of this thread as a rumor. I had heard it elsewhere too, but don't remember where. I hope it doesn't happen.

[rcjp]

^Me too. On my first ride the trims didn't engage and I got some great air on those last hills and completely lifted out of my seat making it one of the funniest moments I've ever experienced on a coaster.

[EastCoastKid]

Dorney just posted this on their Facebook a few minutes ago.

The tubes with the rainbow inserts look awesome! Construction is in full-swing, and Aquablast's structure is receiving some work as well it appears.

[cal1br3tto]

I actually really enjoyed Talon and Steel Force and Hydra. I thought Steel Force was comparable to Mamba, possibly with slightly better airtime (but lacking that devilish headchopper helix); on par with Steel Eel; and way better than Wild Thing. Hydra was just as good as any other floorless, with some pleasant front seat views and airtime in the back.

 

It's too bad Thunderhawk is so polarizing. Sounds like it was once consistently one of the better wooden coasters out there, and perhaps even sporadically so in recent years. But in the back car it was easily one of my least favorite woodies, with no forces. In the front there's a surprise pop of air, but it's still one of my least favorite woodies. If one ride has to lose buzz bars it might as well be this one, though it'll be a shame if they do detract further from the ride.

[Dr. M]

I think Steel Force deserves some credit too. Being the world's tallest and fastest mine train coaster is definitely an accomplishment.

 

In all seriousness though this ride just doesn't do anything. The drop is gradual and drawn out, there's no airtime, no forces, the helix is boring and never-ending... there's just nothing to that ride. I did find the coaster to be pretty decent in the front seat just because of the speed but everywhere else it's just incredibly boring... and I rarely call any coaster boring.

 

I disagree entirely. The first drop has plenty of nice air to it, and the return run *usually* has solid airtime over every hill. But even when it's at its slowest, it doesn't rattle you to death, it's comfortable to ride, has a nice location, and is still very fast. I find the helix much more exciting than Magnum's turnaround. No it won't throw you around with extreme force, but does every coaster have to? It's the kind of ride you can just do over and over again, which I have done often.

 

Also, no long straightways, and the helix isn't followed by another big helix. I.E. better than Superman at SFA.

[YoshiFan]

The tube slide with the lights looks really cool. I have seen videos of slides with them on YouTube before and it was always something I wanted to try.

[coasterbill]

Those rainbow inserts look really cool. What a great idea!

[alilstronger]

[if people on this forum are to be believed, you can go literally any day of the year and expect naught but the stray tumbleweed.

 

I've probably been to this park 20 or 30 times in my life as it's only a few hours from my house. We usually go on Saturdays, sometimes in October even and I would agree with this. The flats can get 1-2 cycle waits sometimes but the coasters have always been 5 minute waits tops and they're usually walk ons (except the Mouse which won't be more than 15 minutes and that's only because of it's slow operations). The longest line in the dry park is usually the Flume but it's worth it. The line is usually only 15 minutes but it seems long when you've been walking on to everything else all day.

 

** The Rapids are technically in the dry park and always have a huge line, but I'd argue that this is closer to the waterpark than the dry park and I think that's the reason why.

 

Maybe I've just been really unlucky, but any time I go during the summer I typically see 30-45 minute waits for all the major coasters. I don't know why I seem to be the only one who reports this, but the only time I've seen everything a walk-on it's early or late in the season.

 

Anyway, I also don't know why Steel Force never gets any love around here. It's an awesome ride. Possibly the worst hyper in the area, but that hardly makes it bad.

 

 

I agree here. I have been to the park before when it had 45 min to an hour wait for some coasters.

 

Back to water slide... I LOVE the rainbow inserts!

[Brassinthegrass]

Hello everyone

 

Every summer my cousin and I go on a trip to celebrate the end of the spring semester. In the past we would do a day trip to SFGAdv, but since he is now out of college we have a few more dollars to spend and we plan on going a little bit bigger this year!

 

We live on Long Island so a two day trip looks like our best bet... It looks like it would be Midweek June

Our plan right now is to go Knobles in the morning, then drive to Hershey and spend the rest of day one there, drive to a hotel drink eat and sleep (preferably in that order) and then go to Dormey the next morning and Coney Island on the way home.

 

Here's where I need advice, I need a hotel somewhere between the Hershey and Dorney leg of our trip. I was thinking of staying at the Comfort Suites across from the Dorney Parking Lot, possibly leaving the car there while we are at Dorney itself. Has anyone stayed here and what were your thoughts. I feel like it would be fun to wake up in the morning and see all the rides testing and such but I want to make sure it's a nice (enough) hotel first.

 

Thanks for all your advise! This should be a fun trip of about 20 Coasters!

[EastCoastKid]

I need a hotel somewhere between the Hershey and Dorney leg of our trip. I was thinking of staying at the Comfort Suites across from the Dorney Parking Lot, possibly leaving the car there while we are at Dorney itself. Has anyone stayed here and what were your thoughts. I feel like it would be fun to wake up in the morning and see all the rides testing and such but I want to make sure it's a nice (enough) hotel first.

 

Thanks for all your advise! This should be a fun trip of about 20 Coasters!

 

Yes, definitely stay at one of the hotels across the street from Dorney. For one, you save on parking. Also, I stayed at one of the hotels across the street last fall for the Haunt (though I'm not sure if it was a Comfort or Holiday.. I think there are two or three hotels right there) and they served free breakfast, so that was another huge plus. I think that's your best option.

 

And no complaints here about the hotel. Was actually pretty nice.

[ScreaminNewEngland]

Going saturday july 12th. Getting fast lane but how will the crowds be?