Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom Discussion Thread

[Mr. Corn]

I would love to see VR, if they had it, on Hydra. They could have it simulate a battle between Hydra and Hercules,and you could be on a ship watching the battle as the water is in turmoil. That would be really cool.

[coasterbill]

And they never get a crowd, so slowed down operations certainly won't be a problem.

 

This was my first thought also. I think it's stupid and would ride without it most times but I wouldn't care at all if Dorney had VR.

[Password121]

I would love to see VR, if they had it, on Hydra. They could have it simulate a battle between Hydra and Hercules,and you could be on a ship watching the battle as the water is in turmoil. That would be really cool.

And VR is best suited for family coasters so I'll second this.

[Physical]

Dorney is one of the few parks where VR makes sense. Haven't gotten a new coaster in a few years and probably won't be in the next few, so just throw some of these headsets on Thunderhawk or Steel Force and call it a day.

 

And they never get a crowd, so slowed down operations certainly won't be a problem.

 

Operations are already slow, how much slower can they get? Since 3-5 minute dispatches are already the norm, with VR I'd be 8-10 minutes wouldn't be out of the question.

[Password121]

^I witnessed 21 minutes on SFA's Superman, 8 minutes is lightning fast

 

I would agree with everyone though, VR at Dorney would actually make sense on almost any coaster except maybe Talon but even then it wouldn't really effect anything.

[I Like Theme Parks.]

I was at the park today from about 10:10-12:10. It must have been some kind of world record for the most crowded day at Dorney Park ever, since there were quite a few summer camps. I actually skipped Hydra because the line seemed to be at least 30 minutes long. But everything else was about a 10-minute wait or less. I also didn't ride Thunder Creek Mountain or Meteor because I decided to take extra rides on Talon instead. The staff was pretty hit-or-miss, with some really great, fast, nice, hard-working operators and workers, but an equal amount of slow, lazy operators who must have been competing in a contest to see who could look the most miserable. There wasn't much in-between, which was a bit odd. Overall, the operations were pretty slow, but it really only affected Hydra, with the line for Thunderhawk growing quite a bit by the time we rode it. But we got a lot done in just 2 hours, since even a packed day at Dorney Park is equal to below-average crowds for most parks. Here's the rides:

 

Enterprise: I got a ride on this by myself, and the operator was very nice and friendly. It's running like an Enterprise normally does, which means it's awesome!

Dominator: Once again, the ride operators for the Dominator towers were really nice and polite. Launched drop towers are nice, but it's wimpy compared to:

Dominator: This was my dad's first ride on a drop tower despite him also being a park enthusiast, and he actually thought it wasn't that bad! The airtime was great as always.

Whip: Man, I always forget how much I love this whip! It's not close to Kennywood's, but it has the fast whipping that the Hershey and Knoebels ones lack, even though those are great, too.

Possessed - front row: This ride felt a little bit more fun than my first ride on it earlier in the season. I was just really in the mood for a simple impulse coaster today.

Stinger - row 6: This blows away even the smoothest traditional boomerang, and some of the transitions are a little rough, but still smooth enough. This is such an underrated ride.

Runaway Steel Train - row 3: This was my best ride on Steel Forceless yet. This is definitely the best row, and the floater airtime is nice, and I love the helix. Nothing is intense on this ride, but I just find it to be tons of fun. One of Morgan's best mine trains!

Revolution: Still way too short, but I can't say no to a frisbee!

Thunderhawk - row 5: The middle row of the second car is actually a little smoother than the front row! It's not that rough rattling-wise, but the way the transitions between the turns were built were quite sloppy. There's some good floater airtime and laterals, but those trims keep the ride from being really great. The operations were noticeably awful here. One train and 5-minute dispatches aren't a good combination.

Demon Drop: It's Demon Drop!!!

Talon x 3 - back row, left seat each time: Talon was running like a monster today! It was even more forceful than it was in the spring! It has such great forces and whip on the inversions, and the over-banked turns and helix are seriously awesome. That airtime drop is always a fun little element in the back. It's great to have a mini Raptor so close by!

 

So I plan riding Thunder Creek Mountain, Hydra and Meteor first next time, especially Thunder Creek since I need my log flume fix!

[coasterbill]

I also didn't ride Thunder Creek Mountain

 

Get out

[Genx24]

Operations are already slow, how much slower can they get? Since 3-5 minute dispatches are already the norm, with VR I'd be 8-10 minutes wouldn't be out of the question.

I'll defer to you because you live closer to the park, but I've never experienced 3-5 min dispatches at Dorney. But I saw the operators at SFOT take 15-20 min per train on Shockwave, so 8-10 would be a breeze in comparison.

[Jcoaster]

I also didn't ride Thunder Creek Mountain

 

Get out

 

[rwk]

The park thrives on bus groups, camps, youth groups, etc. That's where a large percentage of their business comes from. The rest are the day trippers from far away, and the locals and season pass holders. But you still say that the park is less busy than other parks like Six Flags and Hershey? Families with young children and teens make up most of Dorney's visitors, and single adults and senior citizens make up a very small percentage. I saw that in the local paper several years ago about families and teens making up the bulk of their visitors. That's why they have Planet Snoopy and lots of thrill rides and coasters. For those demographics. Last Sunday the park was a zoo after 7 pm, I only went a few hours, probably because the waterpark people go over to the Dorney Park side when WWK closes. The overflow lots were being used. They say that July 4th weekend is the absolute worst time to go because it is jam packed. It seems more crowded and congested because DP is smaller than other major parks within a 100 mile radius. Any day in July and August could be busy. Maybe early June and early September would be slower. May gets all the school groups and music groups. Mid Sept.-Oct. is Haunt weekends and those can get busy depending on weather. If it rains or is too cold, the park will be dead. Nice clear weather will bring out the crowds.

[boldikus]

I also didn't ride Thunder Creek Mountain

 

Get out

 

[DorneyKid14]

The park thrives on bus groups, camps, youth groups, etc. That's where a large percentage of their business comes from. The rest are the day trippers from far away, and the locals and season pass holders. But you still say that the park is less busy than other parks like Six Flags and Hershey? Families with young children and teens make up most of Dorney's visitors, and single adults and senior citizens make up a very small percentage. I saw that in the local paper several years ago about families and teens making up the bulk of their visitors. That's why they have Planet Snoopy and lots of thrill rides and coasters. For those demographics. Last Sunday the park was a zoo after 7 pm, I only went a few hours, probably because the waterpark people go over to the Dorney Park side when WWK closes. The overflow lots were being used. They say that July 4th weekend is the absolute worst time to go because it is jam packed. It seems more crowded and congested because DP is smaller than other major parks within a 100 mile radius. Any day in July and August could be busy. Maybe early June and early September would be slower. May gets all the school groups and music groups. Mid Sept.-Oct. is Haunt weekends and those can get busy depending on weather. If it rains or is too cold, the park will be dead. Nice clear weather will bring out the crowds.

 

This is true and not true. Yes, we do have a lot of camps and youth groups, but the bases from the cities has dwindled down over the years. The groups aren't as bad. Go to any park on the weekend and you'll experience crowds. Fourth of July weekend and the weekend after are usually are busiest in the summer. Crowds do in fact pick up after Wwk closes and all guest make their way down to the lower part of the park. As for haunt, every Saturday last fall around 5 the park would get one way inbound, where both lanes coming off Lincoln Ave onto Dorney park road and for incoming guest, whereas it's usually one lane coming in and one lane out. The weather wouldn't really be a factor.

 

BTW, if you plan in going to the park in the 30th, I highly recommend you don't.

[coasterbill]

I'm still trying to figure out if this guy has said anything about the park that WASN'T wrong.

[boldikus]

BTW, if you plan in going to the park in the 30th, I highly recommend you don't.

 

Sounds ominous.

[DILinator]

BTW, if you plan in going to the park in the 30th, I highly recommend you don't.

 

Sounds ominous.

 

I lol'ed

[rwk]

30th of July? Why not? Do you have a crystal ball and can see a week in advance that the park will be jam packed that day?

[Henry M]

said anything about the park that WASN'T wrong.

 

Do you mean correct? It is a not harder way of saying wasn't wrong!

[michaellynn4]

30th of July? Why not? Do you have a crystal ball and can see a week in advance that the park will be jam packed that day?

 

He works there, dude. I'm sure he knows something.

[coasterbill]

said anything about the park that WASN'T wrong.

 

Do you mean correct? It is a not harder way of saying wasn't wrong!

 

Is it too early to start drinking? I should buy the title fairy a drink too. She was right about you.

[Genx24]

I love how this thread is barely about the park anymore. Someone pour me a scotch.

[coasterbill]

I love how this thread is barely about the park anymore.

 

To be fair what are we supposed to talk about? They're building a new haunt building for another mediocre understaffed haunt that'll probably suck even though they can leave it up all year so it should really be amazing. Stinger is probably down for the rest of the season (I haven't been paying attention but it's a safe bet), Thunderhawk's new trains have somehow failed to draw the hordes of additional revenue we were all not predicting and there's no sign of any meaningful addition for next season.

 

Every once in awhile another hopeless dreamer will show up talking about a GCI and what we can move to make room for it. Then we all laugh at him and crush his optimistic dreams sort of like when Charlie overheard uncle Joe saying that someone found the last golden ticket to Willy Wonka's chocolate factory but they want him to have "one last dream" but now he can't because his dreams have been crushed and he no longer has any reason to live. The only difference is that in the morning the hopeless dreamer will wake up and instead of realizing he has the last golden ticket and the other one was bull***, he'll instead be greeted with the same sh*tty dinosaur attraction and no new GCI.

Edited July 22, 2016 by coasterbill

[Genx24]

Anyone here try the Barbeque and Beer festival the park had the first couple of weeks of July? I tried making it out but couldn't work out the logistics.

[Physical]

I love how this thread is barely about the park anymore.

 

To be fair what are we supposed to talk about? They're building a new haunt building for another mediocre understaffed haunt that'll probably suck even though they can leave it up all year so it should really be amazing. Stinger is probably down for the rest of the season (I haven't been paying attention but it's a safe bet), Thunderhawk's new trains have somehow failed to draw the hordes of additional revenue we were all not predicting and there's no sign of any meaningful addition for next season.

 

Every once in awhile another hopeless dreamer will show up talking about a GCI and what we can move to make room for it. Then we all laugh at him and crush his optimistic dreams sort of like when Charlie overheard uncle Joe saying that someone found the last golden ticket to Willy Wonka's chocolate factory but they want him to have "one last dream" but now he can't because his dreams have been crushed and he no longer has any reason to live. The only difference is that in the morning the hopeless dreamer will wake up and instead of realizing he has the last golden ticket and the other one was bull***, he'll instead be greeted with the same sh*tty dinosaur attraction and no new GCI.

 

[Iby coaster]

Update on the new haunt in Desolations spot.

[coasterbill]

^ See. This is the biggest news of the year. This is why we don't bother talking about the park any more.