Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom Discussion Thread

[Jcoaster]

Throw me in the group that believes a front row ride on Steel Force provides the best experience. It does create a sense of speed, especially during the giant helix. Depending on the train and positiong of the sun at the time you ride you could get some air on the return hills.

[ytterbiumanalyst]

Have any of you who have been on Steel Force also been on Mamba or Wild Thing? I've ridden both of those, so I'm curious how it compares.

[boldikus]

Negative.

 

What are your feelings on WT and Mamba?

[coneyislandchris]

I hated Steel Force in the back, and it wasn't until I listened to Bill and Boldy that I bothered to try it in the front row. It is definitely much better, and I manage to get plenty of airtime. Unfortunately though it seems like every single time I go on it, it starts raining as soon as I get halfway up the lift hill. That helix is ridiculously painful with raindrops pelting you in the face!

[SteelForceless]

I hated Steel Force in the back, and it wasn't until I listened to Bill and Boldy that I bothered to try it in the front row. It is definitely much better, and I manage to get plenty of airtime. Unfortunately though it seems like every single time I go on it, it starts raining as soon as I get halfway up the lift hill. That helix is ridiculously painful with raindrops pelting you in the face!

Here's a tip: If it starts raining hard during your next visit, quickly run to Hydra and get on. The ride is much more interesting if you imagine yourself as the Hydra being taken down by machine gun fire.

[SFOG1991]

Have any of you who have been on Steel Force also been on Mamba or Wild Thing? I've ridden both of those, so I'm curious how it compares.

Steel Force and Mamba are insanely similar, but Mamba is better in my opinion. The helix is more intense and the return airtime was marginally better, but still not that great.

[ytterbiumanalyst]

Have any of you who have been on Steel Force also been on Mamba or Wild Thing? I've ridden both of those, so I'm curious how it compares.

Steel Force and Mamba are insanely similar, but Mamba is better in my opinion. The helix is more intense and the return airtime was marginally better, but still not that great.

Cool, that helps set expectations. Mamba with a less intense helix sounds like it's just ok at best.

 

Negative.

 

What are your feelings on WT and Mamba?

I think both are the second best ride in their park after Renegade/Prowler. I like Mamba better than Wild Thing. Mamba's helix is quite intense and the best part of the ride. For both of them, the return bunny hops are not Magnum quality, but still pretty fun. They manage a bit of airtime but mainly focus on speed.

[drummermattk]

Frame for Dodgem's is up!

© Dorney Park

[coasterbill]

Oh right, I already forgot they were getting those.

[grsupercity]

Hopefully there is a middle divider. I hate the dodgem rides that are set up in a circle

[boldikus]

Oh right, I already forgot they were getting those.

 

Because you are all about that Troika!

[coasterbill]

Hopefully there is a middle divider. I hate the dodgem rides that are set up in a circle

 

Don't worry, it'll be sh*t. All Cedar Fair bumper car rides are sh*t.

 

Oh right, I already forgot they were getting those.

 

Because you are all about that Troika!

 

Lol, I'm actually kind of looking forward to the Troika. I've always enjoyed those. They're not amazing but they're fun.

[njcoasterguy34]

Hopefully there is a middle divider. I hate the dodgem rides that are set up in a circle

 

Don't worry, it'll be sh*t. All Cedar Fair bumper car rides are sh*t.

 

Oh right, I already forgot they were getting those.

 

Because you are all about that Troika!

 

Lol, I'm actually kind of looking forward to the Troika. I've always enjoyed those. They're not amazing but they're fun.

 

I agree.

[Iby coaster]

Dorney Park posted updates for Kaleidoscope/Parkside Pavilion. Photo Cred: Dorney Park

Parkside Pavilion construction site.

Side view of Parkside Pavilion's construction site

Kaleidoscope construction site.

Another view of Kaleidoscope's construction site

[Canobie Coaster]

Hopefully there is a middle divider. I hate the dodgem rides that are set up in a circle

 

Don't worry, it'll be sh*t. All Cedar Fair bumper car rides are sh*t.

 

 

I thought the ones at Great America were pretty good but I agree the other ones I've been on have been poor. I'm just glad these are filling in that spot since it seemed empty over there without the top spin.

[Iby coaster]

Dorney is using the same bumper cars as Morey's Piers according to the GM Mike.

[boldikus]

^ Well Morey's has Bertazzons, I don't know if that's good or not cause I don't know sh*t about bumper cars lol.

 

Also I know this doesn't tell us anything we dont already know but...

 

What's new at Dorney Park this spring?

 

SOUTH WHITEHALL TOWNSHIP — There's a frequent refrain among Dorney Park guests, especially those from out of town.

 

"Where are the bumper cars?"

 

Since the Krazy Kars were removed in 2010, there's been no way for park guests to take out frustrations against siblings, friends and parents by knocking into them on the slippery surface of a bumper car rink. But that will change in the spring with the addition of a bumper car experience called Dodgem, according to an announcement last August by Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom.

 

Dodgem is one of two new rides on tap for the upcoming season. The other is a new circular ride called the Kaleidoscope.

 

With three arms of seven gondolas moving counterclockwise against the ride's main clockwise direction, the Kaleidoscope will give riders the experience of weightlessness, strong accelerations and side-to-side movements. Caitlin Stibitz, public relations and communications manager, said the demand for a bumper car ride frequently resurfaced.

 

"It's something guests are always asking for," Stibitz said. Dorney has had three different bumper car rides over the years, including Disco Dodge, Skooters and Krazy Kars.

 

As for bigger-ticket rides, Stibitz said there aren't any immediate plans for a new coaster, though capital plans for 2018 and beyond are not yet complete. The last roller coaster the park added was The Stinger in 2012.

 

This season the park refurbished the wooden favorite Thunderhawk, the eighth oldest existing roller coaster in the U.S. The 2017 season will also feature stunts and aerial performances by Cirque Imagine with the price of park admission. The 30-minute live show will feature trampolines, Cyr wheels, aerialists, hand balancing and bikes.

 

It will also mark the unveiling of the Parkside Pavilion, a catering facility for the park that can accommodate 2,000 guests. The Wildwater Kingdom will be opening 17 new cabanas for guest rentals and a new Sunset Beach Bar with outdoor seating for visitors.

[coasterbill]

With Bumper Cars, the manufacturer doesn't generally matter that much (unless it's a Lussee of course). Generally all non Lussee bumper cars are about the same, the most important factor is the speed in which the park chooses to run them. In this case they will likely be embarassingly slow with a super short ride cycle to compensate for the long loading process which will likely involve unecessary seatbelts and/or lap bars and one unenthusiastic ride operator to check all of them.

 

That being said...

 

^ Well Morey's has Bertazzons, I don't know if that's good or not cause I don't know sh*t about bumper cars lol.

 

NO. Lussee or GTFO.

[Iby coaster]

With Bumper Cars, the manufacturer doesn't generally matter that much (unless it's a Lussee of course). Generally all non Lussee bumper cars are about the same, the most important factor is the speed in which the park chooses to run them. In this case they will likely be embarassingly slow with a super short ride cycle to compensate for the long loading process which will likely involve unecessary seatbelts and/or lap bars and one unenthusiastic ride operator to check all of them.

 

That being said...

 

^ Well Morey's has Bertazzons, I don't know if that's good or not cause I don't know sh*t about bumper cars lol.

 

NO. Lussee or GTFO.

Forgot to mention that Mike (GM) also said they were Bertazzon.

[michaellynn4]

It's probably stupid of me to think this, but I'm holding out hope that adding this new picnic pavilion will allow for the park to repurpose the area used by the existing pavilion for the next large attraction.

[Iby coaster]

The video link is a construction tour of Dorney taken February 18th by these two guys https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=00WaDAv-0q0

[boldikus]

It's probably stupid of me to think this, but I'm holding out hope that adding this new picnic pavilion will allow for the park to repurpose the area used by the existing pavilion for the next large attraction.

 

I've had this thought too. It does free up a good amount of space, if they utilize the bit of green space next to the lot and the Dinos Alive area, maybe even enough for that out-and-back GCI people have been speculating about since 1892.

 

I had actually drawn an outline of the areas they could use but it looked like a giant dick & balls and we have enough of those around here so here it is without my pervy drawing.

[michaellynn4]

Are you talking about the area I outlined in red? I was thinking that the section in green would be on the chopping block (minus Chickie's & Pete's because, honestly, f**k them in the face if they ever take out their star attraction).

[boldikus]

No I am talking about the green section. That's the current picnic pavillion. And yeah Chickies is right there, but they also have the other, superior sitdown Chickies up by Hydra. The red box you outlined behind Stinger is just bathrooms, no?

 

edit: sounds like you want to see the giant dick, so here it is.

[YoshiFan]

I like the Chickie's and Pete's near Sea Dragon since that one is on the season dining pass. The area by Stinger also has a Haunt building although with all the new Haunt building locations, I don't think losing 1 would be that bad.