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Photo TR: Darien Lake Opening Day 2010


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One of the few parks (in the US at least) to have a Ranger ride. I didnt know this park had one.

 

The Ranger is one of my favorite rides at Darien Lake. Especially the noises it makes when it runs! I think Wildwood used to have one during the 80's.

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Oh, why do you taunt us so.

Oh I know, those Dippin Dots are irresistible!

 

Great report! I've never really heard much about Darien Lake, but it seems like a nice place. Sorry the weather didn't really work out for you, sounds like a typical opening day at Six Flags Great America.

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nice report man! It's been a while since I've been to this place (Last time I believe was in 2005 when it was still under Six Flags!). I thoroughly enjoyed this place when I was there, nice size, nice array of coasters and flats, and great atmosphere! I have been on both Ride of Steel and Superman: Ride of Steel at SFA, I personally enjoy DL's more simply because I felt like it ran smoother and indeed the water makes you feel like you're flying. Both versions are fantastic, but to me it's all about location and I feel DL's sits on better land, that's the only reason it's better in my opinion. Thanks for sharing!

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hahaha that is too true, can't believe that thing has just been laying there all of these years, that would honestly be a good addition to this place if they would just build it , with how they nicely keep up the rest of their coasters they could make it a decent stand up for sure

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There is a saying "Berlin will always be Berlin." I'd like to say that "Darien Lake will always be Darien Lake." The owners of that park have changed many times: Fun Time, Premier, Premier as Six Flags, PARC, etc. yet the heart of the park remains the same. Its had its off capital H layout for some time and rides such as Lasso, Corn Popper, and UFO have been in their exact spots since the early '80's. Its nice to see however that the current parent company is throwing some money its way to help improve its coasters. The local populace could care less who owns the park, they continue making the trek out into the middle of nowhere to experience New York State's largest amusement park...

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^you would be wrong. Darien Lake has be given new life with the new ownership. I went to the park the last year of six flags management and is was practicably no lines ( it was a sunny day in june or July ) RoS was walk on and I probably got like 10 rides that day. Wanna know why people stopped going? Six flags stuck a pole up your rear end on the food prices and parking. Parking was like $15 and a slice of pizza $6. People were going to smaller parks like Sea Breeze and Martain's Fantasy Island over Darien Lake because Six Flags stopped adding things and and continued to raise prices. While people will call RoS superman (heck, I even do it sometimes or call it that so that my friends know what I'm talking about) and people will call it a Six Flags Park. Just the way it is. People do however really enjoy and notice the effort that they put into making the park what it is now.

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^you would be wrong. Darien Lake has be given new life with the new ownership. I went to the park the last year of six flags management and is was practicably no lines ( it was a sunny day in june or July ) RoS was walk on and I probably got like 10 rides that day. Wanna know why people stopped going? Six flags stuck a pole up your rear end on the food prices and parking. Parking was like $15 and a slice of pizza $6. People were going to smaller parks like Sea Breeze and Martain's Fantasy Island over Darien Lake because Six Flags stopped adding things and and continued to raise prices. While people will call RoS superman (heck, I even do it sometimes or call it that so that my friends know what I'm talking about) and people will call it a Six Flags Park. Just the way it is. People do however really enjoy and notice the effort that they put into making the park what it is now.

 

I am wrong?! How about I have a different opinion that you...huh?

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Is it just me, or does Darien Lake look similar to Geauga Lake? it was just a vibe I was getting off the pics, anyway. Can't say I'm too happy with Viper's paint job, I liked the green and black...it was very Phantom's Revenge.

 

Great pics and an unique TR with snow and rain...I love it.

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I am wrong?! How about I have a different opinion that you...huh?

No, you think that it didn't make a difference who owned the park, and I know for a fact that the people do care because they pretty much hated six flags the last few years of their operation. Now they're very busy.

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Is it just me, or does Darien Lake look similar to Geauga Lake? it was just a vibe I was getting off the pics, anyway. Can't say I'm too happy with Viper's paint job, I liked the green and black...it was very Phantom's Revenge.

 

Great pics and an unique TR with snow and rain...I love it.

 

Darien Lake was built-up by Funtime, the same company that owned Geauga Lake during the 80s.

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I am wrong?! How about I have a different opinion that you...huh?

No, you think that it didn't make a difference who owned the park, and I know for a fact that the people do care because they pretty much hated six flags the last few years of their operation. Now they're very busy.

 

You have no idea how humorous I find it to be discussing this with a 15 year old. Most of the General Public has no idea who is currently operating the park. Its attendance has ebbed and flowed for many many years- long before you were even born and the park was Darien Lake Fun Country. That park is way out in the sticks and has had issues with falling attendance for years. Many people still call the park "Fun Country" and it hasn't been called that officially since 1983, the year after Viper opened.

 

The same company owned the park from 1995 until it was sold to PARC in 2007, it just changed its name from Premier to Six Flags when it bought the Six Flags chain from Time-Warner. When Premier acquired the Fun Time Parks, Darien Lake had the 5-year old Predator, the 13-year old Viper, the 12-year old Giant Wheel, a dozen of so "flats" and so on. There were longer lines back then for things like the Giant Wheel and Viper because there was not much else there. The company which you are claiming "they" hated added three of the parks major coasters and a few more larger flats in addition to doubling the size of the water park. They nearly doubled the capacity of the full park within four years which was too fast of a growth for such a remote park. Of course they had to slow down expansions- it only made sense.

 

MANY local parks are doing better currently because people are taking vacations locally because they cannot afford long distance vacations. Watch the news once in awhile and stop making generalizations which you cannot back up with facts.

 

Darien Lake is located in an area with a relatively small population and an overabundance of theme parks. Its two primary markets each have their own decent sized parks in addition to the fact that there are others within an easy drive. Buffalo is within a day's drive of Sea Breeze, Marineland, Darien Lake, Wonderland, Cedar Point, Kennywood, Ontario Place, Center Island Park, and Conneaut Lake. Compare that to Chicago with a population more than four times what Buffalo and Rochester combined have- and they really only have one or two parks which are truly within a day's drive.

 

So the park may well be doing better than it has, but it really has little to do with the parent company over the park. The park's staff is still the same year-to-year and there are still members of park management that were working there back when I last worked there in 1996.

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^I may be 15, but that doesn't mean anything. I do for a fact watch the news and there explanation of higher attendance of small parks is one theory. I think it's more of people hated being nickeled and dimed so they stop choosing the large park over Darien Lake. The drive really isn't far at all. an hour for the Rochester area and less for Buffalo is nothing. Also while Six Flags added some good rides like RoS and the vekoma clones, and also some flats you musta never been to the park in the last years of their operation. People were made about rising food and parking prices and everyone I knew was pretty much choosing not to go because of that. I went on a Sunny Friday in June for crying out loud and RoS was walk-on. You may think I know nothing because I'm 15, but I know more then you think.

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I am wrong?! How about I have a different opinion that you...huh?

No, you think that it didn't make a difference who owned the park, and I know for a fact that the people do care because they pretty much hated six flags the last few years of their operation. Now they're very busy.

 

Darien Lake is located in an area with a relatively small population and an overabundance of theme parks. Its two primary markets each have their own decent sized parks in addition to the fact that there are others within an easy drive. Buffalo is within a day's drive of Sea Breeze, Marineland, Darien Lake, Wonderland, Cedar Point, Kennywood, Ontario Place, Center Island Park, and Conneaut Lake. Compare that to Chicago with a population more than four times what Buffalo and Rochester combined have- and they really only have one or two parks which are truly within a day's drive.

 

So the park may well be doing better than it has, but it really has little to do with the parent company over the park. The park's staff is still the same year-to-year and there are still members of park management that were working there back when I last worked there in 1996.

 

Just in case you were not aware, I thought it odd you included CP as "within a days drive" to Buffalo but not Chicago, where they locally sell tickets and have big ads for them in Meijer stores. Here are some approx. times I drive to get to parks from the Chicago area. Just thought I would let you know for future reference.

 

SFGAm- 1 hour

Indiana Beach- 2-2.5 hrs

Wis Dells- 3-3.5 hrs

Michigans Adventure- 3-3.5hrs

Six Flags St. Louis- 5 hrs

Cedar Point- 5.5 hrs

Kings Island- 5.5 hrs

Adventureland- 5.5 hrs

Holiday World- 6.5 hrs

 

I would include all those within a reasonable days drive.

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Just in case you were not aware, I thought it odd you included CP as "within a days drive" to Buffalo but not Chicago, where they locally sell tickets and have big ads for them in Meijer stores. Here are some approx. times I drive to get to parks from the Chicago area. Just thought I would let you know for future reference.

 

SFGAm- 1 hour

Indiana Beach- 2-2.5 hrs

Wis Dells- 3-3.5 hrs

Michigans Adventure- 3-3.5hrs

Six Flags St. Louis- 5 hrs

Cedar Point- 5.5 hrs

Kings Island- 5.5 hrs

Adventureland- 5.5 hrs

Holiday World- 6.5 hrs

 

I would include all those within a reasonable days drive.

 

"A Day's Drive" as in drive there, go to the park, and drive back in the same day. Many people do that in Buffalo for Cedar Point. People are not going to drive there/back more than 3.5 hours so your argument doesn't make much sense. If want to include parks which are "a full day of driving away" you can cover approximately 1/4 of the country from any place.

 

^^When I was last at Darien Lake in 2005 in late August- there were long lines for S:RoS. All parks have up days and down days. Darien Lake is just not the kind of park that is ever going to record HUGE numbers by National Chain standards. Give it a rest.

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