TR Dorney Park, 9/18/05

[YoshiFan]

After wanting to get to Dorney all season I finally had a chance today.

 

We got to the park at about 12:30 to see the regular lot about 1/3 full. I thought that was a great sign since it looked like hardly anyone was there but the waterpark is closed for the season so everyone there was in the amusement side. Still, the crowds were not even an issue today.

 

First stop of the day was Talon. Other than the front row, the ride was a walk on. It was my first time on the ride and after going on Great Bear last month, I was looking forward to trying another B&M invert. I liked the signs going up the lift hill but the drop was really great. I was surprised with the loop, it barely even felt like I was upside down. The rest of the inversions were great as well. I decided to get another ride since I figured with no line, I might as well.

 

Next up was the train ride. They already started decorating for Halloween and along the sides of the train in the fields, there were plenty of skeletons, grave stones and other themeing. I walked by the Wild Mouse but the line looked to be 25 minutes or more so I skipped it.

 

I was right at Hydra so I figured I would try it. Another walk on. This was my first floorless coaster and after hearing mixed opinions about the ride, I wasn't sure what to expect. The Jojo roll really felt strange. I was surprised at first to be falling out my seat and into the restraint. At first I didn't like it but it started to grow on me after a few rides. Overall, I thought the ride was good. It wasn't that forceful but I still enjoyed going through all the inversions and the cobra roll was so much smoother compared to the Vekoma boomerang cobra roll (which is the only other ride with a cobra roll I have been on). Like Talon, I decided to take a 2nd ride.

 

I saw the Log Flume didn't have a long ride so I went to that next. I thought I was going to get soaked but luckily, the waterfall that you go under turned off right as the log when under it so I didn't get horribly soaked.

 

I saw the Whip was right near the log flume so I went there next. The wait was about 10 minutes but well worth it. It also seemed more intense than the one at Hershey but I think that was because there were no neck/head supports on the cars like Hershey's whip has. The whip is one of my favorite flats and I really like the whip at Dorney.

 

I then went to Lazer. There was only 1 train running which lead to a 2 train wait. Even with only a 2 train wait, I was in line for almost 10 minutes due to there only being 1 person checking restraints (yet there were 2 people at the control panel for some reason). The slow lift hill also didn't help. After hearing about how so many people gray or black out due to the g-forces, I tensed up my leg muscles (something I read on some coaster site but I can't remember which one) which supposedly will help you not black out. Either it worked, or I wouldn't have blacked out regardless because I was fine with the loops. I did get off the ride feeling a little dizzy though, I think due to the helix. I was a little dissapointed with Lazer since SooperDooperLooper is one of my favorite coasters at Hershey, I thought Lazer would be just as good but I guess I just like the layout of the SooperDooperLooper better since it's more than just a drop, loop(s) and 2 helixes.

 

Since I was near Steel Force, I headed there next. I had never been on a hyper coaster before so I wasn't sure how a 200+ foot drop and 75 mph would feel. After a 2 train wait I borded the car. The lift hill seemed fast but maybe that was just because I got off Lazer a few minutes before Steel Force. The drop was great and I really liked the speed of the ride. What I didn't like was the brake run before the hills towards the end of the ride as the brakes slowed the car down to almost a stop which seemed to ruin the momentum. I still enjoyed the ride though.

 

Next was Scrambler, a ride I don't usaually go on in parks due to the low capacity and long wait times but I only had a 1 cycle wait today. Still forceful and fun.

 

Right next to the Scrambler was Thunderhawk, the only coaster I went on today that I had been on before. They were only running 1 train but the wait was only 2 trains. All the rows had the same wait so I decided to take the front row. One thing I don't remember about the Thunderhawk was the amount of airtime it gave. Throughout the ride, I was being lifted out of my seat. I wasn't expecting that at all but it was great. Like Steel Force, the brakes towards the last bunny hill killed the momentum as well. I wish they would turn that brake off.

 

I decided to go on the Log Flume again. Right before the waterfall you go under where there is a small drop, there was a huge splash of water that somehow got on me and I was soaked more than I have ever been on any log flume ever. It looked like I went on the river rapids, that's how soaked I was. Then after we went down the drop I got even more water on me. Next time, I think I'll bring a jacket since I don't mind getting a little water on me but not so much water that I actually had to squeeze my shirt to get some of the water out.

 

Heading back towards Hydra, I saw they were running trains that weren't even 20% full so I went back for 2 more rides. And on the way out, I stopped at Talon for 2 more rides, again walk ons.

 

Overall, I had a great day at Dorney thanks to the almost non existant lines. It was very nice going through a line, going into the station and getting on a coater almost instantly.

[Sir Clinksalot]

Nice TR.

 

Glad to see that Dorney was dead, hopefully it will be dead this Sunday as well.

[CoasterFanatic]

^ I am sure it will be. Get there early and you will be amazed how fast you will fly through the attractions there.

 

Make sure you get on the log flume. One of the best in my opinion.

[YoshiFan]

It should even be less crowded next weekend. I heard that yesterday there was some corporate event so a lot of people had free tickets which made the park even more crowded than it would have been normally (if that is the case I don't see how it can even pay for them to stay open). If that event hadn't been going on, I think it might be possible that you could even get some rides on coasters without anyone else on the train (considering some rides on Hydra, there were less than 8 people total in the train).

 

The only thing that is annoying is that even with no one waiting for your row, the ops weren't letting people stay on the train. Not that big of a deal considering I could exit the ride, go through the line and get back on the same train after it went around the track once more but it's still annoying.