Dorney Park PTR

[KI Kevin]

Ah, the first stop of my 3-park trip.

We arrived to Allentown around 3 PM....

to that! I couldn't believe how impressive the skyline was...heck it looked tons better than Kings Dominion's did last year.

Pulling up to the parking gate, we asked the attendant what crowds were like. He replied, "pretty crowded for a weekday." By then we were worried.

A picture I took from the parking lot. Simple, but I like it.

Ticket sales and greeting tower. My KI Platinum Pass scanned without problem.

Believe it or not, that's Dorney Park! Looks a little familiar to a park up north huh? I'm sure you see my point.

Talon absolutely dominates the front of the park (I'm just having too much fun with these puns )

First up was Steel Force!

Getting closer....

The sign/logo for Steel Force. Believe it or not, that was actually the old Mantis logo when it was still called Banshee.

I like how the queue has a sign with all the stats of the ride on it. Fortunately or unfortunately, I didn't get to read it because there was no line for the coaster, or really any other coaster for that matter.

A view from the exit stairs. That little double up attempt is kind of a fail.

I was very impressed with Steel Force! The coaster is as smooth as glass and provides some good air. The turnaround is forceful also. Overall I think I'd have to rate it above Magnum for the smoothness of the ride and the good but not painful bunny hills at the end.

After SF (not Six Flags, Steel Force) we went on a credit spree- up next was Dragon Coaster. It's an odd coaster. I couldn't figure out what powered it. It didn't have a chain or any friction wheels attached to the track, just an anti-rollback looking think on the entire coaster. Though it did look like there was an LIM looking strip on the track in the station but I couldn't spot a plate on the train where it would go.

Unfortunately, right as we were about to board Possessed, an IntaFAIL occurred. We got to ride it later though. It was basically the same as Wicked Twister except of course, the back tower doesn't spiral. However on the second climb up the back tower, a brake holds you looking straight down for a second or two. This was cool but IMO it should hold it for 5 seconds or so like Griffon.

Just an idea of what lines were like that day...

I wish KI would have signs like these . Unfortunately over the whole trip we encountered 15 or so linejumpers...once when we were in line for Talon we got linejumped by 5 people at the same time! The nerve of some people...

Gotta admit, we laughed pretty darn hard at the name of this store right across from Possessed.

Thunderhawk- the classic woodie which used to be named, "Coaster," was next. Sadly it was only running one train. Gotta say I was not a big fan of this coaster. Didn't have any WOW moments. It was boring.

Seeing Demon Drop again was refreshing.

I'm pleased to say that the ride is running just the same as it was last year- very well. Adam had told me that the lift was slower but I didn't notice a difference. The transition from lying down to ground level is still quite rough.

My third Woodstock's Express coaster- KI, CP and now Dorney. It was the worst of the three.

Next was Hydra: The Revenge, the twisted B&M Floorless coaster.

Zero-G rolls are always fun.

That cobra roll is INSANELY twisted!

Contrary to popular opinion, I actually liked the jojo roll.

Overall I thought Hydra was pretty good. Better than Dominator, not quite as good as Scream! It's smoother than both, but it's kinda short (in height, length, and time).

Now for coaster #100...drumroll please...

Talon! My 6th Beemer Invert!

Talon is a VERY intense coaster. The immelman is my favorite inversion, maybe besides the zero-g roll on floorless and sit down B&Ms. I think it was the best choice at Dorney for my #100 coaster and I LOVED it.

Every park on this trip has a wild mouse coaster and this one was probably the worst and most rough.

BUT, the cars had cool designs on them.

Now on to the few other flats we rode.

Do they still have the kiddie-whip at KI? I liked this one a lot. It gave strong laterals on the turnarounds.

Apollo's a fun little ride that I'd trade in place of Monster, Scrambler, or Shake, Rattle and Roll any day.

After a few rerides on Hydra, Steel Force, and Talon, we left the park around 8 PM.

Park notes: I was very suprised with this park. They have less than 10 coasters yet 4 of them are very good. The overall atmosphere of the park is very charming and even on a "relatively crowded" day the park was still empty. IMO of the three parks of the trip I would take Dorney as a home park. It's not overly crowded constantly to the point that you have to wait an hour for the good coasters but it's also not too small. The park is photogenic and very pretty. It's not as hilly as SFMM, but still pretty hilly. I wish CP could maintain some of the charm and atmosphere that Dorney has.

Alright that's it for Dorney. SFGAdv will hopefully be up tomorrow. Stay tuned!

[Guest Millennium]

Good Trip Report. I went on a Friday and everyone was at the water park. We didn't wait more than one train for any coaster. Steel Force, Talon, Hydra, and Possessed were fun but nothing blew me away. It felt like a typical CF park. Still fun though. And their Woodstock Express was horrible.

[CoastersRZ]

Dorney Park is one of those parks I hope to get to. I`m just not sure when that is going to happen...

[Ogrmac]

Very nice TR! Yes, they still have the kiddie whip at KI. On our trip to Dorney earlier this summer, I was also very impressed with the atmosphere of the park. The lack of long lines also helped! I highly recommend a trip to Dorney for anyone who is able. I like to think of it as "Cedar Fair's best kept secret."

[BavarianBeatle]

Agreed. I have really enjoyed Dorney Park every time I've been there. Meteor is really nice, as is their topspin. Short lines, nice rides, and a resulting relaxed atmosphere... What more could you ask for?

[ki lover]

Banshee? I never knew that! Does anybody know why cp changed the name from Banshee to Mantis?

[Coney Islander]

^

During planning and design, the working name for Mantis was Banshee, a female spirit in Irish folklore known for its blood-curdling howl. This would seem to tie in well with the typical "roar" of B&M trains as they ride their track. This spirit is said to foretell a death in the family, and when a local newspaper published this definition, Cedar Point decided to change the name for sensitivity reasons. Park goers participating in the ride's opening year Coastermania event received Banshee souvenirs and T-shirts, which were already printed before the name was changed. Dexter believes that Mantis is a very fitting name for this coaster, who's tight banked circles and loops, along with the rhythm of the ride, remind him of insect behavior as moths might circle a flame. The original Banshee logo was put to use a year later at Cedar Point's sister park, Dorney Park, as the logo for their new hypercoaster Steel Force.

http://www.idexter.c...ntis_index.html

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Charming trip report! Never before realized how beautiful a park Dorney is.

[BavarianBeatle]

Banshee? I never knew that! Does anybody know why cp changed the name from Banshee to Mantis?

Yes

--Beatle, who just couldn't resist

[ki lover]

Haha. Let me restate that. Whats the reason for the name change. Happy?

[KI Kevin]

Apparently they changed the name from Banshee to Mantis because of all the negative connotations with the word, "Banshee." I just don't see how that logo fits in with the name.

[gad198]

Nice TR!

If you just looked at Dorney's lineup of stuff you'd probably be less than impressed (especially if you have KI or another bigger park as your home park) but the park is very nice, it's well-kept and it has a lot more to do than I thought. I really should try Talon again, because my initial ride was anything but impressive (as a matter of fact it's probably my least favorite B&M inverted I've been on so far).

[bkroz]

Image source.

Looks like all they really did to change it was make steel hands coming out of the arms.

[The Interpreter]

Dorney is the one park I'd have given anything to have visited in the years before Cedar Fair owned it. It had a very quaint and interesting ride line-up. I did get to ride Coaster while it still had bumper cars running below it in the basement of what was then the station...